We'll be able to put the same capability into a Blu-ray player. We'll go into DVRs (digital video recorders), game consoles, etc., just as others are doing to make the same capability available through other devices.

Smart (if obvious) strategy, but Blockbuster is about a year behind Netflix (NFLX), which already has deals to build its streaming service into Samsung and LG Blu-ray players, Microsoft (MSFT) Xbox 360s, Roku Web video set-top boxes, and TiVo (TIVO) DVRs.

The good news: This game is far from over, and as far as we know, none of Netflix's deals are exclusive.

The bad news: Neither company is close to getting its rental service on the set-top boxes where they'd make the most impact -- the ones you rent from cable companies like Comcast (CMCSA) or Time Warner Cable (TWC).

See Also:
Blockbuster's Web Movie Rental Box: Good Deal, Lots Of Competition
Netflix CEO: Cable Cos Not 'Very Excited' About Netflix Streaming
Why Video On Demand Is Still Cable's Game To Lose

Tivo has a new mobile site at m.tivo.com that lets you program you Tivo using your phone wherever you are.  That's not all it does either, Tivo Mobile also provides a television programing guide that can be used even if you are not a Tivo subscriber.  Just enter your zip-code and provider and Tivo Mobile will list daily favorites and  let you search for shows.  Show listings include time, channel, synopsis, cast list, ratings and an "If you like this..." link to the recommendation engine.  Unlike most other online guides. there is no hour by hour grid.

Tivo Mobile appears to be US only.  At least it wouldn't recognize Canadian postal codes.  But then again may be it's doing IP sniffing and knows I'm not in Canada.  If you get this to work north or south of the border (or in Taiwan or Australia) I'd love to hear about it. Source: MobileCrunch

Filed in: Wap Review Directory - Entertainment/TV

Ratings: Content:  Usability: 

Mobile Link: m.tivo.com

Depending on your point of view, Ben Stiller’s “Tropic Thunder” was either a bladder-threatening comedy, a hodge-podge of offensive stereotypes or just plain stupid.

After earning $100 mil at the US box office, it was recently released on DVD. The movie, about a ragtag bunch of actors forced to become real-life heroes, is a triumph of product placement. TiVo plays has a decisive role in the plot and everything from the newly-sexy cherry Chapstick and, yes, the iPod have cameos.

When Stiller’s character Tugg Speedman gets lost in the jungle, he soothes himself by watching Star Trek on his iPod, which was prominently placed in a giant gift basket in an earlier scene.

Not to spoil the plot, but after he’s attacked, he loses his cool and starts wearing his iPod as part of pseudo tribal fetish costume.

Guessing the iPod wouldn’t work with beads strung through it, but it’s a nice idea.

You can now program your TiVo through their mobile site, that helps you check out new shows and movies you want to watch. The mobile site, created by Mobui lets subscribers with Internet-connected DVRs schedule their TiVo remotely through their cell phones, as well as laptops. Lets see what you TiVo junkies can get from using your cell phone:

You’ll be able to search for shows, records your favorite episodes, get season passes, and browse daily picks and the most popular shows on air.

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Related Articles at Startup Meme:

TUAWTiVo launches mobile site originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sounds like a decent, cheap Christmas present. And -- bonus -- it has a built-in retail distribution presence.

But there's a few big questions: What will Blockbuster's content library look like? And why would someone pick Blockbuster's box over an ever-increasing number of competitors?

In its press release, Blockbuster touts movies like "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "Get Smart," "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2," "The Strangers," and "The Love Guru." None of those titles are available on Netflix's (NFLX) streaming service, which is free with its DVD rental service and compatible with a growing selection of set-top boxes. They're all available on Apple's iTunes rental service for $4. So depending on what Blockbuster charges for newish releases, that could be a plus.

Nielsen says the average household that rents DVDs rents about 20 per year. So for $99, you're buying about a year's worth of rentals, and a set-top box that might be useful in the future, either for renting more movies from Blockbuster, or whatever other features 2Wire or Blockbuster add to it.

But it doesn't play DVDs, so it can't replace your DVD player. And while two USB ports and a SD slot could mean future expansion, it's not an immediate digital multitasker like other video streaming-capable devices. These include Apple's (AAPL) more expensive Apple TV, which can also stream music and photos off your computer; Netflix-compatible Blu-ray players from Samsung or LG; TiVo (TIVO) boxes; SlingCatchers from Sling Media, Microsoft (MSFT) Xbox 360s, cable boxes from Comcast (CMCSA), etc.

The good news: No one has won this game yet. While we think the cable companies have the best chance to end up in control of the on-demand movie market -- they already have content relationships with studios and set-top boxes in most living rooms -- the market is still wide open. Blockbuster could just as easily succeed as anyone.

The bad news: Even if this is a hit, it's not going to fix Blockbuster's rotting retail business.

See Also:
Why Video On Demand Is Still Cable's Game To Lose
Boxee Raises $4 Million To Take On Apple TV, Microsoft, Cable
Netflix CEO: Cable Cos Not 'Very Excited' About Netflix Streaming

TiVo is launching a cell phone-friendly Web site that will allow users to search programming and set their TiVo DVRs remotely. TiVo Mobile will be a free service available "with any Internet-enabled phone through any network, regardless of carrier," according to the company. Any user will have access to the program listings, but only TiVo owners (Series2 or Series3/HD) will be able to set their home DVRs to record programs they would've otherwise missed. A similar service was previously available--for a fee--only to Verizon customers. The service (available soon at m.tivo.com) is currently in beta, but will be more widely available "in a few weeks," according to the company.

It's worth noting that TiVo owners can already program their DVRs remotely through the company's main web site. Likewise, Slingbox owners can also access any DVR remotely (TiVo or otherwise) through the SlingPlayer Mobile software, which is currently available on Windows Mobile, Palm, Symbian smartphones, and coming soon to BlackBerry models as well.