Forgot your password?

Close
typodupeerror

Amazon looking into taking on Netflix->

Submitted by PolygamousRanchKid
PolygamousRanchKid writes "Jeff Bezos and his team at Amazon are weighing a move to beef up the Web retailer's video-streaming service possibly carving it out as a standalone, subscription-based operation, industry sources told The Post. The Internet retailer does have a paid video-on-demand movie and TV service — but the streaming service would be different. "The big issue is their bundled media service," said one digital media executive. "The subscription service, with the goodies being free video, is contractually an issue for the licensers." Tinseltown talent doesn’t like being a loss-leader for Amazon shipments of everything from diapers to digital devices.

Word that Bezos may be looking to add muscle to its video service comes nearly one year after Amazon launched Instant Video last February. In July, Amazon paid CBS around $100 million for 2,000 hours of TV shows. It then followed up with deals for Fox content such as "Arrested Development,"and with Disney and NBCUniversal. Paul Verna, senior analyst at eMarketer, said: "Amazon is aggressively pursuing the same content strategy as Netflix and is spending a lot upfront to try to secure exclusivity. They won't always get it, but they need to differentiate themselves.""
Link to Original Source

Comment: Re:This is gonna get ugly (Score 2) 314

by hodet (#38675020) Attached to: The Coming Tech Battle Over 'Smart TVs'
And the best ones will rise to the top and win. What you describe is only a problem for early adopters that don't mind paying a premium to beta test crappy implementations. I will wait, let others feel the pain and spend their money. When/if I get in, I will be entering a mature market with less surprises. So go ahead, compete away. Bring on the uglies, so we can read the horrendous reviews and all laugh together in the forums as early adopters shout bloody murder about "this piece of crap they bought". Then we can enjoy watching those products die a horrible death and watching the good offerings evolve and improve before jumping on the bandwagon. I am looking forward to buying at the right time.

Comment: Re:Screw Bell (Score 1) 159

by hodet (#38461210) Attached to: Bell Canada To Stop Internet Throttling
They get what they give. Case in point, I have Bell for Satellite TV service. On their website I can add channels and packages at will. But once it is added I can only remove channels by calling their 1-800 line and getting caught in phone menu hell. Once I finally talk to somebody, and I mean clear your calendar because this will take a while, I have to put up with the endless questions of why I am removing channels and would I be interested in this or that instead. To the point that you just get irritated and tell them to cancel the channels already. Is it a big deal on the grand scheme of things? Probably not but it is just part of their culture, they are a profit machine and somebody figured out early that the most profit can be generated by treating customers badly. So I am with OP. Screw Bell and anybody who smells like Bell.

"The National Association of Theater Concessionaires reported that in 1986, 60% of all candy sold in movie theaters was sold to Roger Ebert." -- D. Letterman