Physical media is slowly dying, or so it seems, and we all know it.  The retailers know it, too, and some have been striving to find a way to survive if/when the transition finally happens.  One of those retailers, Best Buy, has just inked an interesting deal with CinemaNow that it hopes will help.

The partnership between Best Buy and CinemaNow includes both physical and digital media.  More particularly, the deal will allow consumers to buy DVDs from Best Buy, then watch the same movie through CinemaNow on their computers, smartphones or Blu-Ray players.  It’s almost like buying a DVD and getting a digital copy on the second disc, but now you require just an Internet connection rather than the digital file.  The exact details of the partnership have yet to be revealed, but it’s expected the service will launch in early 2010, just as soon as some studios jump on board.

Getting studios to jump on, historically, has been difficult, but this might be different.  Best Buy’s plan will require a DVD to be bought, but there’s no guarantee that the DVD will stay with the buyer, or that the stream will.  If it does work, however, it will add yet another streaming service to our media boxes.  As it stands with Netflix, Amazon Video, Blockbuster OnDemand, Hulu among others, we already have quite a few.  When it all settles down, hopefully we’ll be down to just one or two major companies doing movie streaming/downloads.  That will make it much simpler to decide who to pay every month.  In the meantime, its a good idea from Best Buy, but it wouldn’t be all that surprising if it doesn’t work out all that well.

Read [Electronista]

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Roku has officially added to their lineup of set-top boxes, which means they are now offering the Roku SD, Roku HD and the Roku HD-XR.

To begin with, all three models still stream Netflix like we have to come to expect in the past. Additionally, they all still offer both wired and wireless connectivity.

Basically, the previous model, which also used to be the only model has been given a price cut and is now $79.99. Of course if you are looking for a little more then you can step up to the Roku HD. The additional features on the HD include an optical audio output, an HDMI connector and as you can see from the name—the ability to play HD content. The Roku HD is selling for $99.99.

Moving on, we also have the Roku HD-XR, which similar to the HD model offers the optical audio output, HDMI and ability to play HD content. However the HD-XR also offers a little bump in Wi-Fi connectivity which includes Wireless-N. The other models (the HD and SD) do offer Wi-Fi but not the Wireless-N speed. In terms of price the Roku HD-XR is $129.99.

One other yet unused feature worth mentioning on the Roku HD-XR is the USB port, which is currently located on the back of the box, but simply noted as being “for future use” in the press release.

Finally, Roku has also announced the Roku Channel Store, which will allow customers to pick and enable new content channels on their device. So far the Channel Store is not yet active though, instead it will be available “later this fall.”

Product [Roku]

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What if you could make sure your movie purchases would work tomorrow, on any device, and you could lose worries of scratching a disc?  That is the idea behind Disney’s Keychest, a new way to future-proof your media purchases and instantly access your media on any device that is supported.  Could the DVD finally go the way of the Dodo?

According to a Wall Street Journal article this morning, media rights could be redefined as no physical possession will be involved.  The media would live in the cloud and be available on-demand in a way similar to the way Google Docs are accessed.  Users would simply enter their unique key and begin streaming their media.

Disney hopes to charge a little bit more for the convenience and security of keeping your media in the cloud and accessing it in a myriad of places.  As DVD sales have fallen, industry players seek new ways to make the register ring.  Disney says other players in the market have signed on to their service, but are not naming names.

Sony, as Sony tends to do, is backing a competing plan, the DECE or Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (catchy, right?).  Predictably, DECE wants to initiate new formats and new standards while Keychest relies on current formats that are already supported by many devices.  With Steve Jobs involvement with both Apple and Disney, we can safely bet the iPhone will be one of these devices.

One cool aspect of Keychest is no matter what service you bought the media from, the information is shared with Keychest members (say the cable company, movie studio, or ISP) so you only purchase it once.  No word when either service, DECE or Keychest will be launched.

Are we headed for yet another battle similar to VHS versus Beta or DVD-HD versus Blu-ray?  In short, “yup.”

Read [Wall Street Journal]

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Although so many people get movies streamed right to them a host of different ways, occasionally, some do still venture forth into that old brick and mortar building called a video store.  So, there you are, it’s a Friday night and you go to your local Blockbuster, grab a movie, dreams of relaxing with some popcorn and the latest “must see” dancing in your head.  Run home, pop it in your laptop to watch, and that’s when all hell breaks loose.

“The Proposal” by Sony starts it all off

Well, at least it did for me this past weekend after renting the new release “The Proposal”, distributed by Buena Vista, a division of Sony.  When I first popped the DVD into my drive, it sounded like it was having a bit of a hard time reading the disk.  I initially thought that the disk might have been dirty or scratched, but after removing and checking it, I could see it was fine. 

After several more attempts to play the DVD, I was about to give up when all of a sudden, I got a pop-up from one of my anti-virus programs (Kaspersky) telling me that the disk was attempting to play as a document file.  What the heck?  Then, the video did start playing, sort of.  I could hear it, although the sound was going in slow motion, and there was no video playing.  I once again ejected the DVD, and that’s when I saw we’ve got problems.

The Rootkit begins to do its thing on my system

First, my computer locked up.  I did a hard boot, and when it logged back in, I didn’t hear that familiar little “Windows chime.”  Uh-oh.  I went to my desktop and immediately boxes were popping up like mad telling me all kinds of programs are failing to respond.  Everything from Firefox to Yahoo Messenger to explorer.exe.  It looked like some kind of “you’re really screwed” video game going off, where you had to figure out in seconds what to do with all the things flying at you before you see what happens next.

The system mess continues

What happened next wasn’t any prettier.  I could not access my control panel, my start button, and any of my anti-virus programs on the desktop just wouldn’t launch.  The only thing vaguely reassuring at that point, was that somehow, Kaspersky was still running, and I was able to click on it in my toolbar, and have it perform a scan. 

Although nothing came up in the system scan, when I had it check for vulnerabilities, it named everything and its brother that is on my system.  Then, it showed me where it all began.  Which drive, what time.  Yep,  the Buena Vista movie I attempted to play “The Proposal.”  It showed as containing several keyloggers and a rootkit.  Just great.  Now what?

Now, to add to the fun, my computer would not do anything in regular mode, so I went into safe mode to see what I could do.  Pretty much the same nothing.  I had never before come across any virus or malware that so thoroughly disabled and messed up my system.  Right then, I was good and ticked at both Blockbuster and Sony.  Heck, I was even mad at Sandra Bullock for starring in the stupid movie. 

Rootkit removal tools

After downloading a number of rootkit removal tools, I tried to access the files on my laptop.  Through a weird quirk, I was able to get into Microsoft Word and drag a copy of the removal tools to my desktop.  From the desktop, I was able to run the programs.  Even after running the rootkit removal tools, my system was still affected.  After a system restore and malware scans, it looked like smooth sailing except for the lack of internet connection. 

After a while, I realized that somehow, the stupid thing simply managed to turn off the wireless connection on my laptop.  This was probably the easiest fix I dealt with through the whole fiasco.  I just had to hit the reset button on my laptop for wireless internet connection.

Sidenote for Acer Aspire owners

I just had to hit the reset button on my laptop for wireless internet connection.  For anyone who runs into this problem and you don’t know where that is, it is usually a small button on the front of the laptop.  In my case, using an Acer Aspire, the reset button for wireless connection is at the top of your keyboard, under the on/off button.  You will see a row of keys.  The internet connection key is the one on the far left.

The Bottom Line

Be very, very careful what movies you are putting into your computer.  If it’s distributed by Sony/Buena Vista, I would strongly urge you to think twice before doing so.  Unless you consider hours of trying to bring your computer back to life more fun than the relaxing with a movie you were initially looking forward to that is.

Image Source: sevensheavens

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It seems like no set top box is safe from getting Internet video options lately.  Amazon, Blockbuster and Netflix have been hard at work to get their respective video stores on as many boxes as possible.  We’ve seen a number of companies add the functionality through new hardware and firmware updates, and now we can add Samsung to that list of companies.

Samsung is now rolling out firmware updates to Blu-Ray players and Internet@TV displays that will feature two of the three major video services.  Blockbuster On Demand and Amazon will now be available through the updates, allowing users two more ways to get movies and TV shows instantly.  However, only Amazon video actually supports HD content, so it will probably be more preferable.  To bring Blockbuster back in, however, Samsung Blu-ray players will now be available at Blockbuster stores, which, assuming people still use the store, should hopefully bring in a few sales.

With all these companies adding all these services, eventually it seems we’ll all have a large number of boxes that support Internet video.  Not even just the boxes, but also HDTVs.  Soon there will be no excuse to not at least know of movie streaming services, if you don’t already use them.  Having a wide range of products that have the features is nice, but it can also become confusing and annoying.  Different services could have different stream qualities for specific content, and some devices could produce better video or audio assuming the user has no home theater surround sound setup.  Surely consumers will be able to figure it out, but for now, do we really need to have Netflix, Blockbuster and Amazon on every box that connects to a TV?

Read [Engadget]

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Welcome back to InterrupTech where we catch you up on the most important tech stories.  This week there’s plenty to cover:

• Microsoft’s new booklet computer, the Courier, leaked.
• The mythical Microsoft Pink phone is actually two phones?
• Netflix plans to be on every electronic device possible.
• Lots of announcements out of the Intel Developer Forum.

The best part about the show?  Topics move quickly, but if you don’t like a topic, just skip it.  Keep an eye on that timer to help you along.  Enjoy the show.

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Vringo has partnered with Marvel Comics to bring you cellphone video clips and video ringtones from Marvel’s Super Hero library.  A dedicated storefront at vringo.marvel.com lets you choose from pre-cut video clips/ringtones or search for a Marvel video and clip it to the 30 seconds you want.  Then you simply download the video clip to your phone. 

Available content ranges from Marvel’s classics to the Marvel properties of today.  If you have a Vringo-app-compatible phone (BlackBerry Bold, Tour, Curve 8900; Symbian; Windows Mobile; J2ME), you can make use of the clips as video ringtones.  Your first video clip is free and additional clips are available for $1.99.

Read: [Press Release]

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3D TV is coming.  At IFA in Germany, Sony’s Sir Howard Stringer will throw down the gauntlet and announce next year we’ll see 3D TVs from the company.  Sony could use a big hit and bringing the hardware is an important step as content and distribution look to figured out.

Sony is expected to make the announcement today, according to Financial Times, who almost never get it wrong.  Not only that, the cheeky bunch at FT are quoting the future Stringer, as if they’ve found some time/space portal, sweet.  Not only will the Bravia TVs adopt 3D but so will Vaio laptops and PS3.  A whole wave of Sony products will feature 3D technology.

But, but, but

Two big obstacles stand in 3Ds way: standards and customers.  Are we headed for another battle of format standards?  Perhaps, as there is currently no standard for 3D.  Hynduai, LG, Samsung, Phillips, Mitsubishi, and Panasonic all have 3D TVs in their sights as well.  Sony is using electronic glasses that shutter to create the effect. 

As for customers, blind faith that TV makers can force a new technology to make up for flat-lining big screen HDTVs with 3D is hopeful at best.  You thought searching for the remote control was frustrating, wait until you have to search for four pairs of glasses, too.

While sports nuts are probably an easy sell, it isn’t clear that 3D in the home is going to be a winner.  24/7 Wall Street says, “Sony may find out the hard way that ‘2D’ video is just fine.”  Will the market take to 3D?

Read: [Financial Times]

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Blockbuster and Motorola have recently announced a partnership that will allow users to stream OnDemand movies to their phones.  The details are pretty light, however it was noted that the streaming will come in the form of a Blockbuster OnDemand application that will be made available for select Motorola phones.

“Through the agreement select Motorola phones will feature an exclusive BLOCKBUSTER OnDemand application, providing on-the-go download access to Blockbuster’s digital library of thousands of current BLOCKBUSTER OnDemand movies.”

Even with the lack of any real details, this does sound good.  It would also appear to be a move that could help place Blockbuster back in the game, that is, at least in terms of competing with Netflix.  Of course, the press release announcement did leave out some of the important details such as pricing, and we all know that could make or break a service.  Not to mention the press release also gave little indication of which phones will be supported or when the service will go live.

This sounds like a service that could have some real potential, but I will have to reserve judgment until we see more details.  If nothing else, it could hopefully spur some competition in the market and force Netflix to consider a similar partnership with a mobile company.

Read [PR Newswire]

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Instant streaming movies really seem to be the way everything is going. Blu-ray isn’t exactly the hottest selling format and an increasing number of players are also including streaming services for those who want to watch something right that moment rather than going to get the disc, or waiting for it to arrive.  While many set top boxes currently have Netflix, Amazon is making agreements to expand its Video on Demand service.  Netflix isn’t standing still, however, and is making its own agreements to get big name deals.

For Amazon, the announcement has come that it’s Video on Demand service is coming to all VIERA CAST Panasonic Blu-ray players.  This not only includes the normal players that you attach to an HDTV, but also Panasonic’s portable player, the B15.  The upgrade that includes Amazon Video on Demand is free for all users.  Now all they’ll need is an Internet connection to access all of Amazon’s streaming content.  VIERA CAST can also access YouTube, Picasa Web Albums, Bloomberg News, and weather, which means the addition of Amazon Video on Demand means more people will actually use it.

Not to be outdone in terms of big name deals, Netflix today announced a deal with ABC.  The deal will put many of ABC’s TV shows on Netflix’s Watch Instantly service.  The deal includes seasons four and five of “Desperate Housewives,” season five of “Grey’s Anatomy,” and seasons one and two of “Legend of the Seeker.”  The biggest part of the deal is it also includes the first five seasons of “Lost.”  With three of the most popular shows on TV in recent memory (sorry “Legend of the Seeker”), this is huge for Netflix.  Now anyone with the one of the myriad Netflix-enabled devices can actually catch up on Lost if they’ve never watched it, or revisit their favorite episodes.

Read [htguys]

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You know how the big three networks are all over Hulu and YouTube about copyright and how they fear/need the internet to survive?  Blip.tv is what they fear.  Today, Blip announced some big changes that are going to mean something to anyone with a TiVo, has Verizon FIOS, or a Sony TV with Ethernet jack.

Blip frontman Mike Hudack, announced on the Blip.tv blog

” We’ve designed something new for this economy of plenty. We’ve designed a next-generation television network.”

What is Blip.tv exactly?  The company basically runs a hosting service, workflow automation and an ad match-making service that matches up both large and small producers with advertisers allowing highly targeted advertisements.  The company takes a cut in ad revenue.  It is just that simple.

The news today is adding partners like TiVo, FIOS, and connected Sony TVs means a larger audience.  The company holds soon the TV viewing we consume will be made by those with talent, not those who were able to “get a meeting.”  Blip.tv’s plan is any content on any device and it is starting to gather steam.  Blip.tv counts as its friends: YouTube, NBC, Sony, Roku, TubeMogul, Vimeo, TiVo, Boxee, AOL, MSN, Facebook, Miro, Apple, Twitter, and Verizon.  Good company to keep.

Interestingly, also announced was NBC local service who will be broadcast on Blip.tv to get on boxes like Vimeo and Roku.  How is that for some new age thinking?  This is one company to check out and watch.  No pun intended.

Read [Blip.tv blog]

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It was only a matter of time before we saw the Internet infiltrate our television, and it looks like Verizon is ready to launch their new type of Widget/App store for FiOS subscribers.  Verizon has been working with Facebook, Twitter, Veoh, Blip.tv, ESPN, and Dailymotion in order to bring the best of the web to the TV.  All FiOS users will have access to these great services and Internet video via the new Widget Bazaar. 

In terms of the Widget Bazaar, subscribers will have the ability to update Facebook statuses, view friends profiles, as well as pictures.  For Twitter users, you have the ability to check out tweets pertaining to the program or movie you are currently watching.  It isn’t simply Twitter on the television, Verizon wants to tailor Twitter to what you are currently watching.  At this time, it is not possible to tweet from your television, but that should come to fruition in the future. 

If you participate in ESPN’s Fantasy Football game, you have the ability to view real time Fantasy Football points and statistics, box scores, rosters, and additional player information.  This is free of charge as long as you are a member with ESPN’s Fantasy program. 

If you are a Home Media DVR subscriber, then you will be happy to know you have access to Internet video such as Blip.tv, Dailymotion, and Veoh.  For those of us who like to amass a large video collection, you have the ability to view videos stored on your PC through your television.  Both of these services are free of charge. 

For additional app development, Verizon plans to release the SDK in order to allow open development of new widgets for FiOS subscribers.  More developers will have the ability to reach a wider audience, not just mobile users, and make a profit.  Verizon hopes to add more free and monetary apps to the Widget Bazaar. 

Read [Verizon]

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The ‘net is currently all abuzz with speculation as to who might be the proud new papa to internet movie rental giant, Netflix.  We’re hearing Amazon being tossed about left and right as a suitor and a couple of people are even throwing Microsoft’s name into the ring.  There are obviously some pluses and minuses to either of those deals, should they occur.

Regardless, Amazon had to be happy with the fact that people are thinking they may be the winner, considering their stock prices took a nice jump yesterday after the rumor started going around about them possibly buying Netflix.  However, in this case, all that glitters isn’t exactly gold in regards to this potential buy-out.

What an Amazon-owned Netflix really means

If Amazon were to buy Netflix, more than likely, it would be costly—I don’t mean for Amazon, I mean for the consumer.  While a deal would bring a bigger selection due to Amazon’s vast library of over 40,000 movies in their on demand catalog, that selection would probably come with a not-so-nifty higher price tag.  Right now, Netflix tends to offer older movies and those more obscure titles.  Amazon, on the other hand, streams many new releases as soon as they are released.  I don’t really see Amazon offering its selection for the less than $10 Netflix charges; expect to shell out more for that monthly subscription.

Another thing to consider is while initially there would probably be a boom when it comes to getting your physical discs even more quickly since Amazon seems to have warehouses everywhere, what might eventually occur is that physical discs would eventually simply disappear altogether.  That is not good for those folks who actually enjoy getting actual DVDs to pop in a player, and not just stream them.

With all that Amazon already has on its plate, they could end up acquiring Netflix without doing all the cool things they could with it.  Netflix could get lost in the Kindle/mass marketplace shuffle. 

Microflix?

Then we have uber-giant Microsoft.  Are they also a contender in the battle to buy Netflix as some rumors suggest?  And if they did purchase Netflix, what then?  Well, let’s look at the fact that we already have a very nice partnership between Netflix and XBox Live, which lets users watch TV shows and movies on the 360.  And according to sources close to Microsoft, this partnership is “en fuego” (which very loosely translated means “on fire”).

And it is apparently so on fire, that the president of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices division (which includes the XBox division) has been in pow-wows with the CEO and co-founder of Netflix to try to see what else they can do to “expand their current partnership.”  Hmm.  Obviously, an acquisition would be a much bigger move. 

The deal would definitely give a more strongly defined video strategy that many seem to think Microsoft lacks and Microsoft has been trying to build better ties in the entertainment arena for a while now.

Is Netflix doomed?

Many experts feel that the current business model of Netflix, regardless of who they are acquired by, is doomed.  They argue that streaming is the wave of the future.  Perhaps going with Microsoft would give them a leg up if this is the case.

Because of this fact, even though I can see Amazon being the one to purchase Netflix, I actually think they would have a better shot at a really strong, innovative, successful future if Microsoft did step up to the auction block and buy them.  I can see it now….Microflix.  It’s got a certain ring.

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Netflix is adding another partnership to their stable.  Sony is coming aboard, planning to offer Netflix as a movie-streaming service for its Bravia line of Internet-capable high definition TVs, as well as their older TVs that are compatible with the “Internet video link” module.

Sony hasn’t done anything too earth-shattering on their own in the digital field lately, so this move at least shows they still want to stay in the game, even with rivals.  And Netflix is certainly continuing to expand their market, little piece by little piece.  No, this isn’t going to knock any major new numbers their way in terms of new subscribers, but when other services are streaming on a box, they want their name there as well.  Previous deals for Netflix have included partners like Microsoft, TiVo, Samsung, LG, Vizio, and more.

The Sony Internet Link for their Bravia TVs first showed up as a $300 box.  Ouch.  Then it began being built into some of the later TVs.  So, this fall, if you have a Bravia box, or an Internet-ready Bravia TV, and a Netflix account, you are good to go to stream any movie from the Netflix library.  This does include HD movies by the way.

Guess who is missing from this brand spanking new Sony/Netflix partnership?  The PS3.  The reason being that Microsoft’s XBox 360 is still the exclusive loved-game-system of Netflix, although that romance surely won’t last in it’s monogamy forever.  After that, I’d expect some courting to be going on with Sony and Nintendo.  Well, we can always hope.

Read: [businessinsider]

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Today, TiVo announced a new program that will allow current users to upgrade their current DVR set up to a new HD DVR set up.  Many TiVo customers probably don’t have the income to purchase all this luxury equipment, such as HD DVR, and are often stuck using their regular DVR.  Well, starting today TiVo is rewarding their veteran customers by offering them $50 off an HD DVR.

Basically, as long as you have been a TiVo customer for a year, you are eligible for the $50 discount.  All you have to do is sign onto your TiVo account and you can save $50 or more off a brand new HD DVR.  It looks like the program is a mainstay as TiVo hopes to keep customers as well as gain new ones with exciting offers and promotions.  Remember, TiVo allows for instant Netflix streaming, access to YouTube videos straight from your television, Amazon Video On Demand access (as well as HD video access), and advanced search for broadcast and broadband content. 

Thanks Jessica for the information.

Company Site: [TiVo]

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If you have Cablevision, then you probably know about its remote DVR features, which allow you to record TV shows remotely for later viewing within Cablevision offices.  Previously, there was a petition questioning the legality of remote DVR usage which reached the Supreme Court.  Once there, the United States Supreme Court disposed of the petition, a move greatly appreciated by the CEA. 

CEO and President of CEA, Gary Shapiro, had this to say about the remote DVR technology, “The ability to record television programming has become commonplace to millions of Americans which has benefited consumers and allowed the consumer technology and content industries to contribute billions of dollars to our economy and create millions of jobs.” 

He goes on further to say that it doesn’t matter how you record shows, whether it be a box, or in an office.  Another argument used by Shapiro is the fact that Apple and Google already offer similar services, so it makes sense that remote DVR technology such as this is allowed to prosper. 

This always seemed like an odd case.  Why would remote DVRs be illegal when regular DVRs were legal?  If you had a very long cable between your hard drive and your set top box, that would be illegal?  With the Supreme Court denying to review the lower court’s decision, expect more cable providers to start setting up remote DVR functionality.  Just imagine never filling up your hard drive space on your DVR.  Or just imagine the cable companies telling you that you get 5 hours of DVR space and for a fee you can get more space.  Hmm…one of those options seems a lot more realistic than the other. 

The full press release is below.

CEA APPLAUDS SUPREME COURT’S DECISION IN REMOTE DVR CASE
Decision is a Triumph for Home Recording and Common Sense
Arlington, Va., June 29, 2009 – The United States Supreme Court today denied the petition for a writ of certiorari upholding the legality of Cablevision’s remote digital video recorder (DVR). The technology is functionally identical to a home DVR, and allows viewers to record programs on a remote system within Cablevision’s offices. The following statement can be attributed to CEA President and CEO, Gary Shapiro.

“We applaud the U.S. Supreme Court today for letting stand a decision that supports the growth of technology and innovation. The ability to record television programming has become commonplace to millions of Americans which has benefited consumers and allowed the consumer technology and content industries to contribute billions of dollars to our economy and create millions of jobs.

“From a common-sense standpoint, the Court’s decision was a slam-dunk. The Court has already ruled that consumers have the right to time-shift television shows. Whether the bits reside in a box under your TV or a box in the cable field office is not relevant.

“CEA has been at the forefront of promoting digital technologies for decades. The ability to shift content among devices and products within the home is paramount in allowing technology to thrive and allowing companies to continue to design and develop new products.

“In addition, remote computing and data storage, like that allowed by the remote DVR, offers extraordinary benefits. Indeed Americans already enjoy this technology through services like Google applications and Mac. An adverse ruling would have hamstrung this exciting new area of innovation.
“We commend the Supreme Court for protecting our ability to innovate and ensure that America remains the world’s technology leader.”

About CEA:
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $172 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES - Where Entertainment, Technology and Business Converge. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at www.CE.org.

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Oh, say it isn’t so!  Based on hints given by Jonathon Miller, the newly appointed chief digital officer of News Corp., Hulu may not remain the place to go for free video on the ‘net, because it will be coming with a price tag attached to it.

Miller used to run AOL, and hasn’t even gotten to a Hulu board meeting yet (that will happen Monday).  But, that isn’t stopping him from speculating on the direction that he sees Hulu going.  According to statements he made at an Internet Week event sponsored by The Hollywood Reporter, he can see a future which includes at least some of the movies and TV shows on Hulu only being made available to subscribers.  “In my opinion the answer could be yes. I don’t see why over time that shouldn’t happen. I don’t think it’s on the agenda for Monday [but] it seems to me that over time that could be a logical thing.”

Hulu is co-owned by some biggies in the entertainment business, News Corp., NBC Universal, and Disney.  I have a funny feeling if it does come to pass that certain programming is only available to paid subscribers, it’s not gonna be the 30 minute nature show about the mating habits of cockroaches.  No, it’s gonna be those with the big draw. 

Now, should we really worry about what some guy is spouting who hasn’t even sat in at a board meeting yet?  Ummmm…yes, when it’s this guy anyway.  What he thinks is gonna count.  Miller is the guy put in charge of figuring out how News Corp properties leverage their offline content to make money, online.  Coming up with ideas like this is why they pay him the big bucks.

Now, maybe since he keeps making sure to back everything with the fact that it is only “in my opinion”, it isn’t all set in stone.  But, they brought him aboard for a reason, and I don’t think it was to serve the rest of the board members coffee. 

I really hope they don’t go ruining a good thing with doing a “Now you have to pay to watch”.  We are already willing to watch their ads…doing this will just make a lot of people jump ship.  Either to alternate legal routes, or some….well…less than.

Unless you are going to offer something you don’t already have for the price, and the rest stays the same…don’t do it Hulu.

Via [dailyfinance]

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It would seem that the rumors claiming that Hulu will be coming to the Roku set-tip box just will not go away.  Personally, I can only hope this means they are true, however time will tell if that is going to happen.

Anyway, in the meantime, the latest chapter in this rumor comes from an unlikely source, a source that many claim to read “just for the articles.”  Yup, you may have guess it—Playboy Magazine.

In the most recent issue there was an article titled; “Hack Your Life: Death to Cable” and in there it was mentioned that “Roku promises Hulu support is coming.”

What doe this mean for those waiting?  Unfortunately, nothing really, we will still be waiting.  Especially considering a PR rep for Roku commented that they are “not sure” where that line in the Playboy article came from. In other words, this is still just a rumor.  Of course, that could just be a way to deflect the truth until they can make an official announcement.

Read [Zatz Not Funny]  Read [Silicon Alley Insider]

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Already, the new Microsoft Zune HD is looking pretty good, with its HD playback and all.  At the E3 tradeshow today, Microsoft unveiled an announcement, which didn’t really come as a surprise but definitely got people excited for the latest Microsoft device.  The Xbox 360 would be able stream movies and television shows using the Zune video service. 

Within the new LIVE service, the Xbox 360 has the ability to stream various content in 1080p resolution as well as 5.1 surround sound.  Of course, the video service has been revamped with the announcement of the Zune HD.  Microsoft looks to utilize these two tools, combined with the vast popularity of the 360 to solidify their rank in MP3 players and gaming consoles.  Until now, Xbox Live has only been available in eight countries, but it will be expanded to reach ten additional countries.  In total, US, Canada, UK, France, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Spain, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.  With the addition of other countries, Microsoft hopes that even more people will be able to use Xbox Live for not only playing multiplayer games, but also watching videos in HD. 

Microsoft claims the video service streaming will start nearly instantly as it starts with a low bitrate and fast download speed, then it starts increasing bitrate to reach HD video.  At E3 Microsoft announced a few other features such as Project Natal, Movie Party, as well as Facebook support.  For all the latest E3 news, be sure to check out our sister site, Gamertell.com. 

Via [Xbox]

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I’m sure you’ve used Hulu, or at least are familiar with the site.  Launched about two years ago by NBC and Fox, Hulu has become wildly popular with many as a favorite online TV service.  This success, however, may turn out to be their Achilles’ heel.

Hulu has seen their name in the news plenty of the past five months or so especially.  Back in January, the decision was made to pull most of the episodes of the very popular show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” from their lineup.  This obviously did not go over well with viewers.  People complained (loudly!) on Hulu’s “Sunny in Philly” forum.  We heard “Hulu blows” and the obvious “Off to the torrent sites.”

As of two weeks ago, Hulu still seems to be going strong according to comScore’s report showing that Hulu zipped into the top three spot streaming video sites.  Then we heard the news that Disney (corporate parent for ESPN and ABC) was hopping aboard the Hulu train.  Seemed as though it’s Always Sunny in Hulu-delphia at least, right?  Maybe not so much.

The thing is, the pull of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” came due to the network’s request.  It wasn’t as though Hulu didn’t want to run it anymore.  Then right after that comes the Boxee shut off.  Hulu CEO Jason Kilar said “Our content providers requested that we turn off access to our content via the Boxee product, and we are respecting their wishes.” in a blog post regarding the move. 

It’s pretty clear that certain powers-that-be aren’t quite as thrilled with Hulu’s success as say…Hulu is.  Companies like Comcast and Time Warner have to pay cable networks to carry their shows, and the fact that people can watch them on the ‘net for free isn’t exactly an idea that makes them jump up and down.  Add to that the potential loss of DVD sales related to cable TV, and it makes certain folks even less happy.

The reality is that audiences want to be able to watch whatever they want at any time.  This is the age of instant gratification, and the Internet has taught us much in being able to get that.  And this is scaring the pants of Hollywood studios and TV networks.  They are faced with charts of ad sales showing an arrow going down-down-down….DVD sales plummeting, and thus the fear ensues.  A distribution chief at Turner (a network that refuses to make popular shows available, and only keeps a couple episodes on its own site) says that, “We have to find ways to advance the business rather than cannibalize it.”

Well, you might want it to stay the same Turner boys…but I don’t think that is the reality.  People will watch the shows online.  You can choose whether it is going to be Hulu…where people have to at least watch all of those little ads….or those less than legal sites. 

via: wired

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During a recent media briefing, GearLive was able to get a sit down with Eric Rabe, the Senior VP of Media Relations for Verizon and talked FiOS and judging from the details, this is news that should make just about any Verizon FiOS customer a little happier.

To begin with, the Home Media Manager will be seeing an improvement.  Currently you are able to stream audio and images from a networked PC, however they are working on adding support for video streaming.  That sounds good so far, but thankfully that is not where the video related improvements are stopping.  Also mentioned were some improvements to FiOS TV Central. As of now this is a nice feature to have, it allows you to manage your DVR from another internet connected device—it could be another computer, phone ect, however they are working on adding Slingbox-like streaming also.  Of course, they did state that they needed to take care of some necessary agreements first.  I also cannot help but wonder if we will have access to live streaming or streaming of content from the DVR.

Anyway, moving past video there are also some other goodies that were mentioned which include widgets for items like the weather, sports scores as well as social networking favorites like Facebook and Twitter.  Additionally, they are also making some improvements to searches and the guide.

Finally, they mentioned the current Internet speeds, and when asked why they were not offering a 100 Mbps service, they responded by saying that they could but don’t.  According to the rep, they have the capability, however their current fastest (50/20) is not that popular, instead most subscribers opt for the 20/5 speeds.

All-in-all it looks like FiOS customers will have plenty to look forward to.  This news sure makes me glad I am moving to a home that has FiOS available, now bring on the Slingbox-like streaming.

Via [GearLive]

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Any self respecting baseball fan knows each game out of a 162 game season is very important.  Every die-hard fan tries their utmost to catch as much of the game as possible.  Now unfortunately, people move away from their town where their team plays, so they may not be able to catch the game often.  Fortunately for them, MLB has rejuvenated their online video service with many special features including live streaming games.  While I can’t say I’ve actually watched a lot of games through MLB.TV, I’ve watched a few and I have to say, I am very pleased.

What exactly is MLB.TV?

To put it simply, MLB.TV is a service than runs on a monthly, or yearly subscription, with a price that isn’t all that expensive considering all their features.  In previous years, the service has been relatively simple—just stream the game the viewer wants to see.  However, in the offseason, a division of MLB, MLB Advanced Media, worked hard to revamp the service to include many new and exciting features.  I wholeheartedly believe that the future of online video streaming, especially for sports, will include many of these fantastic features.

The features

Within MLB.TV’s Premium service, you have access to live game highlights,  live game radio feed options, HD quality picture, DVR functionality (meaning you can rewind and pause the live game), watch up to 4 games at once, picture-in-picture, and player tracker (which is great for following Fantasy players).  Previously, you could only get these features on a HDTV, but the fact that it is now available online for nearly every team; that is truly remarkable and it just goes to show how far technology has come.  In addition, MLB Advanced Media even has plans to create an iPhone app and allow for live streaming coverage.  As soon as the 3.0 software comes out, MLB plans to unveil their At Bat app with live streaming and such. 

By reaching out to all major technology venues, like Internet and cell phone, MLB is making a strong case to show that they are the sport to beat in terms of technology. 

The Price

It is very easy these days to catch everything you would normally view on TV, on the Internet and your computer.  As a result, it is very possible to drop your TV and cable service altogether and stick to what you can view online.  With that in mind, the price of MLB.TV isn’t too expensive.  For all the Premium features I listed above, a yearly subscription would run you about $109.95 (which covers 162 games from April-October), while the monthly deal $19.95.  Now, without all those advanced features I talked about above, it costs $79.95 yearly, and $14.95 monthly. 

Despite the current plight of the economy, MLB.TV has more subscribers than last year, and they can probably thank that to the exceptional new features the Premium service has to offer.  With a fast, crisp Internet service, users can expect streaming quality to be comparable to normal TV quality.

Will the revamp be worthwhile?

Since this is the inaugural season of the MLB.TV Premium service, it is hard to say whether it will be more successful than MLB.TV in previous years.  To give some perspective on how MLB.TV did last year, and where it should stand at the end of the season, consider this.  Last year, it had over 500,000 subscribers and “generating tens of millions of dollars in revenue.”  Even though the economy is going to make it tough for some potential users, MLB has dropped the price of the MLB.TV service by 10 dollars, so they do recognize the problem.  I do believe that all true baseball fans will find some way to purchase a subscription and try to save money elsewhere. 

For all other sport fans who would like to see their respective leagues create something similar to MLB.TV, fear not.  NHL has already rolled out a video service, called thePORTAL, they plan to use for the Stanley cup coverage.  While the features are not as extensive as MLB.TV, I imagine that many sports will follow suit and launch their own video services, as it is quite a profitable business.

Check it out [MLB.TV] Read [BusinessInsider] Read [BusinessInsider]

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One problem with wireless carrier contracts are the fine print, which often makes it hard for the customer to understand.  When this occurs, the customer is very confused about the contract and often do something they end up regretting.  A man named Alberto called into CNN’s Clark Howard explaining that he purchased Wall-E for his nephew to watch while in Mexico.  Of course, this constitutes as roaming and Alberto was slapped with a $62,000 bill, just for the movie. 

Before he phoned in to CNN, he asked the carrier to reduce the bill, because $62,000 is a bit ridiculous.  Instead of decreasing the bill to something that could be paid off, it was reduced to $17,000, what it cost the carrier in bandwidth.  As you can imagine, Alberto must have been pretty furious because all he tried to do was entertain his nephew, and all of a sudden he’s dug himself a big hole.  Going back to what I said before, contracts say roaming charges will add up to a lot, but in a big contract, it is easily overlooked.  This is a classic example of wireless carriers preying on unsuspecting customers. 

Next time you plan to travel abroad with the intention of accessing Internet via phone or data card, remember you can opt in purchasing an international roaming plan, so you don’t have to pay any insane fees.  Whether or not Alberto will be able to escape his $17,000 bill is not yet known.  But I’m sure he has learned fast from his mistake, and will definitely not travel without planning ahead again.  Check out the conversation between Alberto and Clark Howard below. 

Via [Ars Technica]

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It turns out that TiVo was not the only set-top box that begin offering HD quality content from Amazon.  The HD goodness has also been added to the $99 Roku Player, which seems to be a pretty fair price when you consider the available content.  Now that it is available, perhaps the most important point is the price, which in this case is between $3.99 and $4.99.

“The addition of Amazon’s HD offerings to the Roku digital video player is a tremendous enhancement for our customers,” said Tim Twerdahl, vice president of consumer products at Roku.

I have had a Roku Player since the release and have often complained about the lack of available content. However, since the release we have seen the available content grow from a handful of Netflix movies to also include “more than 40,000” titles from Amazon and now to also include HD quality content from Amazon.  Bottom line, this little player will only set you back $99 and a nice part here is that it offers built-in Wi-Fi which should make the installation a little easier.

Read [Roku]

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Get those TiVos ready!  Because we told you it was coming, and now it is here.  Today is the first day that TiVo HD, TiVo HD XL, or Series 3 subscribers can download high definition TV shows and movies right off of the amazon.com website.

Amazon takes on iTunes

As I predicted after poking around Amazon’s site a while ago (when I found pages that weren’t really supposed to be found), the cost for a current season download is $2.99, and their new releases for movies are going for $3.99 to $4.99.  So the price is still in direct competition with iTunes.  It should be interesting to see how it plays out now that they are obviously going to try to give iTunes a run for their money.

How it works

When users run a search on TiVo, they will get Amazon’s HD selection included with all the broadcast and cable options.  Tara Maitra, General Manager and VP of Content Services and Advertising Sales at TiVo Inc. says “Our customers now have access to a new world of ultra high quality HD television and movie choices, many of which are available when the DVDs are released, something no other DVR, cable, or satellite company can match.”

All you have to do to get started with activating your TiVo DVR is log into Amazon at this page.  You complete a one-time registration, which allows you to use the remote to search and browse the Amazon selections and download your choices right onto your TiVo DVR. 

Will it take off?

Bill Carr, Amazon VP Music and Video is excited about the partnership.  “TiVo is enabling customers to access our unparalleled library of hit movies and TV shows, bringing them directly into the home where friends and family can watch from the comfort of the couch.  Together with TiVo, Amazon Video On Demand is excited to offer HD and increase the selection, quality, and convenience for the TiVo community.”

Whether or not it will have the video quality people will demand remains to be seen, as well as the selection.  If VoD is done the right way…it could obviously take off in a major way, even more so than it has yet to do yet.  But, you have to convince people that the service you’re selling is the best one.  Is it Amazon’s?  Guess we’ll have to wait and see how they stack up.

For more information, check out Amazon’s TiVo page.

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Verizon has recently opened up their mobile DVR control page that will allow FiOS users to control and manage their DVR from any web connection.  I should point out that this was previously available, however only through a few Verizon phones, the good news is that now it is open for everyone. 

Current FiOS users can simply point their mobile phone browser to http://m.verizon.com/tv then login and begin to take control.  Once logged in you will be able to review, change or add recordings and delete recordings.  You can also browse and search TV listings and video-on-demand listings as well as set parental controls and more.

Now if they could just integrate a Slingbox-like service into their service and let me enjoy that on my mobile phone I think I could be that much closer to truly feeling satisfied. 

Read [Verizon]  Via [Twitter @sarahintampa]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

We all know that Apple is the obvious leader and a pioneer in MP3 player innovations.  They have enjoyed that seat for many years now, meeting limited competition.  No matter what other companies such as Samsung, Microsoft, SanDisk, Sony, Archos and others create, Apple is still the favored brand in the eyes of the consumer.  A few days ago, Engadget had received some artwork claiming to be the newest member of the Microsoft Zune lineup, the Zune HD.  Without specs, all we had to go on was the name and pictures.  Many are claiming that the Zune HD is the real deal and not just some person playing around with Photoshop and coming out with something that looks good.

Just by the name of it, the newest Zune would obviously come with HD playback.  With today’s advanced technology, it does make sense for a player to come with HD playback, but of course, there are many factors that dictate the success of such a player.  I’ll admit it right now, I like to support the underdog so in this case I would want the Zune HD to succeed, but I have to think about the timing.  Is now the right time for the Zune HD? 

Why they should launch the Zune HD as soon as possible

No matter what type of device Microsoft creates, they never seem to hit the magic formula Apple is able to consistently hit.  Don’t get me wrong, they create some respectable products, but Apple has always been one above them.  Microsoft has long enjoyed the popularity of Windows, but even that is coming back down fast.  Microsoft needs to bolster their reputation in the MP3 player department, otherwise the Zune can be considered a waste.  The only way to do better than Apple is to design a product that meets the public’s needs in an affordable manner.  The device they release should contain features that the leading iPod does not.  For instance, if Microsoft were to launch a Zune HD, it would already contain features that the iPod does not, HD playback. 

In addition, rumor has it that it will be a touch device, with only one button, and it will be smaller than the iPod Touch in terms of size, but right up there in capacity.  I imagine there to be Wi-Fi connectivity as well as a built-in browser, again, similar to the iPod Touch.  In terms of availability, word is floating around that it will be available sometime in September-October.  A Fall release would mean it after all the Palm Pre hype as well as iPhone 3.0 software hype, and the hype of the T-Mobile launch event.  However, the timing could conflict with something, which I will get to in the next part. 

Why Microsoft should hold off on the launch of the Zune HD

The main concern here is with the launch of all the phones, Microsoft making Windows 7 available and ready to go, as well as the possibility of there being a new iPod in September, a Zune HD could get lost in the shuffle.  The whole idea is to go head-to-head with Apple, but if the Zune HD will not be ready in time due to Microsoft’s focus being divided among other products, then there is no point in producing a product that is not game-ready.  Microsoft needs to product the best Zune they can, containing all of the necessary components that make a superb MP3 player. 

Now, you have to consider that with the emergence of the Palm Pre sometime soon, the iPhone 3.0 software, and the T-Mobile private launch event, consumers are going to be purchasing either a Pre, an iPhone, or a new T-Mobile G2.  Would they want a Zune HD on top of it all?  Especially if they have a good working iPod/Zune already?  The worst thing Microsoft can do is release the Zune HD right after Apple either releases a totally new iPod or upgrades an old one.  If Apple chooses not to create a new device, or upgrade an old one heavily, then the timing would be right for Microsoft to go ahead.  However, the summer looks to be an interesting one with all these new gadgets in a slumping economy.  Companies, especially Microsoft, are going to have to play their cards exceptionally well in order for their respective products to succeed. 

I, for one, can’t wait to see what Microsoft will do with the Zune HD, hopefully they release some details soon, because they really have started getting people excited.  It may just be the ticket Microsoft has been looking for all these years. 

Read [Engadget]
Read [Technologizer]

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Part of the reason young kids these days are, for lack of a better word, stupider and socially awkward than previous generations of kids is due to the increased popularity of television and poor quality shows.  Especially in America, where I see little kids who have been brainwashed by the media and are drowned in technology.  Moreover, is it me or do kids these days seem to have no respect for their elders?  For this, I solely blame the television, but it is the parents responsibility to limit the type of programs a child takes in.

Over at LGenius, a website where people can submit their ideas for changes/improvements in television sponsored by LG, the winning idea was a rather interesting one.  At first, I thought it would actually work, but then I realized how stupid of an idea it truly was.  The winning idea contained three parts to it: a profanity filter, a “happy time” feature, and a cartooner.  Let’s see how practical, or stupid each idea is and why I hope each idea never comes to fruition. 

Baby Laughter is the new Bleep

If you take a look at the YouTube video embedded below, the first item the speaker announces is their profanity filter.  Whenever curse words such as f*** are mentioned, it is instantaneously blocked out and replaced with what they claim to be most innocent sound, baby laughter.  I agree wholeheartedly that kids these days take in a heck of a lot of profanity from the television.  Part of me thinks that swear words are good because they toughen you up as a person, as long as you know the true meaning of each word.  I don’t see anything wrong with the occasional “hell” or “damn,” but when a five year old flipped me off the other day, something is wrong. 

Now, do I believe all swear words should be replaced with baby laughter?  Absolutely not, it is the parents’ responsibility to dictate what their children are allowed to watch and what is off limits.  In case something does come on, the parent should change the channel or something along those lines.  If a parent feels the need to enable this setting when their child is watching TV, perhaps said child shouldn’t even be watching that show in the first place.

Hey LG, while you are at it, maybe you should try to replace swear words in rap songs with baby laughter also.  Seriously…maybe you can limit swear words on LG brand TVs, but kids will find other ways to hear these profane words such as the radio or maybe other people.

Who doesn’t love seeing kittens to cheer them up?  Me.

LG’s next item in their keynote is something called “Happy Time.”  Basically, whenever something depressing is taking place on the show, the viewer has the option to display kittens in a basket with cheerful music playing in the background.  The presenter adds also available in puppies to the crowd’s delight.  I don’t know about you, but this feature might be even more stupid than the last one.  I mean kittens or puppies in a basket is not going to cheer me up when I am depressed from something on the television.  (Insert baby laughter), the only thing depressing these days on the television is the news and the economy, maybe then would I consider using this feature.  But if I’m watching a movie or a TV show and the point of it is to have a sad moment, then why would I want to feel happiness if the producer intended for their audience to feel sad? 

Although, I do see this feature being useful if you have babies at home who you want to entertain with kittens in a basket.  Sorry LG, but when watching TV, people want to feel a certain way and what’s the point in trying to change that emotion? 

Cartoon adult scenes instead of normal adult scenes?

The last item noted by the LG presenter is one that I could see being a little useful, but I can think of many substitutes and would, therefore, not buy a LG TV just to receive this feature.  If you aren’t a teenager, think back to when you were one, and whenever there would be a kissing/makeout scene on the TV and your parents were right there.  Wasn’t it a little bit awkward?  The presenter wanted to stress the fact that not many TV shows are suited for families these days due to the occasional vulgar scene.  The solution, you ask?  LG says why not cartoon-ify the scene to make it all age appropriate?

Interesting concept, but if you would only use this feature to protect your child’s innocent eyes, then why not simply change the channel?  If you are a parent and you are watching cartooner-appropriate content, then maybe your child shouldn’t be in the same room in the first place. 

Final Thoughts

I applaud whoever sent this idea to LG for trying to make the TV safer for all of us, but I mean with a little common sense, there is no need for these features.  Most TV sets these days come with v-chips and other parental controls, so parents can easily pick and choose what their children can and can’t watch.  If I found two TVs with the same specs, one from LG coming with these features for a slightly higher cost, and the other TV without these features for a slightly lower price, I would definitely choose the lower priced TV just because there is no point for these extra features. 

I hope LG doesn’t actually manufacture TVs with these added settings, because I don’t really see the purpose.  I hope this is not in store for the future of television.  Am I crazy?  That’s up for you to decide, just thought I’d share my two cents. 

Read [LGenius]

Check out the keynote presentation:

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In efforts to compete with Apple’s App store and the Android Marketplace, RIM has decided to launch their own BlackBerry App store for all BlackBerry users to take advantage of.  According to NewTeeVee, multiple sources claimed that RIM would be announcing a mobile television service by next week, at the earliest. 

Basically, the sources claim that service charges will be a one month thing, resulting in unlimited TV downloads which will run on WiFi.  This makes things interesting for several reasons.  We don’t know if RIM got this idea approved with BlackBerry carriers, so cell phone carriers might not want unlimited TV downloads to be clogging up the 3G networks, but with WiFi, it wouldn’t slow it down.  Another thing is the quality of the TV shows will be much higher because they will not have to worry about people downloading shows at 3G speeds. 

This makes sense for a couple of reasons, one being that CTIA is right around the corner and so RIM will be announcing their App store at that time and two, it is another reason for people to get excited about the BlackBerry again.  Unfortunately for RIM, Apple already has a stronghold on the whole app store business, as Associate Editor JG claims all App stores minus Apple are doomed.  Not to mention Android’s app store has been around longer than the new BlackBerry app store.  But, let’s not forget that 19.5% of worldwide smartphone sales are RIM’s BlackBerrys.  People don’t like to change, and if they see nothing wrong with their BlackBerry, they are less likely to switch to let’s say the iPhone, G1, or any other competitive smartphones. 

Will this rumor play out and be successful?  Only time will tell, but it is another thing along with the App store for BlackBerry users to potentially get excited about.

Read [NewTeeVee]

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photo credit: David Zatz

It seems like Amazon may be looking to bring HD to their catalog, but they aren’t officially talking about it just yet.  Such secrecy.  No doubt the jump to HD titles is a bit of a “let’s play ball” reaction to the very recent release of HD movie titles on iTunes. 

The Amazon site does already have some links to HD TV show downloads.  They just won’t really do you any good at this point since the actual details page isn’t available yet.  It looks as though they will be the same price as iTunes charges ($2.99 a pop), and a complete season will run you up to $53.

Digging into Amazon’s HD video

I emailed Amazon to see if I could get any further confirmation on the whole thing, but it seems I got back the standard email response that others have gotten from their Public Relations department. 

“We said many months ago that we intend to bring HD titles to our catalogue in 2009 but we have no further details to announce at this time.”

I took the same path others have taken, and tried running a search related to Amazon’s Video on Demand via Google, and the results were interesting.  Shows like “Law and Order” and “House” came back in the search as a HD version.  (I was hoping for “Fringe,” but that one didn’t show as HD to date).  Yet, when I clicked on the link, it simply took me to the regular Video on Demand Start page for Amazon.  And there was no HD title shown.  Hmmm. 

You can run, but you can’t hide.

Yet, Amazon’s little “recently viewed” section showed I had recently viewed all three shows (including the non-HD Fringe).  Okay, so ever curious, I click on those links right within Amazon.  Nope.  Still no working link that actually takes me to an HD download page.  It again just bounced me to the VOD Start page. 

When you click through the detailed part of your browsing history, it comes up showing a screen again listing the HD version complete with price and the option to purchase the whole season.  This seems as though Amazon does use the Google bot to sort and list content not available to joe schmoe public.  It also led to this page which offers a season HD pass.

Just recently, David Zatz reported that Amazon is performing beta-testing on its HD service with limited users on TiVo devices.  His source let him in on the fact that the current catalog features a decent amount of HD TV shows, but not a whole lot of HD movies.  The video quality is said to be “very good,” and their HD progressive downloads are going to feature surround sound.  Nice.

Amazon HD vs. iTunes HD

So, are they going to actually be any kind of competition for iTunes?  Well, at iTunes launch the other day, HD movie rentals go for $4.99 and to buy one will cost you $19.99.  HD TV isn’t new to iTunes, they’ve had it since last fall, with their shows running the same as Amazon’s are expected to at $2.99.  iTunes HD passes aren’t exactly cheap, the House pass is $59.99, so Amazon seems to have them undercut by at least a few dollars there.

But is all of this still going to be enough to make people pay for HD downloads?  I mean, why not just buy the DVD for less money?  Or, we all know we can watch a show free on Hulu.  Is video and TV download really going to make it long term especially with where the economy is at right now, and so many people are still obviously using other means to get their media.  You know, those means they don’t have to pay for. 

So, what’s your opinion?  Do you pay for downloads?  Will you pay for downloads?  And if you will, what kind of price are you willing to spend for the service?  I’ll be interested to see how this latest venture fares for Amazon.

via: newteevee

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Netflix just doesn’t sit still, does it?  The latest news from Netflix is you are now able to share your movie ratings on Facebook using Facebook Connect.  The whole procedure is simply going to a specific site and logging into Facebook Connect.  If you don’t want your account hooked into Facebook, you can always opt out later.

Facebook Connect has taken off with plenty of sites and this is a very natural fit.  Netflix has had social networking features on its site, but this should work much better.  Plenty of folks love to share their opinions on movies.  Also, I’m sure people would love to know their friends’ opinions on videos if they are looking to try out new things.

Netflix has already put its Watch Instantly feature on many set top boxes.  They’ve also added The New York Times and Rotten Tomatoes as partners—the sites allow you to add movies to your queue from their movie review pages.

Read [Netflix Blog]
Connect [Netflix.com/FacebookConnect]

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People are becoming lazier and lazier, while companies are trying to become more and more efficient - but I’m not complaining.  Fandango and Dish partnered up to offer the ability to purchase movie tickets right off of your TV.  It’s kind of like how you can order pizza online. 

As soon as you tune into channel 100 on the Dish service, the OpenTV middleware powered Fandango application will search for nearby theaters and showtimes using your zip code.  If it finds matches, it will display them to you, allowing you to select a movie and purchase a ticket.  As long as you have your phone connected to the set top box, purchasing a ticket using your credit card is as easy as 1-2-3.  Just enter in your number with their secure connection, and congratulations, you have successfully purchased a movie ticket without moving anything but a finger.

On the day the movie is playing, you have to show the employees at the theater your credit card as proof of purchase and you are good to go.  If there is a popular movie playing at the local theater, it is beneficial to order tickets from home, rather than waiting in line. 

Read [Twice]

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And the cards keep tumbling down.  It’s not like we didn’t all see this one coming.  After all, three other companies have already admitted they were less than legal when it came to fixing prices for LCD panels sold to U.S. companies Today marks Hitachi Displays Ltd. joining the ranks of those companies charged with conspiring to fix prices, making it four companies and seven individuals charged by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Anti-Trust Division.

A plea agreement just waiting for court approval maintains that Hitachi Displays did agree to cooperate with the Justice Department’s continuing antitrust investigation.  Good move guys.  According to Scott Hammond, Acting Assistant Attorney in charge of the Anti-Trust Division,

“Hitachi joins three other multinational companies who have admitted to their involvement in fixing prices for LCD panels sold to U.S. companies and that have already paid criminal fines totaling more than $585 million.  This case should send a strong message to multinational companies operating in the United States that when it comes to enforcing the U.S. antitrust laws we mean business.”

Hitachi’s share of that $585 million is $31 million, not so big considering it is one of only four hit with the rap.  They were nabbed for their role in the conspiracy to fix prices in sales of Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display panels (TFT-LCD) that were sold to Dell.

They are charged with the following: Carrying out this conspiracy through several means including taking part in bilateral meetings and communications with Japan, Korea and the U.S. to talk about the prices of the TFT-LCDs being sold to Dell; making an agreement of price during those meetings; issuing price quotes based on the agreements met at the meetings; and exchanging information on sales of the product sold to Dell, with the purpose of keeping track of and enforcing the set price they agreed upon.  Naughty-naughty boys.

The other companies already on the naughty list?  LG pleaded guilty December 15, 2008.  They were rocked the hardest of the four fine-wise—a whopping $400 million criminal fine for a worldwide conspiracy charge.  This is the second-largest in Anti-Trust Division history.  Way to make mom proud guys!  Also on the list is Sharp Corp, pleading guilty the day after LG.  At least they were only slimy enough to fix prices sold to Dell, Apple, and Motorola…not the whole world.  Third up was Chunghwa Picture Tubes, also guilty of the same worldwide conspiracy as LG.

According to the US Dept of Justice website, “Anyone with information concerning illegal conduct in the TFT-LCD industry is urged to call the San Francisco Field Office of the Antitrust Division at 415-436-6660.”

Read: US Dept of Justice

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Remember the dismal news last month that Boxee would no longer be providing Hulu content?  Well, Boxee tried to come up with a way around that.  Although the solution was not the same as what those loving Hulu content on Boxee are used to.

Instead, the newest Boxee featured an RSS reader which is optimized for video.  This worked to get Hulu content on the site since Hulu offers up public RSS feeds.  So, the once “bleeding edge release” of Boxee grabbed the Hulu videos and streams them.  While it did work, it did not work as smoothly as the previous Hulu tools.  However, within the same day of this RSS work around, yet another glitch arose - Hulu blocked them.  What the heck? 

According the Boxee blog “we just found out that Hulu blocked the boxee browser from accessing the Hulu site. this is a disappointing development since their RSS feeds are publicly available, and our browser, while optimized for a great 10 ft video experience, is no different in how it accesses this content than Internet Explorer, Firefox, Flock, Opera or any of the other browsers out there.”

All I can think is that Hulu is caving to the content providers.  Previously, Boxee had talks with Hulu and its content providers, which fell through to keep things the way they were.  At that point, they added the new RSS tool.  Boxee, however, remains diplomatic on their blog stating that “the people in the industry ‘get it’ ... they are trying to adjust to a new reality, but they need time.”

Hmmm…I’m thinking if the content providers really did “get it,” Hulu would still be on Boxee.  The providers have to realize, if they try to block places like Hulu, viewers are just gonna go elsewhere to get what they are watching.  Places a little less than legal perhaps.  At least on Hulu we still have to watch all those blips of commercials during the programming.  Keep making it difficult to get your shows to watch legally and push your viewers to some commercial-free programming.

Boxee will be keeping their users up to date on the latest developments with the situation.  “to our users: if you choose to use boxee as your media browser to view legal and publicly available content on the internet, we will do everything we can to ensure that you can access it, no matter what the source.”  They have now implemented a status bar on the upper right corner of their page, showing if Hulu is available on the site or not.  Should be interesting to see how often the status changes.

If you want to snag yourself the latest version of Boxee, just go to the download page.  Just keep in mind that being pre-release software, there is a chance of bugs.  According to Boxee “a more stable version” should be coming March 24th.

Via: wired

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We can file this latest announcement as something that was expected, Roku has taken their support for Amazon’s Video on Demand out of private beta and made it available to all.  Of course, even though this was expected, it still serves as good news, and this announcement has made my Roku player quite a bit more appealing.

The new support comes in the form of a software update, which is in the process of being rolled out for all Roku owners to install.  Once the update is installed, you will then have access to browse, rent or purchase any of Amazon’s more than “40,000 movie and TV titles,” many of which become available the same day as the DVD release.

One drawback is that Amazon currently lacks any HD video; the content is currently limited to DVD-quality.  For a set top box that now supports Netflix, Amazon VOD, and also has built-in Wi-Fi to cost only $99 sounds like a good deal.

ROKU NOW OFFERS ACCESS TO AMAZON VIDEO ON DEMAND

Digital Video Player Instantly Connects Consumers To Over 40,000 New Titles

SARATOGA, CA, March 3, 2009 – Roku, Inc., maker of the popular Roku digital video player, today announced that customers can now watch movies and TV shows from Amazon Video On Demand. With Amazon Video On Demand, Roku customers can for the first time purchase or rent new release movies the same day they are released on DVD and watch commercial-free TV shows the day after they air– all from Amazon’s extensive selection of more than 40,000 movie and TV titles.

“We are excited to give our customers access to Amazon’s massive catalogue of top movies and TV shows – including many new releases”, said Anthony Wood, Roku CEO and Founder. “The launch of Amazon Video On Demand on Roku demonstrates our commitment to creating an open platform that instantly delivers the entertainment consumers want directly to their TVs.”

The compact Roku player connects directly to any TV and uses a broadband Internet connection to deliver DVD-quality video instantly. Roku customers can now choose from Amazon’s enormous selection without paying subscription fees, waiting for downloads, or running out to the video store.

“The $99 Roku player provides our customers with tremendous value and a compelling entertainment experience,” said Roy Price, director of Amazon Video On Demand. “Consumers are looking for inexpensive and hassle-free ways to watch their favorite movies and TV shows, and the Roku player meets that need head-on.”

How It Works:
- Connect the Roku player to your TV and your broadband Internet connection (Wi-Fi is built in for ease of set-up)
- Browse Amazon Video On Demand’s extensive selection right on your TV
- Rent or purchase and instantly watch any of more than 40,000 choices, including top new releases and the latest TV shows

Over the course of the next week, current Roku customers will receive a free and automatic software update giving them access to the Amazon Video on Demand service. All Roku player customers will continue to have access to Netflix Instant Watching with unlimited access to more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes for a low monthly fee.

The Roku digital video player is available for purchase exclusively at Roku.com and Amazon.com.

About Roku
Roku is a market leader in innovative applications for digital media. Through its work in both software and hardware, the company develops and sells consumer products and business solutions to bring rich media to the end user. Its products include: The Roku Digital Video Player and the SoundBridge Internet radio line. Roku is privately held and based in Saratoga, Calif. For more information on the company and its products, visit: http://www.roku.com.

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

You’re probably already using redbox, the rental kiosk found all over the place in supermarkets.  Lots of people like it because it is convenient and it is cheap - only $1.00 a night per rental.  Well, now it is even more cost effective to rent from your redbox…because it is free.  And ya can’t beat free.

Right now, rebox is offering the special that every Wednesday in March you can rent a movie for free if you go to their redblog site and simply get the code that they will post each week.  That’s it.  Then you can go and rent the movie of your choice for free.

They also have a special for cell phone users for a free movie on Mondays.  If you enter your number on the redbox site, they will text you a code each Monday that you are able to use for a free rental.  I can’t personally tell you if they inundate you with any other messages; as I didn’t try this one out yet.  I did just sign up, so I’ll let you know how it goes.

If you haven’t already tried using codes at redbox, there are plenty of codes out there that are perfectly legit and work just fine.  A good site to check out for lists of updated codes is insideredbox.  To use the code, all you have to do is add the movie you want to your cart and hit the button for “add promo code” before you swipe your card, and it will take off the charge.

Good luck and happy watching!

Full Story » | Written by Jodie Andrefski for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Everything went haywire this week.  From Twitter and GMail going down to some crazy concepts floating around the tubes to more economic woes.  As we careen toward insanity, let me point out the road signs as we go along.  Here are the stops we’ll make today:

• iPhone news seems to make itself
• A far better answer to GMail’s outage
• LG goes both ways
• Netflix love catching on everywhere
• Steve Ballmer, I didn’t give you enough respect

Who is steering iPhone news?

Is anyone else astounded by the iPhone’s grip on our news?  Look at techmeme.com at any given moment and you’ll find a preponderance of stories about the Apple device.  Is that nuts?  Is it crazy that a year and half after introducing the phone, as late as yesterday in Panera people are coming up to me asking me about the iPhone?  Haven’t we had enough?

Apparently not.  With the Pre just a few months away, we’ve got something new to think about: will it be better?  Heck, I’d be happy if something just actually came close.  Appletell’s Jake Gaerke says the iPhone has nothing to worry from the Pre and I disagree.  The Pre’s got the stuff and it is the only “iPhone Killer” I’ve seen.  And I’ve been looking.  Read Jake’s diary entry er, love note, er treatise on Apple need not life a finger then read my piece poking fun of Jake and pointing out that the Pre is something to be reckoned with.  You tell me who is on crack.

GMail goes down ‘cause it is ugly?

Our mighty editor Iyaz nominated me for outing a far more interesting - if not fanciful- explanation for GMail’s outage this week for a a couple of hours.  Sure I said it should be blamed on an ugly color scheme created by one user but in Google’s cowardice they blamed some hapless code monkey.  I like my story far better than the official line.  Good thing there is no drug testing here….

LG sports a strap on

I’ve tried to stay away from this story.  The concept hurts my small brain as I just don’t get it.  Question: where is your bluetooth earpiece right now?  If you are like me, your answer is, “I’ve no frickin’ idea.”  I lose everything.

Now LG and Verizon want me to lose a keyboard for their new Versa phone, as reported by our Shawn Ingram.  The phone looks like your average dumb touchscreen phone but can be detached from the keyboard wallet type case.  The phone has on onscreen keyboard for when you desire a thin offering but for those times when it is ok to be fat (not phat), plug it into the wallet.

Dumb, dumb, dumb.  I can’t imagine someone saying, “this is awesome.”  I dunno, maybe I am not part of their demographic on this, but it just seems like extra fluff.  I liked the idea of dropping a small phone into something like this idea.  I’d still lose all that stuff too though.  Fun fact: that link has the distinction of being the only post that comes up in Gadgetell search if you type pterodactyl.  Sweet.

Netflix: too awesome for its britches?

Iyaz pointed out you can’t get away from Netflix, be it the NY Times or RottenTomatoes or the awesome Now Playing iPhone app.  They are working overtime on embedding themselves in everything.  And it is working.

I am totally hooked on instant watching via my TiVo HD.  This month, I’ve watched more movies instantly than via mail.  That is a good thing for Netflix (less overhead) and now Vince Pane tells us they plan to capitalize on it by offering streaming only plans.  Fantastic idea! 

Originally, I was worried Netflix was giving too much away by offering the instant view for free.  After all, I’d pay something additional for the service on top of my DVDs through the mail.  They’ve carefully built a fire, thoughtfully laid out the kindling, and now they are moving into thowing some logs on with the stream-only plan.  Good for them.

Now just add more movies and on-screen navigation vs. only going through movies I’ve already added to my instant queue and this thing comes off the rails.  Can you root too hard for this company?  I think I am in love.

Señor Ballmer, good call.

This week, Jodie told us about Mr. Ballmer talking about seeing Google as a threat on netbooks.  Smart move.  If Android is a their sneaky way to creep into computing devices, then well played Google.  It makes some sense and being free, has some power behind it.

I’ve been saying for a while, Microsoft should have jumped in front of this netbook craze with a new brand of OS specifically for the platform rather than just merely agreeing to extend XP’s life.  Mentioning Android by name in public is an interesting move.  Ballmer mentioned Apple as a player too, but Apple’s said, “we are just watching” for some time now and may have missed the peak in these tiny offerings.

Perhaps Microsoft is off the rock.  What’s that? Windows Mobile 6.5 still isn’t here? Oh, nevermind.

See you next week, crack heads.

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It looks like Netflix, who has taken flak in the past based on the fact that its name does not stir up images of DVDs by-mail, is finally moving into position to live up to its name.  Right now Netflix users pay their subscription for access to Netflix’s tremendous library of DVDs by mail, with the bonus feature of access to streaming content thrown in.  However since the launch of its partnership with Microsoft, which brought streaming content to the Xbox 360, Netflix has experienced unprecedented growth.

Now with Watch Instantly capabilities being offered on Roku set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, and even some televisions; Netflix is recognizing the possible market for standalone streaming subscriptions.  Barry McCarthy, CFO of Netflix, expressed intentions on Wednesday to make plans for just streaming content available in the “foreseeable future.”  Currently Netflix Instant Watch boasts a selection of approximately 12,000 titles, though critics say many are not A-list quality material.  Hopefully with increased interest in streaming content and the propagation of the Netflix platform on new hardware, we will see the content list expand to more mainstream fare.

Read [Reuters] via [Joystiq]

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Do you VUDU?  Apparently it’s becoming more and more popular.  And with their announcement yesterday that they are the first on-demand service to offer high definition movies to own, those that VUDU are liking it a lot.

Before this, subscribers could only rent HD movies from on-demand services (like VUDU).  Although Vudu boasts a library of over 1,400 HD movies, but you could only watch them, not keep them.  That all ended yesterday.  Not all of their HD movies are available for sale however; for right now, there are 50 movies from “top independent studios.”  That phrasing does have some folks raising their eyebrows a little, although VUDU says more studios will be making more movies available in the future.

Although people that use VUDU seem to love it for the ease of use, that drawback seems to have always been what has been holding VUDU back from making what could be a major splash in the home movie market, the lack of movies—okay, popular and new movies, available.  That and the fact that some movies are available for rent, some only to buy, some to rent or to buy.  It’s a hard sell to get someone to plunk down $25 to watch a new release (purchase is required for many new titles) when they could just go to Blockbuster, Netflix, or *ahem*, a less than legal site and get it for free.

“Man on Wire” is one of the titles that is being released.  It is by Magnolia Studios, one of the studios working with VUDU on the HD releases along with Kino and FirstLook Studios. “We are thrilled to work with VUDU to offer our new releases for sale in HD when they are released on DVD,” said Dean Wilson, Chief Operating Officer of FirstLook Studios. “We continue to explore every channel for distribution, and the emerging digital platform that reaches consumers in their homes directly on their HDTVs via VUDU is an important new channel for us.”

I think they have to do a few things in order to become the success they have the chance to be if they play their cards right.  Bring down the initial purchase price of their box.  I mean, they offer three choices right now for box storage size, and the “big” one…$995? (Although I did find it on sale for $795)  You’ve gotta be kidding me.  Get real.  I don’t care if it IS 1 TB. 

Next, a better, more current, movie selection is needed.  More new releases available the day they come out from new studios.  If you want to compete, get in the ballgame.  Next, don’t just make the selections for purchase only.  Some people don’t want to purchase it, they just want to watch it. 

They have something that could go somewhere.  It has a chance of beating Apple TV and even XBox Live Marketplace.  It has a chance to stick around as something people might use rather than running out and renting or even buying.  The big question is will they do what they have to do in order to accomplish that goal.

Via: prnewswire

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This is a guest post by Merlyn Akhtar.  Merlyn Akhtar is a tech-savvy person who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty with hardware.  One of the first upgrades she performed was installing a 2X CD-ROM drive in a PC in her early teens back when Prodigy was an awesome ISP.

Hulu announced today that its content providers have requested Hulu’s content to be removed from Boxee.  If you haven’t heard of it, Boxee is a free media center and is an offshoot of the XBox Media Center that currently supports Mac and Linux (Windows support is coming). In the blog post announcing the cut, the Hulu team comes off almost as frustrated as I am as a Boxee-user.

Hulu has a right to be quite frustrated.  It just launched a big ad campaign during the Super Bowl.  Now is not the time to have your content providers pushing you around and forcing you to alienate part of your user-base.  Boxee’s response in its blog was disappointed, but understanding.

Unfortunately, Hulu has been pushed around by its content providers before - it seems to be a regular occurence for them.  Awhile back, Hulu was forced to remove a large portion of back episodes for the FX show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”  As it stands, Hulu can only keep up the last five episodes of the show.  In another example of bullying, the Fox network only allows new “House” episodes to be posted eight days after initial airing.  Even then, the episodes are only up for a limited time.  Network greediness is definitely rearing its ugly head.

As if Hulu didn’t have it bad enough, it also announced today that it is cutting ties from the CBS-owned TV.com due to contractual issues.

Read:
[Boxee’s Blog Post]
[Hulu’s Blog Post
via [Cnet]

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