netflix

The Netflix Player is a great start, but where's my Hulu Box?

The Roku Netflix Player debuted last week to largely positive accolades. And why not? The $100 Netflix box delivers on-demand video to your TV for a flat monthly fee that's as low as $9 a month--the same price that would rent you just two to three movies on Apple TV or Vudu. But if the Roku box (and subsequent Netflix-compatible players) has an Achilles heel, it's the dearth of content: only about 10 percent of Netflix's 100,000-plus DVD library is available for streaming, thanks to Hollywood's byzantine licensing systems. The Roku box could stand to have another content source--and I think Hulu would be a perfect candidate. … Read more

Netflix chief: DVD business to peak in 5 years

SAN FRANCISCO--Netflix is banking on the belief that streaming movies to people's living rooms is the future.

CEO Reed Hastings said during Netflix's investor day here that he expects the business of renting physical DVDs to peak within the next five years. However, Netflix representatives later said they forecast that DVDs will remain strong for at least a decade.

The company also plans to experiment with pricing, including both increases and decreases.

Netflix, however, is already moving beyond DVDs. Its $99 set-top box for streaming movies came out earlier this month, generally to positive reviews.

Hastings said that … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 728: Rock the Roku

Today in "we have actual tech news to report" tech news, Netflix's new box hits the price sweet spot, Napster is offering 6 million DRM-free MP3s (déjà-vu?), and Gizmodo! Confirms! The 3G! iPhone! Release! Date! Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 728

Look out, Apple TV: The $100 Netflix Player has arrived http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9947582-1.html

6 million DRM-free MP3s now at Napster http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9945987-7.html

Breaking: iPhone 3G launch date confirmed http://gizmodo.com/391960/iphone-3g-launch-date-confirmed http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/05/20/ apple_wwdc_rumour_revival/

Microsoft … Read more

Where the opinions of Phil J. Ryan are not necessarily those of the 404

The legendary Phil Ryan makes his last appearance on The 404 as a CNET employee as we talk about the Netflix player, the 3G iPhone, and strange clouds above China right before the earthquake. It's an interesting show today, sorry if we came close to offending you! OK, we're not sorry. EPISODE 103 Download today's podcast

Look out, Apple TV: The $100 Netflix Player has arrived

The Netflix box is finally a reality.

The Netflix Player by Roku is the first product that allows subscribers to have movies and TV shows from the service's Instant Viewing feature (aka "Watch Now") to be streamed directly to their TV screen. Previously, Instant Viewing was available only to Windows PC users through the Internet Explorer browser. With the release of the Netflix Player, subscribers need only have a wired or wireless broadband connection to access the entire Instant Viewing catalog through their TV. The full review--with hands-on video--is available at CNET Reviews. But for those who prefer to cut right to the chase, here's the short and sweet version: … Read more

Will you pay $3--or more--for TV episodes on iTunes?

Several HBO shows debuted today on the iTunes Store, but the big news was that two of them--Rome and The Sopranos--will retail for $2.99 an episode. To date, Apple had insisted on flat pricing of $1.99 per episode of any TV show added to its download roster. Indeed, the company's refusal to allow variable pricing was said to be the primary factor in NBC pulling its vast library of shows from the digital retailer in 2007.

Blogger Dave Zatz points out two big stumbling blocks to the larger issue of TV shows on iTunes:

... it's not … Read more

Netflix Watch Now: Missing too much popular content

The "Watch Now" feature on Netflix is a great idea: instant access to thousands of movies and TV shows, available for instant streaming to your browser at the touch of a button. There's just one big problem: despite an advertised library of over 8,000 titles, very few of them seem to be movies or TV shows that I want to watch.

Out of 41 titles currently in my queue, only 4--The King of Marvin Gardens, Das Boot, The Good German, and Pickup of South Street--are available to be streamed. OK, fine--my taste for older movies is probably throwing things off. Surely plenty of newer, more popular movies are available to be streamed, right?

Wrong.… Read more

Settlement will stand in Netflix 'throttling' case

The terms of a 2006 settlement in a lawsuit against Netflix will be allowed to stand over the objections of four Netflix subscribers, according to a report by Reuters.

In the initial lawsuit, the customers accused the company of "throttling." They alleged that Netflix held up delivery of DVDs to customers who were heavier users of the service--and therefore less profitable--in order to fill orders for new customers and less frequent users.

In 2006, Netflix reached a settlement agreement, but the four Netflix subscribers challenged it, saying the attorneys' fees awarded by the trial court were "excessive&… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 708: Meat Parade

Mii parades, Sony Home, and growing new limbs. Slow news days make for the best shows of all. Oh, and FCC Chairman Kevin Martin says evidence points to widespread Internet blocking, Netflix's CEO says the company will charge a slight premium for Blu-Ray Discs, and Stephen Hawking says primitive alien life is either likely, or rampant on Earth. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 708

FCC’s Martin: Comcast blocking was widespread http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/ 144942/fccs_martin_comcast_blocking_was_widespread.html

Microsoft XP SP 3 coming April 29 http://www.news.com/8301-13860_3-9924500-56.html http://www.news.com/8301-10789_3-9924689-57.html… Read more

Netflix profits up 36 percent

Online DVD rental service Netflix announced Monday that net income for the first quarter was up 36 percent year over year, due in part to an increase in its subscriber base.

Netflix reported it had 8,243,000 total subscribers at the end of the quarter, which closed March 31. That's a 21 percent increase over the same period last year. First-quarter revenue was $326.2 million, up from $305.3 million for the same period last year. GAAP net income was $13.4 million, compared with $9.9 million in the first quarter last year--a 36 percent rise.… Read more