03/10, 3:55pm
Warner exec hints at UltraViolet movie conversion
Warner Bros.' home entertainment president Kevin Tsujihara used time at a Morgan Stanley technology conference to outline in more detail how his studio would steer viewers towards converting their videos from DVD and Blu-ray discs to the UltraViolet format and cloud video access. It would start with in-store conversion like that planned by Walmart, he said, but stores would eventually automate this and provide digital copies automatically. The discs themselves would eventually provide the option, which he implied would be like ripping a CD and would upload the movie itself.
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02/29, 1:15pm
Media on multiple devices, supports UltraViolet
Some of the same studios that developed the the UltraViolet digital standard are launching a new initiative to make content available across multiple devices. SanDisk, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group and Western Digital
have formed a new working group dubbed the Secure Content Storage Association (SCSA) to develop a new digital rights management (DRM) protocol that would make digital media available across multiple devices and through the cloud. The group will develop the system under the working title "Project Phenix."
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02/21, 1:50pm
Comcast tries Internet VOD to fend off rivals
Comcast on Tuesday tried its hand at mitigating the impact of Internet video on traditional TV by launching Streampix. The service will include a mix of movies and TV shows across its own NBCUniversal as well as Disney, Sony, and Warner Bros. Access won't be confined to Comcast's own network and should include mobile and computer access to some content that would normally go through Comcast's traditional video on demand.
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01/31, 11:05pm
Redbox must buy discs but gets them faster
Disagreements between Redbox and Warner Bros. may have inadvertently benefited viewers after a deal between the two expired Tuesday. Redbox will now have to buy Blu-ray and DVD discs from retail to stock its catalog rather than at a lower price from Warner, but it will no longer face the 28-day delay instituted by Warner to try and shelter traditional rentals and sales. Warner earlier in the month had started insisting on an even longer 56-day delay that likely pushed Redbox into the more expensive but much faster arrangement.
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01/11, 8:40pm
First major retailer to embrace the digital format
Sources for CNET are reporting that Amazon has reached agreement with Warner Bros. to become the first major retailer to offer films in the the UltraViolet digital format. Yesterday, Amazon VP Bill Carr had announced at a CES panel discussion that the company had reached a deal with a major Hollywood studio but would not identify which. When he made the announcement, Carr was onstage with members of the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE), including executives from Sony, Warner Bros., Fox, and Universal, all of which support the new format.
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10/13, 1:45pm
Netflix to stream CW TV shows for four years
The CW Television Network, owned by CBS and Warner Bros., agreed on a four-year deal to stream its TV shows on Netflix. This will allow subscribers to stream previous seasons of scripted series that aired on The CW until the 2015 season. More than 700 hours of older CW episodes will be available on Netflix.
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09/13, 2:45pm
Claims Warner removed 100s of files it didn't own
The battle over software and video piracy took a turn yesterday when a Florida file hosting service sued Warner Brothers for allegedly engaging in copyright fraud and abuse of anti-piracy laws. Hotfile accuses the Warner Bros. of using the hosting company's anti-piracy tools to remove titles the studio doesn't own, including open source software. Hotfile is asking a court to make it whole for the losses they claim Warner Bros. caused.
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07/29, 9:30am
Qriocity coming to Xperia minis on Monday
Sony on Monday, August 1 will begin the phased roll-out of its Qriocity service for Xperia smartphones. At first, the Xperia mini and Xperia mini pro will get access. Available content to rent or buy will include movies and TV shows from NBC and its partner Universal, Paramount, Sony, Fox, and Warner Bros., in addition to local and more independent studios.
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06/30, 11:00am
Hits High Street retailers on July 15
HP has provided firm pricing and availability for its launch of its 9.7-inch TouchPad tablet in the UK. The price for the 16GB model is £399 ($640) and rises to £479 ($770) for the 32GB version. Both will be available online or from UK retailers on July 15.
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06/15, 10:10pm
Company set to enter closed market
Warner Brothers is reportedly preparing to launch a video-on-demand service in the Chinese market. The move is designed to bring the studio's movie content to a new region, which has proven a difficult country for foreign companies attempting to distribute films through traditional strategies. The studio has teamed with a local VoD company partnered with the state-run broadcaster China Central Television.
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03/31, 7:55pm
Movies to be available two months after theaters
Movie studios Warner Brothers, Sony, Universal and 20th Century Fox have finally confirmed plans to launch a new video-on-demand (VoD) service that bridges the gap between theatrical releases and standard rentals. The service, which will be labeled Home Premiere, will allow users to rent new movies for $30 as early as two months after the titles first arrive in theaters.
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03/29, 7:20am
Warner looking to bolster digital offerings
Warner Bros. is reportedly in talks with Flixster in order to acquire it outright, which will also deliver it the Rotten Tomatoes meta-review website. According to a Hollywood Reporter source, the move is “potentially attractive” as it would align well with Warner Bros. current entertainment strategy. A deal could potentially be struck within the next two weeks.
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09/17, 11:05am
CEO worries about sales of full seasons
Warner Bros. is not participating in 99-cent iTunes TV rentals for several reasons, the Associated Press reports. Speaking at a Thursday investor conference hosted by Merrill Lynch, studio CEO Barry Meyer explained that Warner considers the 99-cent price too low. Rentals would also hurt sales of full seasons, the executive claims.
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07/15, 10:50am
Warner Bros brings TV shows to Netflix
Warner Bros. and Netflix on Thursday expanded their current streaming partnership. Under the new deal, a number of catalog TV shows have been added to the Netflix choices, while the existing license of catalog movies has been extended until 2011. Netflix' largest part of the agreement now has four-year streaming rights to the complete run of Nip/Tuck.
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06/12, 6:45pm
WB signs Internet partners
Warner Bros. Television is expanding its internet distribution, announcing new deals with TiVo, Joost, Sling Media, Daily Motion and Veoh Networks for a “number of advertiser-supported branded channels.” The deal includes TheWB.com ad KidsWB.com, which were announced in April. The move gives Warner more platforms to broaden its reach in the increasingly crowded television marketplace -- and more opportunities to catch the elusive 16-34 year-old advertising demographic.
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05/29, 9:30am
Movies at iTunes UK, Can.
A select number of movies should soon be available for sale from the UK and Canadian iTunes Stores, writes The Times. The British newspaper cites studio sources, who claim that Apple has signed new agreements with four major studios: Fox, Disney, Warner Bros. and Paramount. Lionsgate and MGM are also expected to join in the deal, but issues appear to remain with Sony and Universal. Crucially, people should be able to both buy and rent films from iTunes, at prices comparable to the countries' DVD and video-on-demand options.
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01/11, 10:05am
New Apple TV speculation
A new version of the Apple TV will help spearhead an Apple video offensive, a new report claims. BusinessWeek writes that it has learned of the new set-top with certainty, although it cannot say what particular features it will bring. Other reports have indicated that users may be able to buy or rent videos directly from the device, which would address one of its long-standing complaints and put it into competition with the video-on-demand services provided by cable and satellite companies.
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