video-streaming

Verizon Communications is in talks with Redbox about an online video service that would compete with the likes of Netflix and Hulu, according to Bloomberg.

The telecommunications would work with Redbox, which runs a chain of movie-rental kiosks placed in front of supermarkets and retail stores, to create a content-distribution plan, Bloomberg said, citing unnamed sources. The deal would provide Verizon with experience on working with content providers and align it with a brand known for movie delivery. Redbox is a unit of Coinstar.

The news comes after Reuters reported that Verizon was ready to create its own online video service, … Read more

Do you own a Roku box? How about a Web-connected HDTV or Blu-ray player? Or any other device that's compatible with Amazon Instant Video? If so, today is your lucky day.

You can get a $5 Amazon Instant Video credit when you link that player, TV, or box to the service. The entire process takes all of 2 minutes, and the credit is good for anything in the Amazon Instant Video store: movies and TV shows, and both rentals and purchases.

Here are the deets from Amazon:

1. Register an eligible Amazon Instant Video-compatible device with Amazon Instant Video … Read more

As Hulu executives determine the proper direction for the future of their company, the firm that was first to show interest in acquiring the streaming-video provider has withdrawn from the race, a new report claims.

Currently, Hulu's board of directors is mulling bids from Dish Network, Amazon, and Google, The Wall Street Journal is reporting, citing anonymous sources. However, Yahoo, which first met with Hulu to discuss a possible acquisition, has backed out of trying to acquire the firm as it prepares to potentially sell off its own company.

With Yahoo out of the way, it appears Dish Network … Read more

Netflix has expanded its partnership with AMC Networks to bring many more shows to its streaming service.

The companies today announced that they have inked a multiyear agreement that delivers AMC hit "The Walking Dead" to Netflix. In addition, content from AMC's other networks, including IFC and the Sundance Channel, are also available on Netflix, thanks to the deal.

However, as with other deals Netflix has signed with television networks, there are some stipulations in this latest agreement. According to the companies, new seasons of "The Walking Dead," as well as "certain future AMC … Read more

At any given time, the majority of Netflix users are watching television shows, rather than movies, a company executive has revealed.

Speaking yesterday at the Mipcom conference in Cannes, France, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said that "50 percent, and sometimes, 60 percent, of viewing (on Netflix) is TV episodes now," according to PaidContent, which was at the event,

Sarandos was quick to add that those statistics won't stop his company from focusing on bringing more movies to the streaming service. He reportedly said during his keynote address that the stats "can be misperceived as … Read more

On opening weekend of the NFL season, I gave NFL Sunday Ticket To Go, DirecTV's NFL game-streaming service, a spin on the PlayStation 3. Or, at least, I tried to: service outages for Sunday Ticket To Go plagued everyone and killed the excitement of NFL game-watching on a console.

Two weeks later (I was tailgating at the Jets-Jaguars game last week), I returned to my first-gen PS3 to give the service a second go. Thankfully, this time it worked as well as advertised.

Sunday Ticket on the PS3 acts and works nearly identically to how it functions on devices like the iPad. After entering login information and waiting several seconds, a dashboard of all the available Sunday games appears for browsing, optimized for use with the PS3 controller (stats and standings can be browsed with the left/right shoulder buttons, but if you use a PS3 Bluetooth remote you'll need to fumble for the equivalent "L2/R2" button). Sunday Ticket starts you off on the Red Zone Channel, which cuts to the most interesting action among all games. From there, clicking on the others will load the appropriate game, after a delay of 10 seconds or so. … Read more

Dish Network unveiled today the "Blockbuster Movie Pass," a bundle of services that includes streaming video; DVDs; Blu-Rays and games by mail; and access to premium movie channels. The catch: you need to be a Dish Network customer.

The service will launch October 1. Existing Dish subscribers can sign up for the package for an additional $10 a month. New customers who sign up for Dish's America's Top 200 package for $39.99 a month get access to the service for a year.

"More Americans are demanding an easier way to view their video," … Read more

Discovery Communications, which owns the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and TLC among other networks, has inked a two-year deal to bring its programming to Netflix.

A host of popular shows from Discovery's networks, including "Man vs. Wild" and "Say Yes to Dress," will be coming to Netflix's streaming. All the content will come from prior seasons and specials. Reuters, which reported on the deal before it was announced, cited sources who said that the deal is limited to the U.S.

The range of content Discovery will be bringing to Netflix is quite extensive. … Read more

It was barely a week ago that D-Link dropped the price of the Boxee Box to $180, down from $200, but that's still too rich for my blood.

Today only, and while supplies last, Sellout.woot has the refurbished D-Link Boxee Box for $119.99, plus $5 for shipping. My question for you: even at that price, is the Box worth buying? (If it sells out, I guess we'll know.)

For those unfamiliar with it, Boxee is a media-streaming set-top gizmo that competes with the likes of Apple TV, Google TV, and Roku. However, even at $120, it'… Read more