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So-called “premium” video on demand services, offering early access to studio films, have been rumored since the dawn of time — or maybe just since 2007 — but Reuters says various studios are back in talks with TV operators, including DirecTV and Time Warner, about bringing a couple of theater movies couch-side this fall, as quickly as 30-days after their theatrical release for $50, or $25, 60 days out. We know the precedent has technically already been set by IFC’s day and date HD on demand screenings, but this deal would actually revolve round mainstream titles, as opposed to art house sleepers, and supposedly justify the ridiculous “premium” rates. Hey, the studios have to make up eroding revenues from Blu-ray / DVD sales someway right? As expression goes though, we’ll believe it when we see it, and meanwhile reassure our easily-teased home theaters that EPIX films on Netflix Watch Instantly are really coming September 1st.

Premium on demand services once again rumored to get movies still in theaters originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So-called “premium” video on demand services, offering early access to studio films, have been rumored since the dawn of time — or maybe just since 2007 — but Reuters says various studios are back in talks with TV operators, including DirecTV and Time Warner, about bringing a couple of theater movies couch-side this fall, as quickly as 30-days after their theatrical release for $50, or $25, 60 days out. We know the precedent has technically already been set by IFC’s day and date HD on demand screenings, but this deal would actually revolve round mainstream titles, as opposed to art house sleepers, and supposedly justify the ridiculous “premium” rates. Hey, the studios have to make up eroding revenues from Blu-ray / DVD sales someway right? As expression goes though, we’ll believe it when we see it, and meanwhile reassure our easily-teased home theaters that EPIX films on Netflix Watch Instantly are really coming September 1st.

Premium on demand services once again rumored to get movies still in theaters originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So-called “premium” video on demand services, offering early access to studio films, have been rumored since the dawn of time — or maybe just since 2007 — but Reuters says various studios are back in talks with TV operators, including DirecTV and Time Warner, about bringing a couple of theater movies couch-side this fall, as quickly as 30-days after their theatrical release for $50, or $25, 60 days out. We know the precedent has technically already been set by IFC’s day and date HD on demand screenings, but this deal would actually revolve round mainstream titles, as opposed to art house sleepers, and supposedly justify the ridiculous “premium” rates. Hey, the studios have to make up eroding revenues from Blu-ray / DVD sales someway right? As expression goes though, we’ll believe it when we see it, and meanwhile reassure our easily-teased home theaters that EPIX films on Netflix Watch Instantly are really coming September 1st.

Premium on demand services once again rumored to get movies still in theaters originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Yahoo! News  | Email this | Comments

So-called “premium” video on demand services, offering early access to studio films, have been rumored since the dawn of time — or maybe just since 2007 — but Reuters says various studios are back in talks with TV operators, including DirecTV and Time Warner, about bringing a couple of theater movies couch-side this fall, as quickly as 30-days after their theatrical release for $50, or $25, 60 days out. We know the precedent has technically already been set by IFC’s day and date HD on demand screenings, but this deal would actually revolve round mainstream titles, as opposed to art house sleepers, and supposedly justify the ridiculous “premium” rates. Hey, the studios have to make up eroding revenues from Blu-ray / DVD sales someway right? As expression goes though, we’ll believe it when we see it, and meanwhile reassure our easily-teased home theaters that EPIX films on Netflix Watch Instantly are really coming September 1st.

Premium on demand services once again rumored to get movies still in theaters originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Time Warner CEO hints at tying print, tablet magazine subscriptions together originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 18:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not interested in paying $4.99 for an issue of a magazine on your iPad? Well, Time Inc. execs don’t seem to be too keen on the idea either. As Peter Kafka of All Things Digital reports, Time was planning to launch a subscription version of its Sports Illustrated iPad app last month in which you’d pay Time directly, but Apple apparently rejected the app at the last minute and left Time with no other choice than to sell issues one at a time for the usual $4.99. What’s more, some Time Inc. execs have reportedly “been going nuts” over the situation, which is complicated even further by the fact that some companies like The Wall Street Journal do have a different arrangement for billing customers directly. As for Apple, it simply notes that it supports two platforms for publishers: the “open” HTML5, and the “curated” App Store, while Time insists that it will offer in-app subscriptions sometime “later this year.”

Time Inc. execs said to be frustrated over lack of iPad magazine subcriptions originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BITAG doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, as far as spoken acronyms go, but the Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group (also goes by TAG, for short) is looking to make (radio) waves. Facilitated by former FCC Chief Technologist (and University of Colorado at Boulder Adjunct Professor) Dale Hatfield, the group aims to “develop consensus on broadband network management practices and other related technical issues that can affect users’ experience,” which largely leads to addressing technical issues and making suggestions to policymakers. The group runs the gamut of major players in the broadband industry, including AT&T, Cisco, Comcast, DISH, EchoStar, Google, Intel, Level 3, Microsoft, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon.

Naturally, the aforementioned companies already on board are lauding the move, and for its part the NCTA is happy to see a forum for tech and engineering experts to openly discuss issues and policies. Providing the counterargument would be the folks at DSL Reports, who show reserve that this may end up being nothing more than “policy dog and pony show” to avoid stricter government regulations on network neutrality. At this point that remains to be seen, as this organization doesn’t seem to have even hit infancy yet. Expect more in the coming weeks as it continues to form and attempts to organize. We submit for your perusal the press release, just after the break.

Continue reading Google, Verizon, Comcast, and more band together to form tech (and policy) advisory group

Google, Verizon, Comcast, and more band together to form tech (and policy) advisory group originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When the iPad bandwagon was launched in late January, ABC and Netflix quickly jumped onboard with tailor-made apps, while CBS and others started transitioning their content to HTML5-compliant formats, all in the name of not being left behind by the revolution. As it turns out, however, some content providers will be letting this ride pass them by, at least for the moment. The New York Post today reports that big media heavyweights Time Warner and NBC Universal have turned their noses up at the iPad’s high entry demands and will be sticking to what works:

Sources said several large media companies, including Time Warner and NBC Universal, told Apple they won’t retool their extensive video libraries to accommodate the iPad, arguing that such a reformatting would be expensive and not worth it because Flash dominates the Web.

According to the NYP article, these conglomerates have been emboldened by the forthcoming arrival of competing tablets from the likes of Dell and HP, and will be seeking their fortunes in the mobile space atop Adobe’s winged stallion of web domination that we commonly know as Flash. This is a decision sure to end in tears — we just don’t know who’ll be doing the crying when it all shakes out.

NBC and Time Warner inform Apple they’ll be sticking to Flash, thank you very much originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 13:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Time Warner and Verizon bring TBS, TNT content to FiOS TV Online

Time Warner and Verizon bring TBS, TNT content to FiOS TV Online originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 18:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re a Time Warner Cable subscriber in the greater NYC area, your life just got a little bit better this morning. TWC has come to an agreement with Cablevision, allowing the former’s subscribers to tap in to the city-wide WiFi the latter started rolling out way back in 2008. No, we’re not talking unbroken coverage from the Hudson to the East Rivers, but there are thousands of Optimum-branded hotspots all over the boroughs that cover plenty of parks and rail stations across the city. Unfortunately TWC isn’t opening this up to all of its subscribers, just NYC-based ones, but if you have the requisite @nyc.rr.com suffix on your e-mail address hit that source link and find yourself a hotspot.

[Photo credit: David Corby]

Time Warner Cable enables city-wide WiFi for NYC subscribers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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