Amazon Prime Instant Video Coming to UK

On Friday Geekanoids brought you the news that Amazon is possibly working on a Set-Top box to rival devices such as Roku and Apple TV. Today we want to talk about another recent change that’s happening at Amazon in a few days time and that is the launch of Amazon Prime’s unlimited streaming service. Whilst those of you who are in the United States will have had the Prime streaming service for quite sometime, it’s only now being released in the United Kingdom. The Amazon Prime streaming service for the UK is basically a rebrand of it’s LoveFilm service which Amazon bought in 2011 and would bring it inline with the Amazon Prime streaming service that’s been in the US for a while now.

If you already an Amazon Prime customer and signed up to take advantage of their free one day delivery service then you will already be signed up to take advantage of the new streaming service when it launches on Wednesday. If you're not already an Amazon Prime customer then you will need to signup for the service in order to get access to the new service which although it costs just £49 per year at present it’s about to jump to £79 a year. If you're looking to get in on the cheaper price you better be quick.

Unlike other streaming services this one is going to remained tied to the Amazon Prime delivery service so you can’t currently signup for just the streaming service or just the delivery service for a cheaper premium, sadly it’s all or nothing. Having said that it’s actually only a £7 per year increase for those who were already had a yearly streaming plan with LoveFilm’s instant streaming service also you get the benefit of access to over Amazon’s vast library of 500,000 kindle titles to choose from.

Google will launch a free music streaming service, FT says

As if branching out into hardware like phones and tablets, driverless cars, and even augmented reality glasses wasn't enough, Google is also working on a free music streaming service, the Financial Times reports.

The service would try to drown out the likes of Spotify, Deezer, and Nokia Music. The launch is said to be "impending", so it seems Google is still just tuning up.

According to the FT, Google will offer subscriptions as well as free unlimited listening. Though you will have to put up with ads if you don't want to pay, just like on Spotify.

Why would Google go into unchartered territory then? Especially seeing as its Play Music service, which launched in 2011 as Google Music, is only available in the US and a handful of European countries. Well it's another way for Google to make money, seeing as at the moment 95 per cent of its revenues come from advertising. Streaming is big business, being one of the fastest growing areas of the music market.

Apple is also rumoured to be working on a streaming service, which would put it and Google in direct competition on yet another front. As if the smart phone war wasn't already bloody enough.

Google could preinstall the service on all Android devices. And seeing as the operating system is on three out of four smart phones, that should give Google quite some reach. Not that it wouldn't be short of competition though. I'm sure Spotify and its good buddy Facebook wouldn't be too happy about the Google boys crashing their party. The music industry is also no fan of Google -- just this week, the Recording Industry Association of America attacked the search giant for linking to pirate sites. It claimed Google had gone back on its promise to shunt such sites further down its search rankings.

[Source: CNET]

BBC iPlayer to stream shows ahead of broadcast

The BBC is looking at debuting some of its programming over iPlayer before it airs on television. The projected yearlong trial will test a variety of programs, Radio Times reports, but the BBC hasn't specified whether that will include established series or new ones. The BBC says there were more than 187 million requests for content through iPlayer last month and is hoping it will be a boost in overall viewing figures.

The BBC's first attempts in streaming online-only content includes the pilot of the BBC Three comedy Impractical Jokers. Prior to the first part ofDoctor Who series 7 airing in August 2012, the five-episode prequel "Pond Life" also was made available online-only. "Pond Life" also appeared on the BBC's YouTube channel at the same time it appeared in iPlayer. The first part currently has more than 1 million views just through YouTube.

[Source: TUAW]

Pirate Bay documentary now streaming, up for download on (surprise!) The Pirate Bay

Way back in 2010, filmmaker Simon Klose petitioned folks on Kickstarter for $25,000 to hire a professional video editor. The pro's task? Sifting through and editing over 200 hours of footage Klose had recorded that chronicles the journey of The Pirate Bay's three founders throughout their trial. Now, over two years later and after the case's conclusion, the documentary has premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and is now available for your viewing pleasure. Sure, you could watch the whole hour and twenty minute-long affair in 1080p on YouTube, but what would be more fitting than legally downloading it (thanks to a creative commons license) through The Pirate Bay? Hit the neighboring source link to start downloading TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard, or head past the break for the full film.

[Source: Engadget]

Netflix vs Lovefilm: Television Content

For many people, the choice to go with an online streaming and DVD rental service is made for many different reasons. One of the most commonly cited ones is the extensive selection of content. These online services are able to provide more variety given their smaller overhead costs than your traditional brick and mortar rental store. Two of the most popular services today include LOVEFiLM vs Netflix.
Both services offer customers access to television series. However, they do go about it in a different manner. While both services have a wide selection of TV programmes it seems that Netflix offers more variety with its streaming service. LoveFilm does offer some streaming television shows, but many of its popular titles are found as DVD rentals. There are also some differences in that if you’re looking for a specific show you may find it streaming on LoveFilm but not on Netflix. However, even if the show isn’t streaming on LoveFilm it can usually still be obtained through the mail service.
When perusing through the television programme content for both services customers will notice they both offer many different vintage shows that are fairly old. Many people enjoy watching these older shows whether for their nostalgic value or simply to watch for the first time. Both services also offer many of the current popular television programmes as part of their offerings. However, many of these shows do not go back far enough for the satisfaction of some customers. For instance, with Netflix the popular show, Top Gear, only is available as far back as 2009.
Both services also offer stand-up comedy. The major difference is that Netflix’s comes through streaming video. LoveFilm’s selection is greatest on DVD which can be obtained easily through the mail. There is a Netflix free trial as well as one for LoveFilm that are a great way to try out the service without any obligation."

Netflix Ireland, UK score deals to carry previous seasons of key Warner-distributed shows

Hot on the heels of a deal for Canada, Netflix and Warner Bros. have spread their newfound affection for each other to a multi-year, exclusive agreement for Ireland and the UK. Both island nations are getting streaming access to past seasons of four Warner-distributed TV shows, with availability staggered over the next several months. The Vampire Diaries is first out of the gate, with three seasons coming to Netflix on December 1st; five seasons of Gossip Girl follow on March 1st, while less definite schedules have all of Chuck and four seasons of Fringeappearing sometime in 2013. The arrangement isn't quite as ideal as it would be if episodes appeared as they aired, but it's a welcome expansion for a young regional service that's still locked in a battle for supremacy.

[Source: Engadget]

Microsoft 'Xbox TV' device due in 2013 with casual gaming and streaming

Microsoft is building an Xbox set-top box. Multiple sources familiar with Redmond's plans have confirmed to The Verge that the company plans to introduce a low-cost alternative to its Xbox console, designed to provide access to core entertainment services. The move will allow Microsoft to further increase its presence in the living room, providing consumers with a choice between a set-top box or a full next-generation Xbox console.

We're told that the set-top box is part of a two-SKU strategy for Microsoft's next-generation of Xbox hardware that will be unveiled in 2013, with a release date ahead of the holiday shopping season. The device will run on the core components of Windows 8 and support casual gaming titles rather than full Xbox games typically found on a dedicated console. Although hardware specifications aren't fully locked down, we understand Microsoft will use a chipset to enable an "always on" device that boots quickly and resumes to provide near-instant access to TV and entertainment services.

[Source: The Verge]

Disney to shut down its Online streaming site

Ever heard of Disney Movies Online? Apparently not many have, as Disney announced it'll be shutting down the online movie streaming service at the end of the year. It isn't a shock that a movie streaming site that only offers flicks from one studio and no integration with something like UltraViolet (Disney remains the only major studio avoiding that kludge) wasn't a success. People who were actually using it can use the same redeem code that came bundled with their discs, in iTunes or Windows Media Player. Those few who actually paid for access have until the end of February of next year to request a refund. There's talk of a replacement "Disney Movies Anywhere" solution on the way -- possibly based on its KeyChest system -- but joining UltraViolet, in its current form, doesn't seem much better then Disney Movies Online was.

[Source: Engadget]

Google to announce music streaming service today

Although not official yet, there is very little doubt in anyone’s mind that today, 10^th may 2011, Google will launch its Google Music service at its I/O Conference later on today. Google’s service will essentially be the same kind of service already launched by Amazon Cloud Service last year to mediocre sales, however, Google’s version will not offer the ability to sell song directly to the customers, after talks with labels broke down late last year. According to a spokesperson from Google "A couple of the major labels were less focused on the innovative vision that we put forward, and more interested in an unreasonable and unsustainable set of business terms." So rather than putting the project on hold, Google will launch its music service with the ability to store up to 20,000 of your own uploaded songs, to then stream back to your desktop, Android phone or tablet, in fact just about any device that supports flash (I thought they said innovation? Wouldn’t innovation be HTML5? – Mikey) but don’t worry iOS users, your time will come.

In comparison, Amazons service lets you store a measly 1,200 songs (5GB), stored at mediocre bitrates. As Google do so often, they will attempt to beat Amazon in more areas then one, offering features like automatic playlists (Again, I thought they were innovating, sounds like Genius playlists to me – Mikey) Google should have this service available to the US market “within weeks” , yes the UK market will have to wait, for a change. Google will be handing out Music Beta invites later today to owners of the Verizon Xoom (but don’t worry you will also be able to sign up at music.google.com) A live blog will be available here once the event has begun (5PM GMT)