This week we're coming into the understanding that Netflix has had and likely still has a working collection of stand-alone Roku-like devices in their warehouse collecting dust - and why they were cut from production at the zero hour back in 2007. This device was known as the Netflix Player and was outlined in a lovely video presentation made in-house by Netflix under the title "The Griffin Initiative". This project was, as its creators recall, just "weeks" away from launch when it was cut down to the ground by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.
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‘Netflix’ Stories
Netflix Player stand-alone hardware revealed (and why you can’t have it)
Forget AirPlay: Netflix and YouTube out DIAL for second-screen simplicity
Netflix has officially detailed its Apple AirPlay alternative, DIAL, created in collaboration with YouTube and promising intuitive second-screen entertainment. Already garnering the support of the BBC, Sony, Hulu, and Samsung, DIAL - or "discovery and launch" - aims to streamline the second-screen experience, by automatically discovering compliant devices and starting up apps on them. So, the Netflix app on your phone will be able to spot any Netflix-compatible TVs nearby, and open up the functionality instantly.
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Netflix is discriminating against its customers accuses Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable has accused Netflix of discriminatory behavior, unfairly limiting content to subscribers since it demands ISPs join its Open Connect delivery system before they get select 3D and Super HD movies. "While they call it 'Open Connect', Netflix is actually closing off access to some of its content while seeking unprecedented preferential treatment from ISPs" Time Warner Cable told Multichannel News, referring to the new high-bandwidth media types Netflix announced it would offer last week.
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Netflix makes content-licensing deal with Turner and Warner Bros.
Netflix customers in the US will soon get a host of new shows coming their way, thanks to a content-licensing agreement between Netflix and two content providers, Turner Broadcasting and Warner Bros. Television Group. The deal means that tons of new shows from Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, TNT, and more, will be making their way to the streaming service as soon as late March.
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Obama signs Netflix Facebook sharing bill
A new bill allowing Facebook users to automatically share details of the Netflix video they've just watched has been signed by President Obama, with express permission for each and every share no longer required. The Video Privacy Protection Act Amendments Act now means video viewing history can be shared without demanding written consent on every occasion, opening the door to automatic posts from video streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Video.
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Netflix launches Super HD and 3D; Reveals Ultra HD trial with Samsung
Netflix has launched Super HD, offering a new top-tier of streaming video quality for those on select ISPs, but there's Ultra HD content in the pipeline thanks to a special partnership with Samsung. Funneled out through Netflix's Open Connect delivery network direct to ISPs, the Super HD video is even higher quality 1080p than the streaming company offers as standard, with certain 3D titles available in the US. Meanwhile, at CES, Netflix is demonstrating the fruits of its 4K resolution experiments with Samsung.
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Netflix and Warner Bros. sign deal bringing new shows exclusively to Netflix
Netflix is constantly working to increase the size of its streaming media catalog. Currently, Netflix is one of the largest video streaming sites in the world. Netflix and Warner Bros. Television group have announced a new deal that will bring several new serialized dramas from Warner Bros. to the Netflix streaming network exclusively.
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Amazon: Sorry for Netflix downtime, here’s what we got wrong
Amazon has publicly apologized for the outage that stopped Netflix users from spending Christmas Eve slumped in front of How It's Made re-runs while slurping egg nog, blaming human error for the server downtime. According to Amazon, a developer inadvertently deleted part of the "ELB state data" which handles load balancing - which servers deliver content to each user across different locations - and it took several hours of testing and troubleshooting to figure out what had gone wrong.
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Amendment to Netflix bill requiring a warrant to monitor e-mail is cut at the last minute
We talked about Netflix and the company's efforts to allow users to share the movies they are watching with friends on social networks such as Facebook. The reason Netflix can't allow users to automatically share what they're watching with Facebook friends now has to do with a law that's been on the books in the United States for years concerning privacy. That act is called the Video Privacy Protection Act.
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Netflix to introduce social features in 2013
Just days after a bill passed through the Senate that removes previous restrictions that prevented companies from sharing customer video rental history, a Netflix spokesperson has confirmed that they "plan to introduce social features" for US customers sometime in 2013. After President Obama signs the bill, Netflix will flip the switch on the new features.
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Netflix outage on Christmas Eve blamed on Amazon Web Services problems
If you are a Netflix subscriber, you probably noticed that the streaming video service had a number of holiday films and cartoons among its options for viewing. If your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day plans involved sitting down in front of the TV and streaming some of those holiday movies, odds are you were disappointed. Netflix had a significant outage on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day that took the streaming service off-line.
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Senate clears Netflix Facebook sharing bill
Netflix wants to make it easier for subscribers in the United States to share exactly what they're watching with their friends on Facebook. The problem with making the ability to share what you're watching with your Facebook friends easy is a law put in place in 1988 called the Video Privacy Protection Act doesn't allow so-called "frictionless sharing" of movies that you're watching.
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