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Starz Play movies disappear from Netflix streaming this week
A little more than three years after arriving on Netflix's Watch Instantly streaming service, Starz is packing up its online package of movies and original TV shows and heading home at the end of this month. While the deal brought in high profile movies from Disney and Sony (not to mention shows like Spartacus and Boss), it's also caused problems with the availability of certain movies / features on the Xbox 360, a renegotiation of terms between Starz and Disney followed by the removal of Sony's flicks from the service last year. Finally Starz reportedly asked Netflix to change its pricing strategy to a tiered one, but the companies couldn't agree and renewal negotiations ended September 1st of last year. Netflix is trying to fill the gap with more deals directly with studios and offering its own original shows, while the selection of kid-friendly movies will be supplemented by a Dreamworks arrangement that kicks off in 2013.That means subscribers have until midweek to enjoy Toy Story 3, Tangled or about 800 (mostly somewhat lesser-known) other movies that may be kicking around in their queues. While Netflix breaks out the Starz Play titles on its site, TVandMoviesNOW has put together a list of all of them, sortable by release date, rating, genre and other items including the 50 or so that are viewable on Amazon's Prime streaming service. We probably won't dive in too deeply since the movies lack HD res and surround sound, but if you haven't seen Party Down yet then this is the time.
Dish reportedly launching Blockbuster movie streaming service next month
Dish Network already has its DishOnline streaming service for its own paying customers, but it looks like it's now set to take direct aim at Netflix with a standalone subscription service that will be open to everyone. According to Bloomberg, that will operate under the company's recently acquired Blockbuster brand and, in what's surely a bitter pill for Netflix to swallow, it's said to include titles from Starz (which also handles movies from Disney and Sony). As you'll recall from yesterday, it announced that it will be pulling all of its titles from Netflix in February of next year after it failed to reach an agreement with the company. Details on the service otherwise remain a bit light -- including any word of a possible subscription price -- although Bloomberg says it "may" also include on-demand Blockbuster movies that Dish customers will be able to watch on their TVs.
Starz ends renewal negotiations with Netflix, will pull movies from streaming in February
Starz has apparently decided it can live without the hundreds of millions of dollars a renewal of its content licensing deal with Netflix was expected to bring and announced an end to negotiations today. According to the Company Town blog, talks broke down over Starz's insistence that Netflix implement tiered pricing, and charge customers even more for access to its content. That means when the current deal expires on February 28, 2012, they will all go away, including a number of its newer release flicks from Sony (already pulled) and Disney that Starz has exclusive licenses to and Starz content like Camelot and Spartacus. To make matters worse, all of this is going down the same day as a price hike makes it more expensive to keep both disc and streaming services. While Starz claims the move is a part of its strategy to "protect the premium nature of our brand by preserving the appropriate pricing and packaging of our exclusive and highly valuable content" as well as "evaluate new opportunities", Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey is quoted as saying it can redirect the Starz money to deals with other content providers to "maintain or even improve the Netflix experience." Beyond Starz, in the US Netflix also has access to newer movies from its deals with Epix and a few smaller distributors like Relativity Media. Check Starz's statement in full after the break, and let us know if this is changing your answer to yesterday's poll question.
Netflix's day: Sony movies pulled, new bandwidth options, no more DVD API access and a lawsuit
In an apparent ode to Rebecca Black, Ice Cube and any number of body switch movies, Netflix has had an incredibly active Friday, so sit back while we get you up to speed. Sony Pictures movies from Starz Play are no longer available (on any device, not just the Xbox 360 this time) due to a "temporary contract issue" according to the official blog. According to NewTeeVee, the problem is an "IP distribution cap" that was reached due to Netflix's explosive growth, but with no word on when the movies will be back, you'll be missing The Other Guys. Up next was the National Association of the Deaf, which has filed a lawsuit in Springfield, MA against Netflix, claiming that its failure to provide closed captions on all streaming content puts it in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Netflix last claimed 30 percent of titles were subbed with plans to reach 80 percent by the end of the year, but the press release (and captioned YouTube video) make the case that as a leader in streaming video, it should do better. Netflix also quietly gave US subscribers access to the same bandwidth management options provided to Canadians a few months ago. The new Manage Video Quality settings (shown above) can be found in the Your Account section, and if you're trying to stay under bandwidth caps or just keep seeing buffering, they should help you out at the cost of a few pixels. As if that wasn't enough, the Netflix Tech Blog squeezed in news that it was ending access to "DVD-related features" for apps using its Open API later this year. The move is apparently preparation for expanded international streaming, so if you're trying to manage discs through a third party things may change soon.
Vudu adds TV shows to its rental catalog, but only some are in HD
Here we go again with a good news / bad news announcement from Vudu, as it's added a nice catalog of TV shows to its library for rent and/or purchase. The bad news however, is that despite having the 1080p / 5.1 audio HDX technology we've come to know and love, it's currently only offering a small subset of them in anything other than standard definition. Like other online stores, there's an odd situation where some things are a decent value (season one of The Walking Dead is $26.99 on Blu-ray at Amazon, $15.99 on iTunes in HD, and $16.99 on Vudu HDX) and others are not (season six of Weeds is $27.99 on Vudu HDX, $23.99 on Blu-ray at Amazon and $38.87 on iTunes) so shop carefully. Given time the library will probably even out more in quality and price and once Vudu is available on more devices (and hopefully in HD on the PC at some point) there will be more reasons to consider it as a VOD option.
Starz will make Netflix viewers wait 90 days to see new original series, starting with Camelot
Now that Netflix is acting more like a premium pay channel, the competition seems less and less friend, following a change in terms with Showtime, now Starz has revealed its new series will only come to Netflix streaming 90 days after they air. The Hollywood Reporter mentions this applies to all forms of the Starz Play service, whether accessed through Netflix, Qwest, Verizon or otherwise, starting the premiere episode of its newest drama, Camelot, April 1st. If you enjoyed previous offerings like Party Down or Spartacus they'll still be available for streaming, but not with the same short delay watching you were used to in the old days.
Netflix passes 20 million subscribers; focuses on ISP disputes, HBO, Facebook in Q4 results
Netflix just released its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2010 and of no surprise to anyone who was paying attention last year it did quite well by passing 20 million subscribers, more than double its base at the start of 2009. However, per Biggie's Law mo money = mo problems, and it took the opportunity to respond, surprisingly sharply, to potential threats from its Hollywood content providers and the ISPs its Watch Instantly service streams over. News of note going into 2011? A huge focus on personalization including new integration with Facebook and a mention that Apple TV has already surpassed the iPad in viewing hours. It also showed off the one-click Netflix button on an unspecified (looks like Toshiba to us) remote and compared the "consternation" over its success to the rise of Fox as a broadcast network two decades ago. We'll hop on the earnings call in a few minutes for more details, check after the break for more of the details.
CE Oh no he didn't!: Time Warner chief likens Netflix threat to Albanian army
Think the relationship between Netflix and cable and content executives is amicable? Not. Even. Close. Certainly not after Netflix CEO Reed Hastings blazed a trail into the living room on the strength of the company's streaming television and movie content originally made possible by a shrewd 2008 deal with Starz. A move that netted streaming access rights to Sony and Disney content for an estimated $25 million -- next to nothing compared to the traditional licensing fees charged to cable operators. That deal is set to expire in 2011 and could cost Netflix as much as $250 million a year to renew. Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes thinks that Netflix's days at the top are numbered having been made possible by an era of experimentation that's now ending. "It's a little bit like, is the Albanian army going to take over the world?" said Bewkes, "I don't think so." According to the New York Times, the comments were made last week as UBS sponsored a media conference in New York that it says turned into a "platform for executives to express their grievances and emphasize that they will now aggressively try to tilt the economic balance between Netflix and content creators back toward the media conglomerates." Wow. Don't worry though Netflix subscribers, we're sure that the implied collusion is the good kind.
Disney renegotiating Starz deal, might pull movies from Netflix streaming
Looks like the movie studios are beginning to realize that Netflix is racing away with the streaming market, and things are starting to change fast: hot on the heels of Warner forcing Netflix to accept delayed DVD rentals in exchange for better streaming terms, Disney and Starz are reportedly renegotiating their deal, and blocking Netflix is one of the terms. Most new releases on Netflix right now are part of the StarzPlay package, and the studios don't get a cut, since they've already sold those rights to Starz. As we all know, the studios aren't big fans of not getting a cut, so what Disney is trying to do is block Netflix from dealing with Starz and force it to license streaming rights directly -- not the end of the world and certainly not impossible, but a move that has the potential to disrupt service and raise prices. As of right now, things are status quo and no one's talking on the record, but we've got the feeling there's a shakeout coming -- stay tuned.
Comcast On Demand Online renamed Fancast Xfinity TV, now streaming nationwide
After taking some time in limited beta, Comcast has renamed its TV Everywhere streaming venture Fancast Xfinity TV and made it available nationally to all customers with internet and cable TV subscriptions. A simple browser plugin authorizes up to 3 computers per account, but now that it's live we've found more has changed than just its unfortunate new name. Users won't need to be at home to activate their computers for viewing; all that's needed is a login and with plenty of cross browser compatibility it should work easily no matter your setup anywhere within the U.S. For us, the Comcast Access installer worked flawlessly on one Windows 7 equipped netbook while failing with an error message tech support couldn't decipher on a similar desktop. Once up and running, there's even some high-definition streaming video available (Juno, Max Payne, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary and others) with more on the way. All told there's about 2000 hours of content online including HBO and Starz restricted items, peep the full list on Fancast.com or check out the setup and viewing process in our gallery below. Technical glitches aside, for the price of absolutely nothing over our current cable and internet bill with HD streaming already active, we may have a new way to keep up with our stories while on the go. %Gallery-80361%
Starz launching 5 new HD channels next year
Hopefully taking advantage of all that bandwidth saved in the switch to MPEG-4, Starz has announced plans for 5 new HD feeds due mid-2010. New for the '10 are Starz in black HD, Starz Cinema HD, IndiePlex HD, RetroPlex HD and an Encore HD West Coast stream. That brings the number of Starz HD channels up to 9 (plus two west coast feeds), if you've been missing movies on those networks for lack of HD, your suffering is nearly over. The rest of us are just waiting for Party Watch on all the Starz Play titles on Netflix Watch Instantly.
HDTV Listings for October 16, 2009
What we're watching tonight: Fox (720p) has Angels/Yankees ALCS Game 1 at 8 p.m. ABC (720p) has the two hour season premiere of Ugly Betty at 8 p.m. CW (1080i) has Smallville at 8 p.m. USA (1080i) has Monk at 9 p.m. and the summer finale of Psych at 10 p.m. CBS (1080i) lines up Ghost Whisperer at 8 p.m., Medium at 9 p.m. and Numb3rs at 10 p.m. Syfy (1080i) has Stargate Universe at 9 p.m. and Sanctuary at 10 p.m. MyNetworkTV (1080i) has WWE: Smackdown at 9 p.m. Cartoon Network (1080i) has Star Wars: The Clone Wars at 8 p.m. History (720p) has Lock n' Load at 10 p.m. TLC (1080i) airs Say Yes to the Dress at 9 p.m. and Wedded to Perfection at 10 p.m. Starz (1080i) has Crash at 10 p.m. ESPN (720p) has Pitt/Rutgers college football at 8 p.m. ESPN2 (720p) airs NASCAR Nationwide Series Racing @ Charlotte at 8 p.m.
HDTV Listings for October 9, 2009
What we're watching tonight: Fox (720p) has Brothers at 8 p.m., 'til Death at 8:30 p.m. and Dollhouse at 9 p.m. CBS (1080i) lines up Ghost Whisperer at 8 p.m., Medium at 9 p.m. and Numb3rs at 10 p.m. Syfy (1080i) has Stargate Universe at 9 p.m. and the season premiere of Sanctuary at 10 p.m. CW (1080i) has Smallville at 8 p.m. and Supernatural at 9 p.m. MyNetworkTV (1080i) has WWE: Smackdown at 9 p.m. Cartoon Network (1080i) has Star Wars: The Clone Wars at 8 p.m. History (720p) has Lock n' Load at 10 p.m. Starz (1080i) airs Crash at 10 p.m. USA (1080i) has Monk at 9 p.m. and Psych at 10 p.m. TLC (1080i) airs Say Yes to the Dress at 9 p.m. and Wedded to Perfection at 10 p.m. ESPN (720p) has Louisiana Tech/Nevada college football at 9 p.m. ESPN2 (720p) has Fever/Mercury WNBA finals at 9 p.m. TBS (1080i) has Red Sox/Angels at 9 p.m.
HDTV Listings for September 25, 2009
What we're watching tonight: Fox (720p) has the series premiere of Brothers and the season premiere of Dollhouse at 9 p.m. NBC (1080i) has the season premiere of Law & Order at 8 p.m. CBS (1080i) lines up the season premieres of Ghost Whisperer at 8 p.m., Medium at 9 p.m. and Numb3rs at 10 p.m. CW (1080i) has the season premiere of Smallville at 8 p.m. TLC (1080i) has the season finale of Making Over America with Trinny at Susannah at 8 p.m., Say Yes to the Dress at 9 p.m. and the season finale of Masters of Reception at 10 p.m. USA (1080i) has Monk at 9 p.m. and Psych at 10 p.m. Starz (1080i) airs Crash at 10 p.m. History (720p) brings Lock n' Load at 10 p.m. ESPN (720p) has Missouri/Nevada college football at 9 p.m.
HDTV Listings for September 18, 2009
What we're watching tonight: MyNetworkTV (720p) has WWE SmackDown at 8 p.m. TLC (1080i) airs Making Over America with Trinny & Susannah at 8 p.m., Say Yes to the Dress at 9 & 9:30 p.m. and Masters of Reception at 10 p.m. HBO (1080i) has the season finale of 24/7: Mayweather/Marquez at 9:30 p.m. Syfy (1080i) has the season finale of Eureka at 9 p.m. USA (1080i) brings Monk at 9 p.m. and Psych at 10 p.m. Starz (1080i) ars the season premiere of Crash at 10 p.m. History (720p) has Lock 'n Load at 10 p.m. ESPN (720p) has Boise St./Fresno St. college football at 8 p.m. ESPN2 (720p) has Rapids/Earthquakes MLS action at 11 p.m.
Xbox 360's new Netflix Movie Parties disabled for Starz Play titles?
Ever get a sinking feeling in your stomach, like it's November 2008 all over again? Yes, just like when Sony Pictures blocked its films from Netflix on Demand for a then-fresh New Xbox Experience update, so too are the early adopters of the new Xbox Live Dashboard update seeing select films excluded from the joys of its group sharing "Movie Parties" mode. Our BFFs at Joystiq have done some preliminary testing on the issue, and it seems the common link is that all guilty videos hail from the Starz Play catalog. In other words, you can all but forget about watching Pineapple Express synchronized with your Xbox 360-toting friends and family thousands of miles away -- for now at least. With any luck, like the previous issue with Sony Pictures, this problem will eventually fix itself, and with any luck, it'll be smooth sailing by the time the Xbox Live Dashboard update is officially pushed out to the masses on August 11th. Video proof of the misdemeanor can be seen after the break.
Starz jumps on Comcast's On Demand Online trial, promises HD on the way
We're still not sure if the On Demand Online / TV Everywhere project will end up being a good proposition for viewers, but now Starz has announced plans to join in. Comcast Starz subcribers will be able to stream series like Party Down and Head case, along with the usual suite of Starz flicks, with new content coming online as soon as it is available on the standard VOD service, before they show up on the linear channels via Comcast.com and Fancast.com. The best news? While it's SD only to start, HD versions are promised "in the coming months." Starz president Bill Myers says its goal is to allow customers access to their content whenever and wherever they want, and with deals like this and Netflix, the company is living up to it. Check the full press release after the break.
New Total Home DVR, remote scheduling & guide features coming to U-verse
C'mon now, you knew as well as we did that AT&T couldn't just...stop after rolling out Total Home DVR to its entire U-verse service area, today it's announced a few new tweaks that it plans to roll out over the next few weeks and months. Look forward to the ability to schedule and manage recordings from any U-verse receiver, not just the DVR itself, a newly enhanced remote scheduling website and an On Demand top picks app to find movies viewers might like based on their past recommendations. If that's not enough, Starz is free for July, plus a speed bump to 12 Mbps for Internet Max subs and a slightly streamlined program guide that should make the Enter button a bit more useful while browsing or watching TV. Check out the PR for the full details as most of these will be rolling out in different markets over the next few weeks, or check out the video embedded after the break.
Sony adds PSP access to PlayStation Network video store, 16 new content partners
Tucked in between the "worst kept secret" PSP Go and motion control demos at its E3 press conference, Sony also revealed new content for the PlayStation Network video service, and the ability to download video directly to the PSP, no PS3 or PC intermediary needed. No word on when to expect the new content exactly, but it will include video from Showtime Networks, Starz, G4 & E!, Summit Entertainment, The Weinstein Company, HDNet & Magnolia Pictures, Anime Network, Media Blasters, Right Stuf's Nozomi Entertainment, Starz Media's Manga Entertainment, Toei Animation, Viz Media, WEP, UFC, TNA and Video Action Sports. Looks like Sony will have easy on the go access to video store content up and running before Microsoft gets its Zune integration act together, but whether that compares to 1080p instant streaming promises remains to be seen (Hint: first one with direct Hulu access wins, we're just saying, guys.) Check out Sony's trailer embedded after the break.
HDTV Listings for May 22, 2009
What we're watching tonight: MyNetworkTV (720p) has WWE: SmackDown at 8 p.m. Cartoon Network (1080i) airs Batman: The Brave and the Bold at 8:30 p.m. Starz (1080i) has the season finales of Head Case at 10 p.m. and Party Down at 10:30 p.m. Versus (1080i) has Red Wings/Blackhawks WCF Game 3 at 8 p.m. TNT (1080i) airs Magic/Cavaliers ECF Game 2 at 8:30 p.m.
