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Amidst growing concern over the Internet’s scalability in the face of rising online media consumption, Apple is rumored to be seeking a partnership with Comcast. If things go according to … Continue reading

Blockbuster On Demand has been available on a heap of devices for a while now, but the app just launched on iOS today, allowing users to stream Blockbuster content on their devices using a per-movie payment scheme. The app launched on Android back in January, and it looks like the company is wanting to spice things up again with an iOS release.

Frankly, the app is a bit overdue. Over the years, Blockbuster has been on the decline, due to the failure to adapt to a changing world, where streaming movies was becoming more popular than physically renting them. The company released mobile apps, but they didn’t include any streaming component, until now.

The iOS version of the app is similar to the Android version, and unlike Netflix, where you pay a monthly fee for unlimited streaming, Blockbuster On Demand has you paying on a per-movie basis. The benefit, though, is that you get access to a lot of movies that you don’t have access to on Netflix, which is a service that has been lacking a good movie selection for some time now.

Plus, the Blockbuster On Demand app streams movies in high definition with support for surround sound, which would seem a bit overkill if you were to watch films on your smartphone, but you could easily hook up your ipad to a stereo system to boost the sound level a bit, given that any speaker will provide better quality than the built-in speaker on the iPad or iPhone.

Blockbuster On Demand for iOS looks to take on Netflix is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you stop by Vimeo at some point today, you may notice something new: the addition of full-length movies. Vimeo has always been an outlet for creative types to put their work on display, but lately we’ve been seeing the video streaming service focus on helping these content creators actually make money. First it was the addition of the the tip jar, and now Vimeo is flirting with the idea of letting creators charge users to view their movies.

With these six full-length films, Vimeo kicks off a preview of its new pay-to-view service. The idea is pretty straightforward: since many creators put a lot of work into their films, they should have the option to charge actual money to view it. It serves as a way of promoting independent filmmakers, and could potentially allow creators to make the project they want without going entirely broke.

The six movies that are available for purchase through Vimeo are Sons of the Clouds, We Are Legion, Shut Up and Play the Hits, Further, Sunny, and Beauty Is Embarrassing. Prices for each range from $4.99 up to $9.00. Content creators get to set their own prices for their movies, and each comes with a different viewing period – for instance, the viewing period for We Are Legion is only 2 days, whereas Further‘s viewing period lasts for 60 days. The movies are also playable on all supported devices, which includes smartphones, smart TVs, and game consoles.

Vimeo’s pay-to-view service will be rolled out in early 2013, but at this moment, that window is all we have as far as a launch date goes. We’re certainly excited to see if this takes off, because if it means more money for independents, we’re all for it. What do you think? Will you be taking advantage of Vimeo’s pay-to-view service?

Vimeo kicks off preview of new pay-to-view service is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

After debuting them on iPad and Android, DirecTV has finally brought “Everywhere” features to the iPhone. That includes video on demand access to a number of shows and movies no matter where you are, as well as the in-home only live TV streaming feature previously seen on the iPad (but not on Android, yet.) DirecTV has also added its own exclusive Audience Network to the list of streaming channels which should add additional content to watch. The one drawback? Like many other TV provider apps, we’re hearing this one isn’t meant to work on jailbroken devices and after users update it won’t even open, cutting off other features like DVR scheduling. If that’s not a problem, grab version 2.2 at the source link below and input your DirecTV account info to get started.

[Thanks, Brian]

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile

DirecTV Everywhere VOD and live TV streaming finally arrives on the iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Folks in North America may have to wait for the upcoming DVD or Blu-ray release to purchase the second season of Game of Thrones, but those in the UK have another option thanks to a new partnership between HBO UK and the Tesco-owned Blinkbox video-on-demand service. That deal sees both the second seasons of Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire making their debut on the online service well ahead of their traditional home video releases, where they’re also available alongside the first seasons of each show and a number of other newly available HBO titles. In the case of Game of Thrones, you’ll pay £17.99 (or about $30) for each season or £1.79 (or $3) for individual episodes, and you can choose to either download or stream the episodes and view them on a variety of devices (including game consoles, the iPad and some smart TVs).

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet

HBO and Blinkbox offer second season of Game of Thrones online before DVD / Blu-ray release in UK originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 03:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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