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Netflix to Expand its Reach to the PS3

Pulkit Chandna — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:14:46 -0500

Netflix announced today that it will be bringing its streaming service to the PS3. Netflix's streaming service will be available to around 9 million PS3 users residing in the US beginning next month. PS3 users will need a Netflix account and an absolutely free BD-Live disc - Blu-ray disc with internet functionality - to access Netflix's extensive content catalog.

PS3 users will have to insert the disc into their console each time they wish to enjoy streaming content from Netflix's library. But this disc-popping ritual should only last until the two companies enable direct access to the service. "As a leading game console and Blu-ray disc player, bringing Netflix to the PS3 system is a real win for both Netflix members and PS3 system owners,"said Netflix CEO and co-founder Reed Hastings.

Streaming TV Isn't Cheap; Hulu May Start Charging for its Services in 2010

Bart Salisbury — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:09:02 -0500

It’s sort of fun watching media moguls--the sharpest knifes in the drawer--thrash about when trying to figure out how to make the Internet pay. First it was charge for content. When that didn’t work it was give content away, but cram it full of ads. That didn’t make enough money, so now we’re back to charging for content. (Which didn’t work the first time.)

The current star of this hit parade is Chase Carey, Deputy Chairman of the News Corp. According to Carey: “I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content. I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value.” Thanks Dad, but all I want is watch some Office reruns; maybe a little Family Guy. Carey continued: “Hulu concurs with that, it needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business.” Time, it appears, for Hulu to start charging for the value it provides, so we’ll better appreciate it.

Free, however, isn’t dead yet. Claire Atkinson, of Broadcasting & Cable, suggests that Carey’s plan may be to reduce the free content and add some pay-to-view options--content specially created for the Internet or television previews. Atkinson offers the chilling possibility of American Idol previews. (Hasn’t that show done enough damage to the American psyche?)

The humor in all this is the powers that be in the entertainment industry see the Internet as a gold mine. One they can’t, no matter how hard they dig, get in to. It just might be the Internet has created the possibilities of new revenue models which don’t neatly mesh with the ‘grab all the money you can by controlling all the content you can’ models that currently exist in the analog world. The music industry learned this the hard way. Perhaps it’s a lesson others can only appreciate by first paying a price.

Image Credit: Hulu

Toshiba's SpursEngine will Beautify Streaming Video

Pulkit Chandna — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:41:16 -0500

Toshiba had last year chosen its Qosmio range of notebooks to lift the curtain on its SpursEngine chip, which is a co-processor based on the Cell Broadband Engine found in the PS3. SpursEngine-powered Qosmios are capable of some impressive graphical feats like real-time graphics processing and video upscaling (SD to HD).

Toshiba’s new Qosmio laptops, which bear the might of its quad-core SpursEngine chip, will arrive in Japanese stores on Friday with the promise of enhancing internet video. Two previous iterations of the Qosmio used the immense power of the SpursEngine at their disposal to upscale DVD video, but left streaming video untouched.

The SpursEngine co-processor will now be used to beautify video from websites like Youtube, though its corrective effect will only become evident in full screen mode. There is another strange caveat: this feature will only work with Internet Explorer. The new Qosmios include the 18.4-inch G50 ($3,421) and the 15.4-inch FX ($2,119). A U.S release is certainly on the cards but no one has the slightest whiff of exactly when it will occur.

Image Credit: TechGadget

YouTube Now Muting Copyrighted Audio

Paul Lilly — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:45:58 -0600

If you're trying to watch a YouTube video and can't get the sound to work, it could be by design. The Google-owned video sharing site has just implemented a new policy which won't remove a user's videos containing copyrighted audio, but it will mute the audio stream, allowing the offending video to play on sans sound.

The new policy comes as a result of YouTube's ongoing dispute with Warner Music Group. Last month, Warner forced YouTube to cut off access to videos containing copyrighted music, following a breakdown in talks over licensing agreements. The video sharing site appears to have found a workaround until those talks come to a conclusion.

"Music licensing can get very complicated, but we try to make your experience as simple as possible," YouTube wrote in a blog post. "We want you to have options when uploading videos with music in them. And if your video is subject to a copyright claim, you should have some choices too."

YouTube recommends that anyone whose videos have been flagged and muted to check out Audioswap, which is a library of pre-cleared music.

LG Announces TVs with Set-Top-Less Netflix

Paul Lilly — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:15:00 -0600

Let's hope there's no insidious plot to take over the world brewing behind the scenes of Netflix, because if there is, we're all screwed. Netflix's streaming service is already being streamed to everything from Tivo boxes to the Xbox 360 console, and starting this spring, LG will integrate Netflix streaming capability into some of its plasma and LCD HDTVs.

The move has the potential to significantly boost Netflix's subscriber base, as consumers in the market for a new television would no longer need to add a separate set-top box, be it a Roku player or one of the compatible Blu-ray players, to take advantage of the more than 12,000 streaming movies and TV shows. It also puts the pressure on the competition to catch up if they have any hopes of contending in the living room.

No word yet on price or availability, though we imagine more information will be made available this week at CES.

Image Credit: Silicon Alley Insider

Viacom Squabble Sees Time Warner Promoting Web TV

Paul Lilly — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 11:45:55 -0600

Watching Viacom and Time Warner go at each other is like watching a divorced couple trying to push each others' buttons. But instead of alimony or child support, Viacom wants Time Warner to cough up more cash for its 20 channels, including MTV, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central. If Time Warner doesn't agree, Viacom could pull all of its channels, and to drive the point home, the media conglomerate has taken out full page ads in Times and other publications showing Dora the Explorer crying because children won't be able to watch her show. Well played.

But if you think that's hitting below belt, Time Warner plans to fire back with what amounts to a slap in the face.

"We will be telling our customers exactly where they can go to see these programs online," said Alexander Dudley, a spokesman for Time Warner Cable. "We'll also be telling them how they can hook up their PCs to a television set."

Yes, this is the same Time Warner who has been testing out metered bandwidth in certain markets earlier in the year, and has been charging an overage fee for $1/GB in those test markets after a two month grace period. Now the cable company will be encouraging its subscribers to use more bandwidth by setting up HTPCs and logging into sites like Hulu.

At least, that's the plan for the time being. Something tells us we haven't heard the last of this dispute. But if Viacom and Time Warner do actually break up, just remember, it's not your fault.

YouTube, CinemaNow to Grace LG's Upcoming Blu-Ray Players

Paul Lilly — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:47:56 -0600

Blu-ray might not be cheap, but LG is doing everything it can to make the high-definition technology more appealing to consumers still feeling burned over HD-DVD's seemingly untimely demise. LG's BD300 already integrates Netflix-streaming capability, and not only will that carry over to LG's upcoming Blu-ray players in the first half of 2009, but the company says it will also add CinemaNow and YouTube functionality to its new decks.

"As millions of U.S. consumers view and download movies or TV shows through the Internet, they are demanding easier ways to access content and more home entertainment options," said Tim Alessi, director of product development, LG Electronics USA. "From Blu-ray to instant streaming from Netflix to CinemaNow and YouTube, LG is bridging the gap between packaged media and video-on-demand services to provide entertainment solutions for consumers' demand for content."

Blu-ray sales haven't exactly been scorching since HD-DVD's kicked the bucket, with consumers seemingly content to make do with upconverting DVD players. But as broadband service continues to get faster, streaming media has started to emerge as a viable contender in the high definition movie market, leaving many to wonder if digital downloads can co-exist with Blu-ray. It appears so, if LG's upcoming lineup is any indication.

No pricing or availabilty information on the new players has yet been mentioned.

YouTube Finally Lets You Broadcast Yourself in Spacious Widescreen

Paul Lilly — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:30:36 -0600

If you've logged into YouTube today, you may have noticed that the embedded video player looks wider. That's because it is. In a blog post, YouTube announced it has widened the width of the page to 960 pixels in response to customer feedback, but that might only be part of the story.

According to reports, YouTube is looking to offer feature films by as early as next month and has already convinced one major Hollywood movie studio to jump on board. By upgrading its video player to support widescreen content, YouTube puts itself in a better position to pitch its service to even more content producers and better compete with other video sites like Hulu. Hulu, despite trailing YouTube by a wide margin in the number of viewers, is on track to catch up to YouTube in advertising revenue next year.

In the meantime, for those that prefer to watch crappy amateur videos in the 4:3 aspect ratio, YouTube ensures they will play just fine in the new player.

Good move for YouTube? Hit the jump and post your thoughts.