Amazon jumping into the original TV programming business
Netflix and Hulu are about to have some company in their efforts to create original TV series for their streaming video customers — a very big company. Amazon, best known for its retail business and ebook readers, has announced plans to create its own shows with help from its customers that will air on its Amazon Prime Instant Video service. Read more...
Kids TV networks take a hit as youngsters fall in love with Netflix
Do you have a Netflix account? It seems like answering "no" to that question puts you in a smaller and smaller group by the day, and according to some new statistics, kids are quickly jumping on the bandwagon, too. Analytics firm Bernstein Research used TiVo viewing data to compare the TV habits of families with Netflix to those without, and found that in homes with Netflix programming available, childrens' TV networks took a major hit. Read more...
In Netflix vs Lovefilm, the winner (probably) takes nowt
It isn't exactly your cliche of two bald men fighting over a comb, but victory in the battle royale between Netflix and Amazon's Lovefilm might not mean much to the eventual 'winner'.
Both of these video-on-demand offerings have their roots in the DVD-by-post business; in fact, that's the service that Netflix pioneered in the US, and which LoveFilm copied in the UK. Both will stream to your laptop, fondleslab or games console. Both are also members of DECE, the consortium behind UltraViolet, and hope to piggyback onto the aforementioned anti-piracy system in the long-term. Their prices are similar, too. LoveFilm has cut its fee to £5 a month, while Netflix launches at £5.99 with the first month free. Read more...