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Vudu launches movie streaming / downloads to Android tablets, Xbox 360 app supports 1080p
Coming about a year after its launch on iOS, Walmart-owned Vudu has opened up access to its (UltraViolet-connected) movie library on Android. Interestingly, it's included a key feature not currently available in the iPad and iPhone Vudu Player app: users can download videos for offline viewing just like they do on PCs, not just streaming over WiFi in the browser. A free app ready for download to "select" Android tablets, there's no word on when or if it will appear on phones, but we're told the list of supported devices will continue to grow. Vudu also notes in the press release (included after the break) that as of last month, its Xbox 360 app has been updated to support 1080p HDX streaming video. Do you really need another reason to give it a shot? If so, try this one on -- all new users who activate an UltraViolet account between now and March get 10 free movies. There's still the pain of creating multiple logins for the virtual locker, but between Vudu and Flixster offers you should be able to snag a bunch of free flicks watchable anywhere on your Android device without spending a cent (or hunting through torrents and the like, your choice).
Barnes & Noble brings Nook Video to the UK, first to offer UltraViolet in the old country
Barnes & Noble have kept its "early December" promise to bring the Nook Video service to the UK. The company has signed deals with heavy-hitters like the BBC, HBO and Warner Bros., so Game of Thrones and The Dark Knight Rises are ready and gagging to be seen. It's also the first to arrive in Blighty with full-fat UltraViolet access, enabling you to watch your (compatible) purchased DVDs and Blu-rays without all of that fiddly ripping and re-encoding. If you haven't snapped up one of the company's Nook HD tablets yet, you'd better get writing that letter to Santa.
Researchers to bore through 3km of Antarctic ice, seek organisms isolated for 100K years
UK researchers are ready to see if life can exist in one of the harshest environments on the planet: Lake Ellsworth in the Antarctic, 3 km (2 miles) below a glacier. They'll try to drill through the ice by December 12th using a high pressure sterile water jet heated to 90 degrees Celsius (194 Fahrenheit) and sterilize the patch of lake with intense ultraviolet light before attempting to retrieve a sample. If any organisms can be found, they'll have evolved in isolation for at least 100,000 years, according to team, and probably even much longer. That could help scientists understand more about how life evolves on this planet, and possibly elsewhere -- like iced-over oceans on Europa, Jupiter's moon, or other harsh planetary environments. It'll be the deepest borehole ever made with hot water, and the team will have a mere 24 hours to sterilize the lake entry and collect samples before it refreezes. When asked which part of the tricky experiment worried him the most, lead scientist Chris Hill replied, "everything." For a video tour of the drill site, head below the break.
CinemaNow adds Ultraviolet support to some of its movies
Bestbuy's CinemaNow has started to embed UltraViolet content into their video-streaming service. It's no huge surprise -- given that the retailer is a founding member of DECE -- but a good sign for anyone shoring up a collection of discs with UV digital content. CinemaNow identified compatible content with an Ultraviolet icon (seen above), while the service continues to gradually upgrade its SD content to big-screen friendly full HD. According to some early users, there's some teething issues with links to UV versions, however, suggesting CinemaNow's still tweaking the setup. [Thanks Zachary]
Seagate now a DECE member, supporting UltraViolet
The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem -- the consortium of companies attempting to develop an industry standard for digital distribution of entertainment, and the folks behind UltraViolet -- can count another member among its ranks as of this week: digital storage company Seagate. The storage manufacturer announced as much in a press release this week, and threw its support behind UltraViolet. "As a DECE member, Seagate's expertise and perspective on cloud solutions and storage devices will help the organization to evolve those benefits," says UltraViolet GM Mark Teitell. Considering how many major content providers are supporting UltraViolet, it's good to know that one of the largest storage companies isn't standing against our digital futures.
Barnes & Noble bolstering Nook Video catalogue, bringing UltraViolet to the HD and HD+
Barnes & Noble is seriously beefing up its Nook ecosystem by striking deals with studios and other providers to bring a ton of new video content to its HD and HD+ tablets. Debuting alongside the slates, expected to start shipping in the US this week, thousands of SD and HD movies and TV shows from the likes of NBCUniversal, 20th Century Fox and others will be available for your consumption. Brits will get the same opportunity a little later, coinciding with the local release of the tablets closer to the holiday season. B&N won't force you to buy its hardware to enjoy the expanded catalogue, as it'll be releasing free Nook Video apps in the future to access the content from all platforms. What's more, you'll also be able to view UltraViolet video on the HD and HD+, meaning you can watch all that previously purchased content right from the get-go. This is certainly a huge bonus for consumers that have a big UV library, and coupled with all the new content, we wouldn't be surprised if Nook sales start stealing a little heat from the Fire.
University of Tokyo turns real paper and ink into a display, could share doodles from a distance (video)
Forget e-paper: if the University of Tokyo's Naemura Lab has its way, we'll interact with the real thing. The division's new research has budding artists draw on photochromic paper with Frixion's heat-sensitive ink, turning the results into something a computer can manipulate. A laser 'erases' the ink to fix mistakes or add effects, and an ultraviolet projector overhead can copy any handiwork, fill in the gaps or print a new creation. The prototype is neither high resolution nor quick -- you won't be living out fantasies of a real-world A-Ha music video -- but the laser's accuracy (down to 0.0001 inches) has already led researchers to dream of paper-based, Google Docs-style collaboration where edits in one place affect a tangible document somewhere else. It's hard to see truly widespread adoption in an era where we're often trying to save trees instead of print to them, but there's an undeniable appeal to having a hard copy that isn't fixed in time.
Warner, Redbox agree to 28 day delay on disc rentals, UltraViolet support for Redbox Instant
Redbox and Warner Bros. were at odds in January when Warner wanted to extend the window before discs hit kiosks to 56 days, but now the two have come to an agreement that keeps it at a 28 day delay. When their previous deal expired Redbox said it would find other ways to obtain discs and offer them day and date to its customers, although actually finding them in kiosks could be tough. The new two-year deal covers movies that debut after January 1st, 2013, and claims to improve economics for both Warner (which has apparently seen fit to eliminate the delay entirely for brick & mortar renters) and Redbox. Additionally, Redbox has joined with the DECE team and will support UltraViolet with its upcoming Redbox Instant service. With the new deal, it can offer UltraViolet digital access to Warner movies, and distribute movies through its subscription service. We'll have to wait for Redbox Instant to launch to know more information about that, for now check out the details in the press release after the break.
BBC Worldwide announces first four Blu-ray / DVDs with UltraViolet digital copies
Coming nearly on the anniversary of its US launch, the UltraViolet digital locker system is getting a boost in the UK from BBC Worldwide. The BBC's commercial wing is releasing four Blu-ray / DVD titles that are UltraViolet-enabled and is partnering with Warner-owned Flixster to allow users to redeem their copies. The digital versions are available via streaming and downloading for viewing on or offline, and the first four titles queued up consist of Doctor Who Series 7 Part One, Rollercoaster, a new Top Gear special and Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild. UltraViolet was already live in the UK, and recently announced it's spreading to cover Canada, Ireland and Australia. We'll see how users like the signup process with its multiple logins, but a quick check of previous Blu-ray releases didn't show any iTunes or Windows Media digital copies at all so at least they'll appreciate the option.
Spider-Man Blu-ray comes with a Second Screen app for iPad and Sony's Android tablets
Since no blockbuster movie in 2012 can have a home release without a second screen companion app for fans to dig through extra content while they watch, Sony has, naturally, announced one for The Amazing Spider-Man. Just like the only three movies to best its take at the box office this year (The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises and even The Hunger Games), Spider-Man's app syncs with the movie in a Timeline Mode that pulls up featurettes, storyboards and the like, while Production Mode lets users sift through the moviemaking process, then select particular clips to play on their TV. Unlike some of the others it is not only on iPad but also Android, however the press release indicates it's restricted to Sony's own Tablet S and Xperia Tablet S. Still, we were able to initiate the 500MB+ download and access it on non-Sony tablets including the Nexus 7 and an CyanogenMod HP TouchPad, so your mileage may vary. You can check out the apps for free at the links below, a preview trailer embedded after the break and snag the movie itself for $25 on Amazon, delivered November 9th.
The Dark Knight Rises Blu-ray officially set for December 4th, limited edition Bat Cowl revealed (Update)
After false starting a couple of weeks ago, the Blu-ray trailer for The Dark Knight Rises is back, and Entertainment Weekly has heard from Warner Bros. that December 4th is the official release date. Also on display from EW is this limited edition Bat Cowl packaging which will be available at launch. While there's not a full spec list, extras will include a Batmobile-focused documentary and more than a dozen featurettes about going behind the scenes of the movie with Christopher Nolan and his team. We expect to see more details soon, for now just check out the trailer embedded after the break. Update: The press release with all the details and an image of the Blu-ray box art are out, posted by TheHDRoom. While it's not all listed on Amazon yet where the prices will likely be lower, the standard Blu-ray edition has an MSRP of $35.99, while the Bat Cowl Limited Edition's tag is $39.99. Additionally, fans can nab the whole trilogy in the The Dark Knight Trilogy Limited Edition Giftset which has a price of $52.99, although they might want to wait until 2013 when The Dark Knight Trilogy Ultimate Collector's Edition will arrive. Got all that? Check after the break for the list of extras plus the box art for both versions due this year. Update 2: Check out the full press release after the break, including word about a The Dark Knight Rises app on iOS as well as Android for newer Samsung Galaxy devices. Already out on iOS as the Gotham City's most wanted app, it will add more photo modification and interactive features, and when the disc is released it will become a second screen app for use during the movie.
Roku Streaming Stick launches in October for $99, Vudu comes to the Roku platform today
We've been waiting for Roku to release its miniaturized dongle since CES, and now we finally know the flash drive-sized Streaming Stick will be available next month for $99. Priced the same as as the Roku 2 XS set-top box, it brings the same feature set but in a smaller package designed to work directly with your HDTV, thanks to power, remote control and data signals fed through an MHL-compatible HDMI port. While it will work with other MHL-ready host devices, manufacturers with Roku Ready stamped and certified HDTVs on shelves this fall will include Apex, Insignia and Hitachi -- Onkyo plans to ship receivers early next year. If you pick up an otherwise dumb flat-panel with the stick bundled along with it the price is set by that manufacturer, but the standalone plan means buyers savings are focused on the two cables they won't be needing, and simplified remote capability since their TV remote can talk to the Stick directly. Like the Roku 2 XS, the Streaming Stick also includes the motion control capable game remote. A separate move will benefit many existing Roku owners, as it is also announcing that Walmart-owned Vudu is launching on the platform today. You will need a Roku HD (2500), LT or Roku 2 box (or the Streaming Stick, once it launches) to take advantage of the Vudu app and its streams that bring quality of up to 1080p and 7.1 surround sound. That also means access to Vudu-compatible UltraViolet movie titles on yet another set-top box, if that's a consideration, and users score a $5.99 credit with Vudu just for linking the account to their boxes. All the details are in the press release after the break, and on the Roku blog.
Fox kicks off its Digital HD initiative by joining Google Play and YouTube, offering movies early
Fox embraced a radical thought when it outlined its Digital HD initiative earlier this month: customers are more likely to buy digital movies if the content isn't artificially delayed and priced to match the releases on conventional discs. The studio is about to see if that gamble on common sense pays off. As of today, you'll find 600-plus Fox movies ready to buy or rent in HD across every major digital video store in the US, with many downloads cleared to arrive ahead of their physical counterparts at lower prices that reflect a disc-free reality. The media giant has also decided to play nicely with Google after a longstanding absence, putting its movies and TV shows on Google Play Movies and YouTube. Its tentpole movie release Prometheus is unsurprisingly being used as the prime incentive to try Digital HD; the title is available online three weeks before the Blu-ray launch at a more reasonable $15 price. The sci-fi thriller is even Fox's first movie destined for UltraViolet cloud lockers. Only Americans will have expanded access to movies and TV at first, but it shouldn't be too long before many countries can be creeped out by Michael Fassbender's android -- including on their Android devices.
UltraViolet movie format to use Dolby Digital Plus encoding, keep sound thumping across platforms
Movies encoded in UltraViolet's Common File Format represent just one of multiple takes on paid internet video -- what's to make them stand out? The answer might just be Dolby Digital Plus audio encoding, which should be a staple feature of CFF from now on. A newly ready development kit lets producers feed the multichannel sound to hardware and apps that can recognize it, including web-based avenues like Apple's HTTP Live Streaming, Microsoft's Smooth Streaming and MPEG's DASH. Just in case a few devices fall through the cracks, Dolby is talking directly with digital production firms like castLabs, Digital Rapids and Elemental Technologies to make sure the audio codec's implementation truly spans platforms. We don't know how soon movies will take advantage of the upgrade, but the Dolby addition lends weight to a fledgling format that might have as fierce a battle in home theaters as it does on PCs and tablets.
Kaleidescape teases movie download store; brings Rotten Tomatoes, Leonard Maltin to its servers
Last year at CEDIA we were introduced to Kaleidescape's iPad control app, and this year its back and enhanced with the addition of movie ratings from Rotten Tomatoes, and content rating info from Common Sense Media. Rotten Tomatoes can help viewers tell if a particular flick in their collection is any good, while Common Sense Media is built around detailed breakdowns of what potentially objectionable content is in each title so parents can decide what their children are ready to see. Both should reach end users with the free app by the end of this year. Another tweak it's adding to its movie servers is the Leonard Maltin Recommends Collection. It's a pack of movies updated quarterly (the 17-disc Blu-ray collection is available for the low, low price of $445) that the respected film critic feels are unappreciated greats, to which he adds his own thoughts, anecdotes and behind the scenes info. A more ambitious development however, is the Kaleidescape Download Store the company was giving an "early sneak preview" of behind closed doors. While its claim to fame has always been disc servers that store user's movies, making them accessible with as little physical media interaction as possible (and antagonizing the MPAA) its next step is a full digital media distribution service, potentially tied into UltraViolet. There's not a lot in the way of specifics, but it will be interesting to see how Kaleidescape and Hollywood get along when it comes to selling downloadable content compared to the old wars of the past, whenever the new service actually arrives for its high-end customers.
Fox to sell Digital HD movies three weeks ahead of discs or VOD, Prometheus is first (Update: via Amazon, iTunes, Xbox, Vudu etc.)
According to the New York Times, Fox is about to try another tactic to enhance sales of its movies, by offering downloadable UltraViolet (Update: and many other formats, see below.) copies for sale a full three weeks ahead of their release on Blu-ray / DVD or for video on-demand rental. The first movie to get the treatment will be Ridley Scott's Prometheus later this month, and Fox is pricing the copies at about $15, down from the $20 of previous releases. Other flicks on deck for the early digital sale treatment are Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, The Watch and Ice Age: Continental Drift. Fox is apparently calling the setup Digital HD, or DHD, as it rolls out in 50 different countries all at once, and opted to offer the flicks in high definition instead of issuing cheaper standard def versions to "put its best foot forward". Last year's $30 premium VOD rental pilot was another attempt to experiment with release windows that Fox participated in, but DHD's more reasonable pricing makes it an interesting option. Of course, the main trick will be getting customers to opt for an UltraViolet format which is still not supported by Apple and Amazon's movie stores, but dangling early access to mainstream movies could be just the bait required. Update: We talked to Fox and confirmed that the DHD initiative is not limited to only Ultraviolet. According to the studio when this kicks off September 18th, it will make more than 600 films available across stores including Amazon, CinemaNow, iTunes, PlayStation, VUDU and Xbox. Prometheus is also Fox's first UV title and its first new release under the DHD program, but if you prefer your digital movies in another format, it looks like you'll be able to get them. Update 2: The Fox Home Entertainment Twitter account posted a link to the iTunes preorder which is already live, we're not seeing it in the other stores we've checked yet but it will likely show up in those eventually.
Revamped Flixster.com gives one-stop digital movie access for both UltraViolet and non-UV stores
Since its purchase by Warner Bros. the Flixster brand has been used to push Ultraviolet via apps on mobile and connected TV devices, and now it's bringing its website into the mix. The refreshed site is available as an open beta starting today that focuses on making it the center of your digital movie watching. Still using Rotten Tomatoes' Tomato Meter as a method for ranking the quality of movies, the new site gives streaming and downloadable access to flicks in your UltraViolet locker as well as direct access to copies from iTunes, Vudu, Amazon or Netflix for purchase, rental or subscription viewing. Of course, while the studio proclaims it to be retailer and studio agnostic, there are plenty of opportunities to start or expand your UltraViolet library through promotions that do things like give away free digital copies of movies for sharing a link to friends, navigating the UltraViolet signup process or downloading one of the apps, which should be getting their own redesign soon. It's not the only site in the business of making navigating the multiple online stores easier -- Clicker immediately comes to mind -- but the backend of the Flixster database of movies in theaters and at home, plus any registered digital copies is a specific advantage. Hit the source link to give the beta a shot and see for yourself.
HBO and Fox cut a deal to keep the movies flowing through 2022, HBO Nordic launches soon
Just in case you only thought Amazon, Netflix and Redbox were working the studio deals, HBO announced today it's worked out an extension of its agreement with 20th Century Fox. Already the "premium network home" of Fox flicks for more than 30 years, this deal is long enough to keep it going into the next decade. The LA Times reports from its sources the original deal would have expired in 2015, while the extension pushes it out to 2022 at a price of over $200 million per year. One key adjustment that's been made for the digital age gives Fox the ability to continue to sell its movies over digital stores even while they're airing on HBO unlike the previous deal, although we're told this provision does not extend to rentals during that time. That's on top of a previous tweak negotiated months ago that let Fox and other HBO partners provide digital copies of their movies on services like iTunes from the Cloud and Ultraviolet during the HBO pay window. One other note is that on the same day Netflix revealed its service is coming to several Scandinavian locales, HBO announced it's doing the same, launching HBO Nordic in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark.
Paramount Movies Ultraviolet app released for Xbox 360
It appears that Microsoft is picking up the pace on the addition of video streaming apps for the Xbox 360. After it took months for many of the more anticipated apps from the first wave like HBO Go, Verizon and Comcast to arrive, a new app from Paramount has been released just days after it was part of the next wave announced at E3. The Paramount Movies app is a console based version of its Ultraviolet service already unleashed on the PC and iOS, letting users stream digital copies from their cloud libraries. While the overall Ultraviolet sign-up process and its multiple logins hasn't gotten any easier, once we created a ParamountMovies.com account we were able to stream a copy of Hugo unlocked by the Blu-ray 3D version in HD just by signing into the free app (XBL gold subscription required) on the Xbox 360 -- no antiquated discs necessary. There's no word on the other apps Microsoft announced were headed to the Xbox 360, but we'll keep an eye out for the arrival of WatchESPN all the same.
Walmart ad hints at Vudu streaming on Roku players
We've wondered ever since Roku's media streamers went on sale at Walmart about a year ago when or if the retailer's Vudu streaming service would be available on them, and that time may be drawing near. While there's still no official word or appearance of the channel, Dave Zatz posted an image of an upcoming June 10th Walmart ad from SlickDeals.net for the Roku HD that includes a logo for Vudu. Of course, even if the app is released, as he mentions there's no assurance they'd be able to handle the highest quality HDX streaming, but it would be one more way to get video on-demand, and access to cloud stored Ultraviolet movies.
