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  • The Week Ahead: Apple, Netflix and more

    Posted Jul 18 2008, 08:00 PM by Andrew Horowitz
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    We are the heart of earnings season and this week's lineup is massive. As I write this, I'm looking at over 25 pages of earnings estimates on hundreds of companies presenting results in one of the toughest quarters we've seen in decades. It appears that many of the companies that have already reported have been doing a fine job of beating lowered expectations and providing a nice balance to a market that has been under siege.

    This week will be no different in terms of volatility. But those companies which have been savvy enough to project estimates that they figure they can beat will have an easy time pleasing investors. Those that don't will pay a heavy price into the next cycle. Let's face it, it's a game. If played well it can provide wondrous rewards.

    Here are a few companies that you may want to pay attention to.   Read More...

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  • Amazon opens new online movie store

    Posted Jul 17 2008, 10:50 AM by Kim Peterson
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    If you want to sell TV shows and movies online, you've got to keep it simple. Make it easy. Apple knows this. So does Netflix, which is expanding its subscription service online. But Amazon straight-out failed in this area with its clunky Unbox download service. So it went back to the drawing board and has a new effort out today.

    The new store, called Amazon Video on Demand, has 40,000 movies and TV shows and ups the ante in the online video business with two significant breakthroughs. First, Amazon has partnered with Sony Electronics to get the store directly into the TV -- Sony Bravia TVs, specifically. Second, Amazon holds the videos you buy on its end, and you can watch them by logging in to Amazon from different computers or devices.

    Amazon shares are up less than 1% to $72.13. Here are more details about the service, which Amazon chose to announce in today's New York Times.   Read More...

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  • Netflix's hot new video player

    Posted May 20 2008, 10:43 AM by Kim Peterson
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    Today we're seeing the future of Netflix. The company announced its $100 set-top player, available now and getting all kinds of frothy reviews (Wired calls it "just shy of totally amazing"). Hook the box to your TV and your wired or wireless high-speed Internet connection, and you can stream videos from Netflix's library.

    Before we drill into the details of this thing, note that Netflix shares rose nearly 4% today, but closed up 2% to $31.63. Netflix shares have enjoyed a good run over the last year as the company grew subscribers and beat out Blockbuster in the DVD-by-mail business. But mailing DVDs has always been a short-term play. Now, we're seeing what Netflix wants to be when it grows up.   Read More...

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  • Time Warner trial ends flat-rate Internet fees

    Posted Jan 17 2008, 12:32 PM by Kim Peterson
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    Talk about bad timing. Apple just announced it will offer downloaded movie rentals (including high-def) over the Internet. Netflix is working on a set-top box to do the same thing, and Microsoft has been ramping up its downloadable movie offerings over Xbox Live. 

    Now, one cable company is starting to push back at excessive bandwidth usage caused mainly by video downloading. After an internal memo was leaked, Time Warner Cable confirmed it's planning a trial in Beaumont, Tex., in which it will charge Internet subscribers based on usage. (Time Warner's shares closed down 22 cents to $22.35 Friday.)

    It's a tricky situation for Time Warner and other cable companies. Customers generally pay a flat rate for Internet (about $50 a month in my case), but a small minority are basically torrenting HD movies like crazy and sucking up a bunch of bandwidth. According to the leaked memo, 5% of subscribers were using up half of the total bandwidth.   Read More...

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  • Netflix lifts limits on streaming movies

    Posted Jan 14 2008, 03:24 AM by Kim Peterson
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    Netflix does most of its business by mail, but the company is getting ready for the future by spending $40 million on a video streaming service for customers with high-speed Internet connections. Today, the company is lifting restrictions on that service so that customers can watch as many movies and television shows as they want from Netflix's library of 6,000 titles.

    Netflix previously set time limits on how much customers could watch per month, presumably to save money on bandwidth and the fees it must pay Hollywood when a movie is streamed. Today's move could be costly, because the company isn't raising its monthly rates to compensate for the added expenses.

    Why the sudden burst of generosity? We probably have Apple to thank. If the rumors are true, Apple is set to announce movie rentals over iTunes tomorrow at its Macworld Expo. Apple hasn't been much of a competitor to Netflix before, but with a movie rental service the company becomes a threat.   Read More...

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