Universal

Paramount, Google Link Up for Movie Rentals

Peter Kafka in Media on April 4 at 5:00 am PT

So what about that copyright lawsuit that Paramount parent Viacom filed against Google nearly five years ago? Still going ….

News Byte

YouTube Movie Rentals Adding Pooh, Pirates and a Pile of Disney

John Murrell in Media on November 23, 2011 at 9:51 am PT

YouTube’s movie rental operation is getting a big infusion of Disney over the next few weeks. Google announced today that the first handful of what will eventually be hundreds of films from Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks Studios are now available on the service in the U.S. and Canada, joining movies from Sony Pictures, Universal and Warner Bros.

News Byte

Universal Dumps $60 Home Video Rental Plan

Peter Kafka in Media on October 12, 2011 at 12:12 pm PT

It’s a week for home video about-faces. Universal has dumped plans to let some home viewers rent an Eddie Murphy/Ben Stiller comedy for $60 while it was still in theaters. Comcast’s movie studio reversed course just days after news of its “Tower Heist” plan surfaced. Though the rental plan was only slated for Atlanta and Portland, several theater chains had said they would boycott the movie nationally in protest.

Coming Soon to Your Living Room: The $60 Movie Rental

Peter Kafka in Media on October 6, 2011 at 11:53 am PT

From the people who brought you $30 movie rentals, here’s the sequel: Popcorn, soda not included. You supply the TV and the sofa.

Movies You've Heard Of Coming To YouTube. Will You Rent Them?

Peter Kafka in Media on April 25, 2011 at 9:36 pm PT

YouTube is finally ready to move its movie rental service from a long-running test into a real, bona fide movie store. The problem for both Hollywood and YouTube: Consumers seem to like the Netflix subscription service more than one-off rentals.

CTIA Notebook: Mobilized Meets the Muggles at Universal Orlando

Ina Fried in Mobile on March 25, 2011 at 4:00 am PT

It wasn’t all work and no play in Orlando. While there was plenty of news at the show–not to mention AT&T’s pre-show bombshell–Mobilized did manage to make a detour to Universal Studios and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

News Byte

New Version of Twitter for Android

Beth Callaghan in News on February 10, 2011 at 2:35 pm PT

According to a post on Twitter’s Web site, six months ago, Twitter for Android didn’t rank among the top 10 Twitter apps. But usage has doubled in the last couple of months, and now it’s in the top five. Accordingly, the company is launching a new version of the Android app that looks and feels more like its other official apps and offers design improvements, along with username auto-completion and universal search.

When You Wish Upon a List

Katherine Boehret in The Mossberg Solution on November 30, 2010 at 9:05 pm PT

Katie takes a look at some online services that could help you–or those shopping for you–find the right gifts this holiday season.

Netflix Adds Another Studio: Sony Agrees to 28-Day DVD "Window"

Peter Kafka in Media on October 6, 2010 at 9:35 am PT

More movement from Netflix as it transitions from discs to digital: A distribution deal with Sony that reduces its access to DVDs in exchange for lower fees and more rights to stream movies to your home.

Netflix Adds (Some of) Relativity’s Movies to Its Streaming Catalog

Peter Kafka in Media on July 5, 2010 at 8:33 pm PT

Netflix is set to announce a new deal with Hollywood production shop Relativity Media that will give it streaming rights to some of the movies Relativity works on. Not an earth-shaking deal, but a sign of things to come.