Microsoft's Xbox 360 may call itself the only console to stream Netflix, but all that could be changing -- and soon. As Netflix continues to pull in new subscribers (and cash flow) like it's no big deal, the company is apparently looking to spread its wings even further by integrating its wildly popular Watch Instantly feature into "a device already owned by a large number of consumers." Naturally, the most fitting candidates for that would be Sony's PlayStation 3 or Nintendo's Wii, though the company has yet to come forward with anything concrete. Just so know you, Netflix credits the Xbox 360's streaming integration as the main reason some 2.4 million customers have signed up since late 2008, so it's more than apparent that it loves the game console. Any bets for when this will go down, or are you just plugging your ears in order to avoid potential disappointment?

[Via Joystiq]

Think you're good at turning down the upsell? Try saying no to adding WiMAX to your home internet service for the low, low price of whatever Comcast wants to charge. Thanks to a multi-billion dollar tie-up with Clearwire, Comcast has been offering WiMAX-based internet services in a few markets, but now that On Demand Online is a go, it makes sense to think that the operator would use that as leverage to get people hooked. For those unaware, ODO enables Comcast pay-TV subscribers to watch a vast array of programming from any internet connection, which of course means that any ole 3G / 4G data connection would work just as well as Comcast's own. Oh, and while mobile TV is pretty good -- and we're going to let Comcast finish -- watching HDTV at home with a DVR is definitely the best scenario of all time.

Update: Just to be clear, this service won't deliver TV straight to phones.

We knew good and well that the fine folks over at MediaMall were toiling away in an attempt to bring internet TV content from YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, CBS, CNN and a host of other sources to Nintendo's white-hot Wii, but there's just nothing like hearing that intentions have become reality. Based on an email from MediaMall support to a particularly curious user, the "latest version of PlayOn includes a beta version of Wii functionality in it." Naturally, the company's doing its darnedest to keep this under wraps for now, but we're eager to get legions of Wii users testing it out and reporting back with performance evaluations. The note does mention that quality will be lower than on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 due to the inherit hardware limitations on Nintendo's baby, but hey, you knew that going in, right? Hop on past the break for the letter in its entirety, which includes instructions on getting this going on your console.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Just as we heard back in February, Time Warner and Comcast have joined hands in order to regain control on some of the content that is slipping right out from under 'em. In the olden days, the only portal for catching content was the 'tube; today, a vast array of television shows are available gratis on the web, and that's downright frightening for pay-TV operators. Today, both firms are detailing TV Everywhere in the most general way possible, only telling us that paying Comcast subscribers will soon have access to "premium long-form content" via a web portal. TNT and TBS are the only networks specifically named thus far, but considering that both of those already offer their best programming online to everyone, we're not terribly impressed.

The agreement also includes a trial with around 5,000 Comcast users, which will be used to heavily test a newfangled authentication technology that will be necessary to allow paying Comcast users to access the material from any internet-connected PC. NewTeeVee has also assembled a clean, easy-to-digest FAQ that explains what exactly all this is. To be frank, it seems like a solution in search of a problem from the consumer viewpoint. After all, with portals like Hulu and individual network websites already providing in-demand content online, why is there even a need for some "special portal" for Comcast users? We've heard that paying subs will have access to even more material, possibly movies or other premium shows. But we won't front: we certainly don't want TV Everywhere to convert some of the content that's already free into pay-only content in order to accomplish the aforesaid "even more" goal. At any rate, the public at large probably won't hear more about this until the trial sessions end at an undisclosed time, but you can bet we'll be keeping a cautious eye on any developments.

Read - TV Everywhere press release
Read - NewTeeVee FAQ

Look, we know all about desperate -- those youngsters are cute and all, but any self-respecting parent starts having some seriously evil thoughts about three hours in to any road trip. In a presumed effort to keep you off of the evening news and in good standing with your relatives, AT&T is launching its CruiseCast in-car TV service today. If you'll recall, we knew the in-car satellite TV solution was being tested in various spots, but today marks the first day that the proverbial beta badge has been ripped off. Of course, such a unique offering ain't running anyone cheap, with the initial hardware package totaling $1,299 and the monthly fee ringing up at $28. If those numbers have yet to faze you, hop on past the break for a look at the channel lineup.

With Akihabara, mobile TV that works and games like this, does Japan really need another nicety to remind us of how awesome it is? Starting this week, Yahoo Japan has started to deliver free video services to loads of Sharp AQUOS HDTVs. The so-called Douga Channel currently offers some 3,000 videos gratis, and absolutely no member registration is required to tap in. At least initially, the service will target Sharp's AQUOS DS6 family of products, which are equipped with a revised Sharp GUI and an 'Ex System' for handling the video processing. Better still, the material coming through can be viewed in SD or HD, which has to make local cable companies cringe. At any rate, the company is still trying to hammer out a business model before delving into pay-TV, and it's hoping to service at least one million TV sets in the not-too-distant future. So... any news for North America?

While a nationwide launch of the ad-based ZillionTV streaming service isn't expected until Q4 of this year, it's good to see that things are obviously on track. Just today, both the ZBar and ZRemote (shown after the break) -- two crucial hardware components to the system -- have splashed down in the FCC, giving those who just can't shove enough set-top-boxes under their television hope that one more is destined for US shelves. Granted, an FCC appearance doesn't guarantee an immediate market presence, but obviously the beta testing and collaboration with ISPs has been going well.

Read - ZBar filing
Read - ZRemote filing

There's been a lot of controversy over the years in regards to à la carte cable programming, and more recently, Hulu no longer playing nice with Boxee. The two are related to each other because in both cases, consumers think they'll lead to cheaper content. And let's be honest -- both seem appealing because we want to spend less money for the same content. The problem, of course, is that if we're spending less money, then someone is going to lose that revenue; and it goes without saying that any decent business model requires more revenue, not less. So those big corporations collecting all of those subscription fees are obviously going to have a problem with the idea. Now the conundrum comes in when you throw Netflix in the mix. Rather than nickel and diming you to death (much like your cable company), Netflix wants to give you an all-you-can-eat buffet for a monthly fee. The irony here is that while Hollywood loves subscriptions when it comes to cable TV, that's not so much the case when it comes to Netflix. The reason is simple -- we know you see this coming -- it's because the monthly fee is about three times that of a Netflix bill.

Listen up, nature lovers -- you should seriously consider moving to the UK. We're hearing that National Geographic is gearing up to exclusively launch Nat Geo Wild HD on the Sky platform on April 1st, and it's reportedly being done as a response to growing demand (and growing ratings) for the SD version of Nat Geo Wild. Launch programs on the new channel will include Blue Whale Odyssey, Darwin's Lost Voyage and the second series of Strange Days on Planet Earth, narrated by Hollywood actor Ed Norton, and yes, the content will indeed be made available from day one on Sky Anytime, the operator's video-on-demand service.

Now that ZeeVee's back in business with its much improved Zinc broadband video portal, boxee actually has some serious competition to keep an eye on. That said, the company is hosting a meetup in NYC tonight in order to launch a new "bleeding edge" alpha that will integrate Pandora radio / RadioTime and showcase a more robust API. Furthermore, you'll find a fresh XUL-based framework for the boxee browser to enable the app to more easily interact with any web-based video, and as if that wasn't enough, there will also be a PBS application baked in. We have to say, we're pretty impressed with the regularity of updates coming to boxee -- now, if only those big networks would allow hit shows to be broadcast online live alongside their TV airings, we'd be in television heaven. The full announcement is after the break.

It's been a few months now since ZeeVee showed its soft(ware) side by announcing the free public beta of Zviewer, and now we're pleased to announce that it's back with a new name, a new face and a slightly revised agenda. Rechristened Zinc, this latest version is -- for all intents and purposes -- a competitor of boxee. Once installed on a PC (a Mac version should surface by April), users can easily navigate to tons of internet-based TV content from the likes of CBS, ABC, etc. Also of note, this version bakes in access to your Netflix Watch Instantly queue, providing access to 15,000 feature length movies and tens of thousands of TV shows. For now, ZeeVee's committed to keeping the application free, and it believes its superior UI will win folks over. The full release is waiting just past the break, and those interested in giving it a go should find a live download waiting right here.

Psst... you can check out our hands-on and review over at Engadget HD.

Sheesh -- this is dangerously close to getting out of hand. We've got Hulu, boxee, ZeeVee and Vuze (amongst others) all vying for your attention in the wide world of broadband video, but it's the latter dishing out a potent new offering with its latest version. Today, Vuze has announced a new iteration of its online video portal application that integrates playback with iPhone, iPod, AppleTV, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 devices. So far as we can tell, no other competitor offers that much integration (read: direct Mac / PC-to-device transfers) across so many products. Of course, none of this matters if you aren't a fan of Vuze itself, but you can surf on over to download it (gratis, naturally) in order to test the waters.

Join us in exclaiming: Glory, Hallelujah! After the death of Three Sheets late last year, our TV watching just hasn't been the same. We've even found ourselves wondering what's wrong with the HD DVR for not recording any new episodes. At long last, we've finally been told that the immensely popular travel / drinking show is set to return, though we don't know where or when. On Zane Lamprey's official website, he's informed the world that the new home network is currently seen in around 65 million homes across America (compared to just 10 million with MOJO HD, the show's former home), and the announcement from said network should be coming soon. Also, the never-aired fourth season will begin airing soon after, with a season five scheduled to begin shooting in the not-too-distant future. Raise your glasses, mates!

[Via Yelp, thanks Ben]

Looking for an inside view of the cable company realm? How's about a mouthful from Comcast COO Steve Burke? Said executive recently sat down for an interview with TechFlash, and we have to say, it's one of the most interesting reads we've seen in awhile. When addressing questions on internet streaming, he noted that watching video online is really just a complement to pay-TV (and not a substitute), and he also asserted that internet TV was a friend of Comcast given that over 16 million people rely on its high-speed connections to view it every single day. Still, we found this quote incredibly telling:

"We and the programmers are going to want to make sure that the cable programming that people pay for when they get basic TV service doesn't go completely on the Internet, so there is still a reason to subscribe to cable."

We'd elaborate, but really, it speaks for itself. On the topic of à la carte pricing, he simply stated that content producers wouldn't let it happen. While networks like ESPN would draw millions, lesser known channels would likely be forced to shut down if people could specifically avoid paying for them. There's far too much in the interview to cover in this space, but be sure to give it a look and report back with comments. We know you'll have a few.