WebTV

Sony has reached a preliminary agreement with Viacom to carry the media company’s cable channels on its planned Internet-based TV service, a person familiar with the matter said, a significant boost for the Japanese company as it races to secure content rights against technology firms vying to offer similar services. Sony plans to stream traditional Continue Reading →

CBS’s block on Time Warner Cable (TWC) customers is less than a week old and already the blackout is fuelling a rise in TV show piracy. TorrentFreak reports that the percentage of illegal downloads rose substantially in the week since it went dark, as piracy rates for popular CBS show Under The Dome increased by Continue Reading →

Google’s Chromecast is one of the cheapest ways to get web content on your TV. Launching with access to Netflix and YouTube, Chromecast has already gotten platforms like Hulu and HBO Go interested and working toward getting more content to Google’s tiny streaming gadget. For now, though, Chromecast is a bit limited, and won’t store Continue Reading →

All that Twittering about TV? It really does boost TV ratings. So says Nielsen, in a new study that Twitter executives, among others, will be delighted to see. It’s the first research that conclusively states that an increase in Twitter commentary about a TV show can increase viewership of that same show as it airs Continue Reading →

A dispute between CBS and Time Warner Cable over retransmission fees for its broadcast content has spilled over onto the web, with a blackout of television programming also being extended to CBS’ online properties. In the wake of Time Warner Cable dropping the CBS and Showtime signals in most major markets, the broadcaster has decided Continue Reading →

Hulu, the television streaming service owned by Hollywood media companies, plans to provide all episodes of original series at once to paying subscribers, exploiting the popularity of so-called binge viewing. Six episodes of “The Wrong Mans,” a co-production with the British Broadcasting Corp., will become available on Nov. 11 for Hulu Plus subscribers, Andy Forssell, Continue Reading →

Netflix officially launched its personalized profiles Thursday, rolling out the new feature to iOS devices, the Xbox 360 and the PS3 as well as the Netflix.com website and a number of connected devices, including the Apple TV. The feature will allow Netflix subscribers to personalize a total of five profiles per account, which will each Continue Reading →

Google’s new Chromecast is a little limited in what it can do. It won’t store a video library for you to play back later. It won’t play Quicktime files. But, it will play lots of other files on your television–things like Flash streams and MKVs you’ve downloaded from, say, a torrent tracker. Contrary to a Continue Reading →

Are you watching a ton of Netflix? Then you had better make sure you’re getting fresh air and exercise. Because you’re probably not cutting back on your regular TV habit. That’s according to a new study from TiVo’s research unit, which says that Netflix subscribers are still watching as much TV as people who don’t Continue Reading →

Getting Netflix in your living room is now cheaper than ever. Last week, Google unveiled something called Chromecast, which is about the same size as a USB thumb drive and plugs directly into one of your TV’s HDMI ports. Chromecast lets you watch things like YouTube and Netflix on your TV and can even mirror Continue Reading →