Amazon’s LOVEFiLM inks Channel 4 deal for TV show boost

Amazon’s LOVEFiLM streaming media service has further pared the TV show gap between it and arch-rival Netflix, inking a deal with the UK’s Channel 4 for a jolt of content. Forming a “4oD collection” that will be specially branded on LOVEFiLM’s site, the deal will initially include Peep Show, Father Ted, The Inbetweeners, and other shows, but is expected to grow to all but replace your Channel 4 box-sets.

lovefilm_logo

That includes the full Shameless collection of all seven series, as well as The IT Crowd, along with older titles from Channel 4′s back-catalog. In fact, Channel 4 has three decades of content to raid, though it’s unclear how much of it will end up on LOVEFiLM.

Although not as well known as Netflix, LOVEFiLM has quietly been growing in Europe and elsewhere. The service is offered in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, and was acquired by Amazon two years ago.

The new content helps balance the differences between the Netflix and LOVEFiLM, the latter of which was struggling in terms of TV offerings. Analysis from UK firm Oric suggested that while LOVEFiLM had the advantage in movie titles for UK viewers, TechCrunch reported last week, Netflix was beating it in TV show content.


Amazon’s LOVEFiLM inks Channel 4 deal for TV show boost is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Netflix is discriminating against its customers accuses Time Warner Cable

Time Warner Cable has accused Netflix of discriminatory behavior, unfairly limiting content to subscribers since it demands ISPs join its Open Connect delivery system before they get select 3D and Super HD movies. “While they call it ‘Open Connect’, Netflix is actually closing off access to some of its content while seeking unprecedented preferential treatment from ISPs” Time Warner Cable told Multichannel News, referring to the new high-bandwidth media types Netflix announced it would offer last week.

netflix_remote

“We believe it is wrong for Netflix to withhold any content formats from our subscribers and the subscribers of many other ISPs” the ISP continued. “Time Warner Cable’s network is more than capable of delivering this content to Netflix subscribers today.”

The contention is around Netflix’s insistance that, if ISPs want to serve up its more bandwidth-demanding content like higher-resolution Super HD or 3D, they need to also opt into the (free) Open Connect scheme. That puts a direct pipe between Netflix and ISP, by co-locating a caching server – storing copies of the most frequently-viewed media – on site with the ISP’s own hardware.

Such a scheme saves Netflix on bandwidth costs. Super HD content, for instance, requires a 5Mbps connection; a current list of Open Connect-participating ISPs is here.

“Open Connect provides Netflix data at no cost to the location the ISP desires and doesn’t seek preferential treatment” CCO Jonathan Friedland told We hope TimeWarner will join the many major ISPs around the world who are participating in Open Connect to reduce costs, minimize congestion and improve data delivery to enhance the consumer experience.”

It’s uncertain whether the ISP will settle for complaining about Netflix’s policies, or if there’s a lawsuit in the offing.

[via GigaOm]


Netflix is discriminating against its customers accuses Time Warner Cable is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Amazon lands new streaming deal with NBCUniversal International for LOVEFiLM

Amazon has been peddling its streaming video service internationally for a while now called LOVEFiLM. The new streaming deal is a partnership with NBCUniversal International TV Distribution. The new agreement will give international audiences on demand access to hundreds of episodes of iconic American television shows.

lovefilm-1

The deal will include both recent series and what Amazon calls all-time greats and guilty pleasures. The streaming deal covers shows like the US version of The Office and 30 Rock. The new streaming agreement also brings access to the popular series Heroes and 80s classic TV shows.

Fans of 80s TV and The Hoff will be excited to hear that one of the TV shows covered in the new streaming agreement is Knight Rider. Subscribers to the service will be able to get their fill of big hair and talking cars. Amazon says that this new streaming deal follows other high-profile TV deals including agreements with ABC, BBC, and ITV.

With the huge TV catalog of NBCUniversal, the shows specifically called out in the announcement are only a small number of the popular shows the studio has available. It’s unclear if the streaming deal will cover any other available series from NBCUniversal.

[via Amazon]


Amazon lands new streaming deal with NBCUniversal International for LOVEFiLM is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Amazon AutoRip: Free MP3 of your CD purchases since 1998

Amazon has renewed its assault on Apple’s iTunes business, launching AutoRip, a virtual CD ripping service that not only gives a free MP3 copy of (eligible) albums bought online, but does the same for the past fifteen years of purchases. Rumored earlier, AutoRip automatically adds an MP3 version of a purchased CD to the customer’s Amazon Cloud Player, with a catalog of more than 50,000 tracks and 256kbps quality.

amazon_autorip

Anyone who has been using Amazon for their CD needs – since 1998 – will also get a nice surprise, as if they’re also in the 50,000 track catalog they’ll be automatically added too. The AutoRip content doesn’t count toward your Cloud Player storage allowance, and it can be streamed to Android and iOS devices, the browser, and various streaming media hardware.

Among the titles included in the new service are Adele’s 21, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, and Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

If you weren’t convinced that Amazon is directly challenging Apple with AutoRip, the company specifically calls out its Cupertino rival in the press release. “In many cases,” it claims, “customers can buy an AutoRip CD, including the free digital copy, for less than they would pay for only the digital album at iTunes.”

You can find your new MP3 copies by signing into your Cloud Player account. AutoRip appears to be US-only at present.


Amazon AutoRip: Free MP3 of your CD purchases since 1998 is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Redbox Instant tipped to exit beta in March

If you are excited at the thought of another streaming video service available to battle against Netflix and Hulu, you may already be familiar with the beta for Redbox Instant. Redbox is the kiosk DVD rental service that you can find just about every Walmart location in the country and a lot of other places as well. Redbox Instant began rolling out in late December of 2012 as a beta offering.

rb-instant1

Reports are now surfacing that Redbox Instant will be fully available to the public before the end of Q1. The tip came from the CEO of this fledgling streaming company at CES 2013. The official public launch has been pegged to happen in March.

While Redbox Instant won’t have a streaming catalog that competes in size with Netflix, it will have something that the other streaming video services don’t offer. Redbox runs over 42,000 kiosks across the United States where people will be able to drop in and rent physical movies as part of their monthly streaming membership. That means Redbox Instant users will have access to brand-new films.

Redbox Instant CEO Shawn Strickland said that the service has 7500 “streaming and transactional movie titles” in its library today. The service has a library of 4500 films available at any time using the subscription and Strickland promises the services adding more titles every day. Strickland also noted that the streaming service will focus on movies only for now but the doors open for adding TV content later.

[via VentureBeat]


Redbox Instant tipped to exit beta in March is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Netflix launches Super HD and 3D; Reveals Ultra HD trial with Samsung

Netflix has launched Super HD, offering a new top-tier of streaming video quality for those on select ISPs, but there’s Ultra HD content in the pipeline thanks to a special partnership with Samsung. Funneled out through Netflix’s Open Connect delivery network direct to ISPs, the Super HD video is even higher quality 1080p than the streaming company offers as standard, with certain 3D titles available in the US. Meanwhile, at CES, Netflix is demonstrating the fruits of its 4K resolution experiments with Samsung.

netflix_ultra_hd_samsung_0

Hiding in Samsung’s booth at the show – or at least, as close to hiding as an 85-inch TV can manage – was an Ultra HD set running a 4K stream from Netflix’s servers. There were few details to hand, and no sign of a public launch date, but the picture quality looked great.

Still, it’s Super HD that will be reaching more people – though not everyone – first. Netflix subscribers will need to get their internet connection via one of the ISPs currently working with the media company, a list that includes Cablevision, Virgin Media, British Telecom, Telmex, Telus, TDC, GVT and others.

Everyone else will have to wait, unfortunately, and only those subscribers in the US will get Super 3D content, at least initially. You can find out if you’re on an Open Connect compliant ISP here.


Netflix launches Super HD and 3D; Reveals Ultra HD trial with Samsung is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Netflix and Warner Bros. sign deal bringing new shows exclusively to Netflix

Netflix is constantly working to increase the size of its streaming media catalog. Currently, Netflix is one of the largest video streaming sites in the world. Netflix and Warner Bros. Television group have announced a new deal that will bring several new serialized dramas from Warner Bros. to the Netflix streaming network exclusively.

netflix1-tb

Netflix has announced that it will be the exclusive online home for complete prior seasons of shows from the 2012 to 2013 season produced by Warner Bros. television. The shows include Revolution from NBC, The Following from Fox, Longmire from A&E, Political Animals from USA, and 666 Park Avenue from ABC. Netflix will also get some older and popular television series from Warner Bros.

Those older television series that will come to Netflix include Chuck, Fringe, and The West Wing. I’m glad to see Fringe land on Netflix. I missed a couple seasons of the show and it will be nice to be able to catch up.

The agreement between Netflix and Warner Bros. covers eight current shows and extends to cover potential future shows as well. The agreement will allow the shows to be made available via traditional syndication windows, electronics sell-through services, and as a catch-up service for recently aired episodes. It’s unclear if this means that current season episodes of new Warner Bros. television programs will be available on Netflix.


Netflix and Warner Bros. sign deal bringing new shows exclusively to Netflix is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Actiontec ScreenBeam Wi-Fi certified Miracast HD kit debuts

If you’re looking for a way to get the content from your notebook or desktop computer to your big screen in the living room without having to use wires, Actiontec has a new product offering that will do the trick. The device is called the ScreenBeam Wi-Fi Certified Miracast HD kit for wireless display. The kit is designed to mirror content on your computer, tablet, or smartphone displays to a big-screen TV in the living room.

screenbeam

The technology is available as a standalone wireless display adapter and as a kit. The standalone wireless display adapter is called ScreenBeam and is compatible with a broad range of Miracast-certified sources such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and other devices running WiDi 3.5 or higher. The kit includes wireless display software and a USB transmitter for Windows 7 and 8 PCs that lack native WiDi support.

ScreenBeam is the only wireless display solution that supports all Miracast-enabled devices. The product is also Wi-Fi certified and Miracast certified. The system supports up to 1080p HD resolution video and audio. The wireless solution has a 50-foot range with no line of sight required.

ScreenBeam has its own dedicated wireless connection and does not require a home network connection to work. Using the system you can shoot streaming video from your notebook from sources such as Netflix to the big-screen TV in the living room, even if you’re desktop computer isn’t in the same room. The system also supports photos as well. Pricing on the ScreenBeam system is unknown at this time.


Actiontec ScreenBeam Wi-Fi certified Miracast HD kit debuts is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Netgear NeoTV PRIME with Google TV and NeoTV SlingPlayer deal revealed

Netgear has pushed out a new Google TV box at CES 2013 this week, the NeoTV PRIME (GTV100), as well as new home streaming to its NeoTV range thanks to a deal with Slingbox. The PRIME supports all the usual Google TV apps, as well as playback of local media via its USB port.

neotv_prime

Connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n and a 10/100 ethernet port, as well as an HDMI port. The twin-sided remote hooks up vie Bluetooth. Maximum video output resolution is 1080p.

neotv_prime_qwerty

There’s also streaming from Android phones using the aVia media app, which Netgear will be preloading on the NeoTV PRIME, and the PrimeTime app for holistic search of content across live TV, app, or web. The Prime’s remote, meanwhile, has an integrated keyboard for swifter search, plus a trackpad and directional pad.

As for the SlingPlayer integration, Netgear’s deal with the company means users will be able to stream content to a NeoTV box, such as from the recently announced range priced from $49.99. It’s also loaded on the new PRIME version.

The Netgear NeoTV PRIME is on sale from today, priced at $129.99.


Netgear NeoTV PRIME with Google TV and NeoTV SlingPlayer deal revealed is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

ASUS Qube Google TV box official: It’s hip to be square

ASUS promised a Google TV device for CES, and the company has delivered with the Qube, a squared-off media box with a matching cuboid user-interface for easily navigating live, on-demand, web, and other content. The compact box uses an motion-control remote, though those with an Android phone can also find ASUS’ Mobile Remote app in the Play store to turn their phone or tablet into a touchscreen controller.

ASUS_qube_google_tv

What you’ll be navigating through is the Qube interface, which slaps each of the features onto a different pane of a rotating cube on-screen. That will include Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and Google Play media purchases, as well as web browsing and all the other features we already know from Google TV.

ASUS is keeping hardware details close to its chest, though the Qube’s slinking through the FCC suggested a Marvell ARMADA processor is inside. USB and HDMI also seem more than likely, given the Qube needs to hook up to your TV directly, along with WiFi and quite possibly Bluetooth for the remote.

Cube set-top boxes aren’t exactly common, but ASUS isn’t the first to pick the shape. Boxee’s ill-fated Boxee Box by D-Link had a similar shape, albeit at more of an angle than the Qube.

We’ll hopefully find out more about pricing and availability of the Qube at the show this week. Keep an eye on our CES hub for more.


ASUS Qube Google TV box official: It’s hip to be square is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.