How to get the best deal at the cinema

Services like LoveFilm and Netflix are gaining ground by offering good value home movies – so it’s no wonder cinema audiences are in decline.

But for many people there is still something special about a proper night out at the pictures.

Whether it’s the spectacle of the big screen; the excitement of seeing something brand new; or just the fun of friends and popcorn; we still flock to see blockbusters in huge numbers.

Although once you’ve paid for a family of four to see the latest 3D smash, and shelled out for overpriced popcorn and fizzy drinks, your wallet can end up a lot lighter.

And with the recent takeover of Apollo Cinemas by huge chain Vue – plus the shrinking number of independent venues – the choice of where to go is tiny.

Surprisingly there is also a complete absence of the usual online price comparison sites, telling you where to find the cheapest deals.

Read more - http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/lifestyle/how-to-get-the-best-deal-at-the-cinema-1-4348036

Netflix could lose A&E, History hit series

Netflix and A+E Networks are engaged in a "Storage Wars" of their own making.
The unscripted series could be among many ratings hits from the owner of channels A&E and History that will vacate the streaming giant's servers by Friday, when their licenses expire, unless a new deal is reached.  In addition to "Storage Wars," some of the most popular and longest-running cable series of recent years could be leaving Netflix, including History's "Ice Road Truckers," "Pawn Stars" and "American Pickers" and A&E's "Dog the Bounty Hunter," "Gene Simmons: Family Jewels," "Hoarders" and "Intervention."  Sources familiar with talks be-tween the two companies offer strikingly different interpretations of the state of the negotiations. Netflix is said to have already considered this a done deal, having decided to part with some 40 series and miniseries totaling approximately 800 hours of content because the viewership didn't justify the licensing cost. There is still 200-300 more hours of content from A&E and History that it intends to keep on the service.

Read more - http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118059326

DVD releases good for a laugh

What makes you laugh, besides obvious inspirations like burping babies and frolicking puppies? When it comes to movies, the answer is subjective. Personally, I can laugh along with raucous wordplay in a Shakespearean play, crack up over Buster Keaton's poker face, then get equal satisfaction from The Three Stooges' pratfalls (and I'm talking about the original goofballs). So, in the neverending what's funny search, I look at three comedies in the current home entertainment market. One is an animation; the other two are live action. The animation is Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, hyped as the latest work "from the creators of Despicable Me." This draws my attention as a fan of that crafty, crazy cartoon. The Lorax debuts on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download on Tuesday, Aug. 7.

Read More - http://jam.canoe.ca/Video/DVD_Column/2012/07/27/20033946.html?cid=rssentertainment

Netflix changes privacy policy

Remember that copy of Bachelor Party in the Bungalow of the Damned you rented a year and a half ago on your old Netflix account?

You may not but it turns out that Netflix does, or at least did.

The company has agreed to change its data retention practices so rental histories of customers who haven’t subscribed to the service for at least a year will no longer be identifiable. Netflix notified customers of the policy shift in an email Monday.

The change is part of a proposed settlement to a privacy lawsuit filed against Netflix Inc. last year by Virginians Jeff Milans, Peter Comstock and four other plaintiffs.

The lawsuit was granted status as a class action to represent tens of millions of Netflix costumers and led to a mediated settlement announced in February.

Read More - http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1234261--netflix-changes-privacy-policy

Netflix shares rise after usage spikes in June

Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) shares rose 12 percent on Thursday after its top executive disclosed a massive surge in customer usage, but analysts questioned the movie-rental company's ability to convert that into revenue.

Chief Executive Reed Hastings said on Tuesday on Facebook that Netflix subscribers watched 1 billion hours of TV shows and movies in June. This compares to the 2 billion hours that was watched in the fourth quarter of 2011 -- when Netflix last reported this data.

"When 'House of Cards' and 'Arrested Development' debut, we'll blow these records away," Hastings said in the post.

Article source - http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/07/05/us-netflix-shares-idUKBRE8640UQ20120705

Netflix testing redesign with separate categories for movies, TV

Netflix is testing a redesign of its website that would for the first time separate movies and television shows into separate tabs, each with dozens of subcategories to help users sort through their thousands of options.

The potential redesign is currently being tested with a small number of users. If the video subscription company finds that the design increases overall usage, it could deploy the new look to all 23.4 million of its Internet streaming customers in the U.S.

Currently, users can find movies and television shows to watch on Netflix's website by searching or via suggestions the company makes based on content the user previously watched. The only subcategory currently featured in a tap on the top is "Just for Kids."

The possible redesign, pictured above, features separate "TV" and "Movies" categories alongside "Just for Kids." By hovering a mouse over either category, users can then select from subcategories such as "'70s TV," "Reality TV," "Documentaries" and "Thrillers."

The new look could make it easier for customers to search for specific types of content. For example, if you know you want to watch a horror movie but don't know which one, the redesign would provide a way to browse Netflix's entire offering. Within a subcategory, customers can slice and dice even further. On the horror films landing page, there are listings for "Zombie Movies," "Cult Horror Movies" and "Supernatural Horror Movies."

Read  More - http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-netflix-redesign-20120613,0,1457858.story

Netflix reputation ticks up slightly in consumer survey

If there is good news for Netflix (NFLX) in a new survey measuring consumer satisfaction, it's that people aren't more annoyed with the company than they were last year. In fact, according to the annual Top 100 E-Tail Satisfaction Index put together by the analytics outfit Forsee, customers are actually slightly happier with Netflix than they were at the end of last year.
Of course, Netflix back then seemed to be doing all it could to alienate its customers, as CEO Reed Hastings a few months earlier clumsily dealt with a price increase and a decision -- soon reversed in the face of customer outrage -- to split the company's DVD rental business off from its streaming service. A year ago, Netflix received a score of 85 -- pretty high. By December, it had sunk to 79. Now it has ticked back up to 81.

Read More - http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/05/11/netflix-3/

What Is Netflix Really Worth?

Buying stock with nothing but a diffuse hope that prices will go up is not investing. At best, you're a reckless gambler; at worst, just another fanboy who's better off just buying an index fund and calling it a retirement portfolio.
Real investors have at least some clue on what their stocks really are worth. That way, you can cash out if a bubble ever forms in your favorite sector and drives your shares way past any reasonable prices.
For example, I am 100% confident that Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX ) shares will at least double by 2016. In fact, my research says that a triple-bagger is even more likely. Let me show you how.

Read More - http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2012/04/14/what-is-netflix-really-worth.aspx

Netflix cable platform may be a long way off

Don't bank on Netflix launching a cable service any time soon.
Last week, a Reuters story speculating that Netflix was planning to create a cable distribution platform for its movies and television shows drew a lot of attention. That article grew out of comments that Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings made at an analyst conference where he said down the road he could see his company launching a competitor to HBO.
In the scenario floated by Reuters, Netflix would offer its content in an on-demand format, not as a linear channel. In other words, consumers would go to the channel and see a list of programs from which to choose. It would not be a regular channel with a schedule of shows.
However, Netflix itself is downplaying the speculation and there seems to be little, if any, interest in carrying such a service from the biggest multichannel video programming distributors including Comcast Corp. and satellite broadcaster DirecTV, people familiar with their thinking said.
Most distributors already have on-demand channels with similar content to what Netflix would be offering. Furthermore, cable and satellite broadcasters view Netflix as a competitor and have little incentive to let them in the door.
There is an even bigger fly in the ointment. Executives from some studios and networks that sell content to Netflix, who spoke on background, said Netflix couldn't create an on-demand cable channel under the terms of its current deals. Netflix would have to restructure its content agreements if it wanted to offer its service on more than an online platform.

Read More - http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2012/03/netflix-cable-platform-may-be-a-long-way-off.html

Exclusive: Netflix in talks for cable partnership

Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings has quietly met with some of the largest U.S. cable companies in recent weeks to discuss adding the online movie streaming service to their cable offerings, according to sources familiar with matter.

In what would ratchet up its competition with HBO, the talks could lead to Netflix becoming available as another on-demand option for cable subscribers through their set-top boxes, according to three people familiar with the talks. If a partnership came to fruition, a cable operator might offer Netflix as an additional option added onto a subscriber's cable bill, according to a fourth person.

Any partnership would be a major about-face for many in the traditional cable industry who had initially seen Netflix as a threat to their $100 billion-a-year business.

Read More - http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/06/us-netflix-cable-idUSTRE8251U520120306

Netflix says no plan to support BlackBerry, PlayBook

Online and mail-order video company Netflix has no plans to bring its streaming service to Research In Motion's PlayBook tablet.
"We don't have any current plans to support BlackBerry devices, including PlayBook," the company said on Twitter late on Thursday in response to a query.

Netflix has long been available for Apple's iPhone and iPad and devices running Google's Android software.

Read more - http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/02/24/oukin-uk-netflix-rim-idUKTRE81N17920120224

Netflix Review: TRON Legacy

Directed by Joseph Kosinski
Starring Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Beau Garrett, Michael Sheen, James Frain, Bruce Boxleitner, Daft Punk, Cillian Murphy
Walt Disney Pictures
Originally Released: December 17, 2010
TRON Legacy is a film that, for many of us, was a generation in waiting. Many of us who were children of the Eighties were floored with the richness and uniqueness of the original TRON film, sadly now quite dated (visually, though the story still stands up), as it was a statement of the budding tech generation we were becoming a part of. For decades, we waited for the potential of a sequel, and some of us lost all hope.
Then in 2008, something exciting happened at San Diego Comic-Con. Disney previewed new “test” footage in a trailer that was somewhat of a “proof-of-concept”. Then called TR2N, the sequel news set the internet on fire – as countless fans of the original movie enjoyed the fever of the news that another chapter was coming out. I’m sure even Tron Guy was amused.

So the expectation for TRON Legacy was, quite probably, as big as it was for Star Wars fans waiting for The Phantom Menace. It is perhaps now a historical trend that such high anticipations lead to enormous let-downs for several. Fandom is divided on the merits of Star Wars‘ return to cinema, as it is on TRON‘s return also.
But is TRON Legacy any good?

Read More - http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2012/02/20/netflix-review-tron-legacy/

Netflix reveals $9m payout in privacy legal action

Netflix has paid $9m (£5.7m) dollars to settle a privacy-related legal action, a financial filing has revealed.

The online streaming firm, which made no admission of wrongdoing, said the settlement related to compliance with the Video Protection Privacy Act.

The 1988 US legislation prohibits the disclosure of video rental histories.

It is reported that the legal action concerned allegations that Netflix was failing to delete the viewing histories of customers who had left the service.

The settlement put a significant dent in Netflix's finances - after accounting for the payment fourth-quarter earnings fell from $40.7m (£25.8m) to $35.2m (£22.3m).

Read More - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17011497

Verizon, Redbox plan Netflix challenge

(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc and Coinstar's Redbox unit have formed a joint venture to sell video services aimed at competing against video rental giant Netflix Inc.

The venture will combine the Redbox DVD rental kiosk business with an Internet video offering from Verizon, including mobile offerings, in the second half of the year.

On Monday, Redbox-operator Coinstar Inc moved to cement its hold on its business of renting DVDs from automated kiosks, announcing it will buy rival NCR Corp's machines and video inventory for up to $100 million. That, and better-than-expected quarterly results, pushed the stock 13 percent higher after hours.

Read More - http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/06/us-verizon-redbox-idUSTRE81510M20120206

Netflix Wants You to Go on a Binge

We're now just a week away from when Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX ) will drop the Lilyhammer on its subscribers.
The video service giant's first original series stars Steven Van Zandt as a mobster sent to Lillehammer in Norway after ratting out a mob kingpin. The inaugural season will play out over eight episodes.

I can't be the only one that figured that when Netflix begins rolling out its original programming -- Lilyhammer next week, House of Cards later this year, and the Arrested Development revival next year -- that the new episodes would be dispensed in weekly installments.

It's the way that traditional television does it. It's the way that Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX ) HBO -- Netflix's closest match on the premium end and the gold standard of original series airings -- does it. Why should Netflix veer from the formula that works?

Read more - http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2012/01/30/netflix-wants-you-to-go-on-a-binge.aspx

Warner Bros to delay DVD releases

Millions of DVD renters who want to check out Warner Bros' latest movies won't get the chance until nearly two months after the discs are available to buy.
The new restriction will double a 28-day delay on DVD rentals that Warner Bros. reached with Netflix's video subscription service two years ago.
A person familiar with the matter explained the new rules to The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the changes won't be announced until next week.
The person says Netflix Inc. conceded to the demands for the 56-day rental delay to ensure it can still buy Warner Bros. discs at a discount.

Read More - http://www.castanet.net/news/Business/69421/Warner-Bros-to-delay-DVD-releases

Will Netflix vs Lovefilm drive you to piracy?

The launch of Netflix into the UK last week has no doubt left plenty of Brits agonising over which service to go for: Lovefilm or Netflix? Annoyingly, the ideal answer is both.
What I want from my movie streaming service is everything I might ever feel like watching available for me to watch it whenever I want. What I really don't want is to discover that the one thing I feel like watching is available on the one service I don't subscribe to.
Until last week, this wasn't too much of a problem. Amazon-owned Lovefilm had the subscription streaming market pretty much to itself in the UK – sure, you could rent films from BlinkBox and Apple, but that wasn't quite the same.
Now there are two major services going head to head – a bit of extra competition is a good thing, we thought. And when the Netflix launch saw Lovefilm instantly drop its streaming prices, we thought we were right.

Article source - http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/will-netflix-vs-lovefilm-drive-you-to-piracy-1055980

Bloomberg - Netflix A New Challenge Awaiting In The U.K.

Netflix, which continually has to fend off attacks from critics who claim that its streaming service increasingly resembles a second-tier cable channel that offers mostly old movies and television shows, may find itself locked out of new content by many of its British partners when it debuts in the U.K. and Ireland early next year. (A start date has not yet been announced.) According to Bloomberg News, Netflix's deal with commercial broadcaster ITV may not allow it to offer some of ITV's most successful shows, including the hit drama Downton Abbey . And its deal with the BBC will prevent it from airing any of its hits until several months after they have aired. (In the case of the popular car show Top Gear , the wait is six months; Top Gear is one of the most pirated TV shows on BitTorrent and is generally available for downloading within minutes after it is broadcast in the U.K.) Netflix is also entering an online market in the U.K. already dominated by Amazon's Lovefilm and where the major broadcasters already offer their own streaming service.

Article source - http://www.contactmusic.com/news/netflix-a-new-challenge-awaiting-in-the-uk_1279379