streaming video

Netflix streaming heads to the Netherlands in late 2013

Netflix streaming is heading to the Netherlands.

The company said Wednesday that the service will be available in "late 2013," adding that its streaming service will offer "Hollywood, local and global TV series and films, including critically-acclaimed Netflix Original Series such as 'House of Cards' and 'Arrested Development' whenever and wherever they like on tablets, phones, TVs, game consoles and computers."

Last year, Netflix made a significant push into Europe by launching its streaming service in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway. The service is also available in the U.K., Ireland, and the small island country … Read more

Snag online videos with Clip Extractor Pro, now 50% off

Ever had to go on a long trip, knowing you'll be outside your data network or a Wi-Fi access point? Now you can easily store all of your favorite videos ahead of time and load them up to any device for later viewing. Clip Extractor Pro is perfect for downloading all of your favorite online videos. Whether your video-streaming site of choice is YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, or MetaCafe, Clip Extractor has got your back.

Grab movies uploaded by friends and family from the biggest video providers out there. Save birthday and anniversary memories off YouTube, archive Epic Fail movies … Read more

Seven questions about Amazon's mystery streaming box

Is there a Kindle TV box on the horizon?

According to Bloomberg Businessweek, the answer is yes. Amazon is said to be readying its own streaming-TV box to take on the likes of the Roku, Apple TV, Xbox, PlayStation -- and every TV manufacturer that now builds smart-TV apps like Netflix and Vudu directly into televisions.

The Seattle-based e-tailer already has an ambitious home video strategy. Amazon Prime customers get thousands of free movies and TV shows (in addition to free shipping of real-world goods) with the $79-per-year membership, and the company is ramping up production of original series as … Read more

YouTube adds live streaming to iOS app

If you were hoping to watch last weekend's Coachella concert on your iDevice, you just missed your chance: although the event was streamed live on YouTube for free, the iOS YouTube app doesn't support live streaming.

It does now. (Cruel timing, Google!) YouTube 1.3 for iOS, released today, adds a handful of new features and fixes, not the least of which is access to live streams.

For those unaware, YouTube offers a variety of live content, everything from concerts (natch) to news and sports.

The iOS streaming feature joins a "Send to TV" option introduced back in February, … Read more

Roku's speedy streamer is the best box yet

How do you get someone to buy your streaming-video puck when everything already streams Netflix?

That's the question Roku has answered definitively with the Roku 3 ($99), by serving up more content sources than anyone else, with lightning-fast navigation and an onscreen interface that's finally competitive with the Apple TV. The Roku 3's updated processor and always-on design means you go from "TV off" to "House of Cards" much faster than alternative streamers, and the overhauled interface and improved cross-platform search lets you quickly find the content you want to watch. And there'… Read more

TWC TV app turns Roku into a cable box for Time Warner customers (hands-on)

Roku streaming boxes can now be used as cable boxes for Time Warner Cable subscribers.

The feature upgrade comes courtesy of the free TWC TV app, which went live in the Roku Channel Store earlier today. The app was first announced at CES in January.

Once installed, the app provides access to hundreds of live channels, including most major broadcast and cable networks. The only requirement is a valid Time Warner Cable username and password; that security feature verifies that you're a current paying customer, and that you're accessing the stream from within your own home via your … Read more

ESPN to embed sports instant-replay videos in tweets

Before you know it, smartphone-wielding football referees will be able to review their calls and respond to nasty tweets about those calls all in one go.

ESPN is set to start embedding video streams of instant replays into its tweets, according to various reports. Through a partnership with Ford and Twitter, ESPN's college football account, @ESPNCFB, will begin the effort today, as the bowl games kick in, and continue it through January 15, one week past the end of the college football season, according to Adweek.

A Twitter rep told Adweek that the clips would be 30 seconds or … Read more

Netflix ranks ISPs by streaming performance, Google Fiber wins

Internet service provider (ISP) performance is notoriously hard to quantify, but there's at least one company that has tons of real-world data: Netflix.

The streaming-video king released a report this morning ranking 21 major U.S. ISPs based on real-world streaming performance. Google Fiber came in the lead by quite at bit, with an average of 2.55 Mbps in November, with the next closest competitor (Verizon FiOS) coming in at 2.19 Mbps. Unsurprisingly, DSL services came in behind all the major cable/fiber services, with the best performer averaging just 1.42 Mbps in November. The best … Read more

Friday Poll: What do you use most to stream Netflix?

How do I stream thee, Netflix? Let me count the ways. There's PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox, Apple TV, Mac, PC, tablet, smartphone, networked TVs, Roku, and other streaming-media boxes. I've probably missed a few methods.

It seems like you can't turn around without bumping into a device that can stream Netflix. Still, one streaming method has broken away from the rest this year. The PlayStation 3 recently took the crown as the most popular option for streaming Netflix content to televisions, beating out other options like set-top boxes and smart TVs. … Read more

Redbox Instant video streaming said to launch in December

Redbox Instant -- Verizon's stab at a video streaming service to compete with Netflix -- is said to be launching by the end of the year.

Users may be able to start using the service as soon as December 17, according to GigaOM. Also, it's looking like Redbox Instant could cost as low as $6 a month.

Redbox Instant is a joint venture announced in February between Verizon and Coinstar -- the company that owns the Redbox DVD rental business. The companies aim to develop an on-demand video streaming service with DVD rentals, much like what Netflix offers.… Read more