As broadcasters and television networks try to figure out their Internet strategy, the limited TV content that actually is online is making quite a pretty penny. Get the full story »
Netflix
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Showtime spat with Netflix displays rivalry
Amid an emerging rivalry between traditional pay TV operators and rising star Netflix Inc., CBS Corp.’s Showtime pay TV service confirmed Wednesday that back seasons of current original series like “Dexter” and “Californication” will not be available on Netflix’s streaming service as of this summer. Get the full story »
Netflix back up after 4-hour outage
Netflix Inc. suffered a service outage Tuesday night that left customers unable to view movies or television shows through its online streaming service or through devices such as Roku. The California-based content provider said Wednesday that the service was fully restored.
“Netflix is up and on as usual,” said Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey, via email. “Last night we had an unanticipated and rare technical issue that interrupted the service for about four hours, since fixed.” Get the full story »
Netflix has deal to stream from CBS library
CBS Corp. struck a partnership with Netflix Inc. allowing the online video company to stream CBS library content, including television shows “Cheers,” “Frasier,” “The Andy Griffith Show” and “The Twilight Zone” to Netflix subscribers. Get the full story »
Verizon challenges FCC’s ‘network neutrality’ rules
Verizon Communications Inc. on Thursday filed a legal challenge to new federal regulations that prohibit broadband providers from interfering with Internet traffic flowing over their networks.
In a filing in federal appeals court in the District of Columbia, Verizon argues that the Federal Communications Commission overstepped its authority in adopting the “network neutrality” rules last month. Get the full story »
Amazon buys Lovefilm, Britain’s Netflix
U.S. online retailer Amazon.com is to buy the 58 percent of British DVD and games rental firm Lovefilm it does not already own for an undisclosed price, it said on Thursday.
Lovefilm, whose Europe-focused business has a similar model to U.S. video rental firm Netflix Inc., has built a movie rental-by-mail business and has also started streaming digital movies. Get the full story »
Clerkdogs to start live-chat movie reviews
As Netflix and other video services offer thousands of movies streamed over the Internet, all those choices are creating a dilemma: what to watch next.
A 2-year-old movie recommendation Web site called Clerkdogs is addressing the problem by offering online chats with former video store clerks, film critics and other movie buffs. Get the full story »
Comcast rolls out video app for iPad, eyes live TV
Comcast Corp. plans to soon roll out a feature allowing its customers to watch real-time television shows, whether a crime drama or newscast, on tablet computers such as Apple Inc.’s iPad. Get the full story »
Jan. 4 at 2:09 p.m.
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Filed under: Consumer electronics, Entertainment, Media, TV, Technology, Video CES: Netflix button coming to remote controls
Netflix told CES attendees Tuesday that it would soon be available on remote controllers that operate Internet-connected TVs, Blu-ray disc players and other devices, enabling subcribers to access movies with one click.
Netflix Inc. said consumer electronics companies would begin selling remotes this spring with “Netflix” buttons — including some featuring the red Netflix logo. The companies include Sharp, Sony and Toshiba.
Sears rolls out its answer to Netflix
Sears Holdings Corp. has launched its online movie download service, Alphaline Entertainment, allowing Sears and K-Mart customers to download movies the day they are released on DVD.
The service runs on Sonic Solutions’ RoxioNow platform, and the companies are working to make the services available on portable media players, mobile phones and high-definition televisions under a multi-year agreement. Plans for the service were first announced in June. Get the full story »
Yes, Netflix a bandwidth hog; but who should pay?
A movie selected from among Netflix's "Watch Instantly" titles begins to download on a home computer screen in New York, Nov. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/James H. Collins)
Netflix is clogging up the Internet. There’s a debate raging about who should pay for it — but ultimately, it’s going to be you.
The latest skirmish is a fracas between Comcast, which connects users to the Internet, and Level 3, which signed a deal three weeks ago to host and deliver Netflix’s streaming videos to networks like Comcast’s. Comcast ultimately delivers those videos to its paying broadband customers.
Get the full story »
Netflix raises prices, offers stream-only service
Netflix introduced a new plan Monday that, for the first time, relies solely on video streamed over the Internet rather than the DVDs that it has mailed to customers since the company was founded more than a decade ago.
The shift demonstrates how quickly consumers have transitioned from physical media players to digital entertainment that can be browsed, watched again, or discarded without ever having handled a disk. Get the full story »
In race with Netflix, Hulu cuts price to $7.99
Internet video company Hulu slashed the price of its subscription service Hulu Plus, which made its official debut Wednesday. Hulu knocked down the monthly cost to $7.99 from the preview price of $9.99. Users who subscribed to the preview service, which was available in June, will receive a credit for the price difference, the company said. Get the full story »
Level 3 to be a primary Netflix CDN provider
Level 3 Communications Inc. said it will become a primary content delivery network provider for Netflix Inc, starting from the new year. The communications service, which is based in Colorado, will store the entire Netflix streaming library of more than 20,000 titles, it said in a statement, in addition to supporting Netflix for streaming movies and TV shows. Get the full story »
Cable TV subscribers flee
Cable companies have been losing TV subscribers at an ever faster rate in the last few months, and satellite TV isn’t picking up the slack. That could be a sign that Internet TV services such as Netflix and Hulu are finally starting to entice people to cancel cable, though company executives are pointing to the weak economy and housing market for now.
Third-quarter results reported by major cable TV companies show major losses, but don’t settle the question of what’s causing them. Get the full story »
