Hasta La Gadget!

At its “a stream come true” event today, Dish Network finally revealed its plans for a subscription video service called Blockbuster Movie Pass, due to launch October 1st. That includes access to discs (movies and games) by mail, streaming video to the TV and PC, and linear TV service from Dish, all in one package. Blockbuster Movie Pass is clearly being pitched a Netflix / Qwikster competitor, however it’s currently only available to Dish Network subscribers for $10 / month. That tie to pay-TV makes it a TV Everywhere play pulling Dish’s various properties under one umbrella, but doesn’t significantly shift the online video landscape. New subscribers to the America’s Best 200 package will get free access to a year, while those schlubs stuck on cable or without pay-TV service can simply look on with envy. The last slide shown does invite non-Dish subscribers to “stay tuned,” so if you’re really looking for a Netflix alternative… stay tuned. Check the gallery to see the slides for yourself, well update with more press materials once they’re available — now included with all the details after the break.

Update: The new page is accessible right now (Thanks Alex!) as seen in the screenshot above. It features all you can eat access to streaming movies and a few TV shows culled from Starz (as rumored), Epix, Sony Movie Channel, Hallmark and Blockbuster’s own VOD library. We’re sure the folks at Netflix are absolutely crying their eyes out over losing access to some of Cuba Gooding Jr.’s finest flicks like Ticking Clock and The Hit List (Toy Story 3 however, could be a real loss). Check below for the link, as well as another one to sign up for the service now.

Continue reading Dish Network, Blockbuster unveil Blockbuster Movie Pass all-inclusive entertainment service

Dish Network, Blockbuster unveil Blockbuster Movie Pass all-inclusive entertainment service originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s only been a couple of months since Spotify kicked off its invite-only beta here in the US, but along with announcing new Facebook tie-ins it’s finally ready to let the masses into the party. As if lifting the velvet rope weren’t enough, Spotify has also seen fit to throw in unlimited streaming for six months on the free plan, instead of the usual ten hours. Click the source link below to grab your own account now (Facebook account required) but be warned: millions before you walked in for the free taste and ended up with a $10 / month premium service musical addiction.

Spotify opens up to all in the US with free, unlimited music streaming for six months originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s almost the official end of summer and just as CEO Jason Kilar forecasted back in July, Hulu has signed up more than 1,000,000 paying Plus subscribers. He made the announcement at a Goldman Sachs investor conference while also mentioning plans to invest $375 million in content this year, even as the questions of who will buy Hulu (if its owners actually follow through with a sale) and Kilar’s own fate as its head continue to hang in the air. Hitting the projected numbers, rolling out service internationally and popping up at the f8 Facebook event are all signs Hulu is still making plans for its future, even if we don’t know yet where that future will be.

Hulu Plus cracks one million paying subscribers, but what’s next? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon’s FiOS on Demand app brings Flex View streaming to iPad, iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’ve just casually glanced over the mass reactions to Reed Hastings’ decision to split the DVD-by-mail business of Netflix into its own brand and company, you’ve probably been duped into thinking that it’s the second questionable move that the world’s most famed movie delivery service has made this year. But is it? Is a man who turned a red envelope into a symbol of near-immediate gratification really a moron? Did he really just bury the company he worked tirelessly to create? I highly, highly doubt it. Knee-jerk reactions are always fun to watch, but they’re rarely on-point. As with most things in life, the truth usually resides somewhere in betwixt the extremes. And in the case of Qwikster — the DVD-by-mail service that precisely no one asked for — the truth is hiding in exactly the place that Reed said it’d be: the future.

Continue reading Editorial: Reed Hastings’ Netflix spinoff isn’t about DVD success, it’s about hedging the stream

Editorial: Reed Hastings’ Netflix spinoff isn’t about DVD success, it’s about hedging the stream originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 02:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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