WebTV

Netflix goes out of its way to help you to figure out what’s wrong when you get crappy, pixelated video despite that super-fast connection you’re paying for. In addition to calling out ISPs when it thinks they’re the problem, Netflix also provides a handy speed index that lets you see which providers offer the best Continue Reading →

Survey says: we are a Netflix nation. Forty-seven percent of all U.S. households subscribe to Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime or a combination of these services, and 49 percent of all households have at least one TV connected to the internet, according to a new study from the Leichtman Research Group about emerging video services. Continue Reading →

When Netflix agreed to pay Comcast for a direct connection to the ISP’s network, video performance improved immediately. Verizon subscribers aren’t so lucky. Although Netflix and Verizon confirmed on April 28 that they had struck a paid peering deal, performance continued to drop in May and could remain poor for months while the companies upgrade Continue Reading →

Dish says it wants to offer a Web TV service later this year. ESPN and some other Disney channels are on board. Who else could Dish get, if it wants to hit its retail target price of $30 a month? Here’s a theoretical list, courtesy of Bernstein Research’s Todd Juenger. He figures Dish could conceivably Continue Reading →

Aereo, the brilliant (if beleaguered) system that lets you watch or record broadcast TV from any screen, anywhere, just added support for Google Chromecast and a handy Android app. Now, basically any Google-powered device you own can be a TV. With the Android app installed on your device, you can set up your Chromecast wonder-dongle Continue Reading →

Verizon has sent Netflix a cease and desist order demanding that it stop presenting its subscribers with messages that blame Verizon’s network for poor streaming performance. Netflix’s messages are actively meant to knock Verizon — among other service providers — that it alleges have been hurting streaming quality, either actively or through failing to properly Continue Reading →

Do you prefer a night in with Netflix over paying $8 for popcorn at the theater? You’re not alone: Box office revenue has been flat over the past few years while online video revenue has grown dramatically, and this is starting to change how Hollywood makes its money. The new PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Entertainment and Media Continue Reading →

Earlier this year, Netflix signed a Web traffic deal with Comcast, then complained about it. Here’s a new version of the story: In April, Netflix signed a Web traffic deal with Verizon. Now it is telling some of its customers that Verizon’s pipes — and, presumably, other ISP’s as well — aren’t up to snuff. Continue Reading →

Microsoft on Wednesday announced 46 new apps coming to its Xbox platform. The company says this will increase apps on its gaming platform by 25 percent, bringing the total to over 225 apps around the world. The timing of the news should surprise no one: the June update started rolling out last night, and it Continue Reading →

Even as the number of paid streaming-video services like Netflix and Hulu become more accessible on gadgets, built into TVs and installed on videogame consoles, people watching video online still prefer free. Google’s YouTube service soaked up 48% of the time people spent watching online video, according to a March 2014 survey by nScreenMedia that Continue Reading →