In response, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings apologized publicly earlier this month, and he announced that the company will separate the streaming service from DVD rental, launching the DVD by mail service under the name Qwikster. This “new” service is basically the same that Netflix had before, and it charges customers $7.99 per month. The difference is that Netflix subscribers will now have to visit two separate websites, and they will pay two separate bills to get both streaming and DVD service.

The change didn’t appease upset customers, with many more canceling service and switching to companies that are taking advantage of Netflix’s latest ungraceful moves. Some are switching to services like Hulu Plus, a $7.99 a month streaming service that’s been around for a while; however, Hulu has a great selection of television shows, but is significantly lacking in movie options, especially compared to Netflix. Even more, the service is loaded with commercials and has no DVD rental option.

Blockbuster has also created a deal that is comparable to what Netflix once had. It launched Saturday, September 24. Blockbuster Movie Pass provides DVD and video game rental by mail, as well as 4,000 streaming television shows and movies for $10 per month. The main catch is that you have to be a Dish Network subscriber, which defeats the purpose for many people who choose Netflix as an alternative to satellite and cable television.

Although these alternatives are available to angry customers who want to make a point, the reality is that not much is comparable to Netflix. As companies adapt to the changing media habits of customers and utilize new technologies, the competition should get fierce, bring better prices and services in the near future.

The Internet-based movie rental company has been offering an unlimited package that combines streaming video and DVD rental by mail for $9.99 for several years. This package allows customers to watch thousands of streaming videos and television shows instantly through their PC or other Internet connected systems, such as video game consoles. In addition, subscribers to this package have long been able to rent unlimited DVD’s through the mail per month, as long as they are rented one at a time.

The new price for this same service will change to $15.98 per month, beginning immediately for new subscribers, and switching on September 1, 2011 for existing members. The main reason for the price change is the rising costs of postage to mail DVD’s combined with the companies vision for more streaming options.

Customers have vented their outrage online, posting angry tweets and blog comments throughout the blogosphere. Many believe it’s an outrageous price hike and not worth the extra price.

In reality, this is a small price to pay compared to other options available now and in the past. Cable television costs nearly $100 per month, and it is comparable to what you’ll find on Netflix’s streaming service as far as variety goes. Renting videos at most rental stores will cost you $1-6 per rental, which adds up quickly. And you usually can only keep those rented videos for 24 hours before acquiring late frees.

In addition to the $15.98 subscription package, Netflix will still continue to offer the choice of unlimited streaming for $7.99. Or for DVD lovers who aren’t interested in streaming movies, the one-at-a-time unlimited DVD plan has dropped from $9.99 to only $7.99. This is a fair price if you consider what everyone used to pay at Blockbuster just a few years ago.

Netflix, a free download from the App store, allows users of iPod, iPhone, or iPad to tap into the immense volume of video available through the Netflix streaming server from anywhere (in the case of iPhone and iPad) or anywhere within WiFi range (iPod). Eventhough it was Apple and Netflix, I was still skeptical about the quality of streaming between the two.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the audio and video quality of the movies. The replay is absolutely flawless – nary a skip, drop, or rebuffering to be seen. The entire library of on-demand films is available for mobile users.

Searching for movies can be a little slow. There are a lot of thumbnails to be downloaded every time you flip the page. However, you can avoid this by managing your account from your computer and sticking to films in your Instant Queue when you browse through your iPod.

The only thing that I would change about the Netflix app for iPod is that you cannot manage your DVD Queue through this app. Of course, if you have access to the Netflix app, you can just as easily surf on over to www.Netflix.com and manage the DVD queue there, but it would be nice to have it all included within the app.

Other than that fairly picayune item, which to be fair is outside the scope of the app, it is all good. I’ve gotten considerable enjoyment out of the mobile version of Netflix. Now I can watch movies on the go without tying up the memory on the iPod. All in all, the app is every bit as good as you would expect from a pairing of Apple and Netflix, two companies who know how to do things right.

Time to look again.

Netflix is not inclined to rest on its laurels. Sure, they changed the paradigm for DVD distribution in America. Yeah, they’ve driven Blockbuster to the verge of ruin. But that was so last decade.

Although they don’t get a lot of credit for being progressive, Netflix seems to always be one step ahead. The company has seen the writing on the wall – DVDs, even BluRay, are not the future of entertainment rentals. Most cable and satellite customers have the option to rent movies on demand through their set top boxes. ITunes and a host of other outlets sell electronic copies online. Driving to the video store is out. Waiting for a DVD in the mail is out. Now is the time of now – instant delivery.

Because of the dent that Netflix’s mail delivery program has put into DVD sales, the company recently renegotiated its contracts with the major movie studios. The studios got the concession that Netflix would not rent DVDs through the mail delivery program for 30 days after the movies hit stores. Netflix got a significant upgrade in the financial arrangements. Both sides got what they wanted, but the winners are Netflix’s customers.

Netflix is pouring that extra money into the streaming side of the business. They have vastly increased the number of movies available for viewing instantly and also improved the delivery considerably. With thousands of choices available to watch instantly on your computer or TV (if you’ve got a Wii, Playstation 3, Roku, or other Wifi enable device attached to your TV), the DVDs that come in the mail are suddenly a side note to the Netflix service.
There just isn’t any better return on your entertainment dollar (without violating international copyright law) than the nine bucks a month for Netflix.

So, how could she be watching a movie from her visor? Well, it turns out that this person that you are seeing  is actually watching a movie on a 52″ screen from only nine feet away. That sounds a little too up-close to me, but I am sure that I could get used to seeing a movie from that close. It connects to a video iPod, portable DVD player, or personal video game system and uses two high-resolution LCDs and dual stereo headphones.

It was originally a source of technology that was developed by the US military technology. The visor-looking technology uses 24-bit true color (16 million colors) and has a 28º field of view for wide pictures. The LCDs provide 428 x 240 resolution. From the reviews that I have read online, the quality of the picture is pretty impressive.

If you are looking into buying this Personal Movie Theater, all of the needed parts are one AA battery that provides up to eight hours of continuous operation, an iPod cable, an A/V cable, a head strap, and carrying case. The product is about $250.

With these visors you can watch any movie that you want, as long as you provide the video on something, such as an iPod. You could be sitting, curled up, on a couch or sitting in the park–it does not really matter where you want to watch your movie because you will probably be able to watch what you want, anywhere that you want to! Check it out online at this site.

Imagine being at your least favorite place: the mall, shopping with your girlfriend or wife. Bored out of your mind, and as always holding your significant other’s purse while she tries on clothes or browses the clothing racks.

Isn’t it terrible to miss that game you’ve been waiting for all week, your favorite television show, or even a movie you’ve been wanting to see for some time?

Now, there’s an incredible option to pass some time, and it might just make shopping a little better.

The BagTV is an incredible handbag/purse fashioned out of high quality leather complete with a built in 7″ LCD screen and stereo speakers. It features full support for DVDs, mp3s, photos, and videos of differing formats to allow full entertainment while on the go. All files can be transferred to the bag via PC, but the BagTV also supports SD memory cards for additional storage, which gives users an added option to transfer files.

Usually items like this aren’t very attractive, and no female out there would be caught dead using something so sinister. However, the BagTV has seven different flavors, all of varying tastes, which don’t look half bad either. In fact, I think many women will agree they’d compliment their outfits amazingly!

The BagTV itself retails for a total of 295 Euros and is sold in London. A BagTV handbag can be ordered on their website and shipped to the United States, just visit the official site here.

I certainly will pick one of these up next chance I get, just to keep myself entertained!

In 1975 Sony developed the Betamax video cassette and player, trying to dictate the industry’s standard and monopolize it. JVC decided instead of buying into the rights of developing Betamax players they would develop their own player, and thus VHS was born. By 1988 Sony conceded defeat as VHS became the industry standard.

Another format war played on behind the scenes in 1993 between Sony and JVC, among others, over high-density optical storage formats. Sony was backing MultiMedia Compact Disc (MMCD), and JVC backed the Super Density (SD) disc. Sony lost out again to JVC and others when the industry standard settled on DVD’s, basically the SD disc with a few MMCD implements.

In 2006 Blu-ray was available for the mass market along with the Playstation 3, which supports blu-ray gaming discs as well as being a blu-ray player. Coincidence? I think not since Sony is at it again, trying to set an industry standard with their format. And as of February 19, 2008, when Toshiba bowed out of making HD DVD players causing the rest of the industry to follow suit, Sony actually won a format war.

Blu-ray players range from $399.99 on up, and Blu-ray discs are $29.99 for new releases. I already miss the $19.99 DVD, especially when I can’t see a difference between the two visually when played on a television. I give it about 10 years, and, as history shows, the DVD format will be obsolete. So I will have to jump on the Blu-ray band wagon, but when I do I’ll just buy a PS3, which incidentally is one of the cheaper Blu-ray players on the market right now.