A Foresee survey of consumer satisfaction with streaming video services found that iTunes got the top slot, just one point ahead of runners-up HBO Go and Netflix. Close behind were Amazon Instant Video, Crackle and Hulu Plus.
The average score across all streaming video services was 77 – ten points up on the previous year. Though looking at ‘mobile’ devices, 52 percent of all streaming on tablets and phones was actually done from home.
As first noted by MacRumors, Apple TV customers will be pleased to know that the $99 “hockey puck” will soon fully support Netflix’s newly announced user profiles. While Netflix says that a complete rollout to all supported devices will be complete by the end of August, it appears that the feature is partially available today for certain Apple TV and Netflix users.
Netflix’s user profiles allow subscribers to create personal viewing accounts that track individual ratings, recently viewed movies/showes, and recommendations. Each account can also set different parental controls to differentiate viewing capabilities between parent and child accounts.
In reality, we are looking at two different ways of looking at place-shifting content. Apple’s is directly from an iOS device or a recent Mac’s display. The Chromecast is sending instructions to the dongle to start playing content from the cloud (meaning you need a pretty healthy Internet connection).
In its present state, the $35 Amazon/Best Buy (in stock) Chromecast is a convenient way to show Netflix, YouTube and Google Play content on a TV. But a lot of the good programming lies outside of this sphere. Sure you can ‘Chromecast’ videos from your Chrome browser as you watch Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, or just about anything else that works in a browser including .MKV, MP4, AVI files, etc, but that’s not elegant (and Chrome/Android chief Pachai says websites, like Hulu, could turn off the functionality at any time)! Also, you get no dedicated remote with the Chromecast (though Android devices can be found pretty absurdly cheap) like with the AppleTV.
You can’t help but wonder if the Apple TV could be put in the Dongle format and perhaps given some more content sharing options. Google reached across the aisle and built Chromecast to provide Apple Mac and iOS users the same compatibility as Chrome and Android users. Sure Chromecast needs external power such as that provided by a USB port, but the form factor and, more importantly, the price, seem very compelling. If Apple could squeeze its current format Apple TV into a dongle and cut the price in half, why shouldn’t it?
There are a few snippets of AppleTV related news popping up today. The first we take with the usual grain of salt as it comes to us from the often unreliable DigiTimes. The publication has been reporting some more believable stories as of late, but today’s rumor of Apple purchasing 55 and 65-inch Ultra HD TV panels from LG seems to be more rumor than anything else.
Apple has of course been rumored several times to be building a full fledged HDTV to go along with the much expected revamped AppleTV service coming in the the near future. The latest from the usual lineup of analysts points to a launch as early as the end of this year or early 2014. LG and Sharp– two of Apple’s regular display suppliers– would be obvious choices to source panels, but there’s no proof at this point that Apple is beyond the experimenting stage and we’ve heard rumors from more reliable sources ranging from 40-inch to 60-inch in the past.
Today Amazon founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, announced that Amazon has struck a deal to add new shows from NBC/ Universal studios to Amazon Instant Video. The additions include Grimm Season 1, Suits Season 1, Covert Affairs Seasons 1-2 with Hannibal coming and Defiance coming at later dates. Amazon has a 4 year exclusivity over these shows, preventing them from airing on competing services such as Netflix and Hulu.
Amazon has been beefing up the content selection for this service recently with the addition of EPIX Studios, which brought “The Avengers,” “Iron Man 2,″ “The Hunger Games,” “Transformers Dark of the Moon,” “True Grit” and more to this streaming service. In its entirety, Amazon offers free streaming for more than 40,000 movie and TV titles.
Amazon Instant Video is free for Prime members, a yearly membership that costs $79. Prime members also receive free 2-day shipping and instant access to thousands of Kindle books.
Apple users can watch Amazon Prime on iOS devices or Macs (which can also Airplay to Apple TVs).
Netflix has updated its iOS app today with new features that brings movie recommendations and a new auto-play feature for TV shows, among other improvements, to iPhone and iPad.
Version 4.1 of the Netflix app now includes and auto-play feature for TV shows that will automatically start the next episode of a season after the last episode ends, a feature that Netflix has included in its apps on other devices. Another new feature displays movie suggestions with three of the best recommendations based on your viewing habits directly after watching a movie.
Netflix also said it added enhanced second screen options in the app:
What’s New in Version 4.1
The new Netflix app makes it even easier to enjoy more movies and TV shows. Enjoy binge watching your favorite TV shows and get the best movie recommendations with this new update.
• Added post-play feature where, when one episode of a TV show ends, the Netflix app automatically cues and then starts the next episode
• In post-play for movies, the three best movie recommendations are displayed at the end of the movie currently being watched
• Added enhanced second screen options
After several strong quarters of growth, Netflix now has 29.2 million people in the US subscribed to its $8-a-month streaming plan, which is, for the first time, greater than HBO’s domestic subscription base of 28.7 million.
Quartz notes that Netflix, while not a cable network in the traditional sense, is now viewed more than any traditional U.S. cable market.
From an internet service standpoint, Netflix is also fairing quite impressively, making up 33% of all downstream traffic, which is more than services like YouTube, Amazon Video, and most impressively, iTunes.
As part of the earnings announcement, Netflix also noted that it would begin offering a $12 monthly family plan that would allow 4 simultaneous streams.
Netflix, which is using HTML5 video streaming to get its streaming movie and TV service working on low-cost Chromebooks, plans to test the same approach on OS X. Assuming this works (and there seems no reason why it shouldn’t), Netflix will then be able to run natively in any current browser without plugins.
As always, we’ll be updating the list below with more apps and updates as they continue to hit the App Store today:
Traktor DJ: Native Instruments, the company behind the massively popular Traktor DJ software and other well-known audio production tools, today released an iPad app dubbed Traktor DJ. For those familiar with the Traktor 2 Mac app, the iPad app provides you with a scaled back UI that offers two decks, 8 built-in effects, and the ability to record and share mixes. While you won’t get onscreen platters with this app like many other DJ apps, NI allows users to pinch and swipe the waveform on the deck itself “for simple looping and ultra-tight scratching.” A full list of features below:
– Revolutionary DJ app by Native Instruments – makers of the leading pro DJ software
– Touch the groove using familiar iPad gestures like swiping and pinching
– Direct access to your iTunes music library from TRAKTOR DJ
– Stylish waveform display allows for simple looping and ultra-tight scratching
– Intelligent browser recommends songs based on compatible tempo and key
– Automatic tempo and key detection plus BPM sync for super-smooth mixing
– Innovative Notification Center gives you in-app access to essential tips and undiscovered techniques
– 8 built-in pro DJ effects, including Reverb, Delay and dramatic glitch effects like BeatMasher
– Familiar DJ mixer layout with crossfader plus line faders, 3-band EQ and filter on each channel
– Prepare tracks on the road – all meta data (tempo, beatgrids, cue points etc.) in TRAKTOR DJ syncs with TRAKTOR PRO DJ software*
– Record your mixes live in high-quality on the iPad and share with your friends
Flickr version 2.1.0.803: The Flickr iOS app was gets an update this morning that brings faster uploading, the ability to quickly save images from Photostream to camera roll, and much more:
– Faster uploading
– Easily save photos from your Photostream to your camera roll
– Automatically saves your original, pre-filter photos to your camera roll
– Quickly tag your contacts in photo comments and description by simply typing @screename
– Get notified when your contacts mention you
– Higher resolution photo display in lightbox view so your photos look even more stunning
– Take photos in a snap using your iPhone’s volume up button
Netflix version 3.0: Netflix received an update today to version 3.0 and with it came an enhanced playback experience including the ability to view the title from the iPad player UI, the return of the zoom icon for fullscreen playback, and “better placement of play/pause and Back-10 buttons so you can easily control your experience.”
We enhanced the player UI for a better playback experience.
1. See the Title in the iPad player UI – Touch the player UI screen to see the title of movie/TV show you are watching
2. Zoom icon is back – so you can now control when you watch full screen mode
3. Note better placement of play/pause and Back-10 buttons so you can easily control your experience
Verizon and Redbox confirmed on the official Redbox Instant Twitter account that the new unlimited streaming service is rolling out gradually starting today. The $8-per-month Netflix competitor will provide unlimited streaming and four physical DVD or Blu-ray rentals ($9 a month for Blu-ray) and will be available through the browser as well as mobile apps. A Redbox Instant by Verizon iOS app for iPhone and iPad is already available on the App Store. There is also a free one-month trial included.
Update: An Amazon spokesperson says this is just a test (but you still can order this per month)“We are always looking at ways to improve the shopping experience for our customers. We are testing a monthly Prime subscription. Beyond that, we don’t have anything further to offer.”
It appears Amazon is joining Hulu and Netflix with a monthly subscription plan for its Prime video streaming service, according to a new pricing scheme found by Hacking Netflix. Some users are seeing the new pricing scheme come up, while others see only the $79/year options (compare right and above).
In addition to the free streaming video service, users of Amazon’s Prime get access to free two-day shipping on product orders (amazing to have for the holidays—especially on a month-to-month basis), as well as access to the Kindle lending library.
While Amazon’s streaming player isn’t yet available on Apple TV like Netflix/Hulu, its recent iPad app has impressed us. The $7.99/month price comes out to $95.88 per year. So, if you aren’t timid about joining Prime, it is probably better to jump on the $79/year plan.
With more and more first rate content, according to a recent Changwave/451 Group study, Amazon’s Prime streaming service is said to be gaining on industry heavyweight Netflix (graphed below): Expand Expanding Close
On top of our usual list of apps and updates hitting the App Store today, we also get word from Tweetie/Twitter for Mac developer Atebits that it has version 1.0 of a new app currently in review. We don’t know yet what it is, but we’ll certainly keep you updated when it hits the App Store. Atebits made the announcement on its Twitter account:
Modern Combat 4 Zero Hour: Gameloft’s much anticipated Modern Combat 4 Zero Hour is coming to iOS with full iPhone 5 support this fall, and today we get another look at the Havok engine-powered title in the above dev diary.
-Fix for iPhone 5 and iOS 6 calling and video issues
Circa News for iPhone: Launching today as a free app for iPhone and iPod touch, Circa News is an interesting news reader for Circa’s political coverage that presents articles as a “collection of details about a story: the facts, stats, quotes, pictures, maps, and more.”
Netflix announced a nice addition to its iPad app today: the “Just for Kids” feature providing access to child-friendly content from one easy to access section is now available on mobile devices. You can access the new section by tapping the “just for Kids” button in the top left corner of the app.
Note: Netflix “Just for Kids” is initially available on iPad 2 and newer iPads, it will come to the original iPad and Android-powered tablets later.
Many apps updated, went on sale, or made announcements recently, and 9to5Mac gathered the most noteworthy ones in our regular round up below. Today’s crop includes a few giveaways by developer Shape.ag, an alternative to Apple Maps featuring Google data, notable iPhone 5 updates, price drops for popular iOS apps, and etc. Per usual, we will continue to update this list throughout the day.
Bad Piggies: Rovio’s Bad Piggies doesn’t arrive on iOS and Mac until September 27th, but today we get our first look at the game in the first gameplay trailer above (via TechCrunch). The game takes place in the Angry Birds world, but appears to be quite a different experience. Check out the full trailer above.
Netflix version 2.3: The Netflix iOS app for iPhone and iPad was updated today with a slightly updated UI and “Varied improvements on playback, AV sync, subtitle handling.” Netflix explained the new UI in a blog post and posted a video of the new experience (above):
At the top of the new browse screen on iPhone and iPod touch is a row that lets you continue watching shows or movies that you previously started watching right where you left off, a very handy feature. Lower down in the new experience are several personalized rows filled with movie and TV show recommendations…Tapping the browse menu gives you access to an extensive list of genre galleries that show even more titles organized into categories. Parents–like me–will really appreciate the children and family gallery with many titles organized by age… A simple tap on any title presents all of the information for that title and a double-tap on any title starts instant playback.
Shazam: Shazam announced on its website today that it is updating its iOS apps to allow users in the U.S. to use it as a “TV companion app” to tag TV shows and get access to cast information, sports scores, featured music and more.
Starting today, when people in the U.S. use the Shazam App while watching television, they have a fast and easy way to access:
Featured music – Shazam has leveraged its rich music history and its 20+ million track database to identify the music featured in whatever people are watching
Cast information – the app will list the cast featured in the program, guest stars, as well as other shows they’ve been in
Trivia – fans can learn more about their favorite program and even read about the occasional goofs with the trivia feature in the app
Celebrity buzz – gives fans all the latest gossip about the show and the stars in it
Social sharing – live Twitter feeds as well as commenting in the app makes it fun to talk with your friends about what you’re watching
More information – convenient links to show-related information at IMDB, Wikipedia, and the official site for the show.
Additionally, different types of programming will feature different results. For instance, sports events will include stats, scores and schedules instead of cast information.
OmniFocus version 1.6: Both the iPhone and iPad editions of the OmniFocus task management app received a huge update today that includes support for TextExpander touch, Reminders Capture for devices running Siri, and full support for iOS 6.
By far the biggest app news today is the announcement that popular Mac and iOS email client Sparrow has been acquired by Google, but below is our usual list of all the notable apps and updates hitting the App Store:
djay for iPad version 1.5.1:djay for iPad received a significant updated today that brings support for Numark’s upcoming iDJ Pro controller for iPad arriving in September. The update also improves “turntable behavior for fast spinning,” slider accuracy, and some bug fixes including one for distortion issues with Split Output.
Turntable.fm version 2.1.1:Turtable.fm’s iPhone app received a small update today that allows users to log in with their turntable account instead of Facebook or Twitter. The update also added more avatars.
Tweetbot for iPad version 2.4.2:A small update for the extremely popular Tweetbot for Twitter client for iPad brings a number of bug fixes.
Netflix version 2.2.1: Another small update today goes to the Netflix iOS app with version 2.2.1 bringing much-needed stability improvements.
The United Nations is considering a new Internet tax for U.S. websites and content providers including Google and Apple, according to leaked proposals from the European Telecommunications Network Operators Association:
The United Nations is considering a new Internet tax targeting the largest Web content providers, including Google, Facebook, Apple, and Netflix, that could cripple their ability to reach users in developing nations…The European proposal, offered for debate at a December meeting of a U.N. agency called the International Telecommunication Union, would amend an existing telecommunications treaty by imposing heavy costs on popular Web sites and their network providers for the privilege of serving non-U.S. users, according to newly leaked documents.
Amazon today dropped the price of the AppleTVto $94.86 – that’s the first discount we’ve seen on a new 1080P version of Apple’s TV product.
This latest-generation Apple TV displays 1080p widescreen video and features Netflix, YouTube, Vimeo, and Flickr integration, Airplay support, 802.11n wireless, Ethernet, HDMI video output, USB connectivity, and more. A 1-year Apple warranty applies.
Looking at data just released by IHS iSuppli, Netflix was able to take the top spot from Apple for online movie marketshare during 2011. With Apple experiencing a huge decline from 60.8-percent of the market the year before to 32.3-percent during 2011, Netflix came out on top for United States marketshare by revenue with 44 percent of the market last year. That is an incredible nearly 44 percent increase for Netflix, which had just 0.5-percent of the market in 2010.
What Netflix and iTunes have in common is that both services are focused on the hardware side of the business… Netflix is available on a very wide range of connected devices, while iTunes can take advantage of Apple’s soaring device sales growth… Nevertheless, comparisons between the two services have their limits… “Effectively the market has split,” Cryan said. “Netflix and Apple are competing for some of the same consumer time and money. However, the core value proposition of the two services is actually very different.”
While Netflix rules the SVOD market, its closest competitor—Hulu—is less than 10 percent of its size. Apple’s iTunes continues to dominate the transactional segment, accounting for 63.0 percent of revenue in this area, which was only down slightly from 64.6 percent in 2010. At the same time, the big growth story of 2011 was Walmart’s Vudu, which captured 8.2 percent of the growing transactional market, up from 2.8 percent last year. Most of this growth has been achieved by using a Netflix-like device strategy and has come at the expense of other providers, not Apple.
A few of the most noteworthy apps in the iOS ecosystem either landed on the App Store recently or received much-welcomed updates, such as the launch of Little Things Forever—the long-awaited sequel to the “iPad App of the Week” Little Things. Performance enhancements and new feature additions also arrived to Little Things, as well as Diet Coda, Sparrow for iPhone, Netflix, Etsy, Pinterest, Angry Birds Space and Angry Birds Space HD, Flixster with Rotten Tomatoes, Google Shopper, and Djay and Djay Free.
Reutersreported today that Apple has been in talks since earlier this year to stream films owned by premium TV channel EPIX to Apple TV set-top boxes and potentially its much-rumored upcoming HDTV product. Three major studios including Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Lionsgate back the channel:
Apple Inc began talks earlier this year to stream films owned by EPIX, which is backed by three major movie studios, on devices including a long-anticipated TV, according to two people with knowledge of the negotiations… Apple is widely expected to unveil a full-fledged TV product later this year or in early 2013 to drive its next phase of growth and potentially revolutionize the industry.
According to the report, Apple’s attempts to acquire the content could run into trouble due to EPIX’s $200 million agreement with Netflix that gives the service streaming rights through September of this year.
In March, the New York Post reported Apple plans to launch a new TV streaming service in time for Christmas of this year, despite troubles signing up major content partners. The report claimed content providers had “largely balked” at Apple’s unwillingness to negotiate on pricing. It also stated Apple wanted content providers to offer their channels through iOS and Apple TV-like apps. Earlier reports from analysts indicated Apple could partner with its existing carrier partners, such as AT&T and Verizon, to take advantage of their programming for upcoming streaming services. Expand Expanding Close
Netflix has just updated its iOS app with a nicer user interface following an overhauled Android app from a month ago. Netflix version 2.0 with a prettified appearance is now available in all regions, Netflix said, including the United States, Canada and Latin America. The new interface provides access to twice as many television shows and movies available for streaming.
Interestingly, the app is now available in Latin America for both the iPhone and iPad just as Apple announced the arrival of both the iTunes Store with iTunes Match in Latin America and Apple TV in Brazil. Netflix for iOS is a free download (a Netflix subscription is required). Video out is supported on the iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and fourth-generation iPod Touch 4G. Full release notes after the break.
In addition to a revamped Android version, Netflix said today that a “new tablet experience should be available for members with iPads in a few weeks”. What’s the new tablet experience like? According to a press release and a blog post, Netflix aims to consolidate the app’s user interface across iOS and Android tablets with a “much more immersive” design that manages to cram up twice as many movies and television shows as before without looking cluttered. Neil Hunt, chief product officer at Netflix, says:
In the last 12 months we have seen a threefold increase in how long Netflix members are watching on their tablets. We’re happy to debut a new user experience coinciding with the release of the next generation of devices from industry leaders. The new Netflix interface offers a significant improvement in browsing and searching for TV shows and movies to instantly watch.
Each item in the new interface sports a larger artwork than before and you can swipe between the individual rows of titles. If this sounds familiar, you’re right – a similar experience is built into supported set-top boxes, gaming consoles and other Netflix-ready devices.
Interestingly, the new Netflix software is also available for the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet. Netflix also offers a free trail, here.
Some interesting news from Netflix this morning: They are spinning off their by mail group, which will also include video games and giving it a new name ‘Qwikster’.
While the video below and the announcement blog post set a conciliatory tone for the way the recent changes (price hikes) happened, those changes are still in place and will continue going forward.
In fact, it sounds like Netflix is set to spin off its old mailing business in the future even though in-house Qwikster now sells game rentals as well as movies and TV shows.
The future of video and gaming is clearly streaming and it appears that Netflix doesn’t want to be associated with that entity.
Apple, for what it is worth, has been shunning optical for years, refusing to put Blu-ray optical discs in its Macs or Apple TV products and instead pushing the streaming of media.
