After Icahn takes Netflix stake, streaming video service looks to fend off unwanted suitors

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Shares of Netflix surged last week after billionaire investor Carl Icahn purchased 9.98 percent of the streaming media service, suggesting that it could be a possible buyout candidate by the likes of Amazon.com or Microsoft. But Netflix isn’t in the mood to sell to just anyone. Today, the company, with 30 million members, announced a new shareholder… Read More…

Do you binge-watch TV? 6 ways to justify your habit

breakingbad

You finish a great episode of a great show. You want to watch the next one, but you’ve already seen three of these and it’s getting late. Do you press play? If so, you’ve developed the tech-enabled entertainment habit known as binge viewing. And some people think you’re doing it wrong. “Slow down,” wrote Jim… Read More…

History: Did Amazon try to buy Netflix for $12M in 1999?

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Just imagine what could have been? A new book to be released this week by Reuters reporter Gina Keating suggests that Amazon.com tried to buy DVD movie rental service Netflix for $12 million back in 1999. Whoa. That certainly could have been a lot cheaper than Netflix’s current market value of $3.7 billion. Amazon.com was… Read More…

‘Redbox Instant’ streaming video service on the way

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It’s official: Verizon and Redbox parent company Coinstar will enter the streaming media world and battle Netflix, Amazon and the rest of the digital video market for customers. Bloomberg reports that Redbox Instant by Verizon, a joint venture initially announced earlier this year, will be available between late November and mid-December. The video service will… Read More…

Netflix CEO: Amazon Prime video a ‘confusing mess’

Reed Hastings

It looks like Jeff Bezos & Co. have finally gotten Reed Hastings’ attention, or at least gotten Hastings to show that he’s feeling the competitive heat. The Netflix CEO previously made a habit of downplaying the competition from Amazon.com in the online video market, saying as recently as July that his company had yet to… Read More…

Netflix loses out as Amazon inks deal with Epix for popular movies

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Amazon.com continues to bolster its collection of movie titles for its Prime Instant Video service, announcing today that it has struck a deal with Viacom’s Epix premium cable channel for thousands of movies. The new titles will be provided from studios such as Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Lionsgate, bolstering Amazon’s position in the video content… Read More…

Amazon Prime adds ‘West Wing’ and ‘Fringe’ in exclusive streaming deal

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Amazon has struck a deal with Warner Bros. to bring West Wing and Fringe to its Amazon Prime Instant Video service before its rivals get the TV shows — the latest step its effort to boost the streaming features of its Amazon Prime subscription service. The company, competing against services such as Hulu and Netflix,… Read More…

Amazon.com should buy Coinstar: A tech prediction that makes a ton of sense

redbox-kiosk

A few months ago, the tech blogosphere exploded after rumors emerged that Amazon.com was considering opening physical retail stores. Since those reports, we haven’t heard a peep about whether the Seattle online retailer would break with tradition and expand into the choppy waters of brick-and-mortar retail. But there’s another possibility that could resolve some of… Read More…

Finally: Amazon video app comes to Microsoft’s Xbox 360

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Amazon and Microsoft just announced the first native Amazon Instant Video app for Microsoft’s Xbox 360, making it possible to watch videos from the Amazon service on the Microsoft console without a cumbersome workaround. The app is particularly good news for anyone who already has a $79/year Amazon Prime service and a $60/year Xbox Live… Read More…