Sounds like a good marketing tool to me.

According to VB sister publication Variety, new service Poptok has launched in beta to provide movie and TV clips for email and instant messaging. And it has most of the major studios, except Fox and Disney, on board. (Read the full story.)

All a user has to do is drag and drop their favorite movie line into their email and IM service and send to a friend.

But can't you just see a user watching Laurence Fishburne say "Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is" and a link underneath it says "Buy The Matrix on DVD and Blu-ray from ______", name your store, Amazon, DVDEmpire, Mom and Pop's Web DVD store? It could even say "Download The Matrix Now...Read More

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Bravia HDTV owners will be able to see Will Smith-starring Hancock on TVs before anyone else.

Sony plans to stream the movie through the Bravia Internet Link (requires an extra box priced at $299) prior to the movie's release on DVD and Blu-ray.

Studio's have been working on ways to offer video-on-demand in high-def prior to the DVD window, but they've been worried about copy protection issues -- they show it, people record it, why by the DVD?

Hancock looks like a glimpse into the future.

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But they don’t want you to skip the commercials either. Really.

Satellite-television companies like DirecTV and Dish Network are trying to further differentiate themselves from cable and telco operators by offering something every attention-deficit stricken TV watcher would want – a digital-video recorder.

Throughout the next few years, satellite companies will be the primary reason why DVR ownership in the U.S. will jump about 75% within the next four year...Read More

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Netflix's video streaming set-top box Roku scored big points in a review by Todd Spangler of VB sister publication Multichannel News. He says it's "very very easy to set up and use."

The box, which retails for $99, allows Netflix customers to watch the online rental giant's video streaming service on a TV. Users must agree with Todd, but the box sold out quickly.

However, although Todd loved the Roku box (noting the lack of new releases and high-def videos), he brings up an interesting point about the future of video streaming and downloading: Internet service providers limiting bandwith and charging more for higher usage. Downloading and streaming video wil...Read More

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Disney is spreading its content further on the Web.

ABC and ESPN videos will now be syndicated to Internet video aggregator Veoh Networks, according to VB sister publication Multichannel News.

Viewers will be able to watch ESPN clips and full episodes of ESPN shows such as SportsCenter Right Now and ABC hits Lost, Grey's Anatomy and Ugly Betty.

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Apple says it is renting and selling more than 50,000 movie downloads a day.

To compete, CinemaNow is offering a free three-day trial subscription.

Meanwhile, Movielink looks a little out of date. On its home page, it says "Before you watch the fourth season of Battlestar Galactica, catch on this TV film," meaning Battlestar Galactica: Razer, but the fourth season began back in April.

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Nordic electronic sell-through and video-on-demand service Film2Home.com has launched a new peer-to-peer service based on Bittorrent technology in which users will be able to download movies legally and then offer them up for P2P sharing, and they'll even get money for it.

That money, according to Film2Home, will be awarded depending on the size of the movie file that's shared and how many others are distributing the same file. Proceeds can be used to purchase and download more movies or changed into cash.

The service, which partnered with Ameibo to offer the legal downloads, launched with 1,000 movies, but founder Cecilia Versteegh said the company hopes to increase that with "more movies from major studios as soon as possible."

Seems difficult to believe the majors would be happy with this arrangement, unless they're getting a portion of those re-sales.

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How many other celebrities are going to have a dating show?

I love Brad Garrett. He was brillliant in Everybody Loves Raymond, and Til Death has its moments.

But now, Brad is going to try online dating, going on blind dates with women who have submitted their credentials at Sony's Crackle.com. It's all part of a new show, Dating Brad Garrett, that will run on YouTube, AOL Video, Hulu, Vcast and Bravia Internet Link, according to VB sister publication Variety. (Click for the full story.)

Of course, it's all aimed at building traffic, seeling subscriptions, selling ads, etc.

...Read More

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CBS and ABC are revamping their Web video players, giving viewers more functionality, according to VB sister publication Broadcasting & Cable.

B&C says CBS's new video player will offer true high-def picture, fullscreen viewing, the ability to embed clips on other Web sites and a new user interface. (Click to read the full story.)

ABC is adding true fullscreen viewing, content sharing, navigation and search tools, site recommendations and closed captioning. (Click to read the full story.)

The future looks good if they're investing in the technology.

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An online game that you have to watch TV to win? I'd like to see the DVD for that.

The Sci Fi Channel and videogame publisher Trion World Network have joined to develop a massively multi-player online game that will also have a companion TV show, both set in the same fictional world and the story line and character arcs developing on both, according to VB sister publication Broadcasting & Cable. (Click to read the full story.)

It's an intriguing idea, and one I'm sure network execs and studio heads will be watching closely. Studios have been trying to tap into the success of videogames for years, making movies of videogames and licensing movies for videogames, some with more success than others. (My husband and I just ...Read More

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Some industryites thought Netflix was crazy to start a streaming service when people could already download. Why would people want stream video when they can download it and watch it anytime?

But this week, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings projected that streaming will help the company double its subscriptions within a decade and that the streaming business will one day surpass DVD rentals. (Read the full story)

Other companies are catching on.

Amazon chief Jeff Bezos reportedly told an audience at the All Things D conference that the online retailer, which already offers downloads through its ...Read More

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The movie service, which lets you beam content from its box to your TV without using a computer, describes its service enhancement as 'extending the rental window at a discounted price.' So in other words, you will have to pay something extra if you miss watching your rented movie within its designated time frame. Sounds like a late fee to me!
Usually, once you make your Vudu order you have 30 days to watch the film. And once the rental is activated for viewing, you have 24 or 48 hours to finish it.
But Vudu will cut you some slack and charge you about $1 to $2 less on an additional rental of the title. That comes out to $1 off standard-definition rentals, $2 off high-definition rentals, and 50 cents off Vudu's selection of 99 cent rentals.
Once extended, you must abide by ...Read More

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