Hasta La Gadget!

Sky’s war against its VOD rivals could be won before a single shot is fired in anger, thanks to the company’s practice of signing exclusive contracts with major Hollywood players. Today, it’s extended its contract with NBC Universal, giving Sky exclusive distribution rights to the studio’s movies and access to Universal Network’s TV offerings such as E!, Movies24, SyFy and Universal UK. When new films like Snow White and the Huntsmen, Les Misérables and The Bourne Legacy leave cinemas, Sky Movies (and Now TV) customers will have an exclusive rental window before they’re available to everyone else, as well as full access to a back-catalog that contains childhood favorites like Jurassic Park and Back to the Future. As we’ve mentioned before, such deals are great news if you’re a Sky customer, and not if you’re not.

Continue reading Sky and NBC Universal extend content deal with exclusive movie rental window

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Sky and NBC Universal extend content deal with exclusive movie rental window originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While it seems like every network is rolling out its own personal second screen app for tablets and / or phones, over in the UK zeebox has been trying to corner the experience across channels and providers with its app. Available as an app for iOS and Android and also on the web, it brings a customized TV guide, live chat, social network sharing and remote control features to the TV experience, and now it’s come to the US. Other than the typical second screen experience, its main hook is an “OpenBox” API and tags that allow content providers to customize the experience for their viewers… and then sell them stuff like video on-demand or related merchandise.

On this side of the Atlantic zeebox has secured backing from Comcast / NBC Universal, giving it financial and promotional support as well as covering more than 30 networks right away. It also means it can eventually act as a remote control for Comcast users, which may be an advantage over competition like Miso, GetGlue and IntoNow, and can flex its muscles paired with hundreds of shows like The Voice, Notre Dame football and HBO content like True Blood. Out of the box, the app’s social ties and careful metering may be a programmer’s dream as it monitors who is watching what live, but we’ll have to see more of the second screen content come to life if it’s going to catch on socially. A customizable guide (yes, you can hide or reorder channels at will) is a nice touch and so is being able to see what your friends are viewing with Facebook Open Graph and Twitter hooks — but only if they’re actually using it. If you want to check it out, the free apps are linked below and the full press release follows after the break.

Continue reading Zeebox second screen TV companion app crosses over to the US, with a boost from Comcast and HBO

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, Software, HD

Zeebox second screen TV companion app crosses over to the US, with a boost from Comcast and HBO originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 10:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft and NBC have had what you might call a complicated relationship. They’ve been separated in the TV space ever since MSNBC became a solely NBC-owned entity in 2005, but the online fling has carried on to this day. If Daily Beast‘s tipsters are right, however, NBC may get a little less ambiguous with its relationship status and kick Microsoft to the curb. The now Comcast-owned NBCUniversal is supposedly irked at having to share equal control over the MSNBC website and wants to send Microsoft packing, buying out Redmond’s 50 percent stake. While the existing management would stay, MSNBC’s online staff would quit Microsoft’s campus and hop over to an NBCNews.com domain to reflect their newfound independence. An NBC representative wouldn’t confirm that an agreement had been signed, but did say talks had taken place — certainly much more of a response than most rumors get. With a signed deal rumored in a matter of “days,” there won’t be long to wait before we learn whether or not Microsoft gets dumped once and for all.

Filed under: Internet

Microsoft and NBC rumored calling it splitsville on the web, MSNBC.com to get friend-zoned originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 16:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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