Hacking NetFlix

Boxee to Stop Making Software for the PC, Mac & Ubuntu

Acknowledging that streaming devices, Blue-ray platers and TV's with apps are replacing PCs conected to TV's, Boxee announed that they are releasing the last version of Boxee software for the PC.

This 1.5 release will be the last version of Boxee for PC/Mac/Ubuntu. It will be available on Boxee.tv through the end of January.

We believe the future of TV will be driven by devices such as the Boxee Box, Connected TVs / Blu-Rays and 2nd screen devices such as tablets and phones. While there are still many users who have computers connected to their TVs, we believe this use case is likely to decline as users find better alternatives. People will continue to watch a lot of video on their computer, but it is more likely to be a laptop than a home-theater PC and probably through a browser rather than downloaded software.

Do you still have a PC connected to the TV for Netflix or Hulu?

via ZatzNotFunny.

Netflix New Releases on DVD and Streaming for the Week of December 27th, 2011

Here's the full list of Netflix DVD releases this week (detailed list): Game Time, Apollo 18, Brighton Rock, One Day, Hostel: Part III, A Good Old Fashioned Orgy, The Art of Getting By, The Pool Boys, Another Earth, The Hunters, Jane's Journey, Love Crime, Tuesday, After Christmas, 2012: Zombie Apocalypse, The First Grader, and Happiness is... Peanuts: Friends Forever. 

Interesting streaming titles released in the past week include No Strings Attached, House of Anubis, Fawlty Towers, NY Ink, A Father's Choice, Bhutto, His & Hers, and Snakes on a Train.

Netflix CEO Loses Half of Stock Options Allowance

Bloomberg reports that the Netflix has cut CEO Reed Hastings stock options by half for 2012.

Netflix, the online and mail- order video service predicting losses for next year, cut the annual stock-option allowance for Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings by half to $1.5 million.

Hastings will receive a salary of $500,000 for 2012, unchanged from this year, according to a regulatory filing today. His annual stock option allowance for 2011 was $3 million, according to a filing a year ago.

Should HBO Offer HBO Go Directly to Consumers?

MG Siegler has written an open letter to HBO, warning them that now is the time to offer HBO to offer the HBO Go service directly to customers, outside of a cable subscription:

Though they’re going through a bit of a rough transformation right now, Netflix is clearly adjusting their cannons to aim right at you. In 2 years, they will be HBO — but better. Because they won’t require a goddamn bullshit cable subscription.

I’d gladly pay you upwards of $19.99 a month for direct access to HBO Go without a cable subscription. Netflix charges $7.99 a month for their streaming service right now, but thanks to your original programming, you’re worth a lot more. But Netflix original programming is coming soon, so your premium buffer won’t last forever. The time to strike is now.

If you could remove your lips from the cable company teet for a minute, you’d find hundreds of thousands — and likely millions — of customers happy to pay a premium for access to HBO Go without the cable requirement right now. That number is only going to grow. And fast.

Would you sign up for HBO Go directly? How much are you willing to pay each month for HBO Go?

LOVEFiLM Signs Exclusive U.K. Streaming Deal With Sony

paidContent reports that Amazon's LOVEFiLM has signed an exclusive streaming deal with Sony for the U.K., as the war for streaming in Europe starts to heat up.

Amazon’s LoveFilm is continuing its film and TV content rights war with U.S. rival Netflix, signing a deal with Sony Pictures Television for the right to stream titles including The Social Network and Salt.

The deal, which comes a day after Netflix signed a content deal with BBC Worldwide, includes films and children’s TV titles such as the animated Transformers, Spectacular Spiderman and Karate Kid series.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings "I'm 2.4% Neanderthal DNA..."

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings posted his 23andMe DNA results on his Facebook page, with the comment "I'm 2.4% Neanderthal DNA, according to 23andme. It explains a lot."

Readers Reporting Netflix Queue Problems

Carlos writes, "I had received Friends with Benefits last week and returned it on 12/15.  Netflix received it on 12/16 and sent me Burlesque on Saturday.  Yesterday I noticed that Netflix showed both movies as out in my queue.  Then today, Burlesque doesn't even show up in my queue at all.  I called them up and the guy I spoke to said that they had been getting calls all day about the queue.  He was a little confused when I told him we had received Burlesque and were returning it today.  He didn't see it as shipped or for that matter that I even had it.  Weirder still, although I don't show it in my queue, I do see it in the shipping activity page under my account information screen."

Michelle writes, "My queue is showing that a movie I returned days ago (and got the email confirming their receiving of it) is still out, and the movie I actually have right now is nowhere to be found, either in the shipped section or the queue itself. The Netflix support person said the issue is the "master" queue is correct but for some reason it's not updating people's "at home" queues. They're working to correct the issue, but if I send my current movie back I'll still get the next one in my queue."

Charlene writes, "You return a disc; you get an email saying they're received the disc; they send the next disc; but the returned title still shows as out in your queue. I've called them twice on this issue. Each time they confirmed that the disc was showed as returned on their end and told me they were experiencing problems. The first time I was told to add an item to my queue, then "update queue," to clear the problem (which didn't work). The second time I was told it would eventually clear by itself."

Is anyone else having problems with their Netflix queue?

 

Netflix Signs BBC Shows As Q1 UK & Ireland Launch Approaches

Netflix has signed a deal with the BBC in advance of the launch in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and will include shows like Dr. Who, Torchwood, Spooks, Little Britian, Fawlty Towers, Miss Marple and Inspector Lynley.

"BBC shows are a big favourite of our over 20 million streaming members in the U.S., Canada and Latin America," said Ted Sarandos, Netflix chief content officer. "Members love watching back-to-back episodes of BBC series where and when they want, at the click of a button. We are incredibly proud to make these high quality programmes available to Netflix members in the UK and Ireland."

Commented Steve Macallister, president and managing director, Sales & Distribution, BBC Worldwide: "With our content already available on Netflix in North and Latin America, we're delighted to be a launch partner for Netflix in the UK and Eire, offering viewers the chance to watch some of our best loved shows on the platform from day one. UK audiences have really grasped the experience that online viewing can bring, and our programming has proven to be particularly popular with this digital audience."

The U.K. launch will be the first time Netflix faces a serious established streaming competitor in a market (Amazon-owned LOVEFiLM). 

Netflix New DVD Releases for December 20th, 2011

Here's the list of Netflix DVD releases this week (detailed list): Midnight in Paris, Margin Call, Colombiana, Straw Dogs, The Tempest, Burke and Hare, Blackthorn, Catch .44, Stay Cool, Warrior, UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III, Love Begins, Julia's Eyes, and Love Exposure. 

Netflix Gift Cards Only Available for Streaming This Year - Updated (Can Be Used for Any Plan)

Update: While the Netflix Gift Purchase page says in bold type:

"Does not include DVDs by mail."

and the fine print says that it does not include Blu-ray access, you can exchange the gift card for any Netflix plan. It's not clear and I received a number of complaints from readers before posting the original story.   - 

Thanks, J, Ethan, RJM, Money Bags, Clinton & everyone else for the correction.

Several readers noticed that Netflix gift cards are only available for Netflix streaming this year, and DVD plans are not an option.

Thanks to AH, Michael, Joe and everyone else for sending this in.