hbo

HBO Go on the Xbox: Great, if your cable provider allows it

Can your game console act as a TV replacement? Very nearly, now that more and more video apps are hitting consoles at a record rate. HBO Go, which has become a symbol of sorts for the potential of app-based on-demand entertainment as a cable accessory, has hit the Xbox, joining Roku, Android phones, the iPhone, and the iPad -- and, of course, smart TVs and laptops, too.

Unlike IP-based cable provider apps like Time Warner and Xfinity, HBO Go works anywhere in the U.S. just like Netflix, provided you have a subscriber log-in that comes from signing in via your cable provider. Oh, there's one more thing: not all cable providers allow HBO Go to work on the Xbox. Depending on who your provider is, you'll either (a) not be able to use HBO Go, or (b) be able to use it on certain devices, but not others.… Read more

Xbox Live said to get HBO Go, Comcast

It's looking like "Game of Thrones" fans will have a couple extra days to get ready to watch the premiere of season two on Microsoft's XBox Live. Rumor has it that both HBO Go and Comcast's video-on-demand service will be available on Xbox Live tomorrow, according to tech news site GigaOM.

Ever since Microsoft announced last fall that its gaming console would add HBO Go and Comcast in with its new content partners and live TV programming, users have awaited the official launch. Several other apps shortly became available, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, and … Read more

Fox, NBC Universal will join Apple iCloud soon

Not all of the major Hollywood studios are participating in Apple's new iCloud feature that enables users to store their movies and TV shows on Apple's servers.

Apple announced upgrades to its Apple TV system at its iPad press event yesterday. Among them were 1080p support, better navigation and the ability to re-download video from Apple's iCloud.

AllThingsD reported yesterday that Fox and NBC Universal are holdouts and that the reason has to do with exclusive licenses that those studios have with Time Warner's HBO.

This is the same contractual obligation that plagued the UltraViolet platform … Read more

Netflix said to be seeking cable TV partner

Netflix might be looking to step up its game as competition with HBO and other service providers heats up.

The video streaming giant is looking to partner with a cable company that would bundle online movie streaming with its other offerings, according to Reuters.

The news service reports that sources familiar with the matter say that Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings has been stealthily meeting with a few of the largest U.S. cable companies the past few weeks to discuss how a deal might work. This partnership could come as soon as the end of the year, according to … Read more

I regret selling my DVDs

I used to have hundreds of DVDs. They lined an entire bookshelf. I knew I never watched many of them; besides, the future was digital, wasn't it? It was 2006. My iPod Video told me so.

I sold about half my discs to the departed Kim's Video up the street, and then--pressured a bit by my family needs and small apartment--I did the unthinkable: I tossed out the remaining boxes and stuffed the discs in a binder.

It felt like sacrilege for my treasured and somewhat hard-to-find discs--my Canadian version of Cronenberg's "eXistenZ" with a commentary track, my various out-of-print Criterion movies. I gambled that I'd never really play these discs many more times, what with Netflix instant streaming and iTunes movie rentals.

Mostly, I was right. Then came "Kiki's Delivery Service."… Read more

HBO Go landing on Xbox 360 on April 1?

After taking some time to break out from the browser, HBO Go is making some serious inroads into your living room.

Speaking to Engadget last night, HBO Co-President Eric Kessler said that his company plans to make HBO Go available on the Xbox 360 on April 1. The launch is by no means a coincidence: it matches up with the premiere of season 2 of HBO's hit series "Game of Thrones."

Microsoft announced last year that it would be offering HBO Go, which allows HBO subscribers to stream the company's entire line of television shows, documentaries, … Read more

Comedy series rumored to be in the works at Netflix

The next stab in the Netflix vs. HBO tit-for-tat rivalry was revealed today with rumors that Netflix is planning to produce a new comedy series, according to Bloomberg News.

The series, called "Orange is the New Black," would be 13 episodes and based on the diary of a communications executive who served time at a low-level women's prison on drug-related charges, according to Bloomberg News. Jenji Kohan, who made "Weeds," is said to be the show's creator.

Just last week, Netflix debuted a series similar to the "Sopranos" called "Lilyhammer." … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1580: Men have little interest in Pinterest (Podcast)

Rafe Needleman and Donald Bell join Brian Tong on the show today to discuss all the new video-streaming options coming down the pipe. We got Amazon, Viacom, HBO, Netflix, Verizon, Redbox, and now possibly another service called Quickflix. Which one will you choose? In other news, the iPad 3 is coming in March, and we investigate who exactly Pinterest appeals to. If you are a guy you most likely have no interest in Pinterest.

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Is HBO's investment in Netflix-like firm a strategy shift?

At a time when HBO tries to downplay the suggestion that any significant rivalry exists between it and Netflix, managers there have worked to acquire a Netflix lookalike in Australia.

And get this: the name of this video rental service HBO bought is Quickflix.

Seem familiar? The name sounds like a blend of Netflix and the company's ill-fated spinoff, known as Qwikster. HBO's managers had to know how it would look for the premium cable channel to invest $10 million in a company with a name like that.

Not surprisingly, some media outlets are writing that HBO's … Read more