Tag: VOD

Android users continue to wait patiently for two key video apps: Netflix and Hulu. Just recently, we found a change on the Hulu site which indicates an app might be coming soon -- and now the Netflix Android app has been leaked. Unfortunately, the pre-release app doesn't really function the way you'd like a Netflix app to function. While you will be able to log in, view your Watch Instantly ...

In a bit of Microsoft/Hulu cross-promotion, Hulu is offering a free month of its premium Hulu Plus streaming video service to users of Internet Explorer 9. To qualify, you just have to download IE9 and use the new taskbar pinning feature to pin Hulu.com to your Windows Taskbar. If you pin Hulu, you'll see the free Hulu Plus offer appear in your IE9 jump list starting on March 28th. Hulu is ...

Android users who have been waiting for Hulu to release an app for their devices now have an official light at the end of the tunnel. Hulu has updated the page listing its supported devices for Hulu Plus -- which now includes "select Android 2.2 devices." That's all Hulu is sharing for now. There's no release date posted and the "select devices" aren't listed. We'll fill you in as soon as those ...

Warner Bros., finding yet another corner piece of the Social Networking Jigsaw, has begun renting movies on Facebook for 30 Facebook Credits, or $3. The films are packaged as apps -- like FarmVille and CityVille -- but it really is as simple as heading to a page, using 30 Credits, and watching the movie. You can watch the movie as many times as you like for 48 hours, after which the rental ...

Amazon Prime -- which used to just get you discounted one-day or free two day shipping across the U.S. on all your Amazon purchases -- now includes a pretty nice bonus feature. That's it above: free, on-demand streaming of thousands of TV shows and movies. Sure, the selection is pretty small compared to what services like Hulu and Netflix offer, but this is a pretty nice freebies to toss ...

Whlie Hulu and Netflix still don't have first-party apps in the Android Market, PlayOn users will soon be able to tap into the popular video services on their Android smartphones. Once again, it's PlayOn which has a solution. PlayOn released an iOS version back in August 2010 and is now passing out invites to its customers (like this one sent to us by Chris H.) to join an expanded Android beta ...

Netflix has released some numbers ranking various internet service providers based on how well they deliver Netflix HD video streams. The chart ranks the ISPs based on the sustained bitrate they deliver for a long HD movie, and the results are quite fascinating. Charter and Comcast top the list, with averages of 2,500-2,600 kbps. At the bottom of the list is Clearwire, an ISP majority-owned by ...

Netflix will remove the "add to DVD queue" button from its interface on streaming devices in order to free up resources and "improve the overall streaming experience," the company said in a blog post. The Netflix website, which is still the most popular way users manage their DVD queues, is unaffected by this change. The blog post is vague about what's actually being removed, and which devices ...

Google has just dropped a bomb shell: Chrome will no longer support H.264 HTML5 video playback. The open-sourced WebM (VP8) and Ogg Theora video codecs will be the only options for HTML5 video. H.264 will not be dropped immediately, but probably with the next stable build of Chrome. Google cites plenty of damning reasons for the exiling of H.264. Open codecs are improving faster, thanks to the ...

Intel will launch a full HD 1080p streaming video service called "Insider" in the first quarter of 2011. Deals with Warner Bros and CinemaNow have already been arranged, and it's expected that a very broad library of movies will be available at launch -- and if that wasn't exciting enough, Intel's streaming movies will be made available at the same time as Blu-ray and DVD releases! It's a ...

While tech pundits don't seem ready to give Google TV the thumbs up, yesterday's update certainly makes Google's home entertainment platform a bit more compelling. For starters, there's built-in Netflix support and a better movie search function -- which makes it easy to find your favorite Terry Gilliam flicks (if you're in the US, anyhow) and watch them on Netflix or Amazon Video on Demand. ...

After a trial back in October, Netflix has now announced its $7.99/month streaming-only plan. This matches the Hulu Plus price drop from last week. Of course, both services have different libraries of TV shows and movies -- and Hulu Plus still has ads! The new plan is targeted squarely at the growing army of those that find physical media a thing of the past. Still, a difference of just $2 is a ...

BBC Worldwide, the commercial wing of the BBC, has finally got the go-ahead to launch an international version of the video-on-demand iPlayer. It should launch sometime next year. British audiences have been enjoying the use of iPlayer for years, as one of the perks of their TV license fee, but it remains to be seen how international audiences will pay for the service. Advertising could be ...

If you missed the Google I/O keynote announcing the new Google TV service, I have good news! In fact, even if you saw the keynote presentation, you'll want to watch this video -- it's a lot smoother, easier to understand and a whole lot more concise than the slow-going oh-damn-we-have-Wi-Fi-interference Professor Charles Francis Xavier-esque demonstration. There isn't anything new feature-wise ...

Amazon is rolling out a new service called Disc+ On Demand that lets you instantly begin watching some video titles after you purchase the movie or TV show on DVD or Blu-Ray. In other words, you get the benefit of having a physical disc that you can watch on a dedicated player and take with you wherever you go. But you can also start watching the movie right away. Amazon's Video on Demand ...