Showing off the app at the MIX event, Microsoft Windows Phone 7 devices will have a Netflix streaming app (currently in prototype stage) that will allow for movie playback over 3G or Wi-Fi.
The popular Netflix “Watch Instantly” streaming service has over 12,000 movies, TV episodes and documentaries.
Result for: playback
Wikimedia, the company behind Wikipedia has said this week that they have installed a new server, one that should allow for the “huge influx” of video that is starting to be uploaded to the encyclopedia site.
Besides video coming from volunteers, hundred of hours of footage is coming from recent partnerships with national archives and museums.
In 2008, Wikimedia and open source video platform Kaltura joined forces to bring video to Wikipedia, but apparently the process it “taking a little longer” than originally anticipated.
Says Wikimedia’s Head of Communications Jay Walsh about the delay, via NewTeeVee: “We don’t work with proprietary video systems.” Wikipedia will use the free, open-source codec Ogg Theora for video playback, which many browsers did not even support until recently.
Walsh says to expect at least some rollout of an HTML5-based video player and editor in the next three to six months.
Result for: playback
Video game industry analyst Michael Pachter has said today that he expects the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 to receive price cuts again this year, which will lead to the Wii being forced into a price cut as well, in order to keep the remaining price advantage it has over its rivals.
“The Wii enjoyed a $350 price advantage over the PS3 at launch, and a $150 advantage until September. Now, the gap has narrowed to $100, with the feature-laden PS3 a tempting purchase for prospective console households,” says Pachter.
“The holiday Wii sales boost was primarily attributable to a $50 gift card promotion offered by Wal-Mart; while we expect similar promotions at holiday next year, we expect the other consoles to be lower-priced by then, further eroding the Wii’s competitive price advantage.”
Pachter also says that the DSi handheld is most likely overpriced, compared to the iPod Touch, which offers a plethora of free apps as well as better music and video playback capabilities.
“It appears that piracy in Europe and some substitution of iPod Touch games has impacted DS software sales more than we expected, and we have adjusted our estimates for FY:11 to account for further pressure,” said Pachter, noting that guidance had to be reduced for DS software.







