NBC-Comcast deal comes under Justice Department, FCC scrutiny
We can’t say we didn’t warn you. Looks like the kids at Comcast have to answer some questions over at the Justice Department — and the FCC — before they get their hands on NBC. Both agencies have pledged to “examine the transaction closely,” says AP, being ever-vigilant as they are to protect consumers and competition in this free market society of ours. The review could last upwards of a year, but if that means that 2011 could see the debut of NBC-Universal’s “Comcastic!” theme parks, it will all have been worth it.
NBC-Comcast deal comes under Justice Department, FCC scrutiny originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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PlayStation First to Sell HD Movies from All Major Studios
Sony Computer Entertainment is proudly shouting “FIRST” (YouTube commenter-style) with an announcement that claims the PlayStation Network is the first online service to sell high-definition movies from all the major movie studios: Universal, 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Walt Disney, Warner Bros and, of course, Sony Pictures.
Some of the content has been around for a while — for example, NBC Universal videos debuted on the PlayStation Network one year ago tomorrow — but PlayStation owners have access to a few new movies today.
They include Up, G-Force, Earth, Star Trek, Paranormal Activity, Zoolander, This Is It, 2012, District 9, Zombieland, Inglourious Basterds, Couples Retreat, Public Enemies, The Hangover, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and The Wizard of Oz.
All the studios but Fox are represented there; Fox’s new contributions (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Jennifer’s Body and Fantastic Mr. Fox) will debut on the PSN this Saturday, March 13.
PSN competitors like Apple’s iTunes Store and Apple TV set-top box and Microsoft’s Zune Marketplace and Xbox 360 console offer formidable libraries of on-demand video from the major movie studios, but Sony is boasting that it’s the only one to offer HD content from all of them.
In a time when the market is terribly fragmented between so many different formats and services, posting HD content from every major studio is actually a notable feat. Sony will have more firsts on the horizon, too; the PlayStation 3 is going 3D soon.
Apple and Microsoft have had their own opportunities to say “first,” though. The Xbox 360 streamed Netflix movies first, and both Apple’s iTunes Store and the Xbox 360 offered movie downloads and rentals before the PlayStation Network did.
Reviews: harry potter, iTunes, zombieland
Tags: 20th century fox, Film, hd, Movies, nbc universal, paramount pictures, playstation 3, playstation network, playstation portable, PS3, PSP, sony, Sony Pictures, sony playstation 3, Sony PSP, video games, walt disney pictures, warner bros
Congress Asks NBC Why Hulu Blocked Boxee
Boxee and Hulu have had a contentious history, with Hulu several times blocking its content from working with the Boxee social media software. NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker once told All Things D he didn’t want Hulu content on Boxee because it was committed to keeping the former “an online experience.”
Today during the Congressional hearing to investigate Comcast’s proposed acquisition of NBC (you can watch the full-length video of the hearing below), Representative Rick Boucher asked Zucker flat-out about the company’s exclusion of Boxee users from accessing Hulu content. Zucker’s response:
“This was a decision made by the Hulu management to, uh, what Boxee was doing was illegally taking the content that was on Hulu without any business deal. And, you know, all, all the, we have several distributors, actually many distributors of the Hulu content that we have legal distribution deals with so we don’t preclude distribution deals. What we preclude are those who illegally take that content.”
In a blog post, Boxee CEO Avner Ronen responds to Zucker’s claims of illegal content access. He explains that the workaround that currently allows Boxee users to watch Hulu shows is to simply use a web browser for access. Just like Firefox or Chrome users can watch Hulu content, so can Boxee users: “We don’t ‘take’ the video. We don’t copy it. We don’t put ads on top of it. The video and the ads play like they do on other browsers or on Hulu Desktop. And it certainly is legal to do so.”
Considering neither Mozilla nor Google (nor Microsoft or other browser makers) have distribution deals with Hulu, it’s hard not to concede that Boxee has a valid point. What do you think: Should Congress intervene to prevent a company like Hulu from blocking access to particular web TV companies, be it Boxee or otherwise?
Reviews: Boxee, Chrome, Firefox, Google, Hulu
Tags: boxee, Browsers, congress, hulu, internet tv, nbc universal, software, tv
The Internet Is Laughing at NBC, Not With It [VIDEO]
Now that an NBC exec has confirmed the rumors of a late-night lineup shake up, videos making fun of the situation have gone viral.
Lesson learned: Denizens of the Internet won’t hesitate to rally around the child yelling that the Emperor’s not wearing any clothes.
NBC Universal television Chairman Jeff Gaspin said yesterday that the network will definitely move Leno out of primetime. The suggestion that Leno’s show will drop to a half hour in length with Conan and Fallon staying at one hour was also confirmed.
Gaspin was vague about Carson Daly’s fate, promising only that he “will be part of NBC regardless of what happens.” It sounds like Leno has definitely agreed to the new deal, but that Conan is still mulling over his options, which include a not-so-subtle hint from Fox that they’d love to have him. To fill up all that primetime space, NBC has greenlit six new series in addition to J.J. Abrams’s Undercovers.
The Web’s Reaction
The whole fiasco has turned into a snarky Internet drama, with videos of comedians’ comments on the subject going viral over the weekend. The joke is on NBC, and the consensus among commenters on blogs, Digg, and everywhere else seems to be that the decision to move Leno into primetime was deserving of digital mockery to begin with. The Hollywood Reporter had to dig pretty deep to write about a dissenting view. The late-night jokes about the move are the centerpieces of this PR disaster. Keep reading for the cream of the crop.
The Jay Leno Show
Jay made references to the situation two nights in a row. Here are both videos.
The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien
Conan spent less time on the subject. After setting the tone to “absurd” by joking that he and Jay will run simultaneously in splitscreen, he tagged on a sharp jab at the end.
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Kimmel’s monologue on the subject didn’t have much to do with the topic at all, actually, but it was still very funny.
He made up for it in this second clip, though, bringing in a cameo by the situation’s tragic odd man out: Carson Daly.
Patton Oswalt on Comedy Death Ray Radio
Comedian Patton Oswalt has more street cred than the late-night hosts these days, and he was very candid in this more serious (but still chuckle-worthy) interview on Comedy Death Ray Radio.
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Finally, our favorite bit about the fiasco.
Reviews: Digg
Tags: carson daly, conan o’brien, craig ferguson, jay leno, jeff gaspin, jimmy fallon, jimmy kimmel, late night, late night tv, media, nbc, nbc universal, patton oswalt, television, tv, video, viral videos
The Internet Is Laughing at NBC, Not With It [VIDEO]
Now that an NBC exec has confirmed the rumors of a late-night lineup shake up, videos making fun of the situation have gone viral.
Lesson learned: Denizens of the Internet won’t hesitate to rally around the child yelling that the Emperor’s not wearing any clothes.
NBC Universal television Chairman Jeff Gaspin said yesterday that the network will definitely move Leno out of primetime. The suggestion that Leno’s show will drop to a half hour in length with Conan and Fallon staying at one hour was also confirmed.
Gaspin was vague about Carson Daly’s fate, promising only that he “will be part of NBC regardless of what happens.” It sounds like Leno has definitely agreed to the new deal, but that Conan is still mulling over his options, which include a not-so-subtle hint from Fox that they’d love to have him. To fill up all that primetime space, NBC has greenlit six new series in addition to J.J. Abrams’s Undercovers.
The Web’s Reaction
The whole fiasco has turned into a snarky Internet drama, with videos of comedians’ comments on the subject going viral over the weekend. The joke is on NBC, and the consensus among commenters on blogs, Digg, and everywhere else seems to be that the decision to move Leno into primetime was deserving of digital mockery to begin with. The Hollywood Reporter had to dig pretty deep to write about a dissenting view. The late-night jokes about the move are the centerpieces of this PR disaster. Keep reading for the cream of the crop.
The Jay Leno Show
Jay made references to the situation two nights in a row. Here are both videos.
The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien
Conan spent less time on the subject. After setting the tone to “absurd” by joking that he and Jay will run simultaneously in splitscreen, he tagged on a sharp jab at the end.
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Kimmel’s monologue on the subject didn’t have much to do with the topic at all, actually, but it was still very funny.
He made up for it in this second clip, though, bringing in a cameo by the situation’s tragic odd man out: Carson Daly.
Patton Oswalt on Comedy Death Ray Radio
Comedian Patton Oswalt has more street cred than the late-night hosts these days, and he was very candid in this more serious (but still chuckle-worthy) interview on Comedy Death Ray Radio.
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Finally, our favorite bit about the fiasco.
Reviews: Digg
Tags: carson daly, conan o’brien, craig ferguson, jay leno, jeff gaspin, jimmy fallon, jimmy kimmel, late night, late night tv, media, nbc, nbc universal, patton oswalt, television, tv, video, viral videos
Hulu to stream reality show internationally, incessantly
Continue reading Hulu to stream reality show internationally, incessantly
Hulu to stream reality show internationally, incessantly originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Comcast takes control of NBC, promises not to crush Hulu
Update: The “crush it like a bug” comment was actually just some editorializing from Peter Kafka at All Things Digital — but we’re certain Steve Burke has only love in his heart for Hulu.
Continue reading Comcast takes control of NBC, promises not to crush Hulu
Comcast takes control of NBC, promises not to crush Hulu originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.