Disney/ABC, ESPN and Time Warner Cable have finally come to a long term agreement, releasing an official press release late yesterday afternoon announcing the details. The agreement extends current distribution arrangements and adds new programming from ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Buzzer Beater, Disney Junior (launching 2012), and ESPN3.com. Full Story
Time Warner Cable’s new long term deal with Disney/ABC and ESPN will bring two new sports networks to TMC’s HD channel lineup. ESPN 3D will be added to Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks’ hi-def lineup. And, Spanish language ESPN Deportes HD will also be added to TMC’s larger markets. Full Story
According to The Wall Street Journal retail giant Amazon.com may challenge the Netflix streaming product with a service of their own. Apparently the company has been in talks with NBC, Time Warner, News Corp. and Viacom to get content distribution rights to TV shows and film titles. If things fall into place, Amazon hopes to get the service launched this holiday season. Full Story
Haven’t seen 3D television yet? The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is launching a nationwide program with retailers to get 3D programming viewable to consumers. National 3D Demo Days will start on Friday, Sept. 10 and extend through the weekend. As part of the programming, ESPN 3D will broadcast live coverage of the Miami vs. Ohio State football game in 3D on Sat., Sept. 11 at 3:40 p.m. ET. Best Buy, CompUSA, and Fry’s Electronics are among the stores participating. For a listing of retailers who will be participating visit the retailer locator page at digitaltips.org.
Disney has started offering a free preview of its Disney Family Movies service from Thursday, September 2 through Monday, September 6. “Pocahontas,” “Muppet Treasure Island,” “A Bug’s Life,” and the Disney-Pixar animated short “Monster Truck Mater” are some of the films the subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) service will show during the preview. Full Story
Here’s a video run-through of the new Sony Bravia NX810 series 3D TVs. (Provided by Sony.)
Sony has announced three new BRAVIA 3D TVs in 60, 55 and 46-inch models. The NX810 series feature DynamicEdge LED backlighting, MotionflowPRO 240Hz frame rate, built-in Wi-Fi, 1920×1080 resolution, and LightSensor technology for automatically adjusting backlight. Full Story
Apple has released a new, smaller Apple TV box geared toward streaming movies and TV shows. The resolution tops out at 720p (unfortunately) but highlights include Netflix streaming, 802.11n Wi-Fi, H.264 and MPEG-4 video support, and a footprint that is 80-percent smaller than the last Apple TV box. Full Story
This Labor Day weekend DirecTV will broadcast select US Open tennis matches in 3D on n3D (channel 103) powered by Panasonic. The men’s and women’s third and fourth rounds will air daily in the afternoon from Sept. 4 through Sept. 6, and be available to customers who have a 3D TV system and have received the 3D software upgrade. Full Story
Apple’s music and media conference today may reveal Apple TV support of Netflix, which would allow streaming of thousands of titles from the Netflix library under one subscription rate. The news comes via multiple sources including Bloomberg who say the media event may reveal a higher-definition iPod Touch and improved iTunes service. Full Story
Just confirmed today via a video posted by Xbox Live’s Larry Hryb (A.K.A. Major Nelson) the newest Xbox 360 controller will have an updated (transforming) D-Pad controller and will come in matt silver color. The new design reflects feedback from Xbox gamers who did not like the D-Pad design. The result is a D-Pad that raises up with a twist into a plus button instead of disc. The controller also features concave analog sticks and gray A,B,X,Y buttons. Sony and Nintendo will have to come up with their own transforming button (if they want to) as this new D-Pad design has been patented. Full Story
Onkyo’s newest Blu-ray Disc player will support streaming of movies and TV shows from Blockbuster On Demand. The Onkyo BD-SP808 will also upscale DVDs. ”Combining BLOCKBUSTER On Demand with Onkyo’s sophisticated Blu-ray technology, users will discover a convenient way to enhance their in-home movie watching experience,” said Bruce Anderson, BLOCKBUSTER On Demand’s senior VP and general manager. Full Story
Amazon’s “Blu-ray Boxed Deal of the Week” is The Man with No Name Trilogy, starring Clint Eastwood in A Fistful of Dollars (Disc 1), For a Few Dollars More (Disc 2), and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (Disc 3). The Blu-ray Discs are presented in 1080p at 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The box set will ship Sept. 2 and is now available to pre-order for only $27.99 (List: $69.98). The sale runs through Sept. 4. Full Story
The company may launch a competing streaming video rental service through YouTube property.
According to the Financial Times, Google is in talks with Hollywood to launch a streaming video-on-demand service. The service would put Google in competition with video services from Netflix, Apple and Hulu, offering titles the same day as DVD releases. The Google video-rental initiative would be launched off YouTube, and apparently developers are thinking global. Full Story
NASA has added thousands of historical images to the Flickr “Commons,” a section of the photo sharing website that allows users to tag and contribute to content made available for public use. The Flickr initiative is compiled of three categories: “Launch and Takeoff”; “Building NASA”; and “Center Namesakes.” Full Story
- Limited Time
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