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DVICO's media streaming wootage

All right, we admit it, we're more obsessed with media streamers than is strictly healthy. But can you really blame us? We went for years without any decent way of watching our downloaded video on our lovely TVs and then all of a sudden, the market is awash with great products. The latest of which is the DVICO TViX HD M-6500A, which might not be a cool name, but it is a very cool product.

Don't be fooled by our photo--the TViX is very compact. Smaller than a cat, but larger than a kitten, if that helps. Like … Read more

Note to Netflix: Roku box needs latest movies

news analysis Netflix, don't take half steps with your digital-delivery service. Give your users what they want, and what they want is the latest hit movies.

CEO Reed Hastings and his management team have hit a home run--or at least a solid run-scoring triple--by partnering with Roku, the company behind the Netflix Player. The $100 device enables customers to stream movies from the Web to their TVs. Most reviewers have applauded the device for its low cost, easy setup, and viewing quality (a good Internet connection means no stalling or long download delays).

But a month after the Netflix … Read more

Watch feature films free of charge at Hulu.com

Many people already recognize video-streaming service Hulu.com as a great destination for watching TV shows (it has every single episode of Arrested Development, people!), but did you know it also offers movies? Over 100 of them, in fact, and some darn good titles, too. Here are my picks for the Five Best Movies to Watch on Hulu:

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Ice Age Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Monty Python's Meaning of Life The Usual Suspects

I didn't mention Sideways and The Big Lebowski because I think they're overrated--but they'… Read more

Stream big games to little computers with StreamMyGame

LogMeIn has always been a personal favorite of mine for starting a big download or accessing certain files while away from my home machine. But let's face it--playing Crysis would be a little more fun.

The folks at StreamMyGame have the same idea and have a wonderful solution that lets you stream your games over the Web. Tuesday morning the company announced support for a breadth of UMPCs like the ASUS EeePC and HP Mini-Note, the kind of computers designed with minimal computing in mind.

The app works by having you install a small server on your machine that … Read more

Will AOL's iPhone app pave way for Pandora?

Details of AOL's streaming radio application for the Apple iPhone 3G have surfaced after it was revealed that the application won an Apple design award for "Best Entertainment Application" at this year's WWDC. The free application will be available for the iPhone 3G next month, allowing users to stream 200 AOL online radio stations and 150 terrestrial radio stations over both Wi-Fi and 3G cellular connections.

While news of streaming radio capabilities coming to the iPhone is certainly exciting, personally, the thought of listening to terrestrial and AOL online stations doesn't exactly get my blood … Read more

Disney movies: Coming to a Web browser near you

Disney has begun showing full-length movies online, beginning with Finding Nemo, the studio said Tuesday.

It's the first time Disney has done so, and it's notable as such, but don't confuse the move with a full-on YouTubization of the company. Each movie will only be available for a few days after they air on ABC's Saturday-night TV show Wonderful World of Disney. Finding Nemo, for example, can be watched online through June 13, Disney said.

It's free, but don't expect a full-immersion cinema experience.

The movies are available through a "watch now" … Read more

Photos: Popcorn Hour does streaming right

We've long moaned that there's no such thing as the perfect media streamer. We've tested Apple TV, which is hopeless unless you exist totally in the Apple universe, and even then only if you're a U.S. resident. We enjoyed the DivX Connected system but noted it's far from perfect and, like Apple TV, won't play many formats out of the box. Now we've found another system, called the Popcorn Hour A-100, which promises to do everything we want--and we're properly excited.

For a start, it will play everything. Yes, that's … Read more

Your Blockbuster movie download is just a drive away

In the opening scene of The Player, Tim Robbins' character is meeting with writers who are pitching movie ideas they hope the Hollywood producer will agree to make. One idea is pitched to him as, "It's Pretty Woman meets Out of Africa, without stars."

Applying that Hollywood approach, the latest idea from Blockbuster can best be described as "Netflix meets YouTube, without the convenience." That's basically the pitch Blockbuster Chairman and CEO James Keyes made at his first annual shareholders meeting on Wednesday when he unveiled an in-store kiosk he hopes consumers will use … Read more

Netflix chief: DVD business to peak in 5 years

SAN FRANCISCO--Netflix is banking on the belief that streaming movies to people's living rooms is the future.

CEO Reed Hastings said during Netflix's investor day here that he expects the business of renting physical DVDs to peak within the next five years. However, Netflix representatives later said they forecast that DVDs will remain strong for at least a decade.

The company also plans to experiment with pricing, including both increases and decreases.

Netflix, however, is already moving beyond DVDs. Its $99 set-top box for streaming movies came out earlier this month, generally to positive reviews.

Hastings said that … Read more