WebTV

Here’s a sign that Web-only shows are now going neck and neck with television: Nielsen, the well-known ratings-data analyst, will begin rating new AOL original series. AOL is the first digital client to get Nielsen’s ratings for its original shows. AOL announced Tuesday that it’s coming out with a slew of new shows — 16 Continue Reading →

Hulu is about to start letting everyone watch some of its programming via mobile devices, CEO Mike Hopkins said at the company’s Upfronts event on Wednesday. Hulu previously required you to sign up for its premium subscription service, Hulu Plus, which costs $8 per monthly, before gaining access to any of its programming on smartphones, Continue Reading →

Netflix just confirmed that it will pay Verizon for direct access through the carrier’s network, allowing for improved streaming video for customers. According to a brief statement, “We have reached an interconnect arrangement with Verizon that we hope will improve performance for our joint customers over the coming months.” The announcement mirrors a similar peering Continue Reading →

Oscar-winning documentary filmmakers. Legendary soccer players. The guys who make Robot Chicken. These are the people that Microsoft’s throwing money at to help them make TV shows. Despite the fact that their plans to create all-new filmed entertainment have long been rumored and confirmed, it’s kind of weird to think that the same company that Continue Reading →

According to aereo.com, “With Aereo, you can watch real, live TV through a tiny remote antenna you control over the Internet — from home or anywhere in your home coverage area.” If you’re a TV viewer with a broadband connection to the public Internet, this seems like an awesome idea. For $8 per month, you Continue Reading →

For the first time, Netflix will be available in the US from its natural enemy: cable companies. Atlantic Broadband, Grande Communications and RCN all announced that subscribers will be able to access the streaming service through their TiVo DVRs as soon as April 28th. Of course, that’s just a different way of delivering regular Netflix Continue Reading →

Dish Network is targeting a summer debut for its Internet-TV service in the U.S., according to people familiar with the matter. Dish is telling programmers, including Comcast’s NBCUniversal, that a late summer release date is possible, said the people, who asked not to be named because the negotiations are private. Dish, the second-largest U.S. satellite-TV Continue Reading →

You still can’t get new HBO shows, like this season’s “Game of Thrones,” without paying for TV. But starting in May, you’ll be able to get some of the premium cable channel’s older stuff online — via an Amazon Prime subscription. That means Amazon Prime subscribers will be able to see shows that have already Continue Reading →

On Tuesday, the United States Supreme Court will spend one hour hearing the latest arguments in an old, important debate that affects everyone watching television in the US: who owns the airwaves? ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and others use the broadcast frequencies our TV antennas pick up, the government regulates those frequencies, and cable companies Continue Reading →

Our latest update on how Netflix is doing is here, and buried within the earnings details the company revealed two announcements that have been a long time coming: it’s raising prices for new customers, and it is (after years of rumors) going to offer service on cable-provided DVRs in the US soon. The price hike Continue Reading →