Target launched its online video store to the public yesterday, designed to provide parents with family-friendly options for their children. The Target Ticket online storefront goes beyond the standard age-based ratings of other electronic sell-through services by enabling parents to create subaccounts for their children based on various criteria. Target Ticket currently has 30,000 movies and TV shows (for viewers of all ages) available to purchase or rent, download or stream. Continue reading Target Ticket: Online Video Service with the Family in Mind

Pay TV operators such as Comcast and Verizon FiOS are expanding their on-demand TV services. This is in response to Netflix, through which many users “binge” on a full season of programming in one viewing. Cable operators and media content companies differ on where they should distribute their on-demand content and are cautiously moving forward. A concern for many is the pricing structure if cable companies offer expanded on-demand services. Continue reading Cable Operators Expand On-Demand to Compete With Netflix

Netflix has launched a new website called Spoiler Foiler that enables users to read their Twitter feeds without running the risk of seeing spoilers related to AMC’s award-winning series “Breaking Bad.” For example, fans who access Twitter on Monday morning, but missed the show the night before, can now rest easy. Through an automatic filter, tweets that contain potential spoilers appear blacked out, providing users with the option to read them or not. Continue reading Spoiler Foiler Blocks Unwanted Tweets About “Breaking Bad”

According to a recent Nielsen survey, an increasing number of American consumers are turning to Internet-based streaming video services. The research indicates that 38 percent of those surveyed use Netflix, 18 percent use Hulu and 13 percent use Amazon Instant Video. These numbers all represent increases over the previous year. Additionally, binge-viewing is on the rise, with 88 percent of Netflix users and 70 percent of Hulu Plus users saying they watched three or more episodes of a TV show in a single day. Continue reading Nielsen Study: More Viewers are Accessing Streaming Services

Amazon released an update to its Instant Video app for iOS last week that includes AirPlay support. Users can now stream unlimited movies and TV shows from Amazon’s service to Apple TV. Amazon’s library currently features more than 40,000 streaming videos, and over 140,000 titles for rent or purchase. In related news, Apple released an update on Friday to Apple TV that includes iTunes Radio and AirPlay streaming of content from iCloud rather than directly from iOS devices. Continue reading Amazon Updates Instant Video App for iOS to Support AirPlay

Atlanta-based MovieStop, with 44 stores in 10 states, is launching a new digital platform that offers electronic sales of movies and TV shows, many to include UltraViolet functionality. MovieStop has been running a buy, sell, trade business model since 2004 that originated during its time as a subsidiary of video game retailer GameStop. It has partnered with Philadelphia-based FlixFling.com in the joint venture. FlixFling operates a cloud-based digital locker for independent movies. Continue reading UltraViolet: Retailer MovieStop Launches New Digital Platform

Pandora Media, provider of streaming online music, won a legal victory on Tuesday in its ongoing battle with the music industry involving licensing and royalties. A federal court ruled that the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers cannot stop Pandora from licensing all the music in their catalog. The service’s attempts to reduce its costs have made it a target in the music industry, but the larger effect of the ruling remains unclear. Continue reading Federal Court Rules Pandora Can License Music for Streaming

Netflix is building its own customized server boxes to deal with the massive volume of streaming content to millions of users. But the company is also considering new “off the shelf” technologies that could be less costly and more efficient. Netflix is working with hardware companies such as Western Digital to develop new technologies and design methods to improve performance and deal with the massive data traffic that Netflix experiences. Continue reading How Netflix Decides on Building or Buying for Infrastructure

Hulu is making significant investments in content, including a licensing deal with BBC Worldwide North America to bring 144 titles to its video-streaming service. The company is also adding the first four seasons of CBS series “The Good Wife” to its library, and ordered 10 episodes of supernatural comedy “Deadbeat” from Lionsgate, one of approximately 40 original series it plans to introduce in the upcoming years. Hulu was taken off the auction block just two months ago. Continue reading Fresh Off the Auction Block, Hulu Investing in New Content

YouTube this week announced a new feature that will soon allow its users to watch video content offline. Starting in November, Google’s YouTube mobile apps will enable users to download content for offline viewing within a 48-hour period following the downloads. While the new feature may be a win for video fans when they are not online, some industry execs speculate that the move will not have much of an impact on total viewing numbers or advertising dollars. Continue reading YouTube Mobile Apps Will Soon Add Offline Viewing Feature

Visible World, a New York specialist in interactive advertising, is testing a smart TV app that alerts viewers when a certain program is about to air, even if they are doing something else such as playing a video game or streaming a movie. TV networks are finding it more difficult to get the word out about their shows, but this app may help to solve that issue. The app may also prove helpful for TV networks in determining how effective their promotions are to TV viewers. Continue reading New Smart TV App Will Remind Viewers When Shows Will Air

Sony is expected to debut a new streaming media device this week, similar to Google’s Chromecast. Briefly teased on the Sony blog last Friday, the BRAVIA NSZ-GU1 Smart Stick is a small dongle that unlocks Google TV on BRAVIA HDTVs. Users will have access to the Google Play store through the Smart Stick, in addition to streaming video applications such as Amazon Instant Video, Crackle, Netflix, Redbox Instant, Vudu, YouTube and other BRAVIA apps. Continue reading Sony Unveils New Smart Stick: Basically a Google TV Dongle

An analysis of ratings for Turner’s Cartoon Network suggests that children’s cable programmers may be suffering as a result of Netflix deals. At the beginning of 2013, Turner solidified a deal with Netflix that included shows on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. Since Cartoon Network content became available on Netflix at the end of March, data has revealed that ratings in Netflix households have been 10 percent lower than those of non-Netflix households. Continue reading Cartoon Network: Are Ratings Suffering Due to Netflix Deal?

Clear Channel Communications announced a deal late last week with the Warner Music Group through which Warner’s acts will collect royalties when their songs are played on Clear Channel’s 850 stations. This will mark the first time that the music label and its acts — which include Bruno Mars, CeeLo Green, Coldplay and Green Day — will collect payments from Clear Channel. In exchange for the deal and promotion for its acts, Clear Channel will receive a favorable rate for online streaming. Continue reading Clear Channel-Warner Deal Underlines Digital Licensing Issues

According to the Blu-ray Disc Association, the announcement of a next-generation Blu-ray Disc compatible with Ultra HD is imminent, putting to rest concerns of a potential 4K format war. During the IFA conference in Berlin, Marty Gordon, VP for Alliances & Communications at Philips and spokesman for the BDA, said that an announcement regarding an enhanced Blu-ray format involving a traditional-looking disc is expected in the near future. Continue reading IFA 2013: No 4K Format War Expected with Next-Gen Blu-ray