Games and entertainment

Netflix gobbles a third of peak Internet traffic in North America

Netflix users are turning into the biggest data hogs in North America, a new report suggests.

The report from Sandvine, a company that sells Internet traffic-management systems, finds that Netflix use accounts for 33 percent of all downstream traffic in North America during the peak hours between 9 p.m. and 12 a.m. By contrast, Amazon and Hulu only account for 1.8 percent and 1.4 percent of downstream traffic, respectively.

During peak time, 65 percent of all fixed-line data traffic across North America is delivered through audio- or video-streaming services, so Netflix accounts for a little over … Read more

CBS library programming heads to Hulu Plus

CBS programming is coming to Hulu Plus.

The video-streaming site announced the news today, saying that the CBS library will be made available to Hulu Plus customers starting in January. More than 2,600 episodes from the CBS library will come to Hulu Plus, including those from series "Medium," "Numb3rs," and "CSI: Miami."

As part of the deal, Hulu will also get its hands on old shows, like "I Love Lucy" and "The Twilight Zone," the company said today in a blog post announcing the deal.

CBS, which owns CNET, … Read more

Microsoft SmartGlass connects your Xbox to your mobile device

Your smartphone or tablet will soon be able to control and display games and movies from an Xbox 360.

Set to be released along with Windows 8 this Friday, Microsoft's new SmartGlass app is designed to bridge the gap between the Xbox and mobile devices.

The free app will naturally support Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets and PCs as well as Windows Phone 8 devices. But it will also run on iOS and Android devices.

As described in a blog by Yusuf Mehdi, chief marketing officer for Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Division, Xbox 360 owners will be able … Read more

Watch 'Shark Tank' for free on Hulu.com, but not Hulu Plus?

Hulu Plus users who pay $8 per month for the service would expect to have the latest selection of television shows. But that might not be the case in every situation.

Peter Kafka over at All Things Digital today reported that Hulu Plus users are not able to watch the latest episode of "Shark Tank" on ABC. Those who access the free Hulu.com or ABC's own Web site, however, can watch the show -- which stars Mark Cuban and chronicles the investments venture capitalists are willing to make as entrepreneurs pitch them ideas -- without any … Read more

Netflix captures 1 million members in U.K., Ireland

Netflix can now count 1 million subscribers in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Membership ranks hit that number just seven months after the video service debuted in the two countries. Combined, that earned them a record for the fastest growth among all regions worldwide, according to Netflix.

Users are spending more time catching TV shows and movies online, says a YouGov survey commissioned by Netflix. A full 10 percent of people in the U.K. spend at least two hours each day watching their favorite shows via the Internet.

Comedy and drama are the top hits among Netflix members in … Read more

Seinfeld Web series comes to Crackle's mobile app

iPhone, iPad, and Android users looking for the new Seinfeld Web series "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" can now watch it in their car via Crackle's latest mobile app.

Crackle is a free app for iOS and Android that offers a tiny selection of movies and TV shows. We're not talking Netflix or Amazon here, but there are some interesting choices.

Its movie selection includes Monty Python's "And Now for Something Completely Different," "The Fifth Element," "Groundhog Day," and the unforgettable "The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living … Read more

DVDs, Blu-ray disc rentals still surpass streaming

Streaming video may be cost-effective and convenient, but consumers are still renting more movies via the mail and physical retailers.

People renting DVDs and Blu-ray discs through retail stores, kiosks, and Netflix's mail service totaled more than 62 percent of all movie rentals in the first half of the year, according to NPD Group. In contrast, those renting digital movies via subscription streaming, pay TV video on demand, and Internet VOD added up to only 38 percent.

Though physical discs still lead the rental landscape, their popularity has been waning. Rentals of DVDs and Blu-ray discs dropped by 17 … Read more

Hulu blocks access to overseas Apple TV owners, report says

International Apple TV owners are complaining that they have been blocked from Hulu Plus.

According to The Next Web, which has obtained images of an error message displayed when users try to stream a show or film from Hulu Plus, those with an Apple TV and U.S. iTunes account are able to browse Hulu's selection of titles. Upon choosing one of those titles, however, a "Geo Restriction" pops up, telling them they cannot access the particular video.

"We're sorry. Currently our video library can only be streamed within the United States," the message … Read more

YouTube to spend $200 million more on professional videos

YouTube is ready to dump more cash into its professional programming, according to a new report.

Google-owned YouTube will drop another $200 million into the programming to more effectively market the nearly 100 channels boasting professional videos, the company told the Wall Street Journal in a report published yesterday.

The Journal is reporting today, citing sources, that YouTube has so far attracted $150 million worth of advertising to its original programming. That investment, if it carries throughout the year, would help cover the startup costs YouTube incurred to get its programming off the ground.

YouTube has so far invested $150 million to experiment with original programming. … Read more

Netflix streaming: Mighty popular, but sadly lacking

Netflix has been no stranger of late to complaints about its services. And now Consumer Reports has released a study that might pile on.

In a recent survey of its subscribers, Consumer Reports found that 81 percent of over 15,000 respondents used Netflix's streaming service in the previous month, making it an exceedingly popular offering. However, in terms of overall satisfaction with the service, the respondents pushed Netflix down to sixth place behind Vudu, iTunes, and several others.

Out of a possible score of 100, Vudu took the top spot in subscriber satisfaction, earning a 76. Apple's … Read more