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Google Videos rental app makes fleeting cameo in Market, portends of an imminent release
The original Google Videos is going to be mighty huffy about this. Not only has it endured repeated attempts on its life following Big G's acquisition of YouTube, but now its very identity has been humiliatingly copied and pasted onto an entirely different service. The new Google Videos is a movie rental app that will give Android users in the US mobile access to the 3,000+ premium titles that are already available to rent on a desktop. So far, no one has been able to break out the popcorn except a few lucky Xoom owners, but last night the app mysteriously became available to everyone else in Android Market, too. Unfortunately, those quick triggers who managed to install the app before it disappeared were rewarded with a riveting succession of server errors, but at least it gives us hope that the real-deal will be with the masses in short order. Google Videos is dead, long live Google Videos.
Amazon tablet with TI processor shipping as early as August?
For months now, DigiTimes has been fueling rumors of Amazon's first foray into the LCD tablet market. Today it ratchets up the specificity with sometimes contradictory claims that Quanta Computer will be responsible for assembling the tablet with a supposed TI (not NVIDIA) processor and Wintek (not EIH) touch panel among its components. According to DigiTimes, Amazon hopes to move some four million units in 2011 alone with plans to launch the new tablet as soon as August. Possible? Sure, likely even. But we'll wait for Bezos to sing before updating our holiday shopping lists.
Netflix seals deal to stream Miramax movies, starting in June
Netflix has just gone and scooped up another big content deal for itself. The movie streaming service has tied the knot with Miramax on a multi-year agreement to allow streaming of films from the latter's extensive library. Pulp Fiction, The English Patient, Kill Bill, and hundreds of others will be added to the Netflix Watch Instantly catalog on a rotating basis, starting next month. This marks the first time Miramax flicks have been available on a digital subscription service. An agreement between these two companies was last rumored in March, with a five-year term and $100 million price being mooted as the likely parameters for getting it done. Neither outfit would disclose the cost to Netflix, but the benefit to you, dear subscriber, is pretty obvious. Full PR after the break.
Epix brings its thousands of movies to Google TV; apps for Android, Roku and Playbook on the way
While some video providers are moving away from Google TV, Roku and the Playbook, and Netflix still has yet to officially release its movie streaming app on any Android devices, the Epix channel is going all in. Following its "Big on Any Screen" slogan, it will roll out apps on a slew of devices over the second quarter beyond its current Flash player. The Google TV portal is already up and running as seen above and apps are on the way for "Android tablets and phones from HTC, LG and Motorola" -- we've pinged to see if this will be device exclusive but haven't received a response yet -- the BlackBerry Playbook, Samsung TVs and Blu-ray players and Roku streaming players. Not listed in the press release is anything iOS, but Epix confirmed it is working on an app that is waiting for Apple's approval. Not familiar with the channel? It has over 3,000 movies from Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM plus original programs and live events that is available via your cable or satellite TV provider and launched with an HBO Go-style online component. Verizon FiOS is apparently on deck to help push the new apps, check out the rest of the details in the press release after the break. Update: We've confirmed with Epix the Android app should work on all devices running 2.1 or higher, while the site will also remain available to any other hardware that supports the Flash player.
MPAA sues Zediva for streaming DVDs, no one is surprised
We told you to get through that 10 pack of rentals quickly didn't we? As pretty much anyone could have predicted, the Motion Picture Association of America (in case you've forgotten, that's these guys) doesn't think Zediva has the right to rent access to DVDs for streaming across the internet. Specifically, the MPAA calls Zediva for not being the traditional rental service it claims to be, and claims streaming the output of a DVD player across the internet even to one user amounts to public performance of the movie. There's no response yet from Zediva, but in the meantime armchair lawyers can check out the MPAA's statement in PDF form at the source link.
Redbox adds Netflix-style movie ratings, star system
Redbox's website has gone through several facelifts in the last few months, but the most recent (3/23) change is the addition of ratings and review to movies. As seen in the screen above, the placement, style and star ratings are very reminiscent of Netflix's system and may indicate the reasoning behind the addition. Redbox is preparing to enter the subscription movie streaming arena soon, and just as the Netflix Prize focused on finding out what particular users like so it can find relevant selections within its limited catalog, the movie kiosk company will likely travel a similar path. We don't know when the streaming component will launch, but whenever Redbox and its unnamed partner flip the switch, you'll probably want to have a few ratings in the chamber so it knows what you like.
Crackle starts streaming all of its free movies to Roku, PS3, Sony TVs and Blu-ray players
Sony's Crackle has had a more successful life so far than its previous iteration as Grouper, streaming movies, TV shows and shorts to various devices since launching back in '07 and announced today its full library will be streaming to the PS3, Roku boxes, Sony Blu-ray players and Bravia TVs. Expanding full access from just the Google TV (there's also an Android app that currently streams some of the items) it's taking credit as the only provider offering free full length flicks including Ghostbusters, Bad Boys, A Few Good Men and more for free on these platforms. The drawbacks are video that tops out at 480p standard definition and Hulu-style commercial interruptions but if you absolutely must watch Weekend at Bernies II without spending any money it is an option -- at least, as long as the PS3 browser doesn't crash with an out of memory error like it did for us. It did work better on more capable platforms, so check out the full details in the press release after the break.
Netflix on the Boxee Box is a much better Valentine's Day gift than what you had planned
These days, a media streamer isn't really in the game unless it has Netflix streaming and thankfully, the Boxee Box has finally corrected its most glaring content hole -- sorry Hulu Plus. According to a blog post by CEO Avner Ronen, the oft-delayed addition has been the most common request by users so far but obviously they've cleared all remaining DRM hurdles, so once the latest software update is downloaded, either automatically or by manually checking, owners can enjoy everything the latest Netflix interface has to offer, whether they're in the US or Canada. Of course, that's not all there is to this update, with support for Dolby Digital TrueHD bitstreaming, high resolution SRT subtitles and updated support for IR remotes. All the details are in the changelog, although we figure most of you will just get straight to watching The Human Centipede or something similar. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Samsung adds Lovefilm streaming to UK Blu-ray players
Lovefilm, the closest thing Europe has to an answer to Netflix, was recently swallowed whole by the Amazon juggernaut, but that doesn't seem to have stunted its progress toward ubiquitous availability. Samsung has just announced its intent to include Lovefilm movie streaming as an app on all of its Blu-ray players in the UK, enhancing both the subscription service's profile and its own claim to providing the user with multifunctional, "smart" technology. It's disappointing not to see this rollout effective across all of Lovefilm's European markets, but we guess small steps are better than no steps.
Amazon agrees to buy UK movie streaming and rental service Lovefilm
Amazon has just announced it has agreed terms to buy up all the remaining shares of Lovefilm it didn't already own. The British outfit operates a subscription-based movie rental and streaming service in its home market along with Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, and should give Amazon a very solid base from which to build its presumably Netflix-besting ambitions. Lovefilm has been just about the closest thing Europe has had to the ridiculously successful North American movie distributor and Amazon is arguably getting in just in time, given Netflix's overtures toward expanding into the UK. Customary closing conditions will need to be met before the final stamp of approval is applied, but the acquisition is expected to complete by the end of Q1 of this year. Amazon's wading into yet more content distribution, who'd have thunk it?
Vudu movie streaming app is (not) live on the Boxee Box - update
There's no official confirmation from Boxee's blog or Twitter account yet, but owners of its Box are experiencing a fully activated Vudu app with the SD, HD, HDX and 3D streams the service is famous for. The only glitches reported so far seem to have been cleared up by just restarting the device so hopefully whatever delayed its launch past the planned 2010 window is entirely resolved. There's no firmware update needed, so give it a shot if you haven't already, especially since Vudu's still offering a free flick for all new signups. With Netflix streaming still an unreachable dream for its Box (unless one also happens to own practically any other media streaming device on the market) we hope the company rewards its developers with a long, long break of at least five minutes before sending them back to work on our Watch Instantly access. [Thanks, Parris] Update: VP of Marketing Andrew Kippen has let us know that while the app was released to a few hundred testers "by mistake" it's been taken down so they can finish testing before it is eventually released "with much fanfare." Sorry Boxee devs, no five minute break for you today!
OnLive releases iPad app, reveals subscription-based movie streaming coming in 2011
According to a report this morning, OnLive is launching a subscription-based movie streaming service on an undisclosed date in 2011. The news comes from the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), who cites growing concern among media companies that Netflix has grown too large on its own and diversification is desired (read: they want a piece of the large, money-filled pie as well). In other OnLive news, the streaming-only company released its first iPad app today (creatively dubbed "OnLive Viewer"). The application allows user to see what's available for instant streaming (on a computer, not on your iPad), see other players' "brag clips," and watch trailers. Though the app has an official page on Apple.com, we're having some issues downloading it at the moment, but that could just be release hiccups. Then again, you're probably already watching trailers (and reading news, reviews, previews, and so much more!) on your Joystiq iPhone App, right? Good! Glad to hear it! Update: The App is currently only available in New Zealand, which explains our downloading issues. We understand that the App goes live for US residents tonight at 11:00PM EST. Enjoy your temporary exclusivity, Kiwis!
KDDI develops a zoom-enhance system for HD movie streaming on smartphones (video)
Because not every smartphone has a full 1080p resolution (yet), KDDI's R&D Labs have come up with a new method for massaging the most out of HD movie streams while on the move. You'll still be able to pummel your poor mobile device and connection with the full-res stream, should you wish it, but KDDI's innovation is in developing a system whereby you can zoom in on particular parts of the feed, have the stream cropped to your requirements on far-off servers somewhere, and then receive only the stuff you want to see onto your device. And because of your phone's aforementioned pixel deficiency, the employment of this technique will most often result in negligible picture fidelity loss, if any. The biggest benefit, however, might be to carriers like KDDI who end up having to carry less data back and forth, even if it does come at a slight server-side cost. Video after the break.
Lovefilm movie streaming now live on UK PlayStation 3 consoles
Sony's "it only does everything" claim for the PS3 seems to be growing stronger with every day that passes. After getting Hulu Plus in the US recently, the versatile console has just seen the green light to start some movie streaming action in the UK, courtesy of a hookup with Lovefilm. To get this free extra, you have to have a £5.99 or above monthly Lovefilm subscription (that's excluding its Games offering), though there's a limit on how much streaming you can do at that price point. Such stipulations fall by the wayside on the £9.99 top tier, leaving you and your console to enjoy as many movies as you can handle.
Redbox announces plans to enter streaming business next year
It may not be quite the same obvious transition that Netflix made, but it looks like DVD kiosk company Redbox will soon be making a push of its own into the streaming business. That word comes straight from the CEO of parent company Coinstar, Paul Davis, who told listeners to the company's recent earnings call that it is in "detailed negotiations with a number of highly interested parties" to launch a "Redbox-branded" streaming service sometime next year. That would seem to suggest that Redbox will be relying on a partner already established in the field rather than rolling its own service, but Davis was otherwise light on details, adding only that streaming represents a "significant opportunity" for the company. That doesn't mean Redbox will be getting out of the kiosk business anytime soon, though -- according to Davis, there's still a "long, profitable life ahead" there.
D-Link's Boxee Box gets VUDU streaming rentals
We're just weeks away from the Boxee Box bringing its pan-dimensional shape to your home entertainment center, but still the surprises keep rolling. VUDU has announced that it too will be making an appearance on the thing, offering streaming downloadable rentals of big hits with some, like Avatar, having special features to boot. Viewers will have 1080p on tap along with Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround and the pleasure of knowing that their $2 per rental is going straight into Walmart's pocket. Who doesn't love Walmart? Update: To be clear, VUDU will be available to users of the PC and Mac Boxee clients as well.
Netflix on Wii drops the clunky disc requirement, starts streaming through Wii Menu
It's not just the PS3 that will be doing its Netflix streaming disc-free from today: the Wii is joining in the fun as well! Americans and Canadians alike will be able to download and install Netflix from the Wii Shop Channel, provided they've signed up for a subscription of $8.99 (C$7.99 in Canada) or above. Notably, over three million Wii consoles are said to have been hooked up with Netflix since the service launched back in April, and this step should make that number grow even larger. Only question is what we're all going to do with those three million redundant discs now. We can't turn them all into coasters, any ideas?
Netflix coming to Canada this fall
Netflix has just announced it'll be taking its first tentative step abroad with a rollout of its video streaming service in Canada. Specifics are predictably light at the present moment, but interested Canucks can sign up now to be informed as soon as those details drop. So Canada in the fall... and the UK in winter, perhaps? We can only hope. [Thanks, Chris D.]
Netflix adds Relativity Media to its Instant queue, takes on HBO and Showtime
Ever wonder why premium movie channels (your HBOs and the like) get top-shelf Hollywood movies not long after their DVD release but yet you're still stuck streaming Mystery Science Theater 3000's greatest hits on Netflix? That situation could be changing thanks to a deal with Relativity Media, who you may not have heard of before but has had a hand in the production and distribution of big Hollywood flicks like 300 and A Serious Man. The deal with Netflix will bring some of the company's movies to Watch Instantly within months of their DVD release, avoiding the usual multi-year exclusivity window that pay networks usually require. Right now only a few movies are mentioned, including The Fighter, Skyline, Movie 43, and Season of the Witch, but this deal establishes Netflix as a player in this market, pitting itself against HBO and Showtime for first distribution of premium content to the small (but ever growing) screen. If things go well, your Instant queue could be getting a bit more plump over the next year or so.
Mark Cuban foretells Netflix demise, sees a future filled with on-demand video
To call Mark Cuban eccentric would be akin to describing the ocean as wet, but what's not so often acknowledged about the Dallas Mavericks owner is the sharp mind and commercial nous that have gotten him to the position of hiring and firing millionaire ball players. One of Mark's recent blog posts, entitled "The future of TV ... is TV," got the attention of NewTeeVee, who sought to debunk his contention that VOD (video on demand) services from cable operators would become the primary means by which we consume digital media in the future. They cite the growing success story of Netflix's digital distribution model, as well as the 12 million hours of March Madness video consumed via CBS' web portal, in arguing that web streaming is indeed the great new hotness. Mark's response tackles Netflix head on, and points out that the company's rapid growth is about to start working against it, with movie studios and other content providers likely to jack up prices and demand further concessions from the streaming service as it turns into a real competitor to cable companies. According to him, Netflix is presently getting its content at prices that are unsustainable, and his prognostication is that content owners seeking bigger levies -- together with the expansion of VOD choice, which he sees as foolproof compared to the overwhelming complexity that web streaming entails -- will lead to Netflix passing costs on to the consumers and losing out to cable operators. Irrespective of whether you agree with him, the whole exchange is well worth a read. Use the links below to get filled in.
