No word yet on whether or not Xbox Music is breaking out of its Windows 8 prison
Windows Phone 8 users whose TV habits revolve around MythBusters, Cake Boss and cute pets are in luck: Discovery has just posted three apps for their platform of choice. The new Animal Planet, Discovery Channel and TLC releases share the same basic template, letting fans check show schedules and stream either brief clips or a smattering of full-length episodes. All of the apps support Windows Phone’s live tiles, voice commands and calendar reminders, although they’re otherwise simple; they lack the second screen features we’ve seen in iOS versions. If you’re just hoping to watch some Auction Kings on the bus, however, you can get your fix through the Windows Phone store today.
Filed under: Cellphones, HD, Mobile
Via: Windows Phone Blog
Source: Windows Phone Store (1), (2), (3)
Do you ever get the feeling that there just isn’t enough stuff to watch on Netflix? You’re going through the catalog every night and the same movies keep popping up. That’s why we should all sign up for the fake NSA Flix. Official Comedy imagined a streaming service that holds all the information the NSA digs up on us.
Not all of us turn to Netflix for our streaming fix; there are plenty of Amazon Prime members out there who lean on Instant Video instead. And if you’re one of them, you might want to fill up your Watchlist with these classics. They’ll be gone come Monday. And come to think of it, most of them aren’t on Netflix, either.
There is a moment between when you click on a video and when it starts playing. That moment is the worst part of your day. The agony of waiting! The torture of anticipation! YouTube understands that, and on a visit to YouTube HQ in San Bruno, CA, we got a look at what’s coming to make that awful moment pass before you know it happened.
Sony Music Unlimited is still a relative newbie on the iOS scene, but users will soon find a new revision that brings high-quality streaming and offline playback to the fold. According to Sony, version 1.3 of Music Unlimited for iOS is just around the bend, which will bring the ability to download entire albums or single tracks that can later be accessed within the app’s offline mode. Also new in the latest update, you’ll find high-quality streaming of 320 Kbps AAC files, which can be enabled in the app’s settings. Sadly, you can’t download high-quality files for offline playback, but at least iOS users can take solace in parity with the Android version.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Sony
Via: 9to5Mac
Source: Sony Entertainment Network
In the ongoing battle against piracy, Disney and Sony have made a bold step: they’re both testing an on-demand service (in, um, South Korea) which allows people to rent movies and stream them in their own homes while they’re still playing in theaters.
Twitch.tv is down, users will need to reset their passwords when it’s restored (update: it’s back)
Posted in: Today's ChiliVideogame focused live video streaming platform (and new Xbox 360 / Xbox One partner) Twitch.tv is down at the moment, but even once it’s restored users will have to reset their passwords and stream keys. That information comes directly from the site’s official blog, which blames the issue on a caching problem with its web CDN partner. Some users are worried the site may have been hacked since prior to its shutdown, many suddenly found themselves viewing accounts that belonged to other people and now all the login information has been cleared. The company continues to state that isn’t the case and belief to the contrary is related to an outdated outage message featuring a logo tied to its company hack week. It should be back up shortly, but apparently “10s of millions of accounts resets takes quite a bit of time.”
Update: It’s back!
Filed under: Gaming
Source: Twitch.tv Blog, Twitch.tv
It may not be the NBA Finals or Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the world’s oldest tennis tournament has a solid following as well, particularly abroad. A new Wimbledon partnership with YouTube could help boost the competition’s appeal stateside; for the first time, you’ll be able to access video feeds from the two-week London event, live on Google’s prized streaming site. Beginning this Monday, you can catch all the action on Wimbledon’s YouTube channel, with Rolex footing the bill. You’ll also find interviews, behind-the-scenes segments and press conference streams on the video site, along with past match highlights and other featured content. There’s a teaser clip waiting for you just past the break.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Google
Source: YouTube
What’s in a name? A whole lot, if you’re asking yours truly. “All Your Entertainment. Input One.” Such intriguing statements were declared in a document that leaked from Redmond last summer. The slogan “All in one, input one” was on the Microsoft banners decorating the LA Convention Center for E3 this year. But this probably left many wondering: what is “input one,” exactly? It didn’t go unnoticed by those who follow the TV industry. Input one is commonly used in the biz to refer to the TV input most Americans use to access the majority of their content. This is the input that’s displayed when the TV is turned on, and it’s the input that most connect their set-top box from their cable or satellite provider to. Naturally, it’s a highly coveted position in the content industry and one that is well fortified by the incumbents.
Microsoft has had its sights on input one for a long time, and this particular go-round isn’t all that unfamiliar. The Xbox One intends to share input one in what I’d call a man-in-the-middle attack. How well it works won’t be revealed until later this year, but clicking through will reveal how I think it’ll play out, why this attempt is a direct result of industry constraints and finally, how it matches up with the competition.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft