The launch of Netflix’s first original series positions the company right where it wants to be – competing against pay cable companies like HBO, Showtime and Starz. But whether Lilyhammer becomes a hit for Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX) or falls flat, don’t expect the streaming video company to honor one very time-honored TV practice:...
Verizon teams up with Redbox to cash in on video
Verizon and Redbox are creating a joint venture to provide content online and through Redbox's physical DVD rental kiosks around the country. The deal is a chance for Verizon to make money from streaming content and show off how awesome its network is. 
Verizon Teams With Redbox for a Netflix-Style Video Service
Here's the Netflix-style video service that Verizon wouldn't talk about a couple months ago -- a joint venture with Redbox, which has an uneasy relationship with a lot of big media companies.
Binge viewers rejoice: Netflix releases Lilyhammer
Netflix just released its first original TV show, the crime comedy Lilyhammer. And in typical Netflix fashion, it simply dumped all episodes of the entire first season on its subscribers. The logic behind this move? Netfix subscribers are binge viewers, says CEO Reed Hastings.
Daily Must Reads, Feb. 3, 2012
The best stories across the web on media and technology, curated by Lily Leung.
1. Netflix and WaPo bought a combined $8M in Facebook ads last year, IPO says (All Facebook)
2. Analysis: A sobering look at Facebook (Reuters)
3. How...
Viacom Says Netflix Isn’t Hurting Nickelodeon Ratings
Viacom, which has seen ratings decline at its Nickelodeon cable channel, doesn't think it is losing eyeballs to Netflix, which offers an array of kids programming, including Nickelodeon shows like "Dora the Explorer." Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman, speaking during the company's earnings call this morning, continues to argue that the ratings decline stems primarily from...
Analyst talks three possible routes for future Apple TV
A dedicated Apple TV set was a hot topic at the end of 2011. So far in 2012, news on that front has been relatively quiet, but a new note by longtime Apple TV set booster and Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster is reigniting the discussion.
EyeIO: Netflix’s secret weapon against bandwidth caps?
Palo Alto, Calif.–based video encoding startup eyeIO came out of stealth mode Wednesday and immediately announced an impressive first customer: Netflix is using eyeIO's encoding technology to lower the bitrate of its HD video streams, which should help the company both in mobile and emerging markets.
SnagFilms Grabs $7 Million to Share Indie Movies Online
Terry Semel, who used to make really, really big movies for a living, is one of the investors in a start-up that works on the other end of the spectrum.
