Netflix has launched a visually richer interface with rotating images for subscribers who access the streaming service via television. The new interface is designed to improve discovery and playback, in an effort to increase the amount of time subscribers watch Netflix content on their TVs. Three automatically rotating images will appear for each selected title, featuring a short synopsis for each TV show or movie, and easy access to recommendation tools. Continue reading New Netflix Interface Improves Video Discovery and Playback

Netflix has reportedly been approached with a new proposal that could bring movie serials, popularized in the 1930s, back to theaters. The plan would also provide Netflix with content sooner after theatrical distribution. The proposal calls for movie studios to produce miniseries comprised of one- to two-hour episodes that would be released in theaters about every two months. A few weeks after their theater releases, the episodes would then become exclusively available on Netflix. Continue reading Turning to Nostalgia: Will Netflix Bring Back the Movie Serial?

Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-West Virginia) introduced the Consumer Choice in Online Video Act yesterday — legislation that intends to safeguard competition in the online video market, by preventing cable and satellite companies from stifling growth of services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. The proposal could be good news for consumers who complain about subscriptions that include channels they don’t watch, although industry pushback is likely. Continue reading Senate Commerce Chair Announces Bill to Bolster Online Video

Hulu is reportedly in talks with pay TV providers including AT&T, Comcast, Cox, Time Warner Cable and Verizon regarding potential partnerships. Among the ideas being discussed is for pay TV operators to sell Hulu Plus as part of their television bundles, said people familiar with the situation. In addition, Hulu hopes that consumers would have access to the service via cable set-top boxes, providing Hulu Plus subscribers with the option to watch full current seasons of broadcast TV shows. Continue reading Hulu Discusses Bundling Possibilities with Pay TV Providers

Netflix and YouTube continue to dominate as the most-used video services in North America, according to new data published in Sandvine’s Global Internet Phenomena Report. The two services combined were responsible for more than half of all peak residential North American downstream traffic during September. Together, Hulu and Amazon accounted for a mere three percent of peak downstream traffic. Netflix alone accounted for nearly 32 percent of downstream traffic. Continue reading Netflix is Biggest Source of Internet Traffic in North America

While products such as Microsoft’s WebTV and platforms including Windows Media Center have failed to displace the cable box as the primary entertainment device in the living room, connected Xbox game consoles have become multimedia powerhouses over time. And with the launch of its new Xbox One in less than two weeks, Microsoft is banking on consumers who want to play games, run apps, control their television, and communicate with others — all in one location. Continue reading Microsoft Makes Bold Move with Xbox One to Hijack Your TV

Disney and Netflix have inked a deal for multiple original live-action series based on Marvel characters to be streamed exclusively on Netflix, which has committed to streaming at least four 13-episode series and a miniseries. Marvel will develop series based on characters Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage, leading to a miniseries event for “The Defenders.” The programming is planned to begin on the streaming service starting in 2015. Continue reading Marvel Series to Stream via Netflix Through New Disney Deal

The first of Amazon’s original series will debut this month, and the selection process by the retail giant for determining which shows made the cut is unlike any traditional decision-making most networks go through. Amazon is minimizing risk by assessing data outlining early viewership for a group of pilot episodes, and “Alpha House,” a political comedy written by “Doonesbury” comic strip creator Garry Trudeau and featuring John Goodman and Bill Murray, was the biggest hit. Continue reading Amazon to Release First Original Series for Video Streaming

Netflix is making good on its promise to compete directly with movie theaters now that it’s in final negotiations for the exclusive rights to a Sundance Film Festival documentary. The film, “The Square,” is about the Egyptian revolution and will be released through Netflix. It could make Netflix an Oscar contender, just a short while after its success at the Emmys with “House of Cards.” According to one source, this will be the first of many films to be released first on Netflix. Continue reading Netflix Plans to Release Sundance Award-Winning Documentary

Western Digital’s HGST subsidiary announced yesterday it is shipping a helium-filled, 3.5-in hard disk drive that has been more than 10 years in the making. The company says the new drive offers 50 percent more capacity than current 4TB drives and uses 23 percent less power and is 38 percent lighter. While pricing has yet to be announced, the company says the drives will “command a premium” based on the lower total cost of ownership. HGST plans to sell the drives to server and storage array manufacturers. Continue reading Breakthrough: HGST to Ship Helium-Filled Hard Disk Drives

A new video rental and streaming platform by Spondo will now let Facebook users watch and share movies on the social media site. The movies are on-demand and shareable among users — in fact, users can even earn a little commission when their friends buy a movie that they’ve shared. In celebration of Halloween, Spondo launched 200 horror movies for streaming, and it plans to add more mainstream and indie films over time. Continue reading Spondo’s Video Rental and Streaming Available on Facebook

Two of cable’s biggest programming networks, FX and Turner, have decided they want to stream all of their series’ episodes within a current season online. It’s a challenge to the industry standard, which generally allows networks to stream only the five most recent episodes online. But if this were to change, Netflix would get away with paying significantly lower rates for any show streamed elsewhere — and studios aren’t too happy about that possibility. Continue reading Cable Networks and Netflix Face Off Over Streaming Rights

During a keynote at the ninth annual Film Independent Forum over the weekend, Netflix executive Ted Sarandos told attendees the video streaming giant might begin releasing its own movies. During the 40-minute speech at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, the chief content officer attributed the move to the fact that theater owners are resistant to let movies bow day-and-date on Netflix, and that they are not supportive of innovation. Continue reading Netflix Executive Says Theater Owners Resistant to Innovation

Amazon is the largest online retailer, bookstore, and Web hosting company in the world — among other things — and now it’s rushing the production of its newest device, a set-top box intended to compete with online video streaming devices for television such as Roku. But despite its efforts to get the new product out on shelves in time for the holiday shopping season, the device will now likely be delayed past then, missing out on potential holiday sales. Continue reading Amazon Set-Top Box Launch Likely Delayed Past the Holidays

As movies are released in higher-definition formats that require more data to play on various devices, the film and CE industries must build a “digital bridge.” So said Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment President Mike Dunn at a keynote Monday at the CEA Industry Forum in Century City. The new 4K Ultra HD format has sharper imagery and sound, but is not yet cost-effective. New Blu-ray players are being developed to address that, while cloud storage will also play a role. Continue reading Hollywood and Electronics Industry Must Build Digital Bridge