Stream of Consciousness: Netflix to offer ‘streaming only’ plan by years end?

We’ve talked on here about how we think HD and SD movie streaming is probably the future of TV and movies at home, but isn’t quite there yet. Well, it may be here sooner than we think: the world’s biggest movie at home provider, Netflix, may be on the road to launching a ‘streaming only’ monthly plan by the end of the year.

Read on via blog tvpredictions:

The online movie rental service has offered a ‘streaming only” option in Canada — and experimented with one in the United States.

The Canadian plan costs $1 less per month than Netflix’s minimum payment plan ($8.99) which allows subscribers to rent DVDs as well as watching movies over the Internet, called streaming. (To include Blu-ray discs in your Netflix plan requires an additional fee.)

Netflix has been shifting the company’s focus in recent years to emphasize streaming instead of the hard disc. In fact, company CEO Reed Hastings said yesterday that “we are now primarily a streaming company that also offers DVD-by-mail…DVD-by-mail shipments are still growing, but streaming for us is much larger and growing much faster.

Netflix’s streaming service, which allows viewers to watch a film almost immediately, is available on many devices including PCs, Blu-ray players, Apple TV and the XBox 360.

The company said 66 percent of its subscribers watched at least 15 minutes of Netflix video streaming in the last financial quarter; the number was 61 percent in the previous quarter.

Netflix believes that streaming will mean fewer costs and more subscribers in the coming years.

We do believe overhead will be lower, but will costs really go down via the price on your end? Probably not. We’ll see.

The Specs Specs: Prescription 3D HD Glasses?

In all the hubbub over 3D and such, people forget that many need prescription eyeglasses to see anything, 3D or otherwise. Now Samsung is apparently doing something about this, as they’re preparing prescription level 3D active-shutter glasses for certain parts of that population. More here:

If the only thing holding you back from that new 3DTV purchase was the inconvenience of slipping the 3D glasses over the regular old 2D glasses you already wear, Samsung is the first major manufacturer with a solution now that it’s unveiled a prescription version in Korea. The SSG-R2200 models appear to be very similar to the company’s other active shutter 3D glasses in various shapes and sizes, but they’re made to order from an optometrist.

We’ll see these in the US as well at some point, but we’ll also have to see what kind of prices these go for.

HD or Not: Fox’s broadcast of NLCS baseball games not up to snuff?

There have been many grumblings and complaints about Fox’s MLB NLCS coverage, including the distracting little “pitch location” graphic on the side of every pitch, but nothing beats the complaint leveled against the broadcasts; they’re not “real” HD at all, but enhanced SD, even on HD feeds.

This would be quite shameful given the resources of a company like Fox, to cheap out on baseball’s biggest stage with substandard HD feeds.

The Fox picture has been a mess, lacking detail and clarity typical of an HD program. The centerfield camera is really bad, displaying a picture that appears as if filtered with a Brillo pad. That’s really bad for a billion dollar corporation and a program that will grab millions of viewers.

HD won’t catch on for real as a mainstream format if companies don’t really show what it can do. Here’s to hoping there’s enough people complaining that Fox reconsiders their feeds next year and that it improves during the World Series, which Fox will be carrying.

HD Stream: Netflix to offer 1080p HD movie service

It seems even larger companies like Netflix have latched onto the 1080p HD bandwagon: they plan on launching a full HD movie service on the PS3 very soon (as of the 18th or so). More details here:

The company said more devices would get Dolby sound and 1080p movies “over time.” Netflix’s instant streaming service is also available on Blu-ray players, PCs, Apple TV and the XBox 360.

Netflix did not say which movies — or how many — would be available in 1080p, a format that purports to offer a sharper picture. Blu-ray movies are also in 1080p, but many industry analysts believe that a streaming 1080p video does not deliver a picture as good as the high-def disc.

However, Netflix said that PS3 owners would no longer have to insert a disc in the console to view its library of movies and TV shows.

To get Netflix’s streaming service, Netflix subscribers must pay a minimum of $8.99 a month. The fee allows subscribers to rent hard discs via the mail as well watch movies instantly over the Net. But the company is reportedly considering launching a streaming-only subscription plan in the near future.

We like and appreciate the idea, even if a full Netflix subscription is necessary to get ahold of it. More 1080p sources are always a good thing in our book, however.

Black Friday Early?: HDTV price dips could come in next few weeks

We all know that Black Friday deals can be some of the lowest prices on items we see all year, and that includes HDTV sets obviously. Rumors are abound that many retailers will start marking down units and announcing BF price leaks as soon as next week in preparation for the holiday season, and the deals could be huge.

How about a 42-inch Plasma 720p set for less than $400? It could very well happen, according to many industry observers. A 1080p HDTV unit for $600? Could happen. We can’t wait, because this could the year where many go HD and don’t look back, which would be a source of great joy for us at SS for many reasons. Price is no longer a barrier, especially with online sales, pay as you go online shopping channels, and other avenues.

Here’s to great BF sales that makes everyone join the HD paradise.

HD Highlights: ESPN debuts popular shows in HD

It’s about time, we say: ESPN finally debuted popular shows Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption in HD formats today. While it’s been way too long for these shows to make the jump, they look pretty good, according to many reports. Details to follow:

After an all-too-long wait, two of ESPN’s most popular sports shows finally made the jump to high definition today and we couldn’t help but grab a few snaps to see what they look like in 720p. One interesting note is that the network is simply letterboxing the same 16:9 feed for SD viewers, which probably explains the large font on Pardon The Interruption’s upcoming stories ticker. Naturally, Woody decided to work in an HD reference nearly every time he was up on Around the Horn today, but once the jokes and the background messages fade, we’ll still be appreciating the much, much better looking highlights.

Hopefully, more stations currently airing shows in SD will follow ESPN’s lead on this.

Lies and (Digital) Videotape: DirecTV not being honest about HD channels

We’re all for 200+ HD channels being carried by any provider these days, but we don’t in any way support lies or deception in calculating those channels, and we’d even say it hurts the HD industry for providers to lie about this.

Take DirecTV’s advertising for example: they claim around 200 HD channels since the launch of their new satellite awhile back, but honestly, they aren’t anywhere near that number of channels if you really look at it, and they’re missing key channels already present and available with other providers, such as AMC HD, BBC America HD, E! HD, Turner Classic Movies HD, G4 HD, National Geographic Wild HD, TruTV HD, Style HD, and others.

And to make matters worse, DirecTV still claims in promos that it carries “just about everything in HD.” Based on that list above, this is a lie.

Here’s to hoping subscribers make providers more accountable for deceiving advertising that could make customers believe they’re getting the whole HD experience when they really aren’t.

Chicken Noodle Hi-Def: E’s The Soup now airing in HD

We rarely mention specific shows in these columns, but this one is a personal favorite: E Channel’s The Soup, a show that makes fun of reality shows and pop culture in general that’s pretty much right on for the most part. It’s hosted by sarcasm master Joel McHale, who has made a living out of being a snarky commentator.

In related news, after being on in SD since 2004, the show is now being produced in HD starting this week, and is airing in many markets in HD as of this writing. It’s about time, as the show has been pretty late about arriving in HD, and is a welcome addition for anyone who laughs at pop culture at large on a regular basis.

Oddly, DirecTV does not carry the show in HD, in yet another war with Comcast, one of its chief rivals.

Warner Exec: ‘Blu-Ray will be around for many years’

Warner Bros. big-wig Barry Meyer has been quoted as stating that DVDs and Blu-ray HD discs will be around for a number of years, according to an article by Home Media Magazine, and that despite some predictions that discs will soon be replaced by Video on Demand and streaming video type media, Meyer told an industry conference last week that disc sales seems to be solid and stable after several quarters of small percentage declines.

This is good and bad news, we suppose. The good news: The discs you’re buying now won’t be obsolete in just a few years. The bad news: eventually, yes, On Demand streaming will replace hard media for many in the know. Of course, discs will always have some place among those who can’t be bothered with fancy tools or modern technology of any kind, so they won’t die off completely.

Meyer continues: “The physical DVD market is going to be around a lot longer than VHS was. That little silver disc is a pretty ubiquitous thing. It is high quality, usable on a lot of different devices, portable and all that. And until we start getting digital into that place that is as ubiquitous, playable on multiple devices and as portable as DVD, I think you will see physical hanging around for a long time.”

We do agree, but will add that Blu-Ray (in our opinion) will replace standard DVD within the next 5-10 years or so, even among much of the mainstream audience, especially considering the quick decline of players and disc prices.

More Blu-Ray News: The Incredibles coming soon?

We always like to keep tabs on new 1080p releases on the HD medium, and this one would be quite cool if it happens: the now modern classic animated masterpiece, The Incredibles. Here’s a quick take on this possible coming soon event:

Just when we’d plotted out all our future Disney disc purchases, TheHDRoom is back with a roundup of Blu-ray release date rumors and what’s included but one of our favorite flicks, The Incredibles. It’s a bit shocking we haven’t seen this movie (among many, many others) on Blu-ray yet, but the site says to keep your early 2011 calendar open for now.

Feel free to keep an eye out for this and more films headed to BR in the near future. Now that Redbox has BR stocked openly, it should only be a matter of time for many great films to head to Blu-Ray.

Firmware Update: Welcome and Hello, 3D HD Blu-Ray and PS3

It appears Sony is on the ball with the very latest in HD 3D Blu-Ray, and after much discussion, rumor and turmoil, Sony is about ready to unleash 3D Blu-Ray support for the PS3. The following describes in more detail the news itself:

We’ve been waiting for 3D Blu-ray support to hit the PS3 for a good long while now, and Sony’s been promising it would happen for, well, exactly that same amount of time. Yesterday the company confirmed that the 3D-enabling 3.50 firmware update is less than a week away, dropping on September 21.

We like the news, as the further this drops into the mainstream, the better chance it has of not being a bust. We applaud (finally!) Sony’s efforts to catch up with this technology.

Games and HD: Game Show Network to go HD soon

It appears this network is done playing games with HD, so to speak: The Game Show Network will launch a High-Definition simulcast channel next week, Broadcasting & Cable Magazine is reporting. They’re one of the few holdouts in the HD parade, but that silence will now be broken, it looks like.

The new HD channel is scheduled to launch officially September 15, but a GSN official would not reveal which cable/TV providers would carry the channel at launch, but he told B&C that several operators are testing the signal and getting ready to add it. “Most operators are shooting for 100 plus HD channels and we think we will be one of those services,” he stated.

Reports are now that GSN is now producing all 10 original shows in HD now and some syndicated shows are converted to high-def as well. It’ll be a hi-def game world on some networks very soon.

Hi-Def News: LG showing off 31″ OLED HDTV at IFA 2010

It seems LG is doing some very cool stuff with OLED these days, if a recent exhibition at IFA 2010 is to be believed. Pictures are worth a thousand words as they say, and here’s the proof, as you can see. Read on, via Engadget HD coverage:

We’ve been tracking LG OLED TV production rumors for nearly as long as Bieber’s been alive, and recently got wind that their ultra-thin 7mm LED TV would be appearing at IFA this year, but now more news has materialized. According to OLED-Display, the company plans to show a new 31-inch OLED television prototype in addition to confidence-compensating 72-inch 3D LED TV. Sadly, other critical details like resolution and pricing are nowhere to be found, but considering the company’s 15-inch EL9500 OLED — which we’re still waiting for stateside — is selling for close to $2,400 in the UK, it’s fair to assume a model double in size will be a Kanye-level extravagance. Seeing a larger OLED example before 2011 though will be a step in the right direction for LG, and appears to fall in line with the company’s own rollout predictions.

We’ll keep an eye on these developments as they are released. The possibility of larger OLEDs sets us to dreaming, indeed.

Bigger HD: Washington’s new big screens – and no punter interference

It seems newer football stadiums are now competing to see how big their HD screens can get, and now we have a new contender in Washington for Dallas stadium’s huge screens. And they aren’t even smack dab in the field of play:

After seeing the HD scoreboards in the new Cowboys Stadium we didn’t think it could get any better, but Dan Snyder would disagree. This season Washington fans can enjoy two new 100 foot long high definition scoreboards installed at either end of FedEx Field, which Snyder claims are sharper than anything you’ll see down in Jerry Jones’ palace despite being slightly smaller, with the added benefit of a “secure” (read: no blocked kicks) location visible to all in the stadium.

We appreciate both ‘big’ and visible to all without worrying about a good punter knocking out some pixels. Keep it going football owners!

List of 50 Movies improved by Blu-Ray/HD

We all know watching certain movies and content in HD can improve the overall experience in general, but particular films can really heighten the experience by watching them on your On-Demand provider or Blu-Ray disc vs. standard def viewing.

We finally have a very fine list compiled by the folks at TVPredictions.com of movies where BR can greatly increase the viewing pleasure quotient of the respective cinematic pieces (now that’s a mouthful).

Feel free to check it out here: Link

Blade Runner and The Dark Knight are highlights of this list on HD in our opinion. The dark details of each world are really highlighted with the extra clarity and sharpness of the HD picture. Check out all the films on this list (well, maybe not the dreary and tepid ‘Max Payne’) and you’ll have plenty of entertainment for many weeks and months to come.

More HD: Comcast adds up to 80 HD channels in many markets

We reported Comcast was scheduled to add up to 80 HD channels in many markets as of August, and indeed that did happen. What’s interesting is the way it was done: in two ‘pieces’, and the way it was done was awkward to say the least.

In mid-June the first ‘wave’ came of 60 HD channels, but they were spread around the 700′s and 900′s in very confusing fashion in many markets, and it made for a sloppy transition to say the least. We like the idea of more HD channels, but implementation can sometimes make or break a newer format, and the rollout of this was stinky, to put it nicely.

Now in August the channels were finally placed together and the remaining 20 channels were added, making for a very nice (if overdue in many markets) influx of HD content the likes of which many paying high Comcast bills had not seen previously. More HD is always good, we say. Hopefully future expansions and changes are done in a more organized manner.

Opinion: Sports in HD – or not?

It’s a well-regarded opinion that sports are better enjoyed in HD and on HDTV sets, but we know some people out there aren’t that into it, or can watch their sports in SD with no qualms at all (those people aren’t really our primary readership, admittedly). We personally think it would be a waste, but then that’s just us.

Football, baseball, basketball, soccer, you name it – HD grabs you and brings you into the action like little else does (besides being there in person).

So let us know – are you particular about how you watch your favorite sports, and does HD truly add a new dimension to sports not experienced prior to it being introduced into your home?

Pre-Season HD: NFL to stream 50 NFL games in HD

Even the NFL sees the value of HD, and they have released details of a planned pre-season streaming HD plan for all 50 NFL games in the exhibition season, bringing full HD clarity to the NFL experience for those who can’t get enough of the gridiron. More details:

Don’t have the NFL Network but still want to catch every single pre-season NFL game in HD? Well you finally have an option with NFL Preseason Live. It’ll cost you $40 for the over 50 live broadcasts, as well as on demand access, but what is particularly cool is access to either team’s radio broadcast (we assume it is synced up to the video) as well as enhancements like Big Play Markers — whatever that is. If you click through you can get a taste of what it’s like by watching last year’s Super Bowl, looks good up to 3Mbps. Now before you get all excited about the idea that this is a prelude to regular season games coming to the internet, just hold on there. The pre-season games are night and day when compared to regular season when you’re talking licensing rights. While the regular season rights are part of some of the biggest TV deals ever, the pre-season rights are usually sold to local affiliates; which always makes it fun to see the quality of the broadcast with considerably smaller budgets.

We like the move, exposing more fans to the wonders of HD in any medium is something we can always appreciate.

Going HD: Redbox adding $1.50 Blu-Ray rentals this fall

It seems even a big portal like Redbox cannot resist the siren song of BR HD discs, as they have announced plans to add the high-def media to most outlets as of a few weeks or so, and nationwide by Fall or so. More details via Engadget:

It’s really no surprise that Redbox is going nationwide with its $1.50 Blu-ray rentals, at every step along the way of its Hollwood dealmaking, the company has pointed out its aim towards procuring a supply of high definition movies, and now the day is finally here. The high definition disc packing kiosks currently number 13,300, and the plan is to have Blu-ray in all 26,000 locations by the fall. While we spotted plenty of Blu-ray enabled locations with a San Francisco zip code, other areas in the Midwest and East Coast weren’t so lucky.

We applaud Redbox for getting with the HD media revolution, and hopefully this will make the format more palatable for mainstream consumption down the road.

HD Bites: Shark Week arrives with more HD than ever

It’s almost August, which means a man’s annual rite of (TV) passage, Shark Week, on Discovery channel will be chomping at the bit to get onto your HDTV panel.  Check our Engadget’s quick and dirty summary:

Do you really have to check the calendar to know what time of year it is? That’s right baby, it’s Shark Week, and as usual, Discovery’s taking a midsummer break to bring everything shark related to its prime time lineup. This year, Discovery follows up on one of the most-watched Shark Week specials of all time, Air Jaws, with Ultimate Air Jaws August 1 at 9 p.m., with 2,000 fps HD footage of great white sharks leaping out of the water to attack seals. Even if that’s not enough details (and time, with one second of footage expanded to an entire minute) to count every tooth in the shark’s mouth as the press release breathlessly claims, then check out Into the Shark Bite, where they inserted high speed HD cameras — where else — directly into a shark’s jaws.

If you’re a fan of big nasty sea animals (in HD not 3D, mind you), then you have to tune in this week to bite into your favorite species of shark.

« Previous Page — Next Page »