Lovefilm

Amazon Studios OKs production on pilots for kids' shows

Amazon Studios will produce pilots for five original children's shows that are expected to make their debuts on Amazon's Web-streaming services, the company announced today.

The new pilots, which include series from the creators of "Blue's Clues" and "Sid the Science Kid," add to the six Amazon Studios pilots -- original comedies announced in December -- that are already in production.

The children's series are "Creative Galaxy," an arts and music show from "Blue's Clues" creator Angela Santomero; "Oz Adventures," a problem-solving program featuring the … Read more

M-Go offers on-demand and UltraViolet on TVs, tablets

A new on-demand streaming video service called M-Go is coming to a TV or tablet near you and promises user-friendly features and UltraViolet support.

M-Go offers movies and TV shows on a "pay per play" or download (SD/HD) basis and will be available from January 2013 on televisions from Samsung (2012/2013 models), Vizio, and LG (coming later in April), plus Samsung tablets (now) and most Web browsers.

The service boasts content from most popular movie studios -- Paramount, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. -- with the exception of Disney, which just signed an exclusive deal with Netflix. … Read more

Netflix reaches U.K and Ireland. Watch out, Amazon

Netflix has brought its streaming video to the United Kingdom and Ireland, marking a new challenge to Amazon and its competing Lovefilm service.

The service costs 5.99 pounds ($9.24) per month in the U.K. and 6.99 euros ($8.88) per month in Ireland, Netflix said today.

Expanding internationally is not simple, because content providers such as TV and movie studios require new deals for new geographic regions. Netflix has been bulking up its distribution deals in recent months, and now it's got a sizable list of allies for Ireland and the U.K.: All3Media, the … Read more

Amazon strikes back at Netflix with BBC streaming deal

Amazon's Lovefilm has inked two important deals as it prepares to wage a streaming-video war with Netflix in the U.K.

BBC Worldwide will bring its programming, including "Doctor Who" and "Life On Mars," to Lovefilm's streaming service. In addition, Lovefilm, which operates solely in Europe, announced today that it has signed a deal with the U.K.'s largest commercial broadcaster, iTV, to stream its shows, including "Marchlands" and "Above Suspicion" among many others.

Lovefilm's BBC deal is especially important. Just last month, Netflix announced that it signed a deal with the BBC … Read more

Lovefilm fires back at Netflix with Warner Bros. deal

After Netflix announced key partnerships for its U.K. and Ireland streaming service earlier this week, its chief competitor in those countries has fired back with one of its own.

Lovefilm announced today that it has inked a streaming deal with Warner Bros. that will make its service the exclusive provider of the studio's films in the "second window." In other words, after the films are made available on pay TV in the first window, they will exclusively come to Lovefilm next.

According to the companies, the deal will go into effect in December, and will initially … Read more

Netflix inks exclusive U.K. streaming deal with Lionsgate

Netflix now has a key partner it can count on as the company prepares to enter the European market.

Lionsgate today announced that it has signed an agreement with Netflix that will make the rental company the exclusive provider of its first-run films streaming in the U.K. and Ireland. However, as with previous deals Netflix has signed with studios, Lionsgate won't immediately provide the films to the streaming provider. Instead, Lionsgate's new and upcoming titles, including "The Hunger Games" and "The Expendables 2," will make their debut on Netflix "within one year … Read more

Netflix to expand to U.K., Ireland in early 2012

Netflix is planning to expand the availability of its streaming service to the U.K. and Ireland in early 2012, the company announced today.

Consumers who access Netflix will be able to stream both movies and television shows from the service, though the company has stopped short of providing information on its library. Netflix has also not commented on which devices will support its streaming service in those countries, but it did assure customers that it will be available on computers, mobile devices, and products that connect to their televisions.

Netflix's plans to expand to the U.K. and … Read more

Nudity: There's not an app for that

Links from Thursday's episode of Loaded:

Amazon acquires LoveFilm, the European equivalent of Netflix

Nintendo announces pricing, release date, and game lineup of the upcoming 3DS

Google Voice now allows you to port over your own phone number

Facebook announces an optimized version of the site for non-smartphones

Verizon offers a $200 gift card to customers who have recently purchased a new phone but want to switch to the upcoming Verizon iPhone

T-Mobile launches an app that will prevent you from texting while driving

The Playboy app for iPad is not an app after all. It is Playboy optimized … Read more

Amazon to acquire European equivalent of Netflix

Amazon.com has signed an agreement to acquire Lovefilm, a U.K.-based company that's considered a European equivalent to Netflix.

The online retail giant had owned a minority stake in Lovefilm since 2008 when the latter bought Amazon's DVD rental business, which covered the U.K. and Germany.

Fully acquiring Lovefilm is an interesting move for Amazon. The rental company is essentially Europe's answer to Netflix, offering DVD-by-mail rentals, as well as a streaming service available on PCs, the PlayStation 3, and some HDTVs. Lovefilm, which was founded in 2004, currently operates in the U.K., … Read more