Netflix

New Update for VIZIO 8-inch Tablet Adds Pre-Loaded Netflix App

by jessica on Mon, 2011-10-10 08:02


VIZIO Tablet Gets Netflix

VIZIO on Monday announced another update for its VIZIO 8" Tablet. The latest firmware update will include Netflix as a pre-loaded app, allowing Netflix members to simply click on the app on the Tablet's home screen and log into their Netflix account to instantly watch TV episodes and movies wherever Wi-Fi is available.

VIZIO Tablet users who also own VIZIO Internet Apps-enabled HDTVs and Blu-ray players can pause and resume Netflix TV episodes and movies between devices.

"With an abundance of movies and TV shows to offer, Netflix is the ideal application to pre-load on our VIZIO Tablets," said Matt McRae, VIZIO Chief Technology Officer. "Adding its expansive library to our mobile platform provides consumers with even more entertainment options to conveniently watch while in the comfort of one's home or while on-the-go."

Don't have Netflix? You can get it for $7.99 a month and have the ability to instantly watch unlimited TV episodes and movies on your VIZIO 8" Tablet, along with many other devices.

Is the TV Remote Headed for Extinction?


Logitech Harmony 900

Look out, rotary dial phone. Here comes the TV remote. Nearly half of young TV viewers say they'd prefer their smartphone or other device over their remote to control their TV, according to a new report. The survey by Altman Vilandrie & Company and Research Now found that 41 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds would prefer using their smartphone, tablet or computer keyboard to change channels and control their TV.

"More and more, a new generation of viewers wants to watch TV and movies on their own schedule and with their own smartphones, computers and tablets. Consumers are removing the shackles of the traditional primetime TV lineup and creating their own personal networks of preferred programming and viewing times."

The decline of the TV remote is part of a larger movement by younger viewers to control the TV experience, with only one-third of 18- to 34-year-olds saying they watch TV shows during the normal broadcast time on a daily basis, versus 58 percent of those 35 and older. These younger viewers are increasingly turning to mobile devices and online services like Netflix and Hulu to access television programs and movies. Read more

NETGEAR's NeoTV Turns Your HDTV into a Smart TV for $80

by jessica on Fri, 2011-09-16 14:15


Netgear NeoTV

Have you been eyeing all the smart TVs in the marketplace but don't want to buy one because your current TV works perfectly fine? Netgear has your solution – just add NeoTV. Priced at only $79.99, the NeoTV streaming player (NTV200) turns any television with an HDMI port into a smart TV, allowing you to stream movies, TV shows, music and more from Netflix, Vudu, and YouTube (to name a few). The device comes with a free NeoTV Remote app as well, which turns your iPhone or Android smartphone into a remote control for the NeoTV. No smartphone? No problem. The NeoTV Player comes with a regular remote control too.

The NeoTV Player connects to the Internet through built-in high-speed 300Mbps WiFi or through an Ethernet cable. An optical audio out (S/PDIF) is also included so you can connect your surround sound.

"There's no longer any reason to miss out on all the new entertainment choices streaming to homes through the Internet," said Damir Skripic, Product Line Manager for Connected Entertainment at NETGEAR. "The NETGEAR NeoTV Streaming Player is an easy, affordable way to transform the television you already own into a smart TV."

The NETGEAR NeoTV Streaming Player (NTV200) will be available in late September for $79.99 and can be pre-ordered now from major retailers and online stores. Go to www.netgear.com/ntv for more information.

Lenovo Outs Three Tablets

by jessica on Wed, 2011-07-20 10:24


Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet K1

Lenovo is jumping into the tablet game in a big way with the launch of not one, but three new tablets: the IdeaPad Tablet K1 – the first Android tablet certified for Netflix streaming, the ThinkPad Tablet for business users, and the IdeaPad Tablet P1 which packs in Microsoft Windows 7.

First up, the IdeaPad Tablet K1. The FIRST Netflix certified Android-powered tablet, the IdeaPad Tablet K1 features a 10.1 inch display with 1280 x 800 resolution and weighs just 1.63 lbs. It includes the NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core mobile processor, integrated Bluetooth and 802.11 Wi-Fi connectivity, and runs Android 3.1 (Honeycomb). The K1 comes packed with over 40 apps from Amazon, Adobe, Electronic Arts, Rovio, Zinio, Dataviz and Netflix, including favorites like Angry Birds, Kindle E-book Reader and Documents to Go.

The IdeaPad Tablet K1 also comes with a two-megapixel front-facing and a five-megapixel rear-facing webcam, 2GB of free cloud based storage, and online protection via Norton Mobile Security. It includes a mini HDMI connection for connection to your HDTV, and Digital Rights Management (DRM) is built-in. You can expect to get up to 10 hours of battery life from its 2 cell battery. Another cool feature is Lenovo's SocialTouch app which puts all of your social networks, email, and calendar notices in one place for easy access.Read more

Nintendo 3DS Gets Netflix Streaming

by jessica on Fri, 2011-07-15 05:00


Nintendo 3DS Netflix

Nintendo announced on Thursday a new application that will allow Nintendo 3DS owners with the Netflix streaming service to watch TV episodes and movies from Netflix on their 3DS device.

The free Netflix application for Nintendo 3DS displays movies and TV episodes in 2D on the system's upper screen. Users will soon have access to an additional library of select movies that can be viewed in 3D without the need for special glasses.

Use of the Netflix app on Nintendo 3DS requires a broadband Internet connection and a Netflix streaming membership starting at $7.99 a month. Netflix members with unlimited streaming plans can instantly watch on their Nintendo 3DS systems and other devices, including the Wii console.

The free Netflix application is now available for download from the Nintendo eShop. To download the app (or any other content from the Nintendo eShop), Nintendo 3DS users first need to install the free system update that became available on June 6.

Get more information on the Nintendo 3DS at www.nintendo.com/3ds.

Netflix Raises Prices: Keep Your Cash With 8 Alternative Options


people watching a movie

Attention streaming movie marathoners: There are major changes coming your way. This month Netflix announced they'll be increasing their plan pricing. The trend of rising prices for streaming content is a growing one. Cell phone providers like Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are all planning to eliminate unlimited data plans in favor of tiered pricing. With experts predicting most cell phone users won't be hit by the changes for a few years, Netflix is taking most of the heat.

The Netflix Changes
Here are the basics of the Netflix changes. Instead of having DVD rentals and streaming movies priced together, each portion will be priced as a separate plan. For most users, this will increase the monthly bill by $6-10. Price changes will take effect September 1.

Customer Backlash
Understandably, cash-strapped consumers are not thrilled about price increases. The official blog post announcing Netflix's changes has generated more than 12,000 comments. Most appear to be current subscribers pledging to cancel their subscription.

More Than the Price
On the surface, $6 doesn't seem like an outrageous amount, but customers are hurt about more than the money. Many who've been with Netflix from the start feel their loyalty has been betrayed. Disgruntled loyalists would like prices to stay as they are for current subscribers with increased rates only for new subscribers. Read more

Revolution By LG Arrives at Verizon May 26

by jessica on Wed, 2011-05-25 09:12


Revolution by LG

Verizon is certainly rolling out the smartphones these days. The company's latest, Revolution by LG, is the first Android smartphone preloaded with the Netflix app, giving Netflix subscribers access to movies and television shows on-the-go.

Running Android 2.2, Revolution by LG features a 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen display, a rear-facing 5.0-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat, 720p HD video recording, Wi-Fi connectivity 802.11 b/g/n, and Bluetooth 3.0. It also offers Mobile Hotspot capability for sharing 4G LTE with up to 8 Wi-Fi-enabled devices (or a 3G connection with up to 5 devices), HDMI output and SmartShare capability.

Additional features:

  • V CAST Apps
  • Virtual QWERTY keyboard with SWYPE technology
  • Equipped with Dolby Mobile for rich listening experience
  • Extensive image editor includes: crop, rotate, resize, apply filters, image adjustments, draw, write, erase and add stamps
  • 16 GB preinstalled microSD card
Read more

NAB - Personal Entertainment


Sunset Blvd., Paramount (1950)

"You see, this is my life! It always will be! Nothing else! Just us, the cameras, and those wonderful people out there in the dark!... All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." – Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), Sunset Blvd., Paramount (1950)

If it weren't for James Cameron's (Avatar + fame) session at NAB, you would swear you were at a mash up CES (Consumer Electronics Show) and an IT (information technology) conference.

Most of the sessions and discussions focused on:

  • social media and mobile delivery
  • how Tellywood was going to optimize their network/content assets
  • cloud computing/storage (we’ll look closely at this in a few weeks)
  • how the old guard was going to protect their stuff/squeeze out kids who seemed more interested in viewers than profits.

Joe Gilles looked over the proceedings and said, "You don't yell at a sleepwalker - he may fall and break his neck."

Cameron loves technology almost as much as he loves movies. He took his shots at the broadcast folks saying it was their fault we still don't have a lot of 3D on our entertainment devices. Read more

Netflix to Get Dedicated Button on Remote Controls

by jessica on Thu, 2011-01-06 09:52


Remote with Netflix button

Netflix announced this week at CES that later this year streaming from Netflix on TVs will easier than ever. Many consumer electronics companies will be placing Netflix-branded one-click buttons on remotes that operate Internet connected TVs, Blu-ray disc players and other devices that connect the Internet to the TV.

Beginning this Spring, buttons that specify "Netflix" are planned to be on remote controls that operate select new Blu-ray disc players from a variety of companies including Best Buy's Dynex brand, Haier, Memorex, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, and Toshiba. Sharp, Sony, and Toshiba also will place the Netflix one-click button on remote controls for select new Internet-connected TVs. Remote controls for the Boxee, Iomega and Roku set-top boxes also will feature the Netflix one-click remote.

"For members who want even more convenience when instantly watching TV shows and movies streaming from Netflix, the answer is about to be right in their hands," said Netflix Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt. "No more turning on the TV, going to a home screen and searching for the Netflix icon. With the Netflix one-click remote, it's simply a matter of pushing the Netflix button to instantly watch any of the vast selection of TV shows and movies available to stream from Netflix."

2011...New Consumers, New Markets, New Economy Take Hold


2011 forecast

Let's start by saying 2011 is going to be the year we wanted three years ago when the financial institutions "borrowed" our global wellbeing! It was the first time we entered unfamiliar territory because the financial meltdown didn't affect just one country but all of us.

Economic Outlook

Internationally governments are feeling their way along the precipice because the depth and duration of the recession was beyond what most could clearly recall. They are moving – hesitantly – but still slightly dazed by the headlights of the near miss.

At the same time the U.S. government ground to a near halt because of the partisan politics that could last for two years.

Fortunately as in past recessions companies have finally become sick and tired of being sick and tired and realized that government – any government – can't move things forward…it is up to business to get the job done!

Most of the 80+% of the employed U.S. population (10% tracked unemployed, 8% dropped off the grid) are certain that conditions are and will continue to improve. This was apparent over the holiday buying season where PC/CE/communications sales increased more than 7% with a greater percentage being cash sales…resisting mounting additional personal/family debt.Read more

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