Hasta La Gadget!

Redbox Instant, the video-streaming service from Verizon, is launching to the public today. This launch follows a three-month closed beta test, and it comes about a month after the company’s announcement that the service would come to the Xbox 360 as a console launch exclusive. To jog your memory, Redbox Instant offers users unlimited access to some 4,000 movies in addition to four DVD rentals at $8 a month. Content partners include heavyweights like Warner Bros and Epix , the latter of which offers content from Viacom, MGM and Lions Gate Entertainment.

Speaking to GigaOM, Redbox Instant CEO Shawn Strickland said his product’s focus remains movies — both physical and digital — which differs from Netflix’s TV-heavy library and emphasis on web content. Strickland also said that, while talk of any exclusive content is “really premature,” it could be an option down the road. In addition to offering Xbox 360 support, the service is open to iOS and Android users, along with those who own a Vizio, LG, Samsung or Google TV product.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Verizon

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Via: GigaOM

Netflix pushed out a pretty significant update, which brings the streaming app up to an even version 3.0. The update includes an improved player user interface, where you can just tap to display the video titles if you’re using the app on the iPad. Netflix also brought the zoom control back, which allows you to watch shows in full screen.

The app also has a slightly rearranged player as well, including better placement of the play/pause button, as well as the 10-second rewind button, both of which are on the left side at the bottom. We also want to say that the volume slider and playback slider are a little bigger, but that could just be our imagination playing mean tricks on us.

The zoom control being brought back is certainly an interesting change that Netflix decided to change its mind on. They got rid of the feature in past updates, but brought it back this time around. While personally I never use the zoom button, some viewers enjoy switching between fullscreen mode and widescreen mode.

Netflix is a free download and the update is available now in the iTunes App Store. Of course, though, you’ll need a Netflix subscription to enjoy the app, which is $7.99 per month. Back in December, the PlayStation 3 was considered the number one device that Netflix users used, but it’s nice to see the streaming service give attention to other platforms as well with updates.

Netflix for iOS updates with improved UI and zoom controls is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Stephen King is one of the world’s best-selling authors and he writes all sorts of stories typically in the horror realm. This summer, CBS will air a 13-episode miniseries based on King’s book called Under the Dome. People who prefer to watch streaming content and have a membership to Amazon Prime will be able to watch the miniseries as well.

The cool part is that Amazon will add the series to its Prime streaming service for members while the show is still airing on CBS. That means you won’t have to wait months to be able watch the series and if you miss a couple episodes, you’ll be able to catch up. This is a very interesting move for CBS since the company traditionally prefers to keep its content off-line.

AllThingsD believes that the change by CBS is because this is a short run miniseries that doesn’t have much value in syndication. I’d also bet that Amazon paid a premium for the series to get it while it’s still running on TV. The episode will be on Amazon Prime three days after they air on CBS.

If you haven’t heard of this miniseries, you can check out the video trailer below. The story centers on a small town that is suddenly and unexplainably enclosed in a dome lets no one out and no one in. The show will debut on June 24.

[via AllThingsD]

Amazon to get Stephen King miniseries while it’s still showing on CBS is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The folks over at Gigaom have scored a variety of exclusive details about the upcoming Redbox Instant by Verizon video streaming service. The Netflix competitor has been slated for launch by the end of the year, but no official details have been released. The service’s help section, however, was available publically online, and revealed quite a few details.

Sadly, if you head over to the Redbox Instant Help Center now, you’ll be presented with a login screen that requires a password for access. However, before the company locked down the pages, several pieces of information were gleaned. Subscriptions to Redbox Instant by Verizon will be cheap, starting at $6 a month. This subscription will provide subscribers with complete access to Redbox’s video library.

The next subscription level is priced at $8 per month, and includes four credits per month for movie rentals at Redbox rental boxes. To ensure the machine has the right movie, users can reserve the DVD online or with the service’s app. Unused rental credits expire at the end of the month, so don’t get your hopes up on letting them build over time.

For those who want to watch videos offline, such as during a plane ride or while on vacation, Redbox Instant also offers video-on-demand rentals starting at $0.99. The rented videos can be downloaded onto a device, such as a tablet, and watched offline. Meanwhile, all online streaming is performed using Silverlight. To start with, Redbox Instant will only be available online, and on iOS/Android gadgets, certain Blu-ray players and Samsung televisions, as well as the Xbox 360 console. Up to five devices can be used with an Instant account. If the help files are any indication, the service may be launching on or around December 17.

[via Gigaom]

Redbox Instant by Verizon details surface, hint at mid-December launch is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Netflix has been embroiled in a lawsuit with deaf-rights groups since 2010. The deaf-rights groups sued Netflix because some videos offered on the streaming service lacked close captioning making them unwatchable to the deaf or hard of hearing. Netflix has now announced that it has settled that lawsuit with the rights group and has agreed to caption all videos on the service.

All of the videos on the Netflix streaming service will be close captioned by 2014. Netflix plans to have 90% of its videos captioned in 2013. Netflix claims that it already has captions available for 82% of the videos on service according to court documents.

In the settlement, Netflix agreed to put captions on all newly added content within 30 days by the year 2014. By the year, 2015 Netflix promises to caption the content within 14 days of adding it. By 2016, Netflix says all new content will be captioned within seven days of adding it to its library.

The agreement ends a class-action lawsuit brought against Netflix in 2010, and Netflix will pay $755,000 in legal fees. The original class-action suit claimed that Netflix’s website was considered “a place of public accommodation” and was out of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Netflix originally tried to get the case thrown out, but the case moved forward last June.

[via ArsTechnica]

Netflix settles suit and will caption all videos by 2014 is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.