All you movie addicts who own the PlayStation 3 no longer have to envy Xbox 360 users. Sony and Netflix are teaming up to bring movie streaming to the Ps3. The bonus for those on the PlayStation Network is, since your PSN accounts are free, all you need is a Netflix account to watch movies whereas Xbox 360 users need a $50-per-year Xbox Live Gold membership. The service will launch in November and if you decide to use your PS3 to access your Netflix account (why wouldn’t you?), Netflix will send a Blu-Ray disc that will allow you to access its library. It might seem like a hassle to pop in the disc every time you want to watch movies, but Netflix says it’s working on a software update for the PS3 that will do away with the need for a disc. It looks like you gamers and movie buffs are about to see double the couch time.

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Our Apple tipster (who accurately predicted organizable iPhone homescreens in iTunes as well as integrated social networking components) is back at it again! This time we’ve been sent an image that we’re told is a “product mockup that may coincide with the launch of a revised Apple TV.” It seems a little far-fetched that this unit’s only purpose would be to control an Apple TV, and you can even see a Safari option on the mockup. To be honest, it looks like a touch screen iPod nano, just longer. We’re going to dig a little bit and see what we can find, but we figured we’d run this with a high dose of caution for informational purposes.

Thanks, Lindsey!

File this little guy under gadgets we need ASAP. VUDU has been tearing it up lately as the company wisely broadens its horizons beyond dedicated set top boxes. The HD on-demand content provider recently announced partnerships that bring its service to various LG and Mitsubishi flat-panel televisions, and now VUDU is taking things to a new range of products: LG Blu-ray players. It certainly makes sense — if you’re going to add an on-demand HD streaming service to a line of home theater components, why not make them Blu-ray players? The first LG model that will be graced with VUDU service is the BD390, which is available now with an MSRP of $399. VUDU will go live on the player via a free software update toward the end of the month, though CEDIA attendees will be able to get a preview of the VUDU-enabled player this week at the show. If you have a High Def addiction and you’ve given up fighting it long ago, the BD390 is definitely the 1080p fix you’ve been looking for. Hit the jump for the full release.

VUDU NOW AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY PLAYERS

VUDU Extends Footprint of Industry-Leading HD Movie Service

To LG Electronics’ Network Blu-ray Disc Player

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 9, 2009 – VUDU, Inc.’s industry-leading on-demand high definition (HD) movie service is now available on the BD390 Network Blu-ray Disc player from LG Electronics, giving consumers a whole new way to access the largest on-demand HD library of Hollywood movies in their living rooms, the company announced today.

VUDU continues to work with top consumer electronics manufacturers to become more accessible to customers who want to rent or buy major Hollywood movies in high definition.  The VUDU service, already available on flat-panel HDTVs, uniquely delivers the largest available HD movie library of instantly-viewable movies in 1080p with Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound and provides customers with VUDU’s superior user experience for finding and watching movies in high definition.

“Our goal as a company is to offer the best possible HD movie service to the broadest possible audience,” said Alain Rossmann, CEO of VUDU.  “By adding the top-rated LG BD390 Blu-ray player to the lineup of VUDU-enabled products, we’ve made it easier than ever for customers to enjoy the VUDU experience.”

Some of VUDU’s key features include:

• Instant viewing experience:  unlike typical Internet and on-demand video streaming, VUDU movies start immediately, and viewers can fast forward, rewind and browse chapters without the delays or the frustration associated with buffering
• Highest quality video:  VUDU’s unique HDX format delivers true 1080p resolution and TruFilm encoding enhancements, now available for the first time on an instant-start basis
• Immersive sound:  VUDU is the only on-demand service to deliver Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound at all video quality levels
• No monthly fees: customers can instantly buy or rent from VUDU’s extensive library of standard and high definition movie and TV titles without any monthly service charges
• Largest HD library anywhere: over 2,200 titles are available in HD or HDX format
• New releases: Newly-released titles from all major studios are available the same day as DVD release, typically months before they are available on subscription-based service.

LG’s BD390 networked Blu-ray player transforms and personalizes the home theater experience by offering a stellar array of entertainment options.  In addition to its broadband capabilities, the BD390 offers exceptional “Full HD” 1080p video performance and exceptional image quality from standard DVDs with 1080p up-scaling via HDMI output. The BD390 is also equipped for easy connection to the home network and has one gigabyte (GB) of built-in memory for BD Live functionality.

Model BD390 with LG’s “NetCast Entertainment Access” feature is available now at nationwide retailers at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $399. VUDU connectivity will be available at the end of the month via a free upgrade.

We know, we know — if you really wanted one and stay up on your blawgz you’d have purchased one by now, but for everyone else, it seems as if the PS3 Slim is currently available at a bunch of Best Buy locations. One of our tipsters hit us with the above photo and other sites have reported on this as well. Anyone purchase one yet?

We haven’t really covered Blockbuster’s DVD-by-mail service since this past March when a string of policy changes finally culminated in our exclusive scoop covering the elimination of Total Access’ one competitive edge over Netflix — the ability of subscribers to enjoy their free in-store rentals while they awaited new DVDs to be delivered by mail. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones appalled by the move. The following is pulled from the company’s latest 10-Q filing:

a $40.7 million decrease in by-mail revenues driven by a 34% average decline in by-mail subscribers”

So, in a single quarter, Blockbuster reveals that it shed 34 percent of its by-mail subscribers and the hejira resulted in a $40.7 million decline in by-mail revenue. Ouch. The prior quarter was no different, and Blockbuster has seen a $76.3 million total decline in by-mail revenue over the half. Time to switch things up, fellas.

[Via Zatz Not Funny!]

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Sling let us know that they’ve gone and submitted version 1.1 of their popular SlingPlayer for iPhone application to Apple. New in this version include true 16×9 wide-screen support, improved remote control interface, faster speeds all around including channel changing, initial connection, remote control response.

While unfortunately there’s no 3G support in here, SlingMedia did let us know that they’ve submitted a version specifically for outside the United States that does have 3G support built in. There’s no telling whether Apple will approve it, but still a nice bit of information for our brothers and sisters that don’t live in the States.

Following a long a grueling battle that forced the company to bury its now-defunct “next generation” home entertainment media tech, Toshiba was left bleeding worse than a naked cheerleader in an axe murderer flick. It’s been just over a year since we all attended HD DVD’s $1 billion funeral and now it appears that Toshiba is done grieving. A year is enough time, right? According to the the Japanese newspaper the Yomiuri Shimbun, the beaten electronics giant plans to join the dark side and issue a Blu-ray player by year’s end. It’s first BD offering will reportedly play DVDs as well as Blu-ray discs, though the price point is still unknown. Tosh is supposedly considering a Blu-ray recorder as well but no time line was specified so odds are we won’t see it this year. The move makes sense of course — Toshiba has to keep up with the times and 1080p is hotter than Hansel right now. It’s going to have to sell a whole lot of players to make up for that $1 billion it lost in the format war, however. Best of luck to you, Tosh.

[Via HD-Report]

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Changeover day came and went this past Friday and while the vast majority of the country likely didn’t even notice, a handful of people were in for a rude awakening as analog broadcasts ended. Over the past week, the FCC’s official help line received about 700,000 calls — 347,450 on Friday alone — regarding issues leading up to and following the changeover. About a third of Friday’s calls were from people still looking for coupons to help pay for digital converter boxes and another third were from people having trouble operating their converters. About 20 percent of the calls were regarding reception issues. Michael Copps, acting FCC Chairman, had this to say regarding the tidal wave of calls:

Our job is far from over. This transition is not a one-day affair. We have known about re-scanning and reception issues for some time and have been doing our best to get the word out.

Re-scanning, as Copps mentioned, is said to resolve reception issues a great deal of the time. So, if Grandma decides to call you for tech support rather than dialing up 1-888-CALL-FCC, that should likely be the first stop on the troubleshooting train. As for BGR readers, we imagine most if not all of you have already been enjoying some kind of digital broadcast for years now. There are always a few stragglers though — anyone caught with their pants down this past Friday? Figuratively, that is.

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Today is the day our grandparents have been dreading for quite some time now — that is, if they even knew DTV was on its way. Today is Friday, June 12th, and the switch from analog to digital TV is upon us. While those of us with modern sets and digital cable/satellite/etc have nothing to worry about of course, the generation of analog signals and Rabbit Ears may not be prepared. Then again, if you’re like some of us here at BGR, your grandparents have way more intense set ups than you and it makes you feel a tad uncomfortable. Moving along, it’s estimated that around 3 million US households are not prepared for the switch so Oprah, don’t be surprised if your numbers drop off for a short while. As for the rest of us, if your grandfather is threatening to cut you out of the will unless you come fix his box so he can watch the talkies again, the FCC’s DTV website is a good place for you to start.

We’ve been getting a bunch of comments and emails looking for an update on the Comcast Town design giveaway and since there’s $30,000 worth of prizes up for grabs, we thought we’d drop a little update on you. First and foremost, a couple finalists have been chosen from among thousands of designs. The judges have done their part and now its up to you guys — voting is live on the site and open to the public. You can vote once each day so if your design was chosen, it’s definitely time to rally the troops. Voting is open through 11:59PM PDT on June 15th and the winners will be announced shortly thereafter. Good luck to all the finalists and may the best design win!

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We’ve long since given up on Blockbuster and the debacle that is Total Access. As the company continues to struggle with the evolving home entertainment industry, Blockbuster repeatedly reminds us all that it just doesn’t get it. That won’t stop it from trying though. According to the Wall Street Journal, Blockbuster will finally begin piloting the addition of video games to its through-the-mail movie rental service sometime in June — the goal will still be to launch the service nationally in 2H of this year. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumblings of video games being added to the pot but apparently it took a bit longer than expected to get the pilot rolling. Still no word on how video game packages will be priced or whether the half-price in-store game rentals will indeed be part of the offer, but to be honest we don’t really care. The Blockbuster ship has already sailed as far as we’re concerned.

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As expected

In an attempt to further lower its operating costs, Sony will continue with its previously announced work force reduction of 16,000 employees and will also close 3 plants in Japan, lowering its total number of plants to 49 from a high of 57 last year. Despite its cost cutting measures the outlook remains similarly bleak for the fiscal year ending in March 2010, with losses projected to be in the ballpark of ¥120 billion.

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You judge us every day in the comments section and now it’s our turn to return the favor! Last month we told you about a big promotion Comcast is currently running and now that things are coming down to the wire, we wanted to remind you guys to enter. In short, contestants use Comcast’s virtual room designer to build their own virtual pads in Comcast Town. The judges, your pals at BGR included, will then judge each room and the top ten finalists will go on display for a community vote. One lucky winner will be selected to win up to $30,000 in prizes including a brand-new 40-inch Sony BRAVIA HDTV, a Sony VAIO AW laptop and a Philips digital phone. Are you independently wealthy and already living in the lap of luxury? Move along, nothing to see here. If you’re like the rest of us though and the recession’s got you down, there’s no better way to get your hands on a truckload of free gear than Comcast’s contest. Entries must be submitted by 11:59PM PT for a chance to win so get a move on…

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Here’s the deal… Comcast just launched this big marketing initiative called ComcastTown (you’ve probably seen the ads on BGR by now) and we’ve agreed to be judges. We wouldn’t participate in a campaign that we didn’t like ourselves and the ComcastTown.com concept is actually pretty cool. Here’s how it works: Using an interactive design interface, you can set up your own apartment using a whole boat load of available stuff — furniture, electronics and even some BGR-specific items, too. We and other people judge it and if you win, Comcast will redecorate your apartment with whatever you created. Stuff like Sony BRAVIA HDTVs, Sony VAIO laptops, phones, and more all worth up to $30,000 are up for grabs for your apartment. Comcast didn’t tell us if they’d include Comcast service but if you win, we’re pretty sure we could con them into it. You can see our apartment up above, but maybe you can do better? Hit the read link if you’d like to participate!

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Hulu may be getting a healthy dose of new programming content courtesy of Disney. According to sources close to the situation, Hulu and Disney are in serious negotiations to bring Disney programming to the online video portal. The talks reportedly focus on ABC programming content which include the popular TV series  Desperate Housewives and LOST, but may include programming from other Disney assets as well. In exchange for providing content, Disney is requesting an equity stake in Hulu on par with NBC Universal and News Corp and possibly performance incentives. With the relationship between Hulu and CBS souring, Hulu could use a high profile deal to boost its position in the increasingly competitive online video marketplace.

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Official word that VUDU jazzed up its service offering with the addition of Pandora came through this morning but now some less-than-official news is creeping out that may be even more interesting. As you can see in the leaked screen shot above, VUDU is currently working on a new feature called Home Movies. According to Zatz Not Funny!, Home Movies will provide a Slingcatcher-like PC to TV streaming experience. It will reportedly allow users to stream H.264 video from a PC to the VUDU box, plugging yet another hole hole as the team continues to add value beyond HD movie rentals and purchases. It looks like the advent of the RIA platform was indeed a pretty effective catalyst for VUDU — let’s hope it can continue to add new features and services as the company makes its best effort to weather the storm.

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Since the announcement of VUDU’s Rich Internet Application (RIA) platform, we’ve been waiting for some new big news to come down from the Santa Clara-based set top box-based movie distributor and this morning it looks like we’ve got it. Pandora, perhaps the most popular among a new wave of intelligent internet radio services, is now available via VUDU hardware. Pandora represents the first music application to hit the VUDU box and owners will have full access to just about all of Pandora’s great functionality. VUDU’s implementation also allows for multiple log-ins, allowing each member of a household to easily access his/her custom stations. The Pandora application is integrated seamlessly into VUDU’s sexy UI, as seen above, likely making it the most attractive Pandora-streaming option currently available. The addition of Pandora is awesome of course, but we’re still waiting for a monthly subscription option in addition to a la carte movie rentals/purchases before we get too excited about the service in general.

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Roku announced this morning that it would be adding Amazon Video On Demand to its portfolio of available online video content, bringing the grand total up to two. Roku owners will be able to rent or purchase movies and televisions shows from Amazon’s 40,000-title-strong Video On Demand service after an update that will be rolled out over the course of the next week to enable this service on all Roku boxes. With Netflix as the cornerstone, Amazon content as a supplement and YouTube supposedly on the way, the $99 Roku box keeps looking better and better.

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While there’s nothing more than a rogue screen-shot to go by at the moment, we wouldn’t rule this one out as a possible feature of the upcoming Roku software revision. Currently in private beta, Roku is testing its new Amazon VOD integration into what was previously a one-trick Netflix streaming pony. The integration with Amazon Video was a boon for anyone looking to extend the functionality of their little Roku and if the shot above is to be believed, we might see that value extended even further. Sounds good, right? While it’s still quite a ways off from being a direct competitor to the Apple TV, the price is far more appealing for anyone looking to add a bit of streaming VOD to their home theater setup and it’s becoming more and more viable as a legitimate option for serious movie and video enthusiasts. Now all we need is a little Hulu support and we’ll consider ourselves more than happy. You listening Roku? Mmmmk, thanks.

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As much fun as it is to bash the top of your DVD player each of the 135 times your Total Access movie skips during playback, Blockbuster has apparently decided to get serious about movie downloads – sort of. Back in November, Blockbuster finally announced its first set top box offering, allowing users to purchase OnDemand movies on a pay-per-view basis. Yay. Blockbuster’s set top offering, shall we say, hasn’t quite been greeted with open arms, nor has the PC-based download service available on blockbuster.com. That won’t stop the stumbling giant from moving forward and exploring new ways to stay relevant of course, and its latest move is just that. CinemaNow, a movie download service that continues to expand, will now be Blockbuster-branded. While this will make movies bearing the Blockbuster logo available on a new range of devices, it does little to advance Blockbuster in the digital realm – instead, the move simply slaps a more recognizable brand on the CinemaNow service. Offerings are still pay-per-view with titles available to rent or buy, and pricing will remain the same. Blockbuster Chairman Jim Keyes claims that the company is currently examining subscription options but stated nothing finite. Netflix, on the other hand, still offers unlimited movie downloads to all subscribers with a monthly DVD-via-mail plan of $8.99 or higher.

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Well, Sling has gone and done it again. This time they’ve got some iPhone app nonsense for your TiVo-addicted souls. You might remember the initial “concept” version, but the new actual application was created within Apple’s SDK guidelines, thus making it App Store friendly. Sling is aiming to get this out in Q1, so let’s hope they make it this time. Pricing will most likely be the same as their other SlingPlayer Mobile applications — $29.99 — though they haven’t announced that yet.

If you’re a Mac user, they have also got somethin’ cooking for as well. Look forward to HD streaming through Sling.com. It’s essentially a web-based Mac SlingPlayer that links up just perfectly with your brand new PRO-HD box. Good stuff all around, guys.

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Roku has just announced support for Amazon Unbox Video on Demand movie streaming with its diminutive Netlix set-top box. Up until today, the little box was capable of streaming Netflix content to your friendly living room television set. It’s a great step in the right direction, providing access to Amazon’s more than 40,000 title library, and greatly increasing the relative value of the $99 box. That being said, we’re still not entirely sold on the value of the system, given the generally limited reach of both the Netflix streaming and Amazon on Demand catalogs. Couple that fact with a somewhat awkward user interface and you have a good idea that’s still somewhat flawed in its execution. That said, it certainly looks like the company is committed to increasing content and providing more value down the road, so we’ll continue to keep our eyes open in the hopes that some of our gripes will be heard.

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As is always the case, we can all expect plenty of home entertainment-related news to come this week as CES kicks off. New TVs, new Blu-ray players, new set top boxes and plenty of new technology will be showcased later this week and among the first to press release a big announcement is Intel. Alongside Adobe, Intel has announced plans to bring its new Media Processor CE 3100 to market along with a new optimized version of Adobe Flash. These efforts, according to Intel, will “provide consumers with richer and more seamless Web-based and video viewing experiences through advanced Intel-based cable set-top boxes, Blu-ray Disc players, digital TVs and retail connected AV devices.” Coincidentally, we want more seamless Web-based and video viewing experiences, so this new allegiance should work out perfectly. 2009 is looking to be the year of the multi-source set top box which is plenty interesting to say the least. Set top technology has hardly gone mainstream but manufacturers of all shapes and sizes are incredibly eager to make it happen. Of course they are, as set top boxes and video-on-demand services make spending money about as easy as buying insurance from Geico – even easier, perhaps.

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Nintendo announced on Thursday that it will offer a streaming video service for its Wii gaming console. The new service will launch in Japan in 2009 and will feature original programming developed by Nintendo and partnering companies. Nintendo has hired the advertising firm Dentsu to promote this new service and recruit companies willing to develop the original programming content. Of the estimated 34.55 million Wii consoles sold worldwide, 40% are connected to the internet and present a potentially large pool of online viewers for aspiring video production companies. Though launching only in Japan, the new service is expected to expand to foreign markets.

If you crave some food while watching your favorite Wii-delivered flick, Nintendo has got you covered starting in Spring 2009. In another Japan-only service, Nintendo will be partnering with the Demae-can.com online food ordering service to allow you to order a meal right through your Wii. A wide variety of cuisine selections will be available including pizza, sushi, Chinese food, Japanese food and Western food. Mood music to match your selection will play in the background during the ordering process. Can’t decide what to eat? Let your Wii decide! The service will have a roulette mode that will randomly make a selection for you. We wonder how this movie and food ordering service will integrate with Wii Fit, rather than asking if you have been snacking or watching TV too much, Wii Fit will now know what and when you have been eating and being a couch potato. Will a tongue lashing ensue after your latest Wii movie watching and food indulging marathon?

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How low can you go is the question on the minds of potential VUDU owners as the company today announced a new price point for its set top box offering. Regularly $299, VUDU had announced a special deal earlier this year that threw in $200 of free movie credits with a purchase. It is now halving the cost of admission however, as the new price on VUDU’s site was lowered today to $150 including $50 worth of movie credits. VUDU is calling it a Christmas special but we wouldn’t be surprised if we see $99 become a regular occurrence in the near future as the struggling start up continues its attempts to boost sales. The shame of it is that VUDU has an awesome product, as just about any user will tell you, but the competition with cable provider services and other set top box solutions may prove to be too much for the company to handle. Stay strong, VUDU!

Thanks, Dave!

[Via NewTeeVee]

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Remember those Friday nights when you’d rent video tapes by the bundle and watch them all as fast as you can because they were due back in two days and you knew it would take an eternity to rewind each one? Though we’ve come a long way from finely tuning the tracking knob on VCRs for better picture quality, we’re still going to miss these giant cassettes, if not for nostalgia. These days, it’s all about high-definition, Blu-ray and digital sound, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It was bound to happen sooner or later, and Distribution Video Audio in Burbank, CA, the last large-scale distributor of VHS tapes, has shipped its last batch. Anything left over will be given away or thrown away. Farewell, large, black, and cumbersome video tapes! We won’t forget you, until we do of course.

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We can’t hate it when we find out that something interesting is going to be unveiled at CES 2009 since all signs are pointing to the fact that it doesn’t look like it will be commonplace this time around. That won’t stop Sharp from showing up with a sweet arsenal, though it’s hard to call two new sets an arsenal. According to a Sharp executive, Sharp will be debuting two new Aquos HDTVs at CES that come packing integrated Blu-ray / DVD / CD players. There will be a 32″ model and a 42″ model unveiled and both will become available for sale shortly after the show. As far as pricing, Sharp will wait for the show to make anything official, though rumor has it the 42″ model will come in somewhere around $2,000 and will also feature 1080p HD resolution and a 120Hz frame-rate processing. We definitely can’t wait to check out these new Aquos sets along with what will hopefully be a few surprises from Sharp at CES next month.

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VUDU swings for the fences and connects! Big news from California-based set top box provider VUDU this morning, as the company announces a huge new addition to its arsenal — the VUDU RIA (Rich Internet Application) platform. Last time we covered VUDU, it was beefing up its 1080p offering and doling out generous $200 download credits for new customers (which is still available until the end of the year, by the way). This time around however, VUDU has something entirely new and different up its sleeve. Its freshly announced RIA platform is a tremendous step for set top boxes and a sharp deviation from the norm. In a nutshell, it is an open platform that paves a direct path to your television for an endless amount of internet-based content. To start things off, VUDU has a few new services that showcase the potential of its RIA platform: over 120 completely free on-demand TV channels with standard and high definition content, access to the entire YouTube video library, a handful of casual games and a portal into picture services such as Flickr and Picasa. Yeah, big time. VUDU will continue to add new content throughout 2009 and will open its platform to third party developers sometime in the first half of 2008. From the looks of things, 2009 is the year of VUDU. Hit the jump for two more screen shots.

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Listen up, couch potatoes! It looks like NetFlix and Vudu might not be the only streaming services that will offer up a high definition content. Opening up Amazon Video On Demand on your TiVo now shows a tab called “Available in High Definition,” but apparently clicking on it does nothing. A teaser, maybe? Or a slip up? We get the feeling that we’ll all find out very soon, but it seems as though it’s a done deal. Blockbuster is going to have to do something about the “DVD quality” streams they’ll be doing via set-top boxes in order to keep up with the game. So, if you subscribe to Amazon’s video service and would like to do us a favor, keep clicking it every five minutes and tell as soon as it works, thanks. Otherwise, we’ll keep you all updated as soon as we find out ourselves.

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A report in the Dallas Morning news suggests that Blockbuster may be planning to develop a mobile video service. The new streaming media service would be built upon Microsoft’s Live Mesh software platform that allows users to share and synchronize data between multiple devices via an Internet connection. Live Mesh-based services, like Calendar sharing, are already available on Windows PCs with expansion to Mac and Windows Mobile devices expected in the near future. The Blockbuster plan is quite a lofty one and Keith Morrow, Blockbuster’s chief information officer, had this to say about their proposed new service,

“Eventually, we’ll give customers instant access to any movie on any device with an Internet connection and a screen.” “More immediately, we could use this technology to reach into airports. Travelers could quickly download movies from Blockbuster kiosks to their portable media players.”

Morrow also describes a scenario where a user can watch a movie on a mobile phone, pause the media stream, and return to the movie from a home PC picking up right where they left off.  Sounds great, doesn’t it? Blockbuster is reportedly the first big company to develop such a service using the Live Mesh platform so this is uncharted territory. No word on when this service will launch but we are hoping it is sooner rather than later.

[via GottaBeMobile]

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