on-demand

Comcast tries to stay relevant in online world

As more entertainment content makes it way online, Comcast is looking for new ways to remain relevant to its subscribers.

Specifically, the cable giant is launching a bunch of new initiatives to bring more interactive content to its services and keep its subscribers hooked on cable. First on the list is the company's proposed free online video-on-demand service. The service, which will be offered as part of Comcast's Fancast video site, has been discussed publicly for the past couple of months. But the company has kept the details, such as when it will launch and what content will … Read more

NetSuite floats out SuiteCloud

NetSuite on Thursday unveiled its SuiteCloud Ecosystem, expanding its on-demand enterprise software service to include cloud computing.

The company, which hosts enterprise software on demand, is branching out to allow customers the ability to push their core operations into the clouds.

As part of its SuiteCloud Ecosystem, NetSuite is launching a developer program, SuiteCloud Developer Network, and an online cloud-computing application marketplace, SuiteApp.com.

The SuiteCloud platform will be built on core NetSuite enterprise resource management (ERP) software, as well as its customer relationship management (CRM) and e-commerce offerings.

NetSuite is delving into cloud computing at a time when this … Read more

Comcast to launch OnDemand Online to select audiences

If you haven't gotten over the 250GB per month cap that Comcast instated last October, you now have another reason to be unhappy about it. Other than that caveat, the following is good news.

According to BusinessInsider, Comcast announced Friday that it's going to offer a new online service, tentatively called "OnDemand Online" that will be available by the end of this year. The service is similar to Hulu, with one major difference when it comes to content: while Hulu offers mostly TV shows from broadcast networks, Comcast's OnDemand Online will offer content from cable … Read more

One million Xbox 360 users tap Netflix

Corrected at 12:53 p.m. PST Friday, February 6, 2009, to indicate that Sony is available again via streaming and Netflix does not currently rent games.

While I'm both an Xbox 360 gamer and a Netflix user, I still haven't signed up for Netflix on my Xbox.

That's the unpopular stand, it seems, as Microsoft and the video rental site on Thursday announced that more than 1 million Xbox users have downloaded and activated the movie service since it was introduced on the game console in November of last year. That translates to more than 13,… Read more

CES 2009 preview: Gaming

While last year's CES didn't offer much in terms of gaming, it would appear that CES 2009 has a lot more in store. This is partially thanks to the Nintendo Wii, which has not only solidified itself as the best-selling console of this generation, but because the system lends itself so well to third-party accessories. We expect to see plenty of new products announced exclusively for the Wii from companies like Mad Catz and Nyko.

It's possible that Microsoft may reveal some new info regarding the Xbox 360 hardware. Rumors of a Blu-ray drive continue to swirl, … Read more

Xbox 360 to offer first-ever Netflix HD streaming

When Microsoft unveiled the plan for the new Xbox Live experience back at E3 2008, we were thrilled to hear that Netflix instant streaming was among the features announced.

That news just got a little sweeter now that Engadget HD is reporting that Xbox 360 owners will also be able to stream selected Netflix titles in HD.

While a list of HD-ready movies is not immediately available, some 300 titles will be ready for HD streaming when the service launches--along with the new Xbox Live experience--November 19.

Judging from the screen grab, it looks like the Netflix 360 player … Read more

DirecTV to add 1080p content too?

Just a few weeks after Dish Network announced that it would offer 1080p on-demand movies, it looks like DirecTV is getting ready to match them. According to Scott Greczkowski's blog on Multichannel News, DirecTV is currently running a beta test that allows subscribers to download 1080p on-demand movies as well. Here's the relevant snippet:

I am not sure if the 1080p movie was coming from the satellite or if it was being downloaded over the internet. I do know that when I checked my DVR list the next morning the movie The Bucket List was there waiting for … Read more

Can Tru2way succeed where CableCard failed?

If the industry press is to be believed, Tuesday's announcement that Sony would be producing TVs with Tru2way compatibility was a watershed event--the electronics world equivalent of the Magna Carta or the Treaty of Versailles. But let's step back a bit and examine what this really means.

Tru2way is a digital cable technology developed by CableLabs that's designed to be built directly into TVs, eliminating the need for an outboard set-top box. In theory, you'd be able to buy a Tru2way-compatible TV, bring it home, connect it to your coaxial cable, and instantly be able to … Read more

TiVo to offer Disney movies for download

TiVo is gearing up to dish out Disney movie rentals, as the digital video recorder company expands its lineup of movies from major studios.

Under an agreement with Disney-ABC and CinemaNow, TiVo subscribers can download the movies for 24-hour rental. TiVo expects to offer the Disney rentals later this year to its broadband-connected TiVo Series2 and Series3 subscribers. Price for the service was not disclosed.

The Disney movies will add to TiVo's more than 30,000 titles from Amazon Unbox, Music Choice, and other content providers.

TiVo's efforts come as Blockbuster is reportedly looking at set-top boxes for … Read more