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That sound you can hear is the studios dashing around as they look for a new scapegoat. Disney's got Redbox and Netflix in its sights as it declares plans to impose a 28-day window before it'll make its titles available for rental. Despite conceding that the studio hadn't seen any impact on overall DVD sales, CEO Bob Iger pointed to a 16 percent drop in quarterly revenue compared to 2010 as the motivation. It's also collecting splinters in its backside as it watches to see how well digital locker service UltraViolet fares with consumers before committing to join the program. Of course, given the legitimacy of First Sale Doctrine, it's possible Redbox will do as its done with Warner titles and just buy 'em at retail -- as long as it can cover its costs as it does so.

Disney considering 28-day rental window, because 'On Stranger Tides' was that good originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just as rumors indicated yesterday, Amazon has announced a new licensing deal with Viacom that will add TV shows from its networks -- MTV, Comedy Central, BET, VH1, Spike, Nickelodeon and the rest -- to the Prime Instant Video service. There's still no word on any potential spinning off of the all-you-can-eat video portion from the rest of Amazon's Prime membership program, but it does bring the count of movies and TV shows available to around 15,000, up from the 13,000 cited recently. The details are in the press release after the break, but it appears Amazon will have many of the same selections Netflix obtained in its earlier deals, from MTV favorites like RJ Berger and The Hills to kids shows like Yo Gabba Gabba and iCarly.

Continue reading Amazon, Viacom deal brings more TV shows to Prime Instant Video service

Amazon, Viacom deal brings more TV shows to Prime Instant Video service originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virgin Media's school report for both last year and last quarter has been pretty positive for the Branson-Branded service. It pulled down £4 billion ($6.3 billion) in revenue for the year and made its first ever profit with a tidy £76 million ($120 million). In the last quarter alone, it added 273,000 TiVo subscribers, a figure that doubled its overall figure to 435,000. Favorite shows included Coronation Street, which was most caught-up with and The Vampire Diaries, which was the most binge-watched series. It's also clear that us Britons do love some super-fast broadband, 133,000 users plumped for speeds over 30MB in Q4. Flush with cash, it's going to buy back some shares and double consumers broadband speeds as it promised in January -- which we suppose is a fair way to spend your first profit, even if we'd have preferred to go to Disneyland.

Virgin Media's Q4 2011 report: Brits love TiVo, Fast Broadband, Vampire Diaries originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's been a busy week in HD, with surprising new streaming offerings on the way from the likes of Sky and Verizon / Redbox, while Apple and Google each also pushed more minor updates to their TV boxes. Vizio is nearly ready to release a new format of HDTV in the US, and we also got some hands on time with a new TV companion app for your iPad. Of course, we couldn't get through this week without some discussion about the Super Bowl, which includes mentioning a server outage that interrupted things for Harmony Link users. There's that and plenty more to discuss, so go ahead and press play -- but remember to vote for the 2011 Engadget Awards first.

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00:09:52 - Verizon and Redbox team up to launch streaming and physical media service later this year
00:21:00 - Sky will launch an internet based TV service in the UK in the first half of 2012
00:24:55 - Redbox refuses to push Warner movie delay to 56 days, will rent flicks as they go on sale
00:27:45 - Netflix teams with eyeIO to lower bandwidth use on movie night
00:30:06 - Apple TV gets into video discovery, adds movie and TV show Genius Recommendations
00:34:19 - Google TV 3.2 update enhances HLS video streaming support, Plex update takes advantage
00:34:30 - Sony Google TV gets update this week, brings speedier Chrome and 3D Blu-ray support
00:35:35 - Boxee desktop app being removed from servers tonight, get it while you can
00:37:13 - ConnecTV social companion beta launches for iPad, PC and Mac
00:47:10 - Vizio reveals $3,499 price for its 58-inch ultrawidescreen HDTV
00:52:30 - Upgraded DirecTiVos from WeaKnees are on deck
00:56:44 - Server outage turns Harmony Link into a paperweight
01:00:35 - Martin Scorsese's 'Hugo' Blu-ray 3D set for release February 28th -- 3D haters beware
01:11:00 - Vote for the 2011 Engadget Awards!
01:11:25 - Must See HDTV (February 6th - 12th)

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Engadget HD Podcast 285 - 02.07.2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So far, 2012 has been quiet for Amazon's all-you-can-eat video streaming service, but that could change soon as Reuters cites anonymous sources claiming the retailer will lock up a deal with Viacom (Paramount Studios, MTV, Nickelodeon, Spike, etc.) soon. That would reportedly be one of the final steps to launching Prime Instant Video as a standalone service, just as Netflix had suggested in its last earnings report. With details still scarce it's hard to say exactly what shape these competitors to the streaming crown will take, but between Amazon, Hulu, Redbox / Verizon, Google, whatever Apple may be up to as well as a fight from Sky and Lovefilm in the UK, it should be a very interesting year.

Reuters: Amazon Prime Instant Video close to Viacom deal, standalone service launch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We've sorted through the nominations and now we're relying on you to determine the real tech winners from 2011. So, if your smartphone of choice didn't get all the love you hoped it would, hop on over to the voting page and cast your vote. Keep in mind you have until 11:59PM ET on Monday February 20th to let your voice be heard. Check back for the leading vote getters along with our Editors' Choice gadgets before the end of the month.

Hit the voting page here to submit your ballot.

Reminder: Vote for the 2011 Engadget Awards! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If Panasonic's CES 2012 lineup of plasma and LCD HDTVs interested you, it's time to dig into more details it's just released about their Japanese cousins. Those "Infinite Black Ultra Panel" plasmas will arrive April 20th as the VT5 series and AV Watch reports the 60-inch will be priced at about 500,000 yen ($6517), while the 50-inch is 360,000 yen ($4694). There's also details on the new GT5 plasmas, in 60-, 55-, 50- and 42-inch sizes, as well as the DT5 and ET5 LCDs. All of those are 3D capable and will start rolling out March 9th (April 20th for some of the larger sizes), although the ET series is its first that works with passive 3D glasses. The new 3D glasses -- passive (2,000 yen, $26) and active with Bluetooth link (13,000 yen, $169) will also arrive in March along new Blu-ray players and recorders plus a refreshed Skype camera that's slimmer and half the weight of last year's model. Hit the links below and let Google Translate bring in the details, we should probably hear more about US prices, specs and ship dates in a few weeks.

Panasonic prices, dates some of its 2012 HDTVs (VT, GT, ET) and accessories in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iTV rumors continue to swirl around the shady backwaters of the internet, but it's not often national papers of record decide to wade in -- Canada's, no less. According to an anonymous source who spilled the beans to the Globe and Mail, Apple's TV set will include Siri-powered voice control, with the virtual assistant also helping in those ever-pressing "programming choices". There will also be gesture recognition courtesy of a front-facing camera and (perhaps most worryingly) an on-screen keyboard for typing into a web browser and other apps. The paper couldn't confirm whether the device will play nice with the rest of la familia iOS, although another mole informed the Canadian news source that both Rogers and BCE Inc are jostling to claim a stake in the mysterious device, with Apple apparently actively courting both carriers.

Globe and Mail reveals early details on Apple iTV: Siri wants to hear you shout at the big game originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Super Bowl is over, the ads have aired, and now we're trying to fill a football-sized hole in our TV schedules. Luckily there's a few new shows airing that may help us get through the winter, unless of course we get more Glee clones that push us outdoors into the harsh, unforgiving elements. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.

The Walking Dead
AMC's hit show is back for the second half of its second season Sunday night, and we're... actually anticipating it? Stranger things have happened, and now that the little girl we never really got to know or care about is gone maybe they can leave the farm to go places where things happen. There's a quick preview trailer embedded after the break.
(February 12th, AMC, 10PM

Smash
It's another show that's a lot like Glee. These words have either filled you with dread or uncontrollable excitement. Schedule your DVR and plans for this evening accordingly.
(February 6th, NBC, 10PM)

Doomsday Preppers
We know, we said we were against the quirky reality TV shows (on a slightly related note, the second jousting reality show of the season also premieres this week -- how has jousting become a thing?) but this one is crazy enough to pique our interest. Doomsday Preppers goes inside your neighbor's underground vault to see just what he's got stocked in there should the worst happen. Don't wait for the air-raid sirens to go off to find out, just tune into National Geographic tomorrow night, or check out the trailer embedded after the break.
(February 7th, National Geographic, 9 & 10PM)

Continue reading Must See HDTV (February 6th - 12th)

Must See HDTV (February 6th - 12th) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you thought Coinstar was through making industry rattling announcements today, you were wrong. After taking the wraps off its joint venture with Verizon, now the company has announced it'll be taking over NCR's entertainment division for $100 million. That includes DVD kiosks, retailer contracts and an inventory of discs for stocking the machines. That's big news not only because it expands Redbox's already sizable self-serve rental empire, but because it's doing so at the expense of the floundering Blockbuster, since NCR owns the blue and yellow rental kiosks. Presumably existing Blockbuster Express installations will become Redboxes, though, how quickly that might happen is unclear. For a few more details about the deal check out the PR after the break.

Update: We've attached a letter from Blockbuster explaining the switchover after the break.

Continue reading Redbox snatches up NCR's entertainment division, swallows Blockbuster Express business

Redbox snatches up NCR's entertainment division, swallows Blockbuster Express business originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's Monday, and almost as regular an occurrence as the day itself, we're here to help by letting you listen into the recording booth when the Engadget HD podcast goes to mp3 at 5:30PM. Please be a part of it by reviewing the list of topics after the break, then participating in the live chat as you listen in.

Continue reading Join the Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 5:30PM

Join the Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 5:30PM originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lilyhammer, Netflix's first original series (shortly to be followed by the probably awful remake of House of Cards and Arrested Development season four) commenced streaming today. Little Steven (Van Zandt, of E-Street Band and Sopranos fame) plays wholly against type as a mafioso despatched by the witness protection program to Lillehammer. Unlike the HBOs and AMCs of this world, you'll be able to binge-watch the whole show as soon as you get in from work, just make sure the under-18s are in bed before you begin as freed from the network censors, it's a little coarse. Oh, and if you're wondering, those of us in the know have decided to nickname the show "Paulie Silvio in Norway," in the hopes that it'll catch on before the already confirmed season two begins filming.

Lilyhammer (or: 'Silvio in Norway') now streaming on Netflix originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It once was a rumor but now it's real: Verizon and Redbox are joining forces on what is said to be the "best of both worlds" -- a service that will offer both physical media and streaming content for subscribers. Details are slim at this point but the supposed "Project Zoetrope" will offer DVD and Blu-ray media in addition to on-demand streaming plus downloadable content. The Netflix-like service will be launching in the second half of this year and, while "multi-platform" support for "devices" is mentioned, it's not stated whether any of those will be non-Verizon. Though, Big Reds' claims that it will "erase all technological boundaries" does make us slightly optimistic. Still, we'll have to wait a few more months to know for sure.

[Thanks, Kevin]

Continue reading Verizon and Redbox team up to launch streaming and physical media service later this year

Verizon and Redbox team up to launch streaming and physical media service later this year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Cloud is great place right? It's all puppy dogs and ice cream, until it isn't. We'd suspect that's what Harmony Link users who ditched their old school remotes for an iOS device are thinking right about now. You see while typical Harmony remotes are only programmed via MyHarmony.com, the Harmony Link apparently requires a quick phone home to work at all. That's according to a number of users at Logitech's forums starting yesterday morning claiming their Harmony Link is now a "very nice and sleek paperweight," only showing an error when they try to turn on the TV for their not-so-super Super Bowl party tonight. While we're sure this is a temporary problem and the servers will be restored before too long, it does make you wonder why Logitech would design a solution that wouldn't work at all when a server can't be contacted.

Update: According to Logitech, the issue is fixed."As soon as the issue surfaced Logitech worked as quickly as possible to restore it, and the server is up and running again." [Thanks, Kevin]

Server outage turns Harmony Link into a paperweight originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Listen up, those of you with PlayStation Network IDs. Sony Computer Entertainment International has announced that, as of February 7th, the PSN will fold into its existing Sony Entertainment Network. The company has aimed the move at clearly unifying the services of PSN and SEN, such as Music Unlimited. Fret not, however, as Joystiq notes that the change is basically a looks-only affair, meaning your current account information and related services will remain the same. Notably, the moniker refresh won't apply to the PSP, which will curiously remain under the PSN moniker for network services. The news comes as a part of SCEI's updated Terms of Service and privacy policy, both of which take effect on the same day. Those changes, by the way, appear to mainly be regarding location-based services for PS Vita, and parental controls for sub-master accounts. After all of the bad times PSN has been through, its upcoming SEN identity might just be the new outlook on (online) life it needed all along -- and hopefully with less downtime. Hit up the source link below for the full details.

PlayStation Network moniker sacked, falls under Sony Entertainment Network umbrella on Feb. 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Considering that Hugo was a flick capable of earning 4 out of 4 stars from noted 3D hater Roger Ebert, it will be interesting to see how it's received upon its home release February 28th. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards and currently rocking a 94 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the fantasy tale of a boy who crosses paths with legendary filmmaker Georges Méliès in 1930s Paris may be the best example yet of how an artist can make use of the effect. The two hour six minute flick will be available in Blu-ray 3D combo pack, and 2D Blu-ray editions, with a 7.1 DTS-HD MA soundtrack and special featurettes on the making of the film and the real magician/director who inspired the story.

The release date is two days after the Academy Awards, and if this flick can snag Best Picture or Best Director it could become a turning point for 3D. New 3D movies are already on deck from other high-profile directors like Ridley Scott (Alien prequel Prometheus) and Baz Luhrmann (The Great Gatsby), while big budget conversions like Star Wars -- coming to theaters next week -- and already-sold-out-for-Valentines Day Titanic test the waters for older movies. Add in sports broadcasts planned including UFC 143 tonight and the London Olympics in the summer, and 2012 is shaping up to be an especially rough year for 3D haters -- you have our deepest sympathies. Those on the other side of the fence can check after the break for a press release with more details and (2D) theatrical trailer, it's currently available on Amazon for preorders at $27.99, 2D only is $21.99.

Continue reading Martin Scorsese's 'Hugo' Blu-ray 3D set for release February 28th -- 3D haters beware

Martin Scorsese's 'Hugo' Blu-ray 3D set for release February 28th -- 3D haters beware originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple added a new wrinkle to its hobby overnight, as AppleInsider reports the Genius recommendation feature added in iTunes 8 now offers up suggestions for movies and TV shows. The new Apple TV feature appears to have been switched on from the back end servers with no firmware update, displaying the new Genius option under Movies and TV Netflix-style as shown above. We're not sure you really needed anyone else telling you it's definitely time to check out The Wire or Breaking Bad, but with competitors like Google already taking aim at improving content discovery and recommendations it's a logical next step for whatever Apple's living room ambitions ultimately become.

Apple TV gets into video discovery, adds movie and TV show Genius Recommendations originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Feb 2012 06:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Google TV update that rolled out to Sony units earlier this week (no word on the Revue, yet) brought tweaks to Chrome and support for Blu-ray 3D playback on the player, but that's not all. The bump to Android 3.2 also improved hooks for developers to access channel listings in their apps, enabled hardware acceleration and last but not least, improved support for HTTP Live Streaming. That last detail is particularly important to those streaming video from their PCs using Plex, since additional HLS tweaks were necessary to allow viewing of files transcoded from otherwise-Google TV unfriendly formats. Also supported as in the Plex update is selection of alternate audio streams, subtitles, more channels and a few other fixes. Check out a Google+ post from Les Vogel of the Google TV team for all the Honeycomb 3.2 (API Level 13) details you can stomach, the Plex blog for more info on its software, or just make sure you're running the latest updates and take a look around yourself.

Google TV 3.2 update enhances HLS video streaming support, Plex update takes advantage originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kicking up a fuss about Netflix hogging all your bandwidth? Perhaps the company's latest partnership could induce a rapid change of heart. The streaming service has paired up with eyeIO in hopes of keeping bandwidth usage during streams to a minimum, which they claim won't affect the content's overall quality. While the joint venture just became official, the startup's "ultra-low-bandwidth" encoding technology -- that allegedly can reduce usage on a 720p HD stream by more than 50 percent -- began its testing phase on the streaming-giant's offerings months ago. Although eyeIO's service has already been implemented by Netflix, it's worth mentioning this isn't an exclusive deal, thus it's possible for its competition to jump on the bandwidth conservation bandwagon in the future. More importantly, we're interested to find out if you have noticed any difference in your streams lately, so drop us a line in the comments below.

Continue reading Netflix teams with eyeIO to lower bandwidth use on movie night

Netflix teams with eyeIO to lower bandwidth use on movie night originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are you ready for a showdown? You're in luck! In the latest edition of our fine weekly, Myriam Joire tackles wrist-top computing, comparing the inPulse and WIMM One smartwatches. Also in this issue, Zachary Lutz takes the BlackBerry Curve 9360 for a spin; Dana Wollman puts HP's latest Envy 15 through the paces; and Joe Pollicino tries to keep Klipsch's Mode M40 headphones in place. If that wasn't enough to pique your interest, our former editor-in-chief, Ryan Block, returns to take on the Distro Q&A and Box Brown offers a comic look at becoming an iBooks Author. So go on and get to downloading!

Distro Issue 26 PDF
Distro on the iTunes App Store
Distro in the Android Market
Distro APK (for sideloading)
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter

Distro Issue 26: Smartwatch face-off, Ryan Block and more originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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