amazon video

Analysts are having some difficulty getting a clear picture of Netflix's streaming future -- and its stock is paying the price.

Shares in the Web video-rental service fell 8 percent to $67. 75 in morning trading after Merrill Lynch/BofA downgraded the stock. Yesterday, Netflix closed up 10 percent after Morgan Stanley analyst Scott Devitt raised his rating and boosted his price target to $85.

Last Wednesday, Mark Mahaney, a Citigroup analyst also helped send the stock price up when he called Netflix a "screaming buy." The upgrades were based in part on the belief that Amazon … Read more

I never thought I'd be writing about Toys "R" Us again but one of the country's best-known children's merchants is making some big moves online.

The company has launched a video service designed for children and offers more than 4,000 titles from some of Hollywood's biggest film studios. As one might expect, the selection at ToysrusMovies.com is family fare and the service will charge $2.99 for 24-hour rentals while download-to-own titles will start at $5.99.

Toys "R" Us is even in the cloud. Users can store their purchases … Read more

Jeff Bezos might have saved his company some money -- and a lot of trouble -- had he not tried to lowball Netflix back in 1999.

According to "Netflixed," a history of the DVD-and-streaming pioneer that's due to go on sale Thursday, founders Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph met with the Amazon CEO in 1999, after he indicated he might want to partner with Netflix in some way.

"Hastings also wanted to discuss selling Netflix to Amazon if the price was right," writes Gina Keating, the former Reuters reporter who authored the book. The only … Read more

In today's show, Facebook shareholders are fuming, Windows Phones need updating and Prime subscribers are streaming:

Facebook and several banks have been slapped with a lawsuit, accused of hiding some details about revenue estimates days before the stock went public. The charge is this: Facebook spoke with select analysts about additional information on revenue expectations than what was disclosed in amended filings. Smaller investors are upset they were left out of the loop, and say they lost money because they didn't know the full picture. But even if Facebook did give extra info to analysts, it's not … Read more

Amazon denied that it plans to soon launch a standalone video-streaming service similar to Netflix, dashing--for now--the prospect of a true head-to-head battle between the rivals.

Brad Beale, who oversees Amazon's video-acquisition unit, said in an interview with GigaOm's Ryan Lawler on Wednesday: "The bundle of benefits that come with Amazon Prime make perfect sense to offer to customers. The way that Prime Instant Video is offered today--we're going to continue that approach at least into the near future."

Even Netflix believed Amazon might spin off a standalone video service. In Netflix's fourth-quarter earnings … Read more

Path takes a wrong turn, Yahoo's board gets new faces, and Amazon Instant Video adds Viacom content.

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

This is an update of a deal I posted a couple months ago.

Lately I've become a big fan of Amazon Instant Video, which makes video rentals so much easier than, say, two trips to my local Redbox (one to get the movie, another to return it).

You pay extra for the privilege of on-demand rentals, but sometimes--like when it's 20 degrees outside--it's worth it.

And if you own a Roku box, Web-connected HDTV or Blu-ray player, or any other device that's compatible with Amazon Instant Video, here's your chance to score a free rental … Read more

Do you own a Roku box? How about a Web-connected HDTV or Blu-ray player? Or any other device that's compatible with Amazon Instant Video? If so, today is your lucky day.

You can get a $5 Amazon Instant Video credit when you link that player, TV, or box to the service. The entire process takes all of 2 minutes, and the credit is good for anything in the Amazon Instant Video store: movies and TV shows, and both rentals and purchases.

Here are the deets from Amazon:

1. Register an eligible Amazon Instant Video-compatible device with Amazon Instant Video … Read more

OK, so Netflix really stepped in it. The company's recently announced price increase for a DVD and streaming plan was at least a presentation disaster if not a true pricing insult.

No matter, a lot of people are making noises about dumping Netflix now (at least when pollsters ask). So Brian Cooley did his own poll - of CNET editors - to pull together our list of the Top 5 ways to say goodbye to Netflix.

Keep up on all the latest Netflix news from CNET.