Tag: netflix

CBS delays streaming ‘Star Trek’ debut until May 2017

CBS said its new Star Trek series would debut in January, but since it’s September and we still haven’t even heard about the cast, that date seemed to be in doubt. Today CBS confirmed a delay, essentially swapping debut windows between Star Trek: Discovery and its upcoming spinoff of The Good Wife , which will both be available exclusively in the US on the streaming CBS All Access service (outside the US and Canada, it will be on Netflix ). Star Trek: Discovery will launch in May 2017, while the new The Good Wife show will launch with a CBS TV broadcast in January, before jumping to All Access streaming. There’s also a new streaming edition of Big Brother called Over the Top that will launch on September 28th. Executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Bryan Fuller said in a statement that “We aim to dream big and deliver, and that means making sure the demands of physical and post-production for a show that takes place entirely in space, and the need to meet an air date, don’t result in compromised quality. Before heading into production, we evaluated these realities with our partners at CBS and they agreed: Star Trek deserves the very best, and these extra few months will help us achieve a vision we can all be proud of.” If it aims to convince more skeptical viewers to sign up — and maybe grab that $4 commercial-free option — a delay to make sure everything is working could be a good idea. Source: CBS

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CBS delays streaming ‘Star Trek’ debut until May 2017

What HDR Is, and Why It’s the Future of Television

TV manufacturers always look for the next leap in picture quality that will make watching TV feel like you’re looking through a crystal-clear window. HDR is the latest trend in display technology and it’s here to stay. Here’s everything you need to know about how it works, and why you may want to consider it when you buy your next TV. Read more…

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What HDR Is, and Why It’s the Future of Television

CBS and Showtime have two million internet-only subscribers

While CBS is busy licensing content to Netflix for display outside of the US and Canada , here its own streaming services are off to a good start. On today’s earnings call, execs said CBS All Access and the streaming version of Showtime have combined to reach more than two million subscribers, with the number “about evenly split” between the two. $CBS Moonves: “CBS All Access and Showtime OTT streaming services have surpassed two million subscribers” — CBS IR (@CBSInvestors) July 28, 2016 This is all well ahead of the upcoming All Access-exclusive Star Trek series, and in response to questions, the company stated that its service is helping to reach customers who get their TV only over the internet. The demographic is apparently “younger, skews slightly female…and consumes double the amount of content” as traditional viewers. The CBS digital news channel wasn’t included in those numbers, but still had “record” views in June. CEO Les Moonves claimed Star Trek: Discovery will be profitable “even before it launches, ” which makes it less likely we’ll see any changes made to the current strategy. Source: CBS Q2 2016 Earnings

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CBS and Showtime have two million internet-only subscribers

‘Mystery Science Theater 3000’ comeback lands at Netflix

You won’t have to go out of your way to watch the Mystery Science Theater 3000 revival . Netflix has picked up the crowdfunded make-fun-of-movies show and will be the only place to stream it in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. The move isn’t exactly shocking (Netflix has already offered classic MST3K episodes), but it’s that much sweeter if you’re already a Netflix subscriber and would rather not head to another service to watch. Just don’t be in a rush to catch up with Joel, Tom Servo and Crow. In keeping with the tone of the series, Netflix will only say that MST3K is coming back “in the not-too-distant future…” and we don’t think it means “next Sunday, AD.” In the not-too-distant future. @MST3K pic.twitter.com/L9IpZW2Cmb — Netflix US (@netflix) July 24, 2016 Via: Hollywood Reporter , TechCrunch Source: Netflix

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‘Mystery Science Theater 3000’ comeback lands at Netflix

Microsoft trashes Chrome’s battery life

Your choice of web browser can have a tremendous effect on your laptop’s battery life, and Microsoft is determined to prove that its Edge browser the most efficient of them all… at Google’s expense, of course. The crew in Redmond has posted battery tests showing that Edge lasted longer in web video playback and standardized surfing tests than any other browser (including Opera in low-power mode ), and over 3 hours longer than Chrome in the video test. And this is with the current version of Windows 10, Microsoft notes. Edge in Windows’ Anniversary Update should be downright miserly thanks to lower resource usage and tighter restrictions on Flash. Of course, it’s a wise idea to take this (and any other company-run benchmark) with a grain of salt. Most people don’t spend all day watching Netflix on the web, and Microsoft doesn’t mention exactly how long the browsers lasted in the generic browsing test. Also, it conducted the tests on Surface Books . Your mileage is likely to vary with third-party hardware. The company does point to lower overall power consumption based on data from “millions” of Windows 10 PCs, but that will only tell you so much about your own experience. Still, it’s no secret that Chrome is relatively power-hungry. Google’s attempts to improve Chrome’s battery efficiency have only gone so far, and it’s practically common wisdom that you use another browser if you need an extra hour or two of runtime. It’s just important to remember that Microsoft has a strong incentive to trash talk Chrome, and that battery life isn’t always the most important factor. Via: The Verge Source: Windows Experience Blog

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Microsoft trashes Chrome’s battery life

This is the Xbox One S

Do you have your best shocked face ready? Microsoft just announced a slimmer Xbox One, the Xbox One S. Okay, so the surprise was kinda ruined by a month of leaks, culminating in a picture of the thing finding its way into the wild yesterday morning. But at least now that it’s official, we know exactly why Microsoft thinks you should buy a new Xbox. The big-ticket item is 4K support. That doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to play games in crazy high-res, but if you have a fancy TV it’ll provide plenty of options to watch content at 4K. In addition to supporting 4K versions of Netflix and Amazon Video content, there’s also 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray support. It’s not clear if that drive will be as standard, or an optional upgrade. The new console also supports HDR sets, and Gear of War 4 will be the first to support the wider color range. The Xbox One, as attractive or unattractive as you think it is, is undoubtedly a large machine, especially compared with its main rival, the PlayStation 4. The Xbox One S is 40-percent smaller and can be safely used vertically with an official stand. Elsewhere there’s an integrated power supply, meaning no more brick, and the option to include a more capacious 2TB hard drive. It’s also mostly white — a colorway Microsoft debuted for the original Xbox One. Other changes include a USB port in the front for easy access and the dropping of the Kinect port — there’ll be a USB adapter if you want to plug in Microsoft’s unloved camera accessory to the new machine. Oh, and there’s a new controller that’ll be bundled with the S, which has textured grips, improved range and Bluetooth. The Xbox One S launches this August at $299 for the 500GB version. No word on the price for the 2GB version yet. Source: Engadget Live Blog

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This is the Xbox One S

Charter acquisition of Time Warner Cable approved by the FCC

It feels like forever since Time Warner Cable agreed to merge with Charter Communications , for an estimated $55 billion . But today, nearly a year after the two companies struck a deal, the Federal Communications Commission has finally granted its approval . The announcement follows FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and the US Justice Department green-lighting the merger in April, which confirmed that it was only a matter of time before it became official. It’s worth noting that Charter is also acquiring Bright House Networks , a regional TV and internet provider, as part of the agreement between it and the government. Additionally, last month Wheeler revealed there would be some caveats for Charter , including not being be able to impede access to streaming content. Namely, Charter can’t set data caps for subscribers or charge for service based on usage — and there might be more compromises. A detailed release of the conditions for the merger will be released over the coming days, according to a statement from the FCC . Nevertheless, this positions Charter as the second largest cable and internet service in the US with 24 million subscribers total, right behind Comcast’s 28 million . Persistence pays off , folks. Source: Federal Communications Commission

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Charter acquisition of Time Warner Cable approved by the FCC

The creators of ‘Doom’ and ‘Quake’ reveal a new sci-fi shooter

John Romero and Adrian Carmack helped found id Software in 1991, and by 1993 the studio had changed the video game world forever. That’s when id released Doom , a genre-defining first-person shooter, and it was followed by Quake , another classic FPS, in 1996. Today, Romero and Carmack are back with Blackroom , a new FPS set in a future where lifelike holographic reality is the norm, but it’s being overrun with sinister visions. The game stars Dr. Santiago Sonora, an engineer at the massive holographic company, Hoxar, as he investigates irregularities in the Blackroom military training system. Blackroom is an action-heavy game, with rocket jumping and strafing, and there’s no limit on how many weapons you can carry (you’re in a holographic environment, after all). It features a single-player or co-op campaign, plus arena and one-on-one deathmatch modes. The game will be fully moddable and players will be able to run their own dedicated servers. Blackroom is in development for PC and Mac only, and it’s scheduled to release in winter 2018. Romero and Carmack launched a $700, 000 Kickstarter campaign today, and if they hit that goal, they’ll start development immediately and work with investors to secure the rest of the funding. Just because Blackroom is set in a world of touchable, lifelike virtual realities, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a VR game. “I don’t know if this game would work really well in VR, ” Romero said during a livestream today . He worries that VR makes people sick and that the tech isn’t quite ready for prime time yet. “If there is any VR, it’ll have to be later, ” he said. The same goes for potential console versions of Blackroom — for now, the focus is PC and Mac only. Romero teased us about his new shooter back in 2014 during the Gamescom conference in Cologne, Germany. “I haven’t made a shooter since 2000, ” he said . “So I’m basically starting to work on another one.” Coming from the man who helped make Doom , Quake and Wolfenstein , the news was infinitely intriguing — and two years later, it’s wonderful to see Romero’s promise come to fruition as a futuristic, sci-fi shooter with a classic edge. Source: Blackroom

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The creators of ‘Doom’ and ‘Quake’ reveal a new sci-fi shooter

Netflix details its HDR streaming lineup for this year

Netflix recently revealed it had rolled out support for high dynamic range video , starting with the first season of Marco Polo . This was the initial step in the company’s plan to go all in on that technology , which it believes is the perfect complement to 4K — something it’s been pushing since 2014 . By the end of 2016, the streaming service will have more than 150 hours of original programming in HDR, Netflix confirmed to Engadget. Of those, over 100 hours are expected to hit the platform in August, a figure that won’t be easy for competitors such as Amazon to match. While Marco Polo is the only show taking advantage of HDR (Dolby Vision, HDR10) right now, more content is going to follow suit in the next few months. That includes existing series like Bloodline , Daredevil , Jessica Jones and Chef’s Table , as well as The Ridiculous Six movie. Netflix will also feature HDR in the upcoming Luke Cage and The Defenders shows, plus The Do-Over film starring Adam Sandler and more. Here’s the full list, according to Netflix: A Series of Unfortunate Events Bloodline Chef’s Table Hibana Knights of Sidonia Marvel’s Daredevil Marvel’s Iron Fist Marvel’s Jessica Jones Marvel’s Luke Cage Marvel’s The Defenders The Do-Over The Ridiculous Six Unfortunately, there are no firm details on when these are scheduled to arrive. “Timing varies depending on the title, as we are in the process of remastering any existing TV shows and movies, ” a Netflix spokesperson said to Engadget. “It is also dependent on the title’s launch date. We don’t have any dates to confirm at this point in time.” But hey, at least you can be excited about all the HDR stuff that’s coming in the near future.

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Netflix details its HDR streaming lineup for this year