AllThingsD reports that Netflix (and Blockbuster) will be required to wait twice as long, or a full 56 days after DVDs hit retail shelves, before offering Warner Brothers content under a new distribution agreement.

The move is part of Hollywood’s ongoing campaign to bolster flagging DVD sales, and sources tell me the new deal is supposed to be announced at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Warner Brothers executives have already talked publicly about extending the current window.

Redbox was also included in the initial report, however their parent company Coinstar has made a statement indicating they haven’t yet entered into a new contract with Warner Brothers. They are, however, set to renegotiate their contract at the end of January, but have publicly stated they’d look for “workarounds” if studios attempt to double the time window.

While studios may think this type of dumbassery forces people to buy more DVDs, it only forces them to hate the circumvent the customer-hostile studios. Hollywood is once again on the wrong side of history and common sense. Rapid availability and fair pricing is what boosts sales. iTunes taught that to music studios ravaged by Napster and the like a decade ago. Steve Jobs told them at the time their competition was free-as-in-file-sharing. Is Hollywood really this intent on making the recording labels seem like geniuses by comparison?

Here’s once again hoping the old-guard gets replaced soon.

Source: All Things Digital

Apple has updated the 2nd-generation Apple TV software to version 4.4.4, which includes general performances and stability improvements and a fix related to an issue that displayed an error when attempting to play certain types of video content.

The new software update comes just a month after their 4.4.3 update, which added support for Netflix streaming in Mexico as well as addressing an audio problem when playing sound through the optical port when your television set is turned off, and carries a new build number (9A406a).

You can grab the update from the Apple TV Update Software option in the device’s General Settings menu.

Source: Apple

Qantas has announced they will begin a trial run for an in-flight entertainment system centered around Apple’s iPad tablet, initially limiting the test to a single Boeing 767-300 which allows streaming of music and video content to all of the aircraft’s 254 seats.

In what it’s trumpeting as a ‘world first’, Qantas will next month begin trials of Apple’s iPad for in-flight entertainment, using wi-fi to stream content to the tablets from a central server on the aircraft.

The central server will use 5 WiFi access points throughout the aircraft, of which each iPad can connect to using a custom pre-loaded ‘Q Streaming’ app that bypasses Apple’s default iOS homescreen and instead presents users with an on-demand library of content to stream. Qantas says that if any passenger decides to take one home with them, the iPad will be essentially rendered useless outside of the aircraft thanks to their Q Streaming app lockdown.

Passengers who opt to bring their own tablet or laptop can also hook into the new content streaming system, and Qantas will additionally allow a 24-hour viewing window for those using their own device if the movie is cut short by the flight. If successful, Qantas will add an additional 10 aircraft to the program and they’re also considering bringing it to the Airbus A330.

I don’t know about you, but the prospect of being able to hook my iPad into a content-rich streaming system would surely make a cross-country flight a lot less unbearable.

[Australian Business Traveller]

BBC Worldwide has gone on record stating they’ll release a subscription-based iPlayer app for Apple’s iPad tablet next year, according to The Financial Times.

The BBC is to launch a commercial version of its iPlayer video on demand technology, using a subscription model on Apple iPads and with the US probably the first to receive the service. It will be available only outside the UK, where the BBC is not allowed to charge for its content, and marks a new stage in the broadcaster’s move to exploit its content around the world.

iPlayer content has been strictly tied down to UK viewers only, so with this expansion to other countries (UK doesn’t allow BBC to offer subscription-based services such as this under public funding) we’re hoping it comes to the US as an initial select market. Don’t start counting down the days, however, as BBC stated the service won’t become available until sometime in mid-2011.

Any readers out there excited about this prospective new subscription service? Sound off in the comments below!

[MacStories via Financial Times]

Hulu+ has been updated for the iPad and iPhone to includes new features and better yet — a new, lower subscription price of $7.99.

• New split-screen player on iPad
• Enhanced queue and subscription management
• Improved playback performance
• New thumbnail behavior on iPad
• Miscellaneous bug fixes

Hulu launched on iOS back in late June followed by an immediate follow up of the Hulu+ subscription service at $9.99.

Unfortunately it doesn’t look like the update supports Apple’s new iOS 4.2 AirPlay feature (yet?)

Let us know how the update is working for you and what you think of the new pricing — does it hit the sweet spot yet?

[iTunes]

Is AirPlay going to be Apple’s go-to-marketed strategy, using an iOS 4.2 iPad or iPhone and Apple TV one-two punch combo get around tradition media? Following up on the discovery that iPad Netflix will stream to Apple TV, Seth Weintraub figures out the following:

AppleTV is a Airplay-compatible device, meaning it can stream video/sound from other Apple devices. We found out last night that it isn’t just iTunes content that it will be able to broadcast. Any H.264 content from the web can be broadcast over Airplay to your HDTV.

That includes any video that can play on your iOS 4.2 device, like: Facebook video, YouTube, Netflix, Videos, BBC News, MLB and really anything else you can watch on your iOS device. That also includes videos built into Apps and magazine subscriptions too. All of this can be beamed to your AppleTV via Airplay.

John Gruber adds the following, from a friend:

Apps using the built-in media controller views get AirPlay out for free. Apps that don’t (like Hulu) need to roll their own using AVFoundation.

So any iOS app that uses the built-in media playback views is going to be an AirPlay source.

[9to5Mac, Daring Fireball]

When you think about using iPhone or iPad to locate and bookmark video — much faster than any remote driven TV device could ever do — and then shooting it over to enjoy on the big screen, the plan does seem to come together, doesn’t it?

“People familiar with the situation” (yes, them again) have told the Wall Street Journal that both Fox and ABC are good to go on $0.99 iTunes TV show rentals, and will be announced later today at Apple’s special music event. Since ABC is owned by Disney, whose largest shareholder is Steve Jobs, their getting on board isn’t a huge surprise. Likewise, Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox, introduced Jobs at D8 and is all up in Apple rescuing print media (like the Wall Street Journal) and TV alike.

NBC, recently sold to Comcast — whose cable empire would compete with iTunes — and CBS, who likely isn’t sure what these new fangled ‘puters and gizmos are all about anyway, is disappointing but also not surprising.

How this will mix and match with Netflix and other, similar apps already on iPad and iPhone — and rumored to be coming to a new Apple TV — is also unknown. $0.99 a pop might not be enough for myopic media companies, but compared to a far bigger Netflix pipe at $10-$15 per month, it’s likely too much for high volume consumers.

[Wall Street Journal]

It’s taken a while but Netflix has finally updated their iOS app to universal binary — that’s right, it now supports not only iPad but iPhone and iPod touch as well.

“Apple has changed the game for mobile devices,” said Reed Hastings, Netflix co-founder and chief executive officer. “We’re excited that our members can now carry Netflix around in their pockets and instantly watch movies and TV shows streamed from Netflix right to their iPhone or iPod touch.”

Requires iOS 3.1.3 or higher, and works over both Wi-Fi and 3G.

If anyone has tried it out yet, let us know how it’s working for you.

[Netflix PR]

When Apple bought Lala, everyone anticipated that iTunes.com streaming music service was on the horizon, but now CNET hears it might be on hold as Apple works on… streaming video.

But eight months after the acquisition, Apple is telling executives at the four top labels that if Apple offers any cloud-music features within the next few months, they will likely be “modest in scope” and not include the kind of functionality that Apple outlined in meetings with the labels, such as storing users’ music on its servers, sources told CNET. They added that Apple still hasn’t negotiated the kind of licensing deals it would need to distribute music from the cloud.

Delays launching a cloud music service might disappoint some iTunes users, but if Apple is focusing resources on a cloud-video service it could be welcomed by those who have maxed out hard drives with films and TV shows. Sources at the major film studios have said this year that Apple plans to create “digital shelves” that enable iTunes users to store movies and other media on Apple’s servers.

Add to all this that one of the Lala execs is rumored to have already moved on from Apple, and Internet/iTunes lead honcho Eddy Cue reportedly took a long time to even tell the Lala team what Apple wanted to do with them, and it seems like there’s a lack of urgency around One Infinite Loop.

With competition from a Google Music service on the horizon, can Apple afford to take their time rolling out the iTunes Cloud? Are they far enough ahead in media that it doesn’t matter? Could they actually be waiting for Google to negotiate cloud-streaming licenses with Big Media so Apple can simply adopt them as well and add to the existing iTunes service? Time — and perhaps this fall’s annual iPod touch/iTunes event — will tell.

Are you getting impatient for your streams? Does it matter to you if Apple rolls out video from the clouds before music?

[CNET]

Update: The Hulu Plus application [iTunes Link - Free] is now available within the App Store. We viewed some of the free content on a iPhone 4 over AT&T’s 3G network and it streamed flawlessly.

Today that rumor of Hulu introducing a premium paid service has come true as they have officially announced Hulu Plus. It will run you a cool $9.99/month and that will give you streaming access – via Wi-Fi or 3G – to entire seasons of shows that are already available on the free web service along with other programming that is not available on Hulu’s website. And the good news is it’s just not for iPads but rather every device in the iOS family – iPod touch, iPhone, and iPad. There will also be future support for a countless number of other devices such as the Playstation 3 (July) and Xbox 360 (2011). If this sounds like your cup of tea be sure to sign up for the preview invite here.

How many of you are getting ready to do away with your cable or satellite TV service?

Video after the break!

[Thanks to all of you who sent this in!]

All 64 games available in English (including consecutive “Round of 16” broadcasts) and 56 games broadcast in French.

Works over Rogers 3G (7.2 HSDPA) or Wi-Fi, and incredibly:

Data consumed by the application over 3G will NOT be deducted from your data bucket.

You need to be in Canada, and a Rogers subscriber (you need to be on the Rogers 3G network to authenticate) but if you are, try it out and let us know what you think.

[iTunes]

Apple.com has posted streaming QuickTime video for Steve Jobs’ WWDC 2010 keynote, where he introduced the new iPhone 4.

Update: a higher quality version is now available via iTunes download as well.

[Apple.com, iTunes - thanks @bengillam for the tip!]

CBC Hockey from the iconic Hockey Night in Canada series is a free download from the iTunes App Store and comes ready to stream all the live NHL hockey playoff action straight to your iPhone — via $2.99 in-app purchase.

• LIVE box scores from every NHL game
• Standings by division and conference
• Stats for every team, every player
• League leaders for points, goals,+/-, GAA, Sv%, and Wins
• CBC Sports stories and features from our writers
• Complete NHL schedule including CBC broadcasts and streaming info

And no, I’m not just posting this because of Montreal’s stellar playoff victory last night against Pittsburgh (for those who are more geek than hockey freak, that was the team with the big C’s on their chests trouncing the guys wearing the Linux Tux jerseys).

[iTunes via Daring Fireball]

Apple.com has posted not only a page touting over 100 (!) new user features for iPhone 4.0, but streaming video of today’s iPhone 4 Sneak Preview event is also now available, as is the higher quality download in Apple’s Keynote podcast feed [iTunes link]

[Rah-roh! Looks like the iTunes download freezes about 20 min. in, right when the Pandora demo is starting. Avoid until Apple fixes. We'll update when they do!]

Check ‘em out and tell us what you think!

We have to say we’re pretty excited about the streaming video possibilities on the iPad. So excited, in fact, that the YouTube app feels pretty much like old hat. Jeremy already took a quick look at Netflix on the iPad and the verdict is that it works and the magic of simply having Netflix streaming on an iPad does much to overcome the fact that what you essentially have here is an app made of up Netflix’s webpage.

ABC Video, however, is much more elegant and is a nicer iPad app. You get a set of tabs at the bottom for viewing video, your video history, and even a schedule of ABC shows. The video looks crisp to my eyes, but I’m especially impressed at how well the app saves my place on the various shows I’ve watched.

A quick video comparison of ABC, Netflix, and the default Videos app, along with a gallery of ABC and Netflix, are after the break!

The streaming video apps for iPad are now in the US iTunes App Store so if you’ve been waiting to get your mobile TV and Movies on, go grab Netflix [Free - iTunes link] and ABC Player [Free - iTunes link].

Netflix makes use of your existing Netflix unlimited membership (yeah, you need one of those but you can grab a free trial to test it out). Once you’re set up, you can pretty much watch the content you want, when and where you want. Browse and manage your queue from the iPad, watch on your TV, PC, or iPad and resume right where you left off.

ABC Player lets you watch full episodes of LOST, Grey’s Anatomy, Modern Family, Desperate Housewives, and more. Search and schedule make it easy to find what you need and viewing history means even though it’s streaming, if you need to stop watching now, you can resume where you left off later. The app is free but the content is “sponsored” and it only works over Wi-Fi.

And if you want more content on your iPad, like CBS, remember Apple’s got a whole Safari/web friendly list up for you!

Screens shots after the break!

In that stream of 700 iPad apps revealed last night, Engadget noticed a few gems including Netflix and ABC, and with CBS doing the HTML5-video thing and Hulu once again being rumored, could content consumption nirvana finally be near?

Netflix is said to be a free app that will be ready by the April 3 iPad launch. You’ll be able to browse and manage your queue and stream movies and TV shows right to your iPad. No word on weather its Wi-Fi-only or 3G as well, and no word on whether an iPhone and iPod touch version is coming (ahem!)

ABC’s player is also said to be free but Wi-Fi bound. You’ll still get your Lost and Grey’s Anatomy fix direct from the network, however. Whether it will make into the iPad App Store by launch day is unknown, as is their monetization method (i.e. will there be commercials?)

CBS, according to the Wall Street Journal, is sticking with their web-based strategy of streaming HTML5 video through Mobile Safari and not making a dedicated app. Hey, maybe that at least will give iPhone and iPod touch owners equal access?

Hulu, which carries the last two remaining networks, NBC and FOX is still unclear but the New York Times once again gets our hopes up. It’s not all rosy, however, as the network nuts behind the scenes reportedly aren’t happy with revenue and want something like subscriptions bolted one. They better get their act together and quickly or their old world thinking will condemn the bright boys and girls at Hulu to last place in the brave new mobile media world…

Apple’s latest bulletin via the iPhone Developer News feed highlight how we really might see 3G connected SlingPlayer — and even Hulu — on the iPhone and iPad without melting the cell towers, courtesy of HTTP Live Streaming:

HTTP Live Streaming provides a state-of-the-art standards-based solution for streaming video over wireless networks. A key benefit of HTTP Live Streaming is the ability to dynamically adjust to varying network bandwidth conditions. It can store multiple video clips of different quality on a server, and then deliver the one that matches what the customer is capable of viewing on the network they are currently accessing.

Your application must use the HTTP Live Streaming protocol if it uses the cellular network to deliver video for any stream with a duration of 10 minutes or more. In addition, applications using HTTP Live Streaming over the cellular network must include a low quality stream of no more than 64 Kbps for your app to resort to when network conditions demand it.

The key here is that HTTP Live Streaming can dynamically increase or decrease video quality as you move from beefy Wi-Fi to 3G, standard or starved. Do we mind getting worse-looking video when the network is being strained? Years of putting up with blocky YouTube cat-on-piano videos likely points to “no”…

Apple has posted their usual streaming QuickTime video of today’s “Come see our latest creation” iPad introduction keynote.

A downloadable version is also now available as part of Apple’s Keynote podcast feed in iTunes. [iTunes link]

• Apple Special Event, January 2010

Huge internet content backbone Akamai is introducing their new on-demand, streaming HD Network, along with support for… the iPhone. Says Macworld:

Akamai worked with Apple to make HD Network video run on the iPhone using the standard H.264 format. The iPhone 3.0 software upgrade, introduced in June, added support for live video. Content providers can use the HD Network to deliver programs for the iPhone through the Safari Web browser or an application offered on the App Store. The videos can play on the phone’s video player, as YouTube videos do now.

We’ve heard about iPhone 3.0‘s HTTP Live Streaming capabilities before, and if this uptake is real, we’re getting increasingly excited about our iPhone media future…

Multichannel News (via Apple Insider) is reporting that an industry source claims Netflix “Watch Instantly” is coming to the iPhone.

Netflix currently uses Microsoft’s proprietary DRM, however, so unless they’re planning on switching to something more iPhone friendly — namely H.264 like YouTube did — we’re not quite sure how they’ll manage it with anything approaching decent results.

That’s if Apple even allows an iTunes competitor onto the iPhone (and before people howl “unfair!”, it’s not like you can load up PlayStation or Wii games on an Xbox 360 — consoles control their media). And, of course, if AT&T allows streaming over 3G, which they wouldn’t do for SlingPlayer Mobile…

(We’ll also point out that Netflix is a US-only service, unlike iTunes which is available in many countries internationally).

Apple Insider took a closer look at the HTTP Streaming Media feature that was highlighted as part of iPhone 3.0, but hasn’t received a whole lot of attention since:

The real benefit to HTTP Live Streaming is that the server can maintain multiple versions of the clips in different formats. This allows an iPhone user with a WiFi connection to negotiate a higher quality version of the video than if only EDGE were available. Even better, the phone can renegotiate a higher or lower quality dynamically if it improves or loses signal. This enables the watcher to experience the best video quality possible at the current bandwidth available, continually optimized as new segments are requested.

We saw this demoed by ESPN during the iPhone 3.0 Sneak Peak Event. Better still, Apple is proposing it as an open standard, platform and player neutral, which could spur adaption, meaning more content for users.

Check out the full article linked above, and iphone.akamai.com for examples.

While Big Media wants you to stay off their lawn (i.e. not stream their content to your TV’s), it looks like they’re increasingly okay-ish with their streaming it to your PC and… iPhone. Macworld brings word of the latest content streamer to hit the App Store, TV.com (iTunes link):

Most of the content consists of clips, interviews, and promos, but you’ll also find full episodes of some TV shows, such as “CSI: Miami” and the aforementioned [MacGyver] mixed in (well, to be honest, there weren’t many other shows I could find full episodes of at first glance). Full episodes are presented as multiple clips instead of as a single video. You can search for shows using the Search box at the top, or tap on the Shows and Channels buttons to browse in other ways.

Of course, a few more things need to happen to flesh out this category. Getting other networks on board via apps for Hulu and other services is one. Also, realizing it’s the 21st fraken century and NOT restricting streaming apps from international users would be grand. (TV.com is US App Store only).

Anyone tried it yet? If so, how was the quality? Would you use this over your laptop for TV to go? Over your TV for viewing in general?

Apple has posted a streaming Quicktime video of Phil Schiller’s Macworld 2009 Keynote, covering iLife 09, iWork 09, the unibody 17″ MacBook, and iTunes Plus — and more importantly for us, iPhone 2G/3G music downloads, the Keynote Remote App, and iPhoto slide export for the iPhone.

If Apple stays true to form, the event should also show up in their iTunes Podcast Keynote Feed some time soon-ish. Meanwhile, watch it now, and let us know what you think!

Well, according to Gizmodo, they’re back baby, and with free WiFi streaming movies and media to sweeten the deal — if only slightly:

It’s kind of crashy, could use a better navigation UI and takes too long for movie streams to get going (and then when they do it’s kind of finicky) but we definitely appreciate being to stream The Fifth Element over Wi-Fi in decent quality, when it actually gets going. More than anything though, it just makes us soak our pillow with even more drool dreaming of a Hulu app.

So, is the free-ness worth the — what might just be growing — pain? Think Joost has something here? If you try it out, let us know!

(Thanks Matthew for the tip!)

While an iTunes Podcast downloadable version will no doubt follow, Apple has just launched their usual Quicktime Streaming Video of the “Spotlight on Notebooks” Keynote.

Go check it out!

Monday was analyst prediction day, as RBC Capital analyst Mike Abramsky and Banc of American analyst Scott Craig separately provided the following guestimates on Apple’s next gen iPhone:

Abramsky predicts him some amped up CPU, more memory, and the faster 3G speeds that allow for higher def (HD?) video, voice capture, streaming HD video, real-time GPS, and other Trekkie goodness. All this would, coupled with a mid-2008 release, would let Apple blow past 10 million, and hit a potential 11 million unites sold by year end.

For his part, Craig skipped features and stuck to the money: “We believe that demand in the U.S. may have been impacted by the anticipation of a new 3G phone…” (Perhaps because of continued analyst bombardment of same?) Craig also sees a 3G handset in 2008 as necessary to complete the 10 million handset march.

Check out AppleInsider for more.