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Marvel and Netflix's 'The Punisher' will debut November 17th
Marvel and its distinguished competitor will go head-to-head this fall. But rather than the brawl playing out at comic book shops, the venues will be your living room and local multiplex. Netflix has revealed that its latest Marvel superhero antihero series The Punisher will arrive on November 17th. As Polygon notes, that's the same day that Justice League premieres in theaters.
'Drive' director debuts free streaming service for forgotten movies
Love him or hate him, you can't deny that Drive and Neon Demon director Nicholas Winding Refn has an astute eye for style in his movies. He's taking that and launching his own streaming service, dubbed "byNWR." It's different from Netflix in that its offerings will be tightly curated by Refn and others. Oh, and it'll be free. The service describes itself as "an unadulterated expressway for the arts," and beta sign-ups are live right now.
Researchers use AI to banish choppy streaming videos
Nobody likes it when their binge watching is disrupted by a buffering video. While streaming sites like Netflix have offered workarounds for connectivity problems (including offline viewing and quality controls), researchers are tackling the issue head on. In August, a team from MIT CSAIL unveiled its solution: A neural network that can pick the ideal algorithms to ensure a smooth stream at the best possible quality. But, they're not alone in their quest to banish video stutters. The folks at France's EPFL university are also tapping into machine learning as part of their own method. The researchers claim their program can boost the user experience by 37 percent, while also reducing power loads by almost 20 percent.
Hulu drops the first trailer for its Marvel exclusive ‘Runaways’
While Netflix is home to the lion's share of Marvel TV shows, Hulu will soon get a slice of the action. Announced last year, Runaways is set to land on the streaming service next month. In the meantime, Hulu's released the first trailer for the show to coincide with New York Comic Con.
Netflix is getting more expensive in the UK
Some Netflix subscriptions have just gotten a tad pricier in the UK, reflecting a similar hike announced over in the US. The most basic, £6 per month plan remains unaffected, but the price of the "Standard" tier, which adds HD streaming and the option of watching on two screens at once, has risen from £7.50 to £8 per month. The "Premium" option, which includes 4K content and lets you watch on four screens simultaneously, has also increased from £9 to £10 per month. New subscribers are being asked to pay these prices from today (after their free trial period, that is), while existing members will be formally notified later this month before the hike kicks in this November.
Hulu feeds '90s nostalgia with ‘Boy Meets World’ and 'Dinosaurs'
Back in the '90s, a Friday like today would've brought me endless excitement. Obviously, it meant the weekend had arrived and thus no school and no waking up early. But it also meant TGIF -- the best chunk of programming of the entire week in the opinion of tweens across the country. While TGIF is no more, you will be able to recreate your own lineup tonight if you wish because Hulu has added iconic TGIF series Boy Meets World and Dinosaurs to its streaming service along with Home Improvement. Thank goodness it's Friday.
Hulu scores new and old episodes of 'Will & Grace'
Will & Grace is set to return to our screens next week. But, its fabulous comeback won't just be relegated to network television. The show's original run, and its new episodes, are also making their on-demand debut on Hulu. The streaming service, which now produces its own Emmy award-wining shows, just nabbed every single episode of the hit programme. You can binge watch all eight seasons of Will & Grace starting today, which should prep you for the revival (with each new episode set to hit Hulu the day after its TV premiere). Alongside pay TV, the show will also be available on the NBC app.
Amazon's next docuseries follows the U of M football team
Not content with its NFL bragging rights, Amazon now wants in on college football. Instead of livestreaming games, it's settling for a docuseries. The eight-part show from Big Ten Network will offer a comprehensive look at the University of Michigan football program.
Netflix anime parody 'Neo Yokio' loads up on star power
If you were wondering why the next Vampire Weekend album is taking so long, now you have your answer. It seems lead singer Ezra Koenig has been busy working on an anime with his celeb pals. We heard rumblings about it in the past (from Jude Law and Koenig) and now we're getting the first official trailer, directly from Netflix. The show, dubbed Neo Yokio, hits the streaming service on 22 September.
YouTube adds in-app direct messaging and sharing features
Don't look now, but Google has yet another messaging service -- sort of. Today, YouTube announced that it is rolling out a new in-app direct messaging feature, much like what you'll find in Instagram. Google's been testing and teasing this feature for over a year now, but after taking user feedback into consideration, the company is rolling it out to all of its users around the world.
A New York library card is your ticket to stream thousands of movies
Libraries have long let users check out DVDs and Blu-ray discs, but that's starting to feel a bit archaic thanks to Netflix, Hulu and all the rest. Fortunately for those who don't even have a disc player anymore, some libraries are getting into the streaming gaming. As reported by Gothamist, the New York Public Library is getting ready to give citizens access to Kanopy, a streaming service originally started to let university students access its library of films. Currently, Kanopy has deals with more than 3,000 colleges and universities, and the company has been making partnerships with public libraries as well.
YouTube experimenting with GIF-like video previews
According to a post on its help forum, YouTube began to experiment with video previews on the desktop a couple of weeks ago, albeit in limited fashion. But now the company seems to be ready for a wider rollout, as some users have started seeing the feature on YouTube's latest dot-com interface. As pictured above, soon you might notice a 3-second teaser when your computer's pointer hovers over a thumbnail, though it only works for videos that are longer than 30 seconds.
You won't need cable to watch the Premier League next season
Good news for football fans in the US who love the English Premier League: NBC Sports has announced a standalone streaming package that will include 130 games, both live and on-demand, from the upcoming 2017-2018 campaign. The Premier League Pass, which is set to cost $50 per season starting in August, is definitely going to appeal to cord-cutters all over the country -- especially since they'll be able to watch on their desktop, smartphone, tablet and TV with a compatible set-top box. Bye bye, illegal streams.
Kids control the story in Netflix’s new interactive shows
After months of rumors and speculation, Netflix is officially taking the wraps off of its new interactive shows for kids. The company is calling its new type of programming "branching narratives," since viewers can control certain aspects of the story, including the ending. The first series, Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale, was created in partnership with DreamWorks Animation and features 13 different storyline choices and two endings. It will debut today on the streaming service, followed by another interactive show, Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile, on July 14th. But that's not all: Netflix says a third one called Stretch Armstrong: The Breakout is already in the works and scheduled to arrive later in 2017.
F. Scott Fitzgerald's last work heads to Amazon's silver screen
Amazon's turning to literature once again for an original series. Only this time, Jeff Bezos' video wing is eschewing Philip K. Dick in favor of The Great Gatsby author F. Scott Fitzgerald. Period piece The Last Tycoon tells the story of young Hollywood studio executive Monroe Stahr in the 1930s as he battles his boss (played by Kelsey Grammer) "for the soul of their studio" amid The Great Depression and the rise of Hitler's Germany. The story is loosely based on the short, but highly influential career of MGM producer Irving Thalberg -- the man responsible for sneak previews, reshoots and story conferences with scriptwriters. If the trailer below proves interesting enough, you can check out the pilot episode right now ahead of the full season's July 28th premiere. Still not enough Fitzgerald? Then maybe check out Z, the story of F. Scott's wife, Zelda, on the service.
‘District 9’ director to debut his new sci-fi flick on Steam
After taking a lengthy absence from sci-fi, South African film director Neill Blomkamp has decided to pit the human race against extraterrestrial forces once again. Created by his new science fiction studio, Oats Studios, his latest project is a short film called Volume 1 -- and surprisingly, it could make its debut on PC gaming platform, Steam.
Binge-watching will be as easy as breathing
It's never been a better time to be a media addict. We're in the midst of a television renaissance, where writers are pushing the medium to new heights. It's easier than ever to get access to foreign and independent films. And the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, as well as digital rentals, makes it a cinch to watch just about anything we'd like at a whim. If anything, one of the biggest issues with the media landscape today is that there's simply too much to take in.
Facebook can keep your trash talk private during live events
Facebook wants to be a serious destination for online video, and it's fleshing out its Live streaming experience to help it get there. Consider the process of talking about up-to-the-minute events unfolding in a Facebook Live stream. Rather than just throwing your comments into a huge, messy pool of commingled conversations, you'll soon be able to privately chat with others in a separate space while the Live feed plays on.
Cartoon Network beams 'Powerpuff Girls' to your TV with Chromecast
Cartoon Network is about to make some people very happy. The TV channel has updated its Android and iOS apps with support for Chromecast streaming, which it says was a highly requested feature by fans. In case you're not familiar with how Google's $35 dongle works, Cartoon Network's apps will now let users push episode streams from their mobile device to a nearby Chromecast-connected TV, all with a simple tap of the "Cast" button.
YouTube is bringing 360-degree videos to your TV
Google's I/O 2017 developer conference isn't just about its search engine getting smarter. The company has also announced that YouTube's 360-degree videos are coming soon to TVs, expanding beyond smartphones and web browsers for the first time. "It's not just about the size of the screen," YouTube product manager Sarah Ali said before demoing a 360-degree video from Coachella. "It's about giving you an experience that [traditional] TV just can't match."
