epix

HBO has locked up the pay-TV rights for films from Universal Pictures, one of the top six Hollywood film studios, the company's said today.

HBO, owned by Time Warner, and Comcast-controlled Universal, said they extended their licensing agreement into the next decade. HBO will continue to own exclusive access to the movies during the pay-TV window -- the period that begins after movies are made available for sale on download and discs.

The deal limits Netflix's ability to land another big licensing agreement similar to the one it entered into with Disney late last year. A month ago, … Read more

Epix, the joint venture between a host of prominent movie studios including MGM and Paramount, has announced plans to bring its service to Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita devices.

At some point during the first quarter, Epix will be available to PlayStation 3 users. The console will offer support for over 3,000 Epix titles, including newer releases, like "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol" and older titles. Epix's library of comedy, music, and sports events will also be available.

The PlayStation Vita will also receive Epix films and events, but owners of that device will … Read more

Amazon has signed a Web licensing deal , allowing it to boast that it now rents movies from every major Hollywood studio.

Epix, the pay TV service, is giving the Amazon Prime Instant Video service access to such movies as "The Hunger Games," "Super 8," and "Thor."

The move was not unexpected.

Epix, a joint venture of film studios Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Lionsgate, had an exclusive Web licensing deal with Netflix, but that ran out in August.

Epix movies are still available on Netflix, but Epix didn't waste any time adding new distribution … Read more

There's no reason that desktops can't be both nice to look at and well organized. Art Plus ePix Wallpaper Calendar lets users have both, providing attractive background images and useful productivity tools. High-quality images and flexible configuration possibilities make Art Plus ePix Wallpaper Calendar a great addition to any desktop.

The program was easy to set up, letting us choose the frequency with which it changes our desktop wallpaper in increments ranging from 5 minutes to once a month. You can create a directory of your own images to use for this purpose, but we were quite impressed … Read more

Apple is once again said to be talking up a TV set when trying to ink deals with content providers.

The latest target is said to be Epix, a joint venture of Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM. According to Reuters, the movie channel has been in talks with Apple to bring its content to Apple's digital stores.

The interesting tidbit, Reuters says, is that Apple's been pitching a deal that would bring the content beyond its $99 set top box, and to "upcoming devices that stream content." That could be Apple's TV set, a product that … Read more

Xbox 360 owners who don't have Live Gold accounts can join in on some of the usual festivities this weekend.

From April 19 through April 23, Microsoft is runing a special promo dubbed "Entertainment Unlocked," offering all Xbox owners a taste of free music, TV shows, and movies.

Xbox users who log in during Microsoft's extended weekend will find free access to SyFy, Crackle, Epix, YouTube, Vevo, and other entertainment sites. Netflix and Hulu Plus are kicking in free 30-day trials. And other online providers will offer streaming music and movies.

The promo is obviously aimed … Read more

Age is playing an important role in how people watch movies, according to a new survey released by Epix.

Epix, a joint venture of Paramount Pictures, MGM, and Lionsgate that offers films through a broadcast channel, video-on-demand, and streaming, found that people between the ages of 25 and 34 are 24 percent more likely to watch movies on iPods than those who are 35 to 64.

These younger viewers are also 21 percent more likely to use tablets and smartphone to enjoy a flick, compared with their older counterparts. Moreover, seven out of eight of all respondents said they watch … Read more

Dish Network has signed a deal to make more movies available through its online video-streaming service, the satellite provider said today. The deal with Epix--a joint venture of Paramount Pictures, MGM, and Lionsgate--will give Dish customers access to more than 3,000 Epix films and programs via DishOnline.

According to Dish, its customers will be able to watch everything from "Iron Man 2" and "Shutter Island" to Bon Jovi concerts via DishOnline.

The streaming service is available at no additional charge to Dish Platinum customers, who pay an extra $10 per month on their television bills … Read more

Netflix finally knocked off Blockbuster yesterday. Leaders of pay TV services might be wise to start doing the business equivalent of digging foxholes and manning the battlements, or the same thing could happen to them.

There's a growing body of evidence that pay TV services--that is, cable, broadband, and telephone companies that offer films and TV shows--are ripe for a smackdown. Talk of cord-cutters is all over business news and the momentum in home-video distribution appears to be with companies that do it over the Web, such as Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV, and the upcoming Google TV.

Skeptics say … Read more