It’s our weekly wrap-up of news from the tech and entertainment industries!
AT&T Offers Unlimited Data
It pays to be a DirecTV or AT&T customer. Now, for $100 per month wireless customers can get unlimited data for $100 on the first phone, $40 for the second and third phones, and a fourth wireless device for free. The only catch is AT&T may slow speeds after 22GB is reached per billing month, but still, that’s a lot more data for your buck. Read More
4k Blu-ray Movies Coming Soon!
The new Ultra HD Blu-ray 4k disc format from the Blu-ray Disc Association is coming soon to a store near you, with movies from three big name distributors including 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, and Sony Pictures now available to pre-order. Fox seems to be only studio committing to a release date (March 1st), but expect titles from Lionsgate and Sony to appear around the same time. Read more (See paragraph links.)
Dish to Offer 4k Titles from Sony
One of the announcements from Dish Network at CES was about a new partnership with Sony Pictures to offer on-demand rentals of 4k Ultra HD movies through the Hopper 3 Whole Home DVR. The service will include 4k titles from Sony Pictures such as American Hustle, Monuments Men, and The Amazing Spiderman. Distributors Mance Media and The Orchard will also rent titles in 4k through Dish. Read More
Get a Panasonic 85″ 4k TV for $8,499
For a long time an 85-inch Ultra HD TV seemed almost impossible for most families, but a Panasonic deal has got the 85″ AX850 series 4k Ultra HD TV for just $8,499. The 4k TV is list-priced at $16,999, but currently discounted for $9,999, with a special discount code for an additional 15% off. Read More
Netflix Too Late for China?
Netflix may have announced the launch of their streaming service in over 130 new countries worldwide (now exceeding 190 countries), but one country Reed Hastings and Co. haven’t infiltrated is China. London-based streaming movie service MUBI (also the name of a city in Nigeria) formed a joint venture with Hong Kong-based Huanxi Media Group to beat Netflix to what will be the largest streaming market in the world. Read More (CNBC)
Al Jezeera America Will Shut Down
Almost three years after launching in 2013, Al Jazeera’s American TV network will shut down by April 30, 2016. Al Jezeera America was formed after the purchase of Al Gore’s Current TV network, but obstacles such as the falling price of oil, increasing cost of production, and lack of viewership has lead Al Jezeera to pull the plug on the network. Read More (Multichannel)
Say Goodbye to Netflix Proxies
Netflix will no longer allow access by proxy. That means subscribers will only be able to use Netflix and access Netflix content where allowed. The new restrictions come as Netflix is expanding globally, and distribution agreements increasingly include or not include certain countries. Read More (CNET)
