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Netflix Debates Multi-User Streaming[teaser]Multiple people in one household often stream from the same account, so why not embrace that? [/teaser] The folks at Netflix are starting to address an issue that's been cropping up more and more recently - multi-user streaming. Currently, when one person is watching streaming content on their account they're unable to start another stream on a second device. It's an issue for families that share accounts and want to be able to watch whenever they want without having to schedule around each other. The folks at Netflix know it's a problem and are considering two options to help solve the issue. The first is to lower the cost of accounts so that families can have multiple accounts without breaking the bank. The other is to enable a sort of multi-user account that allows for separate queues. "In either case," says the company in a recent release to investors, "our long-term goal is to evolve the Netflix service so that it feels more natural to have a personal account." Source:Posted Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Sony's PlayStation 3 Hits 50 Million in Worldwide Sales[teaser]The Move controller has done well too, coming in at a surprising 8 million. [/teaser] When the PS3 first launched, sales were slow, systems sat on shelves and people balked at the high price. Now, a few price drops later and after the release of a new slimmer model, the PS3 is neck-and-neck with the Xbox 360 to be the most popular HD console on the market. Part of the reason for the popularity of the system, and the primary reason for many buyers, is that the PS3 can act as not just a Blu-ray player, but a 3D Blu-ray player. It's updated regularly, it has Wi-Fi capabilities and access to streaming video sources. Oh, and it plays PS3 games too. 50 million PS3s sold means that there are 50 million Blu-ray players in houses that might otherwise not have upgraded. Possibly more significant in the coming years, it also means 50 million 3D capable Blu-ray players. Source: PR NewswirePosted Wed Apr 20, 2011 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
HBO Go is Coming to Android and iOS Devices[teaser]HBO subscribers will have access to every episode of their favorite HBO shows. [/teaser] A short commercial recently released on HBO's YouTube channel reveals a new step forward for the popular content provider. They'll be moving forward with iOS and Android apps that allow users to enjoy content on-the-go. According to the video, you'll have access to "every episode of every season of your favorite HBO shows," which sounds promising, but may mean that not all shows will be available in full. The video ends with the date "05.02.11," which is presumably a release date for the apps. Of course, we'll only have to wait a week or so to find out. Source: EngadgetPosted Wed Apr 20, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Discs Still Dominate for Movie Watching Says NPD[teaser]The NPD says that DVDs and Blu-ray discs are still the most popular way to enjoy a movie. [/teaser] Despite all the talk of the digital and VOD revolution, the NPD says it's not here yet - especially when it comes to movies. In a recent survey, the NPD Group found that, just like last year, 77 percent of consumers had watched a movie on either a DVD or Blu-ray disc. By comparison, 68 percent of people had watched a movie on TV and 49 percent went out to the theater. According to the poll, video on demand services through cable and satellite providers were only used by 21 percent. "The value and importance of physical formats to the home video industry and to consumers is often overlooked," says NPD's Russ Crupnick. "Even though DVD sales and rentals are slowing, there is no evidence that consumers are abandoning physical discs." Source: TwicePosted Tue Apr 19, 2011 at 01:00 PM PDT by: -
Sony Ships 37 New Models of 2011 Bravias[teaser]Among them are 23 Full HD 3D sets. [/teaser] The wait is over for Sony's new line of Bravia sets. A total of 37 new models are shipping to retailers now. A significant number of those are Full HD 3D sets and even more are capable of streaming from online sources. At the top of the line is Sony's XBR-HX929 series, which comes in 46 inch ($2,999), 55 inch ($3,799) and 65 inch screen sizes. They boast Full HD 3D, LED backlighting, Corning Gorilla Glass and Wi-Fi that lets you access Bravia Internet Video. Price is yet to be announced on the 65 inch set. The cheapest of Sony's 3D sets is the KDL-EX720, which starts at $999 for the 32 inch model and goes up to $2,399 for 55 inches. It offers Wi-Fi, Motionflow XR240, and come Skype ready. Sony's EX520 starts at $699 for the 32 inch model and packs a Full HD display, Wi-Fi, a presence sensor and the ability to access Bravia Internet Video. Source: SourcePosted Tue Apr 19, 2011 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
3net is Working on a 3D Civil War Documentary[teaser]The four hour miniseries will explore the lives of both Union and Confederate soldiers and take a look at major battles from a strategy standpoint. [/teaser] When you think 3D, you probably think about sports, action movies and concerts. What you probably don't think about is a Civil War documentary. On April 18th, principal photography began on the documentary, which 3net hopes will be a strong incentive for viewers to make the jump to 3D. "Shooting in native 3D gives us the unique ability to bring an entirely new level of depth and emotion to this epic time in history with groundbreaking storytelling that simply hasn’t been possible until now," says Tom Cosgrove, CEO of 3net. Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Tue Apr 19, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Philips Sells its HDTV Business to TPV Technology[teaser]Philips will retain a 30 percent stake in the TV division and will receive royalty payments of $70 million a year. [/teaser] On April 1st of this year - less than three weeks ago - a guy named Frans van Houten was made CEO of Philips. He promised that the continuously unprofitable TV business would be first on his list for things to fix and he didn't disappoint. Van Houten has a solution. That solution is to sell off a majority of the Philips TV business to a Hong Kong based manufacturer called TPV Technology. All 4,000 Philips employees will be moving to TPV, so at this time there will be no layoffs from that division. Philips will retain a 30 percent share of their HDTV division and will be getting a bit of cash for each set sold as well as around $70 million a year in royalty payments. Not a bad start for Mr. van Houten. Source: EndgadgetPosted Tue Apr 19, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Glasses and Prices Still Holding 3D Sets Back[teaser]Consumers are expressing the same concerns today that they did when 3D sets were first announced. [/teaser] Ever since the launch of 3D televisions, there have been two main complaints - the price and the glasses. They're the two things that TV manufacturers have had to fight against to get people interested, and still remain the biggest impediment. NPD analyst Ross Ruben says that as 3D TV prices drop, the glasses become more of an issue. "Glasses are becoming a more prominent inhibitor, and are poised to overtake price," he says. The NPD Group also reports that content is a problem. "While feature films provided a large library of content that could be readily converted to HD," says Ruben, "there wasn’t packaged media that delivered on the promise of the entertainment experience as Blu-ray now provides for 3D." Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Mon Apr 18, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Analysts Expect Major Growth in 3D Blu-ray Sales[teaser]Spending could increase as much as 500 percent. [/teaser] 3D Blu-rays are still relatively new on the market, but they seem to be taking off fairly well. Analysts from IHS Screen Digest say that this next year could see 3D Blu-ray sales increase by 533 percent. This shouldn't be much of a revelation though, especially considering that 3D Blu-rays didn't even start hitting the market until the end of 2010. With more releases and a full year's worth of availability, an increase in sales shouldn't come as a surprise. "Consumers are snapping up BD3D titles because of a number of positive occurrences in the home 3-D segment," says IHS analyst Richard Baxter. "These developments include increasing consumer awareness of 3-D technology, rising 3-D hardware sales and an expanding catalog of 3-D films." Just over a million 3D discs were sold in 2010, but the folks at IHS are expecting an increase to 7.5 million this year. Source: TWICEPosted Mon Apr 18, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
YouTube Signs Independent Studio to Distribution Deal[teaser]GoDigital Media Group has signed with YouTube for both movies and television shows. [/teaser] YouTube has, for the past year, been working hard to become a more legitimate site to visit when looking for movies and television. One of the big pushes recently has been towards original content, and the new deal helps YouTube meet that goal. Independent studio GoDigital is set to supply YouTube with around 2,000 hours of programming, which is a good step forward for YouTube, and could be beneficial to GoDigital as well. GoDigital president Logan Mulvey says that YouTube is a natural move for them. "The move makes a lot of sense in the evolution of content distribution," he says." Source:Posted Fri Apr 15, 2011 at 11:00 AM PDT by:
