News Blog

March of the Penguins: the only movie in Netflix's top 100 that you can stream

(Credit: CNET Networks)

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

Constrained by the technical limitations of its satellite television service, DirecTV has watched from the sidelines as cable operators and phone companies' high-end TV services have rolled out increasingly popular video-on-demand features.

The company is now preparing to launch its own VOD service this spring, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

Called DirecTV On Demand, the service, now offered in beta, is designed to deliver VOD content to customers in two ways: via automatic transmission of selected movie titles, which will be stored on subscribers' digital video recorders and then ordered up for viewing whenever the subscriber wants; and via Internet downloads of additional content, including TV shows, streamed to the subscriber's set-top box.

DirecTV also can track customer activity on its Internet-connected set-top boxes, the Journal report noted, and use the data to help it sell targeted ads.

DirecTV is expected to offer about 3,000 shows and movies, most of which will be delivered over the Net; the company will use the automatic transmission for exceptionally popular programs and movies. Comcast, meanwhile, says it offers about 10,000 pieces of VOD content, much of it for free; movies are available for about $5.

Whether DirecTV On Demand will measure up to alternatives offered by cable and Verizon Communications' Fios service is up for debate. Pricing will certainly be a factor, but so will the timeliness of DirecTV's VOD deliveries. If customers who order a movie or TV program for Net-based delivery to the set-top box have to wait too long for the content to download--and video does eat up a lot of bandwidth--they might be disinclined to use that option. Fios, a fiber-optic-to-the-home system, can deliver large video files in seconds.

Satellite television providers can't stand still, in any case, because cable and phone companies continue to ramp up their TV offerings.

DirecTV itself has been getting flack from subscribers unhappy with the company's drift away from the TiVo digital video recorders it once endorsed and its push toward sales of its own DVR, the HR21-700, which, some users say isn't as versatile as its TiVo counterpart.

Note, though, that use of DirecTV On Demand in beta (and, presumably, in the service's fully launched form) requires a DirecTV-brand high-definition DVR receiver--the HR20 or the HR21--and, of course, some form of broadband Internet service (minimum 750Kbps connection speed), which, of course, is available only through a cable provider or phone carrier. So you want DirecTV On Demand? Buy DirecTV's DVR receiver, and pay your cable/phone broadband bill.

In this environment, DirecTV has to do whatever it can to avoid losing market share.

Vudu: now 25 percent more affordable

(Credit: Vudu)

Vudu is knocking 25 percent off the price of its eponymous video-on-demand box. Effective immediately, the Vudu is now $295, down from its original $399 asking price. Customers who've purchased the unit in the past 30 days can get a $100 movie credit by calling the company's customer service line (888-554-VUDU).

The price drop is a direct response to the newly resurgent Apple TV. When it was first introduced in September 2007, the Vudu box delivered several advantages versus the Apple: it offered PC-free movie downloads with instant-on playback and good video quality, and included content from all major movie studios. And in months since, Vudu had added TV shows as well as a limited slate of high-def content as well. But the Apple TV is on track to match each of those bullet points when it gets a promised firmware upgrade next week, as outlined by Steve Jobs in his keynote address at last week's Macworld. Adding to Vudu's uphill battle is the fact that Jobs also cut the price of Apple TV--$229 for the 40GB version (down from $299) and $329 for the 160GB (previously $399)--as well as the fact that the Apple product can access YouTube videos and stream photos and music to living room TVs from networked computers.

Ultimately, of course, Vudu's success or failure versus Apple TV will be judged in the consumer marketplace--and if you're reading this, that means you. So: which product would you prefer: the new Apple TV, or the Vudu?

Apple TV's updated functionality provides access to movie rentals and HD content

(Credit: Apple)

Update: Check out three related videos with more info on the forthcoming Apple TV upgrade: Steve Jobs comments during his keynote address; the video guided tour on Apple's Web site; and a summary from CNET's Donald Bell. This post has also been updated since its original publication with additional information.

The Apple TV just got a whole lot more useful.

Steve Jobs unveiled a major feature update to the Apple TV today during his Macworld keynote address in San Francisco that aims to transform the device from a TV-based iTunes media viewer to a more full-featured media-on-demand device. The hardware will remain the same, with the entry-level 40GB model dropping from $300 to $230, but a free software upgrade--available in two weeks--will add the following functionality:

... Read more

The previously movie-only Vudu now offers some TV episodes as well

(Credit: Vudu)

When we reviewed the Vudu back in September, we said "only feature films are available, but Vudu says that TV shows are on the roadmap." Vudu made good on that pledge today, adding 12 TV shows to its content roster. Episodes are available for $1.99 each--the same price you'd pay for TV shows on Apple's iTunes Store.

TV content on Vudu is said to be "in beta," but it should be available to all Vudu owners as of today. The initial dozen shows offered are: 24, Arrested Development, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Family Guy, Firefly, Lost in Space, My Name is Earl, NYPD Blue, Prison Break, The Riches, Shark, and The Shield.

While all of the TV shows will be available in standard-definition, Vudu has been experimenting with HD programming as well. Today marks the availability of The Bourne Ultimatum on Vudu--the same day it hits DVD and HD DVD--in standard and high-definition versions. The previous two Bourne movies have been available for free viewing on Vudu in HD since November 23, and the company says that "more HD will be coming."

Update: For the record, The Bourne Ultimatum is available only to buy for now (as a permanent download to the Vudu box). Rental options may follow in the future on Vudu and other digital download providers.

Video stores appear to be heading the way of the car hop and drive-in theaters.

Movie Gallery, which operates under the names Movie Gallery, Hollywood Video, and Game Crazy, filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday, according to a story by Bloomberg. The collapse of the country's second-largest video-rental chain is staggering when one considers that only two years ago, Movie Gallery's stock was trading at $33.

On Tuesday, the stock closed trading at 22 cents, less than the cost of a movie rental.

Netflix and video-on-demand services being offered by cable companies have cut deeply into the traditional video-rental business. Video stores can't compete with the convenience of the Web.

Sure, I'll miss the strategically placed ice cream and Junior Mints at the store checkout, but I won't miss late fees, out-of-stock titles or the hassle of driving there in the first place.

But companies like Netflix shouldn't be too quick to take a victory lap.

Netflix users order films on the Web and then the company delivers DVDs through the mail. The service may beat the old brick-and-mortar guys, but I wouldn't think twice about dumping it the second someone offers a wide range of films at a good price and then delivers high quality images to me over my Internet connection.

That Vudu that it do: on-demand movies, via the Internet

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Vudu won't be shipping for another few weeks, but I was fortunate enough to get one of the first review units of the device--and my gadget-jaded eyes were somewhat impressed. The Vudu box aims to deliver a wide variety of on-demand movies to your TV (no PC required) via a broadband Internet connection--think Netflix or Blockbuster, but with immediate gratification. The idea of a dedicated video-on-demand box has been tried before (Akimbo, MovieBeam), but the Vudu sidesteps many of the issues that made those previous boxes hard to recommend. It's got actual content that you want to see--all the major Hollywood studios are providing content, and you're bound to find a few movies worth watching if you peruse an overview of the available titles at Vudu's updated Web site. Movie downloads begin streaming instantaneously (assuming, of course, that you have a good broadband connection), so you won't have to pre-order films to queue up in advance. The audio and video quality is (for net-delivered video) excellent, and the intuitive interface and remote control and simple setup will appeal to non-techies who just want to watch movies.

What's not to like? Vudu is touting the fact that there's no activation fee or monthly subscription. Instead, pricing is strictly pay-per-view--you rent movies for $1 to $4, or buy them (as permanent downloads to the hard drive) for $5 to $20. That's pretty reasonable, but you also have to factor in the fact that you're buying the box for $400. Anyone who's maxing out their Netflix or Blockbuster accounts and watching more than a dozen movies for less than $20 a month may well blanche at that pricing--but then again, there's no waiting by the mailbox for your next movie with Vudu. Likewise, the DVD-by-mail services offer a giant catalog of more than 75,000 titles apiece, including TV shows; Vudu's library is expected to be in the 5,000 to 10,000 title range, and it's currently limited to just theatrical movies (though TV shows seem to be in the pipeline). And Vudu is pretty much a closed system: The Vudu-connected TV is the only place you can watch the movies you buy or rent; there's no option to transfer them to portable devices or PCs for viewing elsewhere in the house or on the road.

Of course, Akimbo and MovieBeam aren't the only competition for Vudu. At least three other mainstream contenders offer premium downloadable content: TiVo (via Amazon Unbox); Apple TV (which, to date, requires you to first download iTunes content to your PC); and the Xbox 360 (via its Xbox Live Marketplace). If you already own one of those devices, the allure of the Vudu is certainly diminished--though it meets or exceeds many of their features in the downloadable video department. Still, in its debut incarnation, the Vudu box is the first such dedicated device that's at all recommendable, and we're hoping that future firmware and service upgrades (and maybe a price drop or two) will enhance its appeal.

Vudu should begin shipping by the end of September and will be widely available at many online and brick-and-mortar retailers in October. In the meantime, check out our full hands-on review and video of the Vudu in action. And let us know if you think the Vudu is worth buying--or what you'd change to make it worth considering.

HP wants to bring you the news, just like Ron Burgundy.

(Credit: DreamWorks)

At this week's Print 2.0 conference in New York, HP's Digital Entertainment Services group announced a new program called NextDayTV, which will make local TV coverage, events, broadcast programs, and televised sports games available on DVD soon after their original air dates. The inaugural partnership for the program is a deal with Major League Baseball, and you can now purchase a DVD of the game in which Barry Bonds hit his legendary 756th home run at San Francisco Giants Dugout stores as well as online at the Wal-Mart, Major League Baseball, FYE, and Suncoast Web sites.

Still to come are more partnerships, so that NextDayTV will be able to create DVDs on demand, as well as offer more "broadcast TV shows and sporting events that have high relevancy in specific geographic markets or with specific consumer segments" within a few days of their original air dates. Many of these, a release from HP stressed, would never make it to DVD for weeks or months (if ever).

This is obviously designed as a competitor to DVR services (some of which can burn programs to DVDs--others, like the one I have, can't) and digital marketplaces like the iTunes Store. But it seems a little bit counterintuitive for a company to be creating a video content program that uses DVDs rather than digital downloads; presumably the NextDayTV market will be those consumers who aren't jumping onto the video-on-demand and digital-download bandwagon. You know, like your mom.

Walt Disney's ABC and ESPN are expected to announce Tuesday a deal with cable operator Cox Communications to offer shows on demand, but there's a catch. Cox will have to disable its fast-forward feature that lets viewers skip ads, The Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site Tuesday.

The deal is expected to be announced Tuesday at the National Cable Television Association's annual convention in Las Vegas. The arrangement will only apply to shows in the video-on-demand library and will not affect viewers using a digital video recorder, the newspaper said.