entertainment

Microsoft buys R2 Studios startup to boost Xbox

Word has it that Microsoft was able to get ahead of Apple and Google and buy the home entertainment technology startup R2 Studios, according to the Wall Street Journal. This acquisition will most likely help amplify Microsoft's Xbox platform.

R2 Studios was created by Sling Media founder Blake Krikorian in May 2011. Sling Media developed Slingbox, which let users watch television on their computers. According to the Wall Street Journal, R2 Studios has been working on ways to display content on televisions, which could coordinate with Xbox's focus of adding TV entertainment to its gaming console.

Before R2 … Read more

'Gangnam Style' the first video to hit 1B YouTube views

The wildly popular "Gangnam Style" music video by Psy has gone where no YouTube video has gone before.

Earlier today, the official video surged past 1 billion views, making it the first clip on the site to ever hit that mark, and the latest in a long line of feats for the popular video.

Last month, "Gangnam Style" surpassed pop star Justin Bieber's "Baby" video to become the most popular YouTube upload of all time. Bieber's video, which at the time had 805 million views, was beaten in just five months. As … Read more

Hulu chief asks bosses for $200M in funding -- WSJ

Hulu CEO Jason Kilar has asked his corporate overlords for twice as much cash as last year to fund the company's growth strategy, a new report claims.

Kilar has petitioned Hulu owners Walt Disney, Comcast, and News Corp. for $200 million for 2013 to be used for acquiring more programming and expanding the company's reach around the world, the Wall Street Journal is reporting today, citing people who claim to have knowledge of the talks. Last year, Kilar asked for about half of that figure.

According to the Journal's sources, a decision hasn't been made yet … Read more

Web media: The 5 biggest stories of 2012

Fun, fun, fun!

That's what digital movies, music, and books are supposed to be about. But for the people who create and sell the stuff, it's been all crumbs, crumbs, crumbs.

The past year was another tough one for the sale of entertainment media on the Web. The irony is that as more entertainment fare is sold online, the less profitable the businesses become.

Few, if any, online music services are profitable. In Web movie distribution, download sales are dismal. Even Netflix, the Web's top video rental service, saw a slow down in the rate it added … Read more

Nintendo TVii comes to the Wii U, finally

Nintendo TVii, the feature that could transform the new Wii U into a full-fledged entertainment box in the living room, is coming to the console tomorrow.

At that time, TVii will be made available in the U.S. and Canada, Nintendo announced today. The feature allows Wii U owners to access all of the programming in their home-entertainment setup, including content from their cable or satellite companies, and decide from the Wii U's GamePad what they want to watch. In addition, the GamePad can double as a remote, allowing users to control volume and change channels, among other features.… Read more

NASA takes on 'Gangnam Style' and wins

For those of you with a dirty wit, please lend me some patience before you fly off the rails when I say that a group of NASA interns made a "Gangnam Style" parody named "NASA Johnson Style."

Wondering what's with the song name? Well, NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center houses educational programs for interns and students aspiring to progress further into the field of space science. The eclectic group of youths created a parody video that plays off Psy's "Gangam Style" in a geeky way by amusingly attempting to "inform the public about the amazing work going on at NASA and the Johnson Space Center," says a related video description. … Read more

Sony begins testing online Entertainment Network Store

Sony has started testing a new online marketplace to buy games, movies, and television shows.

The Sony Entertainment Network Store popped up on the Web today and was discovered by Eurogamer. For now, the marketplace appears to only be available to customers outside the U.S. When folks go to the site and choose a country and language, a U.S. option is not available.

Sony has not formally announced the marketplace, but in a comment on a blog posted to the EU PlayStation site, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe blog manager Fred Dutton said the company is "testing a … Read more

YouTube programmer Maker Studios raises $40M -- report

Maker Studios, a company that delivers professional programming to YouTube, is getting a big cash infusion from Time Warner, according to a new report.

Time Warner Investments, the venture-capital division at the media conglomerate, is leading a $40 million round of financing for Maker, All Things Digital reported yesterday, citing people with knowledge of the deal. The round is expected to close by the end of the year.

Maker Studios stands with Machinima, a company that produces gaming videos, at the leading edge of what has become a more professional push on YouTube. Maker Studios offers what's called "… Read more

Hulu Plus swings onto Wii U for dual-screen boost

Hulu Plus is now available on the Wii U.

The company launched its service on Nintendo's new console yesterday. Hulu Plus users will find that as they watch shows on their television, the GamePad will play an integral role in the viewing experience. While watching a show on the big screen, the Wii U's GamePad displays information on a host of topics, including the current show or episode. Users can also queue up another episode to watch on the big screen.

Hulu didn't just stop there. According to the company, users can also watch the show they … Read more