Hasta La Gadget!

The rumors are true, instead of simply offering old content from others, Netflix is jumping back into the content business by licensing David Fincher’s upcoming drama House of Cards for Watch Instantly streaming in the US and Canada before it airs anywhere else, or has even been produced. In a blog post and interview with AllThingsD, Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos justifies signing up for the series sight unseen by pointing out the popularity of the earlier BBC miniseries on which it is is based among Netflix members and the collective skills of both the director and lead actor Kevin Spacey. However, if you’re waiting around for fresh content to pop up on Watch Instantly don’t hold your breath, the 26 episode episode run produced by (interestingly, Netflix will neither produce nor own the show) Media Rights Capital isn’t due to arrive until late 2012.

Continue reading Netflix is getting into the content biz, confirms ‘House of Cards’ will launch in late 2012

Netflix is getting into the content biz, confirms ‘House of Cards’ will launch in late 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This prototype LG Revolution may be the only Android phone actually capable of streaming Netflix at the moment, but there’s nothing keeping you from giving it a go — some enterprising hacker extracted a full system dump from the Revolution this week, tossed it to AndroidSPIN, and @al3xevolved subsequently pulled out the juicy Netflix innards. The app’s APK is now freely available on the web, though we’ll warn you that it isn’t good for much — you can browse and add items to your queue, but should you try to play a video the app will inform you that it “could not reach the Netflix service.” The question is, will Netflix simply flip a switch to turn streaming on, or is it waiting for DRM authentication from a Qualcomm MSM8655 processor?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Netflix for Android leaks out, doesn’t seem to stream video right now originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 01:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It didn’t make it into the iOS 4.3 update notes, but second generation Apple TV owners are experiencing several new capabilities today including the ability to stream baseball and basketball games via NBA League Pass Broadband or MLB.tv and support for 5.1 audio on Netflix Watch Instantly. The Apple TV isn’t the first device to bring these in front of the TV (the PS3 says hello, while Roku is still enjoying a decent lead in sports) but if it’s the box hooked up to your flat screen already we see no reason to quibble — if you’re not seeing the 4.2 update yet, try hooking the lil’ hockey puck to your computer via USB and letting iTunes do the work. NFL Sunday Ticket access is still the big fish no one has managed to land yet when it comes to sports in a post-cable cutting world, but we’ll wait to find out if there will even be a 2011 season before expecting any word on that.

Apple TV software update adds NBA League Pass, MLB.tv and Netflix 5.1 audio support originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3DS users will be able to stream Netflix via Wi-Fi connection this Summer, according Nintendo. The company added that free Wi-Fi hotspots will be available via AT&T starting this May. Gamers will have to sign up for a service called SpotPass, in order to connect automatically to the free hotspots.

Nintendo president Saturo Iwata stated this during his keynote speech,

Nintendo 3DS will be the most connected Nintendo device ever, with its ability to link people via local wireless connections, while at the same time connecting them to people and content worldwide via hotspot connectivity

It appears that Nintendo has big plans lined up for the new device. It makes me wonder if the older models will be phased out slowly? Or get huge price cuts sometime soon? Thus far, Nintendo has not issued any statements on the older models yet.

Via Washington Post

Now that the world has had a few weeks to get used to the new Comcast/NBC collabo (but not that ugly purple logo), CEO Brian Roberts talked to the Wall Street Journal about plans for the future, including his claim that Netflix is actually a good thing for his company. Roberts referred to Netflix as the new version of reruns, and explained his view that it raises the value of NBCUniversal’s content while reiterating statements made earlier about lower-than-expected subscriber losses being tied more to the economy than anything else. Beyond the soft jabs, he discounted the possibility that Comcast might launch its own internet video service for non-cable subscribers, pushing the vision of adding internet video streaming options for existing customers and explaining how they’d “be able to use the devices that are cool and new, that they typically purchased themselves, to now control and interact with the device they also love, which is a brand new high def 3-D TV.” Of course, it doesn’t look like we’re closer to choosing our own UI for browsing content, but with nicely designed apps for tablets, phones and connected TVs maybe the platform for future innovation he references has something for us to look forward to after all — we’d consider new cable boxes that don’t suck to be a good start.

Comcast CEO talks about the merger, ‘cool new devices’ like the iPad and why he doesn’t fear Netflix originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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