viacom

The unlikely group putting the kibosh on cable TV: Parents

In the cold Alaskan winter, alone with her infant son while her husband was stationed in the Air Force nearby, Ashley Bauza needed something to entertain both herself and her child, something she could get on a tight budget.

She moved north in 2010 and quickly learned after giving birth to Lukas the next year that the rural state not only crimps her kid's playtime options with minus-40 degree temperatures it also amps up the cost of cable and Internet.

"We are on a fixed budget, we do really need to figure out what we forgo," said … Read more

Viacom launches music TV apps with on-demand video

"I want my MTV" was the channel's slogan of choice in the 1980s. Today's iteration would be more akin to "My iPad wants my MTV."

Viacom is rolling out the first of a line of apps to address that new millennium plea. But in keeping with what has become the industry standard when delivering televised content to mobile devices, the majority of show are limited to people who already pay for TV.

Thursday, Viacom is launching a new app for MTV and MTV2 on iPhone and iPad, and plans to roll out similar ones … Read more

New Intel chips to boost battery life

CNET Update is fully charged:

In this episode of Update:

- Wait to buy your next laptop to get the latest batch of Intel processors, which are said to help extend battery life.

- Secure your folders with a fingerprint in the upcoming Windows 8.1.

- Brace for battle with a new Halo game for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.

- Find Dora and other Viacom shows on Amazon Prime Instant Video.

- Give the WikiPad game tablet another chance when it launches next week at a lower price.

CNET Update delivers the tech news you need in … Read more

Amazon, Viacom sign deal for MTV, Comedy Central programs

Amazon and Viacom have inked a deal that will deliver "thousands of episodes" of popular shows to the e-retail giant's streaming-video service.

According to the companies, they have signed a multiyear deal that will bring hundreds of shows from Nick Jr., MTV, and Comedy Central, including "Tosh.0," "The Backyardigans," and others, to Amazon's Prime Instant Video streaming service. The shows will be available exclusively on Prime Instant Video.

All of the shows are available to customers in the U.S. Lovefilm, Amazon's streaming service in the U.K. and Germany, … Read more

YouTube defeats Viacom copyright lawsuit -- again

For the second time in the past three years, YouTube has beaten Viacom in a long-running copyright infringement case that accused the video-sharing site of turning a blind eye to illegally uploaded videos.

U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton granted the Google-owned video site's request for summary judgment on Thursday, agreeing that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's "safe harbor" provisions protected YouTube from liability.

Viacom, parent company of Paramount Pictures and MTV, filed a $1 billion lawsuit in 2007, accusing YouTube of encouraging copyright infringement and profiting when users upload unauthorized TV and movie clips. Google … Read more

Cowabunga! Nickelodeon comes to Hulu

Hulu viewers clamoring for " Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" won't have to wait much longer.

Hulu and Viacom today expanded their content partnership to bring Nickelodeon programming to Hulu Plus. Viewers will be able to watch the latest five episodes of current-season Nickelodeon shows on all devices that run Hulu's subscription service. All Nickelodeon programming will be available on Hulu Plus 21 days after airing.

Some popular shows include "iCarly," "SpongeBob SquarePants," and, of course, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

"As of today, Hulu Plus is the only subscription-based on-demand Internet … Read more

Dish wants Viacom, MTV to sign on to Web service, report says

Dish Network is said to be asking cable networks such as MTV to consider offering their shows on a Dish-owned Web service, according to a published report.

In a Bloomberg story today, the news wire said talks have also involved Univision Communications and Scripps Networks Interactive, parent company of the Food Network.

Bloomberg says Dish's pitch to the TV companies goes something like this: offer a relatively small bundle of shows for Web viewing at a discounted price. Financial terms weren't included in the story. A Dish spokesman said the company wasn't offering "any guidance regarding … Read more

Amazon lands epic Epix film deal

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

Fringe benefits to Amazon Prime

Streaming you the top Friday headlines with the latest in 2D technology:

Amazon scored a licensing deal with Warner Bros. to offer more shows for Prime streaming, including West Wing and Fringe. Amazon Prime continues to step up the competition with Netflix. Prime costs $79 a year, which works out to be less than a year's subscription of Netflix.

The fight between Viacom and DirecTV is finally over. The 20 million subscribers of DirecTV can now access 17 Viacom channels, including MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon. On July 10, DirecTV turned off 26 Viacom channels over a payment dispute … Read more

DirecTV, Viacom make up: 17 channels restored

After more than a week of failed negotiations that led to a service cut-off, television giants DirecTV and Viacom have reached a new agreement that will restore many of the media conglomerate's popular television channels to the satellite service provider's 20 million U.S. customers.

The agreement, described as "long-term," will see 17 television channels -- including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, BET and Spike, among others -- restored. Viacom cut service for the channels on July 10.

"We are very pleased to be able to restore the channels to our customers and thank them for … Read more