The once counted out VUDU offering is now showing the world and its critics that the streaming 1080p HD video (w/ Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound) and VUDU App service is here to stay and one to be contended with. VUDU today announced at CES that the company’s app catalog now consists of hundreds of internet powered apps/programming which will be available across current and upcoming network connected HDTVs and Blu-ray players from Mitsubishi, Sanyo, Sharp, Toshiba, and VIZIO. As such, VUDU is now the leading provider of internet apps through network connected HDTVs surpassing Yahoo! TV Widgets (at least as far as I can tell). The full list of available VUDU apps can be seen after the jump. You can also read VUDU’s blog post on the subject here. MORE »

Today the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) announced an agreement with its members on an open specification for digital entertainment called the Common File Format. What’s interesting here is that content providers just need to create three versions of a movie, for example, for distribution (i.e. portable, standard definition, and high definition) which then a retailer will sell at one price. From that point on, a consumer can then access (via download or streaming + protected by 1 of 5 forms of DRM) and play the content from any DECE enabled device that will check the cloud-based authentication service / digital rights locker with a catalog of your purchases. So far 48 members – lots of them big names — across entertainment, hardware, retail, and delivery industries have joined the group. Additional specification details of the Common File Format will be made available to CES attendees this week and the public in general in Q1 2010. MORE »

We heard Comcast talk quite a bit about its “TV Everywhere” initiative recently at the NewTeeVee LIVE conference. Well, today Comcast is introducing XFINITY TV (Beta) to its cable customers. The new service can be accessed via Fancast.com or Comcast.net, requires a subscriber email address to login, and the installation of both a MOVE player and an Adobe AIR application according to AllThingsD. Once everything is configured, subscribers will then be able to tap into content from premium channels they’re subscribed to like HBO, Starz, Cinemax and view video on up to 3 authorized computers (kind of falls short on the TV Everywhere vision). In addition, Comcast will provide subscribers with a personalized home page presenting the various shows and movies one has access to. Drawbacks: No mobile or international access, requires a subscription to both Comcast broadband and TV service. MORE »

Condé Nast, Hearst, Meredith, News Corporation and Time Inc. today have posted a press release announcing a joint venture between the publishing houses that will create a new digital storefront. Initially, the new offering will provide subscribers digital magazine content compatible for playback on smartphones, web tablets, and personal computers (you can check out concept digital magazine examples created with Adobe AIR here and here). In addition, the group hopes to bring other publishers onboard, with a revenue share arrangement, and distribute additional content like books, comics, blogs and other mixed media. MORE »

One of the big problems with web, and web video in particular, is locating content. Google has done a great job of indexing web pages, but a fairly new startup called Clicker has set its sights on web video. Clicker bills itself as “one part directory, one part search engine, one part wiki, one part entertainment guide, and one part DVR.” The Clicker database contains more than 450,000 episodes, from over 6,000 shows, from over 1,200 networks, tens of thousands of movies, and 50,000 music videos from 20,000 artists. There’s even support for Netflix and Amazon VOD content! And now the service will be a part of Boxee’s core applications located in the App Box. MORE »

Last month we got a glimpse of how the next digital version of Condé Nast’s Wired magazine designed for Internet Tablets was going to look like. Now, Time Inc., with help from The Woderfactory, is showcasing their Tablet version of Sports Illustrated. One thing different about this presentation, however, is that this offering will include score and stats updates in real-time, provide supplemental video to enhance the content, and make use of social games during actual sporting events. All very cool. What’s more, according to TechCrunch, the digital magazine was all created with cross-platform Adobe AIR. MORE »

Exciting news for music lovers today. A new service from a Berkeley, California based company called MOG has launched a $5/mo All Access plan that gives users unlimited access to millions of 320Kbps bitrate music tracks from four major American music labels (Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, EMI Music) and thousands of independent labels. While the service currently has no mobile app available (though it is planned), PC users can tap into their web account from any location, create and share playlists, save tracks to their library, and customize their music player via the site’s exclusive slide bar that manipulates which auto-generated tracks will be played next (i.e. artist only tracks, similar artists tracks only, or a combination of both). MORE »

The day that many of you Roku Player owners have been waiting for has arrived. Roku is announcing the launch of the Roku Channel Store and its first 10 free channels to compliment its existing premium offering from Netflix, Amazon OnDemand, MLB.TV. The new free channel lineup includes: Pandora, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, Flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox and MobileTribe. Of course, Roku expects more channels to roll out as content owners and publishers get wind of Roku’s free software developer kit (additional details). MORE »

With help from Adobe, Condé Nast is showing off a concept “iTablet” app that may soon power a new generation of multimedia tablets and large touchscreen devices. Attached below is a video taken at the Wired Store in NY showcasing what a digital magazine from the publisher may look like — in this case on the rumored Apple Tablet with a 10 to 12-inch screen. MORE »

Oh, boy… YouTube is pulling a Hulu. According to Syabas Technology COO, Alex Limberis, the company has received notice that Popcorn Hour’s media streamers will no longer be able to access YouTube’s API due to a change in the Terms of Service. What’s interesting is that Alex says Syabas tried to negotiate a deal with YouTube to avoid disrupting the service, but the company was not successful. Makes you wonder: Is Google just being picky or are they charging an outrageous licensing fee? Current YouTube hardware partners (not a complete list) include: Sony, Nintendo, Netgear, TiVo, Samsung, and Panasonic. Alternative workaround solution: PlayOn. [via]

Related: Neuros Technology — Google Should Stand on the Side of Making Web Video More Free, not More Restricted