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EpixHD celebrates today's FiOS launch with weekend movie streaming passes for all

by Richard Lawler posted Oct 30th 2009 at 12:15AM


Right on schedule, the linear version of the three-screen focused EpixHD service will go live for FiOS TV subscribers starting at 8 p.m. Already VOD and internet accessible, launch weekend (and subsequent weekends) will spread high definition streaming cheer beyond just the fiber-connected as anyone can grab a 72 hour access pass to stream some movies (we don't recommend Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but pretty much everything else mentioned in the launch lineup or the official PR after the break seems good.) Chief Digital Officer Emil Rensing let us know what the trip from beta to reality has been like, and while there won't be many tweaks in the experience from our largely positive preview experience, expect additional features like movie extras, behind the scenes peeks and more to roll out across the site over time. EpixHD.com/invite has the 72 hour passes, while we hear the company Twitter isn't a bad spot to check for extended access while waiting for its "movies anywhere" strategy to become officially available in your neck of the woods.

Continue reading EpixHD celebrates today's FiOS launch with weekend movie streaming passes for all

Comcast On Demand Online rolls out fully this year, but stops at the front door

by Richard Lawler posted Oct 21st 2009 at 2:49PM

Following the 5,000 person beta already ongoing, Comcast is apparently ready to deliver the On Demand Online experience to all of its customers by the end of the year, with a few rather significant caveats. At launch one the much hyped placeshifting element of the service will not be live, for the time being you'll need internet and TV service, and it will only work at home. Still, if queuing up last night's ep of Mad Men on your laptop is all you're looking for there should be a decent library of content to choose from with 24 cable networks signed on, and a $0 additional cost for the service. Our excitement level depends mostly on how quickly HD streaming and on the go access becomes a part of the package.

Funai, CinemaNow team up to include online video store access in devices worldwide

by Richard Lawler posted Oct 16th 2009 at 4:31PM

Expect various movie streaming services to pop up in every store brand TV, Blu-ray player and set-top box around shortly, now that Funai and CinemaNow have announced a business deal. The two companies have a lot in common, while you may see Sylvania, Magnavox, Philips and Emerson as the brand on the shelf, Funai puts together the lower end electronics that end up flying off the shelves of local Wal-marts, while CinemaNow 's movie store is behind the online efforts of giants like Blockbuster. Be prepared to notice on-device streaming as the next checkbox next to "3D digital comb filter" on every generic cardboard box in the electronics aisle, though until the experience improves we don't see too many customers taking advantage.

Epix HD queues up Iron Man, Madonna and Eddie Izzard for online & FiOS launch October 30

by Richard Lawler posted Oct 12th 2009 at 4:23PM


Epix HD has locked down a launch date and lineup, confirmed for Verion FiOS subscribers so far, the festivities will kick off October 30th with television and online premieres of Iron Man, Madonna "Sticky & Sweet: Live from Buenos Aires," and Eddie Izzard: Live From Wembley. Other titles set for launch weekend are The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Madea Goes to Jail, Pink Panther 2, the Indiana Jones movie that sucked, Cloverfield, The Duchess and more. Epix has previously stated a goal to build the largest stable of movies online with a planned 3,000 titles available in the Epix Megaplex, you'll see if this whole new way of delivering a premium movie experience is all it's appeared to be very soon.

Update: Epix just passed along the launch weekend schedule so check after the break for all the times (EST)

Continue reading Epix HD queues up Iron Man, Madonna and Eddie Izzard for online & FiOS launch October 30

ZillionTV may go around ISPs, take ad-supported streaming video direct to consumers TVs

by Richard Lawler posted Sep 17th 2009 at 1:48PM


Hard to say what this means for the "ISP as distribution partner to ad-supported video service" strategy ZillionTV said it would pioneer when originally announced this spring, but today's press release indicates a significant shift in direction. If you've already forgotten about the FCC-inspected ZBar and ZRemote, this is the company planning to offer video on demand over the internet from its library of film and TV partners Hulu-style, but direct to your television. Now the company will consider selling hardware straight to subscribers of ISPs not down with the plan, aside from sliding directly into televisions and various connected hardware as Netflix, VUDU, Amazon and others already have. At the same time, the planned Q4 nationwide launch has morphed into a vague "second half of 2010" promise, from here we'd guess getting ISPs to sell hardware that competes with their own pay-TV services isn't as easy as ZillionTV anticipated.

AT&T gives U-verse a streaming video portal without joining the TV Anywhere party

by Richard Lawler posted Sep 12th 2009 at 12:53PM


Not wanting to let it's cable and fiber competitors run away with all the streaming fun, AT&T has launched its own streaming video site in the vein of Sling.com and the various TV Anywhere related projects. Currently anyone who checks out the site can view all the content, including some provided by Hulu and CBS Interactive, but the plan is to include some walled off premium video for U-verse subscribers in the future.

Netflix taking everyone to Oz for free via streaming, subscribers go in HD

by Richard Lawler posted Sep 9th 2009 at 2:40PM


As if we weren't already hyped that The Wizard of Oz is returning to theaters in celebration of its Blu-ray release, Netflix is putting a little something extra -- and free -- on it. Anyone in the U.S. will be able to stream the classic online via PC (trailer embedded after the break) at Netflix.com/wizardofoz from 9 a.m. October 3 for 24 hours, while subscribers can pull the stream down in high definition on any compatible device. No interruptions, no cost, no hassle. Prefer the group watch experience with an actual physical group of people? The company is also putting on a free concert and outdoor showing in NYC's Central Park September 29. With the options of on disc, streaming, in a theater or even outside it's hard to think of more ways to see a movie than this one, which would you pick?

Continue reading Netflix taking everyone to Oz for free via streaming, subscribers go in HD

Time Warner's TV Everywhere trials to start... sometime

by Nilay Patel posted Aug 27th 2009 at 12:38PM


It's been over a month since Comcast and Time Warner announced their TV Everywhere internet video service, and while we've seen some impressive content deals get made since then, there hasn't been much word on how the service will work, or even when it'll launch. That's starting to slowly change today, as Time Warner's announced that 5,000 lucky customers in "select markets" will be involved in a trial that's starting "over the next few months." No word yet on how much this'll cost or what extra shows or movies you might be able to get, but at least it's something -- and if Time Warner or Comcast need any extra help testing this out, we know a few people who'll be more than willing to help.

Paramount, Lionsgate, Warner Bros. & Sony Pictures movies finally available (legitimately) in DivX

by Richard Lawler posted Aug 26th 2009 at 8:00AM


Over the last few years we've witnessed a slew of DivX Certified devices including HDTVs, DVD & Blu-ray player, set-top boxes, game consoles and even cell phones, but until now, despite several content agreements, in the U.S. there hasn't been any content available in the format from the major studios. That changes today now that online store FilmFresh.com, has signed up Paramount, Lionsgate, Warner Bros. & Sony Pictures to offer new release and archive movies for purchase as DivX formatted downloads. The bad news? For now at least, they'll be standard definition (stereo audio) only. Rick Bolton, CEO of Film Fresh as well as Eric Grab and John Greene of DivX filled us in on the details, and from what we've learned -- if you'll stand for lower res video -- the combination of compatibility and portability could make this download service a competitor against the likes of iTunes, CinemaNow and Zune.

Continue reading Paramount, Lionsgate, Warner Bros. & Sony Pictures movies finally available (legitimately) in DivX

Lost, Desperate Housewives & Grey's Anatomy streaming to Netflix Watch Instantly

by Richard Lawler posted Aug 3rd 2009 at 4:02PM


This weekend, the first four seasons of Lost suddenly became available for streaming (in HD even) via Netflix Watch Instantly, and now Netflix and Disney-ABC have announced an agreement (an extension to the deal that already brought Disney episodes of JONAS, Hannah Montana and more to the service the day after they aired) that will bring even more familiar content to the service. Desperate Housewives and Legend of the Seeker already have some seasons available, while the fifth seasons of Grey's Anatomy, Lost and Desperate Housewives are coming along for the ride in September. We're sure the Lostpedia heads have already bought and doubled up on the series DVD and Blu-ray releases, but for everyone else struggling to remember what the hell is so important about that island, it's easier than ever to catch up before the final season starts.

[Via The Official Netflix Blog]

VuNow streaming set-top boxes to get CinemaNow streaming movie access

by Richard Lawler posted Jul 27th 2009 at 6:26PM


Verismo's quest to bring its streaming media platform to more customers and OEMs has received a shot in the arm, now that the company announced support for CinemaNow. CinemaNow has already announced plans to come directly to flatscreens via widgets, so if the VuNow platform is adopted into more hardware as it was by Sherwood, expect to have one more internet movie-capable box sneaking into your living room disguised as a receiver, amplifier or cable DVR over the next few years. Word is this is just the first content announcement with more to come, while we anticipate who is next (CinemaNow-based providers like Blockbuster are an easy bet) check the full press release after the break.

Continue reading VuNow streaming set-top boxes to get CinemaNow streaming movie access

Hulu finally responds to PS3 blocking complaints

by Richard Lawler posted Jul 16th 2009 at 2:13PM


After weeks of silence, Hulu has provided some commentary on its blocking of PlayStation 3 and Windows Mobile browsers (unless you work out a way around it, of course), sending a form email back to any members the requested support for the issue that was heavy on "context" and light on answers. Without acknowledging that the company even is blocking these devices, the dispatch mentions "maximizing the content you can access as conveniently as possible in a way that "works" for the content owner." Of course that doesn't provide us any details as to which content provider(s) terms necessitated the change, or if, and in what form, we can expect easy off-PC access to Hulu's video streams to return but if you feel like navigating the fluff yourself, the letter is after the break.

[Thanks, Connor]

Continue reading Hulu finally responds to PS3 blocking complaints

Hulu to PlayStation 3 browsers: "This video is not available on your platform"

by Richard Lawler posted Jun 27th 2009 at 6:59AM Breaking News


The PlayStation 3 has kept access to Hulu even without PlayOn or other workaround while others were blocked -- with the exception of its own remote friendly desktop software -- thanks to its browser's Flash support, but this morning multiple users have reported the above message indicating "Unfortunately, this video is not available on your platform. We apologize for any inconvenience." Some odd glitch related to the recent 2.80 firmware update or other temporary problem, or is this the latest platform to get the Boxee treatment when trying to bring streaming video to TV screens? We've reached out to Hulu for an explanation but so far, haven't heard a response. Interestingly, the Hulu TOS was just updated as of June 26, and although we haven't found any PS3-specific passages, changing a browser's user-string to match the console reveals it is definitely being specifically blocked.

[Thanks Sev, and to Tyler from FormatWarCentral.com for the picture]

Joost testing PlayStation 3 specific browser interface

by Richard Lawler posted Jun 18th 2009 at 11:39AM


Apparently a casual mention on the Engadget HD podcast is enough to bring anyone out of hiding, as Joost follows Managed Copy out of the shadows, showing off a test of a new interface for the video streaming website that is optimized for the PlayStation 3 web browser. Simply pull up http://labs.joost.com/tv/ from the console, and then the controller buttons will easily control all the video playback from there. Joost went in the reverse of Hulu, YouTube XL and others, from desktop app to browser only, but it seems finally ready to offer new ways, through this 10-foot style interface, to get on the TV.

[Via Evil Avatar]

VuNow's internet video-to-TV streamer finds a home in Sherwood receivers

by Richard Lawler posted Jun 16th 2009 at 5:02PM


The VuNow platform is sitting a lot prettier, as it has grabbed an OEM deal to be included in Sherwood's upcoming line of receivers. Already making an appearance as the Netgear ITV2000 standalone unit, now high end amps and surround sound systems will have access to a variety of internet video sources without additional hardware. Verismo's said it will be pursuing many different opportunities for its technology, we'll wait and see where the YouTube / CNN / ESPN and more streaming hardware shows up next, though your cable box would appear to be a safe bet.

Continue reading VuNow's internet video-to-TV streamer finds a home in Sherwood receivers





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