WebTV

If you have an Xbox Live Gold subscription only to access media apps such as Netflix and Hulu, Microsoft’s recent decision to remove the digital requirement may have left you feeling short-changed. After all, many consumers buy an upfront 12-month subscription to get a discount on the standard monthly fee. To make amends, Microsoft is Continue Reading →

In a move that bucks the standard set by Microsoft itself back in 2005, both the Xbox One and Xbox 360 will drop the requirement for an Xbox Live paid membership to access services like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube. Microsoft announced this morning that it would be streamlining its offerings and bringing its prices and Continue Reading →

When choosing which cable provider to sign a contract with, you will undoubtedly check the channel guide to see which channels are included in the package to which you are about to subscribe. You may even go a bit further and check to see if includes the HD version of your favorite channels. What you Continue Reading →

Last month, Netflix told investors it would raise prices for its streaming video service. Now they’re doing it. New Netflix subscribers will now pay $9 a month, up from the $8 level the company has had for several years. If you’re one of the 35 million Americans who was already paying for a subscription, your Continue Reading →

The relationship between social media and TV is of considerable interest to media owners, agencies and brands. Twitter is investing heavily to buy social media monitoring companies, and Facebook is also seeking to bolster its claim on social engagement with TV. There’s no doubt that ‘Social TV’ has become the subject of much speculation. But just how significant is Continue Reading →

Xbox Entertainment Studios is deep in negotiations with Showtime to develop a live-action “Halo” drama series that is a high priority for the Microsoft production unit headed by Nancy Tellem. Xbox Studios has been developing a drama series spin on the vidgame franchise with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin TV banner for more than a year. It’s Continue Reading →

Comcast may soon allow customers using its cloud-connected X1 cable box system to buy games from Electronic Arts through their televisions, according to five sources briefed on the plans. Such a partnership would come as the cable company seeks to protect its turf against a new wave of challengers. After two years of testing, Comcast Continue Reading →

The recently announced deal between Amazon and HBO — in which Amazon will offer to its Amazon Primes customers much of HBO’s classic programming — should be examined for its long-term implications. Are there any businesses that are liable to get hurt? In staff meetings, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos insists that there is always an empty chair that Continue Reading →

If TV executives had their way, then Netflix would look a whole lot more like its network-owned competitor Hulu or Amazon’s streaming service. Executives from Nickelodeon, FX, Showtime and AMC explained that they would like Netflix to follow those services in doing more to promote their networks during a panel at the Cable Show in Continue Reading →

Yahoo is taking a big step into original content with its first two TV-length original series — its attempts to start taking on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and an increasingly large list of other top tech companies that have started to use exclusive series to attract viewers to their platforms. Its first series will be half-hour Continue Reading →