Interesting News Dave Hasn’t Covered

Never enough time… Summary of 3Q Netflix subscribers and finances. (Hacking Netflix) TiVo, the thrill is gone. (Denver Post) Q&A with Sling Media’s European VP. (e-consultancy) AT&T U-Verse getting HD model and web console in November. (EngadgetHD)

Starship Netflix, You Are Cleared For Liftoff

Recently, I was looking at some of the online data that is available on GameFly and I remarked to Motley Fool contributor Daniel Rubin, that I was surprised to see that internet video game rentals hasn’t turned out to be more popular option for consumers. Online video games have been something investors and customers have been very vocal about wanting, yet Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings has stood steadfast in his commitment to stick with just DVD rentals. Rubin’s response to my comment was a true testament to how much Reed Hastings has shown an uncanny ability to understand the DVD market better then anyone in the industry.

Isn’t this yet another spectacular display of strategic leadership by Reed Hastings? The guy’s like a Starship captain flying this sucker through an asteroid storm and outmaneuvering every one and every thing.The man has thrashed Blockbuster (one of the biggest brands in busines history), beat off Wal-Mart, scared off Amazon, and now may have dodged a huge bullet by having NOT wasted time on a failed venture at this critical juncture when time is of the essence. I’ll take Red Envelope Entertainment and the value that will come from proprietary content over video games any day.

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Netflix Offers Million Dollar Bounty

If you’ve got some free time and programming skills, Netflix has a job for you… www.netflixprize.com. Reuters says: Online DVD rental company Netflix Inc on Sunday announced that it would pay $1 million to the first person to develop software to improve the accuracy of Netflix’s movie recommendation system by 10 percent. Netflix’s Web-based recommendation … Read more

Interesting News Dave Hasn’t Covered

Never enough time… Yet another media streamer, Netgear’s DAVE launches with new name. (Engadget) DirecTV getting HD DVR with built-in home media features this fall. (EngadgetHD) TV DVD thrives despite downloads. (Video Business) Coming soon to the tiny screen: video downloads. (Time) Motorola acquires IPTV/VOD software infrastructure company Vertasent. (Motorola)

Interesting News Dave Hasn’t Covered

Never enough time… Hands on with Hauppauge’s wireless media streamer. (SnapStream) DivX launches YouTube-alike. (GigaOm) The demise of Sony’s PSP. (TechLore) Netflix movie download servers found? (HackingNetflix) AOL signs deals to offer movie video downloads. (TechCrunch)

GameFly’s Slimy Retention Tactics?

I’m what you’d call a casual gamer — I’ll play a game a few hours a day over a long weekend maybe once a month. I joined Gamefly.com, a service like Netflix, in 2005 as an economical way to get a different title each month. I’ve been downsizing recently in preparation for a move and … Read more

Interesting News Dave Hasn’t Covered

Never enough time… Pay Circuit City to bypass the DMCA for you. (Davis Freeberg) HAVA place-shifting boxes now shipping. (Press Release) Hands-on with the new Archos 604 PMP. (T3) Fellow consumer charts Netflix shipping patterns. (Hacking Netflix)

Tech Company Customer Service Rated

If the BBB can rate these guys, why not me? I’m a stickler for good service — I won’t patronize companies providing inferior service. When I had a billing problem with Sprint about 5 years ago and the phone rep called me a liar, I switched to VoiceStream (Jamie Lee Curtis had nothing to do … Read more