Remember when YouTube was little more than an online video portal filled with crappy videos shot in blurry SD? You could argue that much of the content still sucks, but at least the picture quality is much improved with so many HD uploads. Google has begun taking a proactive role in improving the actual content too, and as 2012 rolls around, you'll be able to watch scheduled broadcasts with professional actors, just like cable and satellite TV.
Netflix is in desperate need of positive PR, and that's exactly what the streaming service is getting after signing a multi-year deal with DreamWorks to receive exclusive access to first-run films and select TV shows. And according to a report in 
Angry Netflix customer, meet Dish Network's Blockbuster Movie Pass. Blockbuster Movie Pass, meet angry Netflix customer. Now that you've both been introduced, let's sit and talk for a moment and see if this is a relationship worth pursuing, shall we? Whoa there angry Netflix customer, put your credit card away, let's get to know each other first.
Picking the films for a movie night is much like making an awesome playlist (or for our readers of a certain age, a mix-tape). Unless you plan on whiling away the hours watching all of the films in a single franchise, care, thought and a sense of balance must be brought into the movie selection process. One feature-length misstep and what could have been a runaway train of time well wasted can be turned into a bogged down truck full of Howard the Duck. No one needs that sort of pain. If you’re serious about your movie watching, but have a hard time picking a flick, we recommend giving YourNextFilm a try. It’s free, easy to use and also happens to be our Cool Site of the Week.
Netflix today told shareholders that it's slashing its domestic subscriber guidance by 1 million customers as the company's restructured subscription plans and new pricing go into effect. Projections for the third quarter now sit at 24 million, representing a 4 percent slide and enough to spook investors into selling off shares.
By now, US torrent users are used to the nagging worry that a copyright holder could seek damages against them. Now these mass lawsuits appear to be making the journey to Canada, where Voltage pictures is seeking the identities of users they claim have pirated the film Hurt Locker. Major ISPs have been subpoenaed, but the number of defendants is not yet available. 
The Internet community is once again pissed off at Netflix (what else is new, right?), this time over reports that the DVD-by-mail and streaming movie service is actively enforcing a policy that limits the number of simultaneous streams per account, which in some cases is as low as one. That means you have to kick the kids off of SpongeBob if you want to catch a Starz flick while Netflix is still allowed to stream them.
Just once, we'd like to see George Lucas leave well enough alone. But like a painter obsessed with adding more strokes to what's already a masterpiece, Lucas runs the risk of ruining the Star Wars universe with each new media format. A tweak here, an added scene there, and before long, the Star Wars series will look and sound completely different the than the ones we grew up with. Unfortunately, the madness continues with the upcoming Blu-ray release.
That rumbling you hear off in the distance is not thunder. Rather, it's the sound of millions of Netflix users quietly cursing as the new higher rates kick in. It was mid-July when the disc and streaming supplier announced the updated plans, and this is the day it all goes down. Will there be fallout?
The fact that Hulu is still shopping for a buyer hasn't stopped the streaming service from expanding its would-be empire, which now has an international presence. Hulu officially launched in Japan this week, marking the first time it's set virtual foot outside the United States. It's the first step toward becoming a global brand, and could make the service more valuable (and attractive) to potential suitors.
-
Technology
Entertainment
-
Music
-
Creative
Sport & Auto
- About Future
- Jobs
- News
- Advertising
- Digital Future
- Privacy Policy
- Cookies Policy
- Terms & Conditions
- Shop
- Investor Relations
- Contact Future
© Future US, Inc. 4000 Shoreline Court, Suite 400, South San Francisco, California, 94080. All Rights Reserved.