Even though many of us have hundreds of channels to choose from on cable or satellite, we’re choosing to watch less live TV. But it’s not just because we’ve all decided to go outside and take up steeplechase; it has a little something to do with the availability of subscription streaming services. [More]
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Could Comcast Try To Buy Netflix Or T-Mobile If Time Warner Cable Deal Fails?
By 3.6.15
After more than a year of stop-start-stop regulatory review, the FCC and Justice Dept. are currently in the final stretch of deciding whether to approve, block, or put conditions on the mega-merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable. With even some formerly optimistic industry analysts now having their doubts about the deal’s success, it’s time to consider what Kabletown might do if the acquisition falls through. [More]
Is Netflix Trying To Have Its Net Neutrality Cake And Eat It Too?
By 3.4.15
Last week’s vote by the FCC to approve new net neutrality rules was seen as a big win for streaming services like Netflix, as it prevents ISPs from throttling or blocking access to online content and from prioritizing any data. And indeed, Netflix has been one of the more vocal corporate cheerleaders for neutrality. But that apparently hasn’t stopped the company from making deals that calls into question Netflix’s actual stance on the issue. [More]
Alamo Drafthouse Won’t Join Theater Chain Boycott Of Netflix Movie
By 3.4.15
Yesterday, Netflix announced that it would be releasing a new movie, Beasts of No Nation, later this year simultaneously on its streaming service and in theaters, leading the nation’s biggest exhibitors to cry boycott and say they will refuse to show the film. But not Alamo Drafthouse, which doesn’t seem fazed by having to compete for consumers who can just stay home and see the movie. [More]
NBC Cooking Up Streaming Service For Its Comedic Offerings
By 3.3.15
Much like Disney’s recent revelation that it now owns a bunch of Star Wars and Marvel stuff might justify standalone streaming services, NBC has reportedly awoken to the notion that it might be able to make some money selling access to its comedy library. [More]
4 Things We Still Don’t Know About Net Neutrality
By 2.27.15
The FCC voted yesterday to reclassify broadband and protect the open internet. In other words, at long last, we have a net neutrality rule. And that’s great! But there is still a lot we don’t know, and there are a lot of questions left unanswered. Here are the major things we don’t know, and parts we’re waiting to better understand. [More]
From Applause To Lawsuits And Legislation: What Key Players Are Saying About Net Neutrality
By 2.26.15
Over the summer, we rounded up what all the key players in broadband and online were saying about the potential for the FCC to write a clear net neutrality rule. Earlier today, the FCC actually went and made that rule; here’s what everyone has to say about it now. [More]
What You Need To Know About Tomorrow’s Votes On Net Neutrality And Municipal Broadband
By 2.25.15
On Thursday morning, the Federal Communications Commission will sit down to discuss and vote on two big issues — net neutrality and municipal broadband — that the cable and telecom industries have campaigned heavily to defeat and obscure. Because of these industry-backed efforts and the legalese involved, many consumers are having difficulty separating myth from reality. In an effort to cut through that haze, we’ve attempted to answer the most pressing questions about these two topics before tomorrow’s vote. [More]
Netflix Accidentally Leaks ‘House Of Cards’ Season 3 Early, Then Pulls It
By 2.11.15
Francis Underwood, the main character in Netflix’s original series “House of Cards,” knows the power of leaking information to the right outlet at the right time. Unfortunately, the real-life boss of Underwood’s universe isn’t as skilled: the streaming video service accidentally made the show’s entire third season available to everyone for a brief period today. [More]
HBO Says Streaming Service Will Be Priced As “Premium Product”
By 2.11.15
HBO is still being stingy with the details on its upcoming standalone streaming service, but this morning the network’s CEO did give some vague idea of what the pricing would be. [More]
Amazon Reportedly Dumping ‘Doctor Who’ & Other BBC Shows From Prime Instant Video On Feb. 15
By 2.2.15
Just a few weeks after Netflix subscribers were forced to deal with the potential reality of losing access to some of their favorite BBC shows (a move that Netflix reversed later, sparing titles like Doctor Who and Luther, after all that worry), Amazon Prime customers will be seeing certain titles from across the pond disappear starting Feb. 15. [More]
Netflix Will Stream ‘The Interview’ Starting This Weekend
By 1.21.15
What’s that? You aren’t the type who finds reading quarterly financial parts titillating? Totally fine, because other people are around to read them and pull out the fun parts, like the fact that Netflix is bringing The Interview to its streaming library starting this weekend. [More]
Marriott Testing In-Room Access To Netflix, Hulu, And Other Streaming Services
By 1.20.15
Just a week after Marriott buckled under backlash from the public by saying it would no longer block guests from using their personal WiFi devices, the company announced a plan that just might persuade customers from streaming content to their personal devices via WiFi: Offering in-room entertainment access to Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, and other streaming services. [More]
Amazon To Make Movies For Theatrical Release, Because Why The Heck Not?
By 1.19.15
Amazon, the online retailer where you can rent a movie, order groceries or buy a tank, has announced that it’s venturing into a territory that seems counterintuitive for a company that focuses on delivering its products to consumers’ homes — bringing its original video productions to actual movie theaters. [More]
Not All Those BBC Shows Will Be Vanishing From Netflix Next Month
By 1.19.15
Last week, we told you that a large slate of BBC shows — from Doctor Who to Luther to the original House of Cards to Red Dwarf were in danger of disappearing from Netflix come Feb. 1. But the good news is that not all of these series will vaporize before Groundhog Day. [More]
Doctor Who & Other BBC Faves May Vanish From Netflix At Month’s End
By 1.13.15
Maybe you’re a newcomer to the long-running BBC classic Doctor Who and you’ve been meaning to watch the dozens of older episodes — dating back 51 years — available on Netflix. Or maybe you like the Kevin Spacey version of House of Cards and want to see the BBC’s original miniseries starring the inimitable Ian Richardson? Or perhaps you just like looking at Idris Elba and watch episodes of Luther on repeat so frequently that it freaks out your friends? Well, it looks like you may only have a couple of weeks left to enjoy these shows on Netflix before they disappear. [More]
Vinyl Subscription Service Like The Netflix Of Records, But You Can Buy What You Get
By 1.9.15
While it seems music has moved as far away from the more physical music era of the past — records, cassettes, CDs, etc. — as we stream millions of artists into our ears from wherever we want, whenever we want, some people still like to get their hands on a solid hunk of plastic for their listening pleasure. A new vinyl subscription service is catering to those analog folk with LP deliveries. [More]
Netflix Announces “Recommended TV” Evaluation Program
By 1.5.15
Since its inception, Netflix has been trying to personalize content recommendations for users, but it’s remained relatively neutral about which devices you should actually watch this content on. But today the company announced the launch of a “Recommended TV” program that will single out certain brands and models of smart TVs that Netflix believes offer the best options for viewers. [More]
