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Hulu Terminates the Sale Process[teaser]And that is that. After much excitement, Hulu has decided not to sell after all. [/teaser] Just a few months ago, things started getting very interesting for Hulu. Yahoo! came to them with an offer to buy the company, completely out of the blue. Hulu declined, but it got the wheels turning and their mouths watering. Just a week or so after declining the offer from Yahoo!, Hulu announced that it would be accepting further offers for the service. Plenty of companies obliged and spoke with the folks at Hulu about possibilities for the future and it seemed like someone would finally pick up the company. Any excitement you still had built up can be laid to rest now. Hulu owners News Corp, Providence Equity Partners and Walt Disney have announced that the company won't be sold. "Since Hulu holds a unique and compelling strategic value to each of its owners, we have terminated the sale process and look forward to working together to continue mapping out its path to even greater success," said the companies in a joint statement. " Our focus now rests solely on ensuring that our efforts as owners contribute in a meaningful way to the exciting future that lies ahead for Hulu." Source: Hulu BlogPosted Wed Oct 19, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
'Star Wars' and 'Thor' Mark a Dramatic Surge in Blu-ray Sales[teaser]Physical media was also up for the first time in a while thanks to the pair of releases. [/teaser] It's not that Blu-ray is struggling, the format is actually selling quite nicely. It's just that Blu-ray isn't doing what investors and backers would like to see, they want it to absolutely dominate the market. (What's new, right?) In September, that's just what it did. The researchers over at iSuppli show that in the week that 'Star Wars' and 'Thor' were released on Blu-ray, sales of the format were up 131 percent over the year before. Keep in mind, 'Star Wars' was released on a Friday, so it only got to contribute a bit. The next week, Blu-ray sales were up 156 percent compared to last year. There's no question about the reason for the increase, but there is something significant to be looked at in terms of the rerelease of those blockbuster titles. If sales of Blu-ray players increased likewise with the Blu-ray disc sales, big catalog releases could mean very good things for the industry. It should also be noted that physical media as a whole - DVDs and Blu-ray Discs - was up one percent in the third week of September. It may not sound like much, but that's the first time the number has been positive in quite a while. Source: iSuppliPosted Tue Oct 18, 2011 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
Seagate Expands GoFlex Line with 3TB Media Players[teaser]They're hard drives sure, but they're also capable of playing video files back in 1080p resolution. [/teaser] Seagate is probably best known for their hard drives - storage spaces that just sit there waiting for you to do something with them. They're great places to keep your files but they don't do much else. The new GoFlex Cinema drive changes that up. You can connect it to your TV or projector and play back the files that you've got stored on there. It outputs through HDMI and it gives you a 1080p resolution. If you prefer different outputs for sound you can go with stereo audio or S/PDIF digital optical. The drive can play pretty much any file you've got. MKV isn't a problem, Divx, Xvid, FLAC are in there as are Dolby Digital and DTS. It's available in Europe now at around $135 for the single terabyte model, $175 for the 2 TB version and $250 if you want 3TB. No word yet on a US release. Source:Posted Fri Oct 14, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Premium On Demand Version of 'Tower Heist' Cancelled Due to Theater Pressure[teaser]Universal has pulled the plugs on Premium VOD for now. [/teaser] Paying $60 to rent a movie for a night may seem excessive, but when the movie is still in theaters it starts to sound like a better deal. Factor in the $5 bucket of less than satisfying popcorn and a $5 drink to go with it - $10 if you're at a theater that serves booze - and you're looking at a $20 charge per person. If you've got a killer home theater and some friends to invite over then premium video on demand may sound like a pretty sweet setup. Unfortunately, it's not happening - not yet anyway. Universal has canned the premium VOD version of 'Tower Heist,' instead opting for a normal release window. Judging by previews, the Eddie Murphy fronted comedy doesn't seem like the kind of thing that will make theater owners big money, but plans to release it for on demand rental 21 days after it hit the silver screen irked theater owners who threatened to boycott. Those threats worked, but it's hard to tell just how long theater boycotts will work. Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Fri Oct 14, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
CinemaNow Makes the Leap to 1080p on PC - For Intel Owners Only[teaser]Fans of high definition video may be swayed to the service, but there are some strict limits on who gets to use it. [/teaser] The good news first. The folks at CinemaNow are providing 1080p video rentals to your PC. Pretty slick, especially since most rental services either limit to 720p or just plain don't support HD video on the PC - we're looking at you Vudu! The bad news is that, inexplicably, you'll need to have a second-generation Intel Core processor in order to use it. That means anyone using Intel's 2011 Core i3, i5 or i7 processors will be able to watch the videos and everyone else is out of luck. It's a deal made between the companies clearly, since it's difficult to think of a technical limitation that would disqualify an AMD or older Intel Core processor. Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Thu Oct 13, 2011 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
40 Inch Bravias May Catch Fire - Sony Issues Recall[teaser]The KDL-40V3000, KDL-40VL130, KDL-40W3000, KDL-40WL135, KDL-40XBR4, and KDL-40XBR5 are the models affected. [/teaser] The backlighting system in some 40 inch Sony Bravia televisions is causing problems. This defect is causing some TVs to overheat, or even catch on fire. The company says that there are somewhere around 400,000 TVs affected by this issue. A recall has been issued in Japan, but in the US the onus is on you to check your set and contact Sony. If your set model does match one of the model numbers listed, Sony will send out a service crew to inspect the TV and repair it if necessary. "While we have no reports of any resulting damages to other property or bodily injuries," says the company in a statement issued Wednesday, "Sony offers all customers of the affected models a free in-home evaluation for the covered product." To get your set checked out, visit UpdateMyTV or call (888) 868-7389. Source: TWICEPosted Thu Oct 13, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
The Final Part of the Google TV Software Development Kit is Out Now[teaser]It's good news for developers and great news for Google TV owners - the final SDK release means an update should be hitting soon. [/teaser] It may not seem like anything that important, but Google has released the final part of their latest software development kit. This give Google TV developers all the tools that they need to create apps for the badly needed update. The differences are few and seem pretty minor. The Action Bar is now horizontal, but can be made vertical depending on how developers want to use it. Google has also added quick keys on the screen for easy access. These limited updates and the release of the final SDK for Google TV means that the update should be right around the corner. It's going to be a welcome relief for Google TV owners when that finally hits, and will almost certainly spur on sales of the now reasonably priced Logitech Revue. Source: EngadgetPosted Thu Oct 13, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
'Tower Heist' is Going to Premium On Demand - Theaters Threaten a Boycott[teaser] You'll be able to order it during the theatrical window for $60, which isn't making theater owners too happy. [/teaser] The cost of going to the movies is increasing while at the same time home theaters are getting better. It isn't all that uncommon to have a 60 inch set and a home theater system isn't unheard of either. If you've got a killer setup, why not use it? The new comedy 'Tower Heist,' starring Matthew Broderick, Eddie Murphy, and Ben Stiller is coming to Comcast's video on demand service three weeks after its theatrical release. It'll cost you $60 to rent, but if you bring over a few friends and get some regularly priced food to go with it the price starts to make a lot of economic sense. Theaters, as you might imagine, are pissed. Cinemark theaters say that they'll be boycotting the movie based on this decision, as have the Galaxy, Regency and Emagine theater chains. Time will tell who this boycott hurts worse - movie studios or movie theaters. Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Wed Oct 12, 2011 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
Comcast Introduces "MyTV Choice" No-Contract Channel Packages Based on Interests Instead of Tiers[teaser]We're not to the point of picking individual channels yet, but this move from Comcast is a strong step in that direction. [/teaser] If you're a cable or satellite subscriber this is some very good news. It's even better news if you're a Comcast customer. The cable provider is now offering a new way to put together packages. Instead of a tiered system that forces you to pick a huge amount of channels that you're not interested in, Comcast is offering channel selections based on your interests. Don't want kids channels? You don't have to pay for them. Want a good chunk of movie channels in with your normal mix? Add them in. There are two base packages you can pick from. "Get Started" runs $25 while "Get Started Plus" will cost you $45. According to Comcast, the main difference between the two is sports channels. The cheaper version is absent of ESPN channels while the other has six. If you're just looking for the very basic channels that's one hell of a deal. Once you've selected a base package, you can pick from "Movies," "Kids," "News & Info" and "Entertainment & Lifestyle." Each additional bundle will cost you $10. You can check out the full details over at Comcast. Source: EngadgetPosted Wed Oct 12, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Western Digital's New Streamer Adds Wi-Fi and Spotify[teaser]The latest WD TV Live also includes a brand new interface for simpler use. [/teaser] Western Digital doesn't bother too much with individual names for each version of its media streamers. The newest is the WD TV Live, just like the one before and the one before that. The name doesn't change, but the device definitely does. The latest addition - and it's amazing it wasn't put in earlier - is built-in Wi-Fi. No more messing about with cords, no more trying to figure out how to get the internet to your TV and no more dealing with complaints of cables running across the ground. The new WD TV Live player will be shipped with an updated interface as well as Spotify and Dailymotion capabilities. Jim Welsh, VP of Western Digital, says that the company has a commitment to offering up the best to their customers. "By marrying advanced features of the new wireless WD TV Live with quality content from service providers, including a first of its kind service with Spotify, we are excited to deliver on that commitment." You can pick up the newest WD TV Live on Amazon for an MSRP of $129. Source: TWICEPosted Wed Oct 12, 2011 at 07:30 AM PDT by:
