Want to go see the latest summer movies with friends and family but can’t, because you get headaches from the 3D effects everyone else seems to enjoy? A different type of eye-wear might rid you of the stigma of being a 3D-movie killjoy. [More]
movies
Despite Blu-ray Price Cuts, Video Disc Sales Are Dwindling
By 6.9.11
Home entertainment studios seem to have gotten over the whole “let’s try and charge $30 for all new Blu-ray movies” thing, with prices generally closer to the $20 range. But general price cuts still haven’t sparked the Blu-ray bonanza Hollywood was hoping for. [More]
Court Denies Disney Injunction Against Dish Promotion
By 6.6.11
When Dish Network prepared a promotion to celebrate its 30th anniversary that provided free access to Starz, Disney and Starz cried foul, filing lawsuits to prevent Dish from giving its programming away. A New York District Court judge sided with Dish in Disney’s suit, blocking Disney’s attempt to stop the promotion with a preliminary injunction. [More]
Time Warner Plans Flixster-Based Cloud Service That Lets You Upload Your DVDs
By 5.26.11
When cable company execs unwind at home, probably in front of Netflix-streamed videos like most everyone else, they no doubt daydream about ways to seize some of Netflix’s market share-gobbling momentum. After all, it seems the old “overcharge for hundreds of channels no one really wants so they can get the few that they do” plan is losing steam. An idea cooked up by Time Warner Cable, though, seems so promising it must be too good to be true. [More]
Analyst: Box Office Shows Customers Are Tired Of 3D, High Ticket Prices
By 5.24.11
An analyst says the lower-than-expected box office performance by Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a sign that the 3D gimmick and its accompanying higher ticket prices may be coaxing customers to stay home rather than cough up more dough. [More]
Dim Flick? It's Not The Script, It's Theaters Projecting 2-D Movies With 3-D Lenses
By 5.23.11
If you find yourself squinting at the theater, it might not be because of the standard plot holes and hacky exposition. It could be the lens of the projector. The Boston Globe reports on an unfortunate trend in some big movie chains where rather than swap out the 3-D lens when showing a 2-D moving, they leave it in place. The result can be an almost 85% darker projection, and should have audiences throwing popcorn at the screen. So how do you detect if they’re showing the movie improperly, while still charging you full ticket price? [More]
Study Shows Netflix Surpasses Piracy In Online Traffic
By 5.18.11
Legal video streaming has become so popular that it’s starting to make movie piracy obsolete. A study shows that Netflix streaming takes up more online traffic than any other service. [More]
Install Netflix On Nearly Any Android Device
By 5.16.11
A Netflix app finally came out last week for Android, but due to the complications of the plethora of devices running Android, it only came out for a few of them. Netflix says they’ll slowly but surely roll out the app to other devices, but if you don’t feel like waiting you can do a little cellphone hackery and get it on your phone now. [More]
Netflix Releases App For Some Android Devices
By 5.13.11
(Some) Android users can now finally get in on the instant-streaming candy train with the long-awaited release of a Netflix app on their platform. For now the app is only available for a relatively thin number of phones, HTC’s Incredible, Nexus One, Samsung’s Nexus S, Evo 4G, and G2, but the company says they’re working diligently to roll it out to more phones. There’s just damn many of them. [More]
Android Market Starts Renting Movies On Devices
By 5.11.11
Those with Android tablets and smartphones can now look forward to renting movies, thanks to new functionality available on the Android Market that ties into Google-owned YouTube’s expanded rental service. [More]
23,000 Who Downloaded Stallone Flick Face Lawsuit
By 5.10.11
Hopefully 23,000 users who allegedly illegally downloaded The Expendables really, really enjoyed the movie, because now they’ll be paying for it with fear and loathing brought on by a lawsuit, as well as possibly tons of money. [More]
YouTube Adding 3,000 Movie Rentals
By 5.10.11
Confirming last month’s reports, YouTube confirmed it’s adding 3,000 new movies to its little-known rental service. [More]
Buy This House, Perfect For 8-Year-Old Booby Trap Experts
By 5.6.11
If you really, really love the movie Home Alone, the ultimate collector’s item may have you begging your bank to offer you a loan for $2.4 million minus whatever down payment you can scrounge up. [More]
Movie Theaters Struggle To Sell Pre-Movie Commercial Slots
By 5.6.11
Movie theaters are finding it more difficult to find buyers for those often irritating pre-show commercials, thanks to hard times suffered by one traditional client source and the lack of a need to advertise by another. [More]
Report: YouTube To Rent New Movies On Demand
By 4.26.11
A conga line of anonymous sources continue to spill ambitious plans for YouTube, which reportedly not only wants to stock its virtual shelves with live sports and original entertainment programming, but also on-demand streaming rentals of new movies. [More]
Chicago Transit Employee Accused Of Demanding Bribe From Filmmakers
By 4.13.11
In what newscasters describe as a “classic Chicago shakedown” during the making of the movie Source Code last year, a Chicago transit employee who negotiated a $19,000 contract for use of the train system reportedly demanded filmmakers deliver $2,000 in an envelope to him or another employee as a tribute to his effort. When he learned the money wouldn’t be delivered, he told a whistle-blower she’d never be able to work with Chicago’s Metra again. [More]
AMC, Cinemark Join Regal In Battle Against Movie Studios
By 4.11.11
One way to get on the bad side of movie theater owners is to announce a plan to undermine their sales leverage by offering $30 on-demand versions of films at home when they’re still in theaters. [More]
Regal Fights Back Against Studios Offering Early On-Demand Movies
By 4.7.11
Unhappy with a movie studio plan to offer $30 on-demand movies while they’re still in theaters, Regal Cinemas is reportedly planning to play fewer trailers from the participating studios: Fox, Sony, Warner Bros, and Universal. [More]
