11/10, 10:45am
Moxi DVRs get lower prices, new models, functions
ARRIS, the recent owner of Digeo and its Moxi-branded DVRs, announced on Monday it has overhauled the Moxi line and given it new features. This includes adding a three-tuner version of the Moxi HD DVR and introducing a new Moxi multi-room package that includes the new three-tuner Moxi. At the same time, ARRIS has dropped the price of its existing dual-tuner Moxi HD DVR. The new three-tuner Moxi HD DVR lets users record up to three channels at the same time and watch a program already recorded.
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11/09, 9:35am
BRAVIA sets get expensive HD rental early
Sony today hoped to lure customers to its HDTVs and Blu-ray players by giving them advance access to one of its movies. Similar to last year's deal, the electronics maker will give those with one of its modern networked TVs or Blu-ray players, such as the BRAVIA W5100 or the BDP-N460, early access to a streaming rental of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs about a month before the retail street date. The run will start from December 8th and last until January 4th.
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11/02, 1:10pm
iTunes TV sub would rival traditional TV
Apple could upturn the entire TV market by offering an iTunes TV subscription service, a prominent rumor says today. iTunes head Eddy Cue is believed to be pitching the idea of a $30 monthly plan that would give users much broader access, much like conventional TV. The exact terms aren't specified by the "multiple" MediaMemo tips but wouldn't confine the service to a single device.
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10/30, 7:55am
FiOS Internet, TV users get 720p online
Verizon this morning became the first provider to offer EpixHD streaming video as part of its service. Those who have both a FiOS Internet connection and a FiOS TV subscription with the Epix TV channel can watch an unlimited amount of movies on the web at up to 720p. About 150 titles will be in rotation online, but the service will emphasize major, recent movies from MGM, Lionsgate and Parmaount; it should scale to include about 15,000 titles both old and new.
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10/29, 11:05am
Nintendo Wii rumored to get Netflix streaming
Leaked images that were not made public reveal the Nintendo Wii will soon get Netflix streaming capabilities, StreamingMedia reported on Wednesday. The source is said to be someone involved with the project, who confirms the development is already in testing stages and the arrival of the service is due fairly soon.
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10/27, 8:55am
Roku HD-XR adds 802.11n
Roku this morning swelled its media hub ranks with two models aimed at the high and low ends. The previously leaked Roku HD-XR adds to the original network video streamer with 802.11n Wi-Fi on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, giving it much more bandwidth for streaming HD sources as well as a frequency pick less prone to interference from cordless home phones. It continues to also support Ethernet for wired networks and uses HDMI and component for HD video playback from Amazon VOD or Netflix; RCA and S-Video output provide analog video, and a USB port allows room for unnamed future expansion.
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10/26, 7:05am
PS3 Netflix deal breaks Xbox exclusive
Netflix this morning broke its once-exclusive Xbox 360 deal with Microsoft by offering Netflix for PlayStation 3. The link will let any US-based PS3 owner with a Netflix subscription stream movies and TV shows online; they can also add movies to the queue and rate titles. Early on, the service will depend on customers owning a free Blu-ray disc that draws on BD-Live for Internet access, but the service should eventually be integrated into the PS3's firmware.
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10/23, 12:00pm
Netflix going international, to a new device?
During a Thursday third quarter earnings report, Netflix has revealed increased revenues thanks to a 22 percent increase of streaming video use, and this from a smaller subscriber base. At the same time, CEO Reed Hastings revealed Netflix will become available for streaming on another electronics device, though he did not offer any other specifics. Hastings did indicate game consoles are also key to the expansion of the service, which could spell an end to the exclusivity of Netflix on Microsoft's Xbox 360.
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10/21, 4:35pm
Insignia outs two BD players with Netflix support
Netflix this week partnered with Best Buy to endow the retailer's Insignia-brand Blu-ray players with the ability to stream Netflix movies and TV shows. This partnership has resulted in two Insignia Blu-ray players with this capability, including the Insignia Advanced Series Blu-ray Player (NS-WBRDVD) and the Insignia Connected Blu-ray Player (NS-BRDVD3). Either is Internet ready, though the former uses a Wi-Fi connection for access, with the latter relying on a wired Ethernet connection. Both are Energy Star certified and feature Dolby TrueHD sound capability. Either can upconvert standard DVDs.
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10/19, 4:20pm
Roku XR brings with it Wi-Fi, USB port
Roku will soon update its multimedia box that can stream and download Netflix content with a new product, the Roku XR, according to a Monday Engadget report. The new model will replace the aging original, which debuted about 18 months ago. The Roku XR will look identical to the original, but add 802.11n Wi-Fi support, a USB socket for local media playback from thumb drives and a 2.5A power input, in comparison to the current model's 1.5A power connection.
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10/13, 4:15pm
GlideTV marries AV, computer controls
Catering explicitly to home theater computers, GlideTV today produced an unusual controller known as the Navigator. The bowl-shaped peripheral has a trackpad for mouse pointing but is surrounded by AV controls and a directional pad that ease navigating through common apps. It can steer through Front Row and iTunes on Macs, Windows Media Center, and platform-independent apps like Boxee or SageTV.
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10/13, 12:00am
HP launches TouchSmart 300 and 600
HP early today is making an aggressive push into touchscreen PCs with two key updates to its TouchSmart home all-in-ones. The TouchSmart 300 and 600 add true multi-touch input and have significantly expanded use for the technology: they can not only use pinch-to-zoom, flicks and other gestures in the general operating system thanks to Windows 7 but in several new touch apps for the systems' custom front end. They can now navigate Hulu or Netflix streaming video, stream Pandora or Rhapsody music, or update and follow Twitter feeds all primarily using touch.
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09/22, 8:50am
Netflix CEO talks iPhone, other systems
Netflix should not only branch out to other game consoles but also mobile devices like the iPhone as well, CEO Reed Hastings said later on Monday. Although Microsoft claims an Xbox 360 exclusive for game systems, Hastings expects the streaming version of his video service to eventually arrive on "all" consoles as well as Blu-ray players and TVs. He doesn't have a timetable for when the exclusivity would end.
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09/16, 1:10pm
Hit by withering effect of mail, digital
Rental chain Blockbuster Video will close between 810 and 960 stores by the end of 2010, an SEC filing reveals. While putting a significant number of people out of work, and closing off some markets, the move is expected to add another $50 to $60 million to annual earnings before expenses like taxes and interest. The company has over 7,000 stores worldwide at present, scattered across Asia, Europe, the US and Australia.
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09/10, 4:10pm
Pioneer demos Entertainment Tap
Pioneer at the CEDIA expo today provided demonstrations of its first networked media hub. The concept device shown on the floor, so far known only as the Entertainment Tap, still has a Blu-ray player but is intended for online media playback first and foremost: it can recognize media from DLNA-ready devices over Ethernet or Wi-Fi and has access to Netflix movies, Picasa photos and YouTube videos. Mobile control is also a high priority as the Tap can not only stream its content to a handheld over the Internet but could use an iPhone or iPod touch as a remote control for all of its functions.
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09/09, 6:55pm
VUDU streams now available on LG BD390 player
LG on Wednesday announced that its BD390 Blu-ray player now supports video streams from VUDU. The service will allow users to view content such as movies and TV shows, with over 2,200 movies available in 1080p resolution paired with 5.1-channel audio. Other supported sources for streaming video include Netflix, Roxio, CinemaNow and YouTube.
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09/09, 6:20pm
BDP-N460 adds Netflix, YouTube
Continuing its home theater launches for CEDIA, Sony tonight added its first truly network-aware Blu-ray player. Although earlier players have had BD-Live features, the BDP-N460 can stream videos from Netflix and YouTube as well as get music streams from Slacker, regardless of the attached TV. In a unique touch, the movie player is specifically optimized for Linksys' (Cisco's) WET610N Ethernet-to-Wi-Fi bridge and improves the stability of streaming over the wireless connection.
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09/09, 5:50pm
XBR10 adds new Wireless HD, more
Sony used its turn at CEDIA to launch a raft of new home theater equipment headlined by the BRAVIA XBR10. An Americanized version of the Japanese ZX5, they have a new 60GHz Wireless HD media box that lets the TV sit completely separately from most video inputs while still playing them at full quality. It can play a 1080p picture at a full 60 frames per second without dropping frames or otherwise showing differences between this and a wired signal.
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09/08, 10:15am
Netgear Digital Entertainer Live
Netgear is adding to its line of set-top boxes with a low-end device that supports 720p HD but lacks a hard drive and built-in wireless. The Digital Entertainer Live relies mostly on its Ethernet-based online access and has built-in support for YouTube, pay-per-view movies from CinemaNow and live internet TV through VuNow. Resembling one of Netgear's internet routers, the small device has both the 100Mbps network link as well as two USB ports for external storage, one HDMI output for digital and one RCA for analog sources. An optional USB adapter brings 802.11n Wi-Fi for those that want it later.
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08/31, 7:50am
MS on TV and iTunes Moment
The TV industry needs to find a convincing online strategy or else risk handing the market over to Apple, Microsoft's UK managing director of consumer business Ashley Highfield warned this weekend. Speaking at an international TV industry festival in Edinburgh, the executive warned that TV could "face its iTunes moment" in two to three years and hand over control of online video to Apple. Without a quick shift in emphasis to TV on the web instead of traditional service, customers are predicted to flock to paid download services and bypass regular providers altogether.
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08/26, 9:20am
Film Fresh DivX Movies
Young movie store Film Fresh today launched itself as the first US-based movie store to provide downloads from larger studios in DivX form. Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony and Warner have all agreed to include both recent and classic titles on the store and as a result have created one of the first few truly cross-platform movie services. Although the videos are still copy-protected, the choice of DivX lets them play on Macs as well as any other device with an official DivX certification, including Blu-ray and DVD players, consoles like the PS3, and even the TVs themselves.
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08/25, 5:10pm
Wii to get PlayOn app
Nintendo's Wii will get the ability to play movies on users' Windows PCs thanks to Media Mall's PlayOn app on Wednesday, August 26th. PlayOn has already allowed PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 users to access Netflix Watch, Amazon VOD and Hulu content. The Wii version will also have support for a few other unnamed online video services, though does require an Internet-connected Windows XP or Vista computer as the source.
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08/11, 10:30am
X360 only Netflix Console
Microsoft as part of its just-launched summer Xbox 360 update revealed that it will be the only game console maker to get Netflix movie support. The company explains the deal as an "exclusive partnership" and as such locks out PlayStation 3 and Wii owners from streaming movies and TV shows. Both companies decline to say how long the exclusivity will last.
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08/03, 2:40pm
Netflix iPhone Rumor
Netflix may soon be opening the gates to its unlimited movie and TV streaming on the iPhone and iPod touch, a rumor indicates today. An executive for an unnamed company claims to MCN that Netflix will "soon" extend Watch Instantly to the Apple devices. The service would likely be limited to Wi-Fi for bandwidth concerns, though it's unclear whether this would be due solely to pressure from AT&T or simple practical concerns: Netflix streaming normally needs hundreds of kilobits per second and would be likely to encounter connection problems over 3G.
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07/29, 11:30am
LG TVs to get Vudu service
Electronics producer LG today said it has teamed up with Vudu to integrate the latter's on-demand movie and TV services into its HDTVs. This will allow the Internet-connected TVs to browse and view a full library of content, including in HD. Currently, Vudu offers set-top boxes that need to plugged into a TV and network connection, which adds to the clutter and complexity of a living room, as well as adding another remote control. With the partnership with LG, Vudu hopes to make its service more accessible to customers.
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07/16, 10:45pm
Xbox 360 July Update
Microsoft today updated the Xbox 360 to add several of the updates mentioned at E3. The console's Netflix player now includes a browser to let users pick and manage their Netflix queue, saving the trouble of using a computer's web browser. Those viewers with Gold accounts also get the often delayed party system for movies that lets them watch titles in Netflix with others at the same, including with live chat.
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07/16, 12:45pm
Blu-ray Sales Climb 91pc
The Digital Entertainment Group today trumpeted a surge in newer video formats for the first half of the year. Although spending as a whole between January and June dropped 3.9 percent versus the early part of 2008, the industry agency says the amount of money spent buying Blu-ray movies jumped 91 percent to $407 million. Direct-download movies also helped offset problems with DVDs and climbed 21 percent to $968 million.
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07/15, 1:25pm
Widget Bazaar now out
Subscribers to Verizon's fiber optic Internet and cable service, FiOS, now have access to the Widget Bazaar, which lets them check out Twitter apps and log onto Facebook right on their TVs. Users won't be able to post Twitter updates or view their friends' pages, as the young version of the app only allows users to get updates on what they're watching and standard community Twitter updates. The Twitter app remains on the screen as a vertical ticker, even when users are watching TV.
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07/09, 10:25am
Best Buy, TiVo make a deal
Electronics retail chain Best Buy and digital video recorder maker TiVo on Thursday announced a partnership that will see Best Buy carry a specially developed TiVo set-top box that will let Best Buy advertise its products and services to TiVo subscribers, among other benefits. What TiVo execs are calling the biggest marketing move in the DVR company's history, will see Best Buy committing to a multi-year deal to advertise, promote and carry the TiVo devices, though no financial details have been released.
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07/09, 9:00am
Sony BRAVIA Gets Netflix
Sony today said its Internet-aware BRAVIA TVs now have access to Netflix. Both newer sets with support built-in, as well as older sets using the add-on Internet Video Link, can access (but not add to) the Watch Instantly queue and stream movies or TV shows directly to the set. Whether or not it's capable of HD footage isn't clear.
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06/29, 4:15pm
Court reject RS-DVR appeal
The US Supreme Court today rejected an appeal by film studios and television networks of a New York court ruling that would allow a new type of digital video recorder service from Cablevision. A report says the justices refused to review a ruling made by a US Court of Appeals in New York that said Cablevision's proposed service would not directly infringe the copyrights of the media companies that produce the recorded movie and TV programs. No reason for the rejection was given.
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06/26, 12:40pm
Sonic, Zip movie downloads
Canadian rent-by-mail DVD service Zip.ca said today that it's in talks with Sonic Solutions, the owner of the Roxio CinemaNow movie download service, to bring the first large-scale movie download service in Canada. The partnership will allow PC and portable multimedia device users to download TV shows and movies, making it somewhat akin to the streaming feature Netflix offers its US customers; it's not clear if Zip would shadow this format.
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06/25, 4:45pm
MvixUSA intros Ultio
MvixUSA on Thursday announced the upcoming release and specs of its 1080p-capable Ultio networked multimedia player. The device is compatible with UPnP-standard networks and can be ordered with a 1TB hard drive. Streaming content from Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and other similar sites is supported, and MvixUSA says the device supports a record amount of video file formats and codecs, including the relatively uncommon RMVB or FLAC.
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06/23, 10:25am
Rhapsody comes to VIZIOs
VIZIO on Tuesday announced its VIA-badged TVs with access to Internet Apps will now have access to Real's Rhapsody music service. With the user interface, users can browse the near 8-million song library using VIZIO's Bluetooth universal remote control, which has a built-in QWERTY keyboard, while watching TV. Songs can be searched by title, artist or album and on-demand access to new releases and top albums is available.
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06/22, 2:20pm
TiVo Rental and TW Rumor
Fresh from a win against EchoStar, TiVo is set to tie directly into pay-per-view systems as well as Time Warner's cable network, according to two sources. The DVR producer is said by Bloomberg to be talking with more than one pay-per-view provider to either allow its recording directly or else to license out the technology for third-party hardware or software. Details are vague, but it would be separate from online-only support for Amazon VOD, Netflix and other services.
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06/11, 1:00pm
LG ships LH50, PS80 TVs
Electronics multinational LG is beginning to ship two new lines of TVs, originally announced during CES. The LH50 series is based on LCD technology, and currently includes only a 47-inch model; a 42-inch set is due later this summer. The predominant LH50 feature is said to be integrated Netflix streaming, allowing subscribers of the rental service to stream movies without a separate set-top box. Sets should also be capable of 1080p resolution.
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06/08, 11:05am
Epix HD Beta
Lionsgate, MGM and Paramount today launched an invitation beta for Epix, a hybrid cable and online movie streaming service meant to supplement rather than replace regular pay-per-view TV. Anyone with a cable package that includes the channel will get access to the studios' movies weeks ahead of their regular DVD releases for "free" but will simultaneously have access to streaming, 720p versions of those same movies for their computers. The approach is ad-free, even online, and automatically scales the bitrate up or down (to as low as 500Kbps) depending on the quality of the connection.
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06/01, 3:00pm
MS Zune Movies on Xbox
Microsoft today launched a range of changes to the Xbox 360's video features. Now rebranded as a Zune service, the former Xbox Video Marketplace will now provide videos in full 1080p and promises an "instant-on" feature that starts streaming videos almost immediately on faster connections. The extension will be available in all countries and should come along with an expansion of video rentals and purchases to 18 countries from the current 8.
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05/20, 7:35am
Win Media Center Netflix
Microsoft today quietly added Netflix support to Windows Media Center. The extension gives it features above and beyond athe Xbox 360 and lets users both add to as well as play their Watch Instantly movie queues. It can also auto-suggest new movies based on existing viewing habits. The addition gives home theater PCs access to a 10-foot media interface instead of having to use the Netflix website itself to stream shows.
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05/19, 9:00am
LG Ships BD390
LG today said it had started shipping the BD390, its flagship Blu-ray movie player. The reader is the first to play DivX videos at a full 1080p when either burned to a DVD or from an external USB drive. It likewise brings Wi-Fi and 1GB of internal storage, and can handle Blu-ray Profile 2.0 features as well as Netflix and YouTube video streaming without stringing Ethernet cable to a router or a Wi-Fi bridge.
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05/13, 2:15pm
VUDU Ad Backed Media
VUDU today signaled a partial change in direction with word that it will start offering ad-supported music and video through its service. Once limited to renting as well as selling movies and TV shows, the company is tapping Brightcove to provide ads for a free Sony music video service. It also plans to expand this to include other services but hasn't set out its plans to date, including whether or not it may extend this to TV and other long-form content.
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05/12, 4:20pm
Most money goes to BD, DVD
Researchers NPD Group today said that 88% of the money consumers spend on home entertainment goes towards purchasing and renting movies on DVD and Blu-ray discs. Of the $25 each US consumer spends on average in a given month, 63 percent was found to be spent on DVD purchases, 7 percent on Blu-ray discs, and 18% went towards renting DVD and Blu-ray movies. The remaining 12 percent was split between video on-demand (VOD) services (9 percent) and digital downloads and online streaming (3 percent).
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05/05, 4:50pm
Vudu to come to Entone box
For the first time, Vudu will offer its library of more than 14,000 movies and 1,500 high-definition movies on hardware from a third-party, effectively becoming a service provider in addition to a hardware manufacturer in the process. Vudu chose Entone as its partner, which supplies set-top boxes and DVRs to small regional TV providers. Vudu will endow the Entone hardware with the same functionality as its Vudu Box offering, including on-demand access to HD and HDX movies, via a software update.
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04/20, 10:25am
Flash on TVs, set-tops
Adobe has devised a new version of its Flash animation standard which should allow TVs and other electronics to stream content directly, according to an announcement. Called the Flash Platform for the Digital Home, the technology is now being licensed to OEMs and should ship in products scheduled for the second half of 2009. Some companies which have agreed to support the platform include Broadcom, Comcast, Disney, Intel, Netflix, Atlantic Records and the New York Times.
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04/17, 9:15am
Best Buy Movie Store Rumor
If accurate, a rumor floated today will see Best Buy leap into its own online movie store. Entertainment magazine Variety claims to have heard from movie studio executives that the retailer is talking to CinemaNow and "other online movie services" to establish a link between itself and one of these services. While what's involved is uncertain, Best Buy is likely to arrange for a cut of the revenues for each movie viewed and may promote hardware with that movie service's features built-in.
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04/13, 5:10pm
Netflix game platform job
Netflix has recently put up a job posting on Monster seeking an Engineering Leader for Gaming Platforms. The team such a position heads up is responsible for prototyping, testing and building a Netflix user interface on various gaming platforms. The posting's verbiage points to creating media rich applications on current generation gaming consoles, and with the Xbox 360 already sporting a Netflix interface, this could mean the PlayStation 3 and possibly even Nintendo's Wii.
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04/09, 9:05am
Moxi DVR Media Streaming
Digeo on Thursday rolled out an update to its Moxi HD DVR that significantly expands its role as a media hub. The new version adds DLNA support to stream music, photos and videos from nearby PCs and other devices on the local network, such as PlayStation 3s. It also takes advantage of new paid software from PlayOn that will push web video from Hulu, Netflix and other sites from a PC to the Moxi without needing to visit the web.
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04/07, 9:05am
Blockbuster may Exit
Blockbuster yesterday submitted a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing that reveals the company doesn't believe it can continue business. The video store is no longer certain that it can remain a "going concern" and may have to stop operations and close its doors if its financial situation doesn't improve in the near future. The warning comes in spite of a $250 million refinancing loan having been put in place just last week; Blockbuster now says there is "no assurance" that it can meet the requirements of the transaction before it's completed on May 11th.
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04/02, 6:40pm
Netflix two billionth DVD
Online and rent-by-mail company Netflix on Thursday announced it has delivered the two billionth DVD to one of its subscribers in Birmingham, Alabama on Wednesday. The lucky subscriber, Clay Shannon, has received a free lifetime subscription to commemorate the achievement. The Blu-ray copy of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist was shipped from Netflix' Atlanta-based distribution center, one of 58 the company operates in North America.
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03/30, 3:50pm
Netflix ups Blu-ray prices
Rent-by-mail and online video rental company Netflix on Monday notified its subscribers that it would raise prices by nearly 20 percent for its Blu-ray library. Prices for standard-definition offerings on DVD will remain the same, with the new prices coming into effect on or after April 27th. Subscribers who do not wish to get their fees hiked need to disable the Blu-ray preference on their online accounts, Netflix says.
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