subscription - 2/4 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Jan

Hands-On With RedBox Instant: Netflix Has Nothing To Be Worried About

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Features, News

At last, my collection is complete. Just the other day I received my invite to the beta of Redbox Instant. I was excited. The idea sounds great: it's like Netflix, but you also get four monthly credits at Redbox rental kiosks! Awesome, right? What's that? Verizon has something to do with it? Well, no matter. It's not exclusive to the carrier's handsets, so I'm sure it's nothing to worry about! I'm ready to get my hands all up on this thing.

Oh, how naïve I was.

I'm going to start by taking a look at the desktop site and the service as a whole, but don't worry, we'll get to the Android bit in its own section.

Jan

[CES 2013] Redbox Instant Set To Launch By March, According To Verizon CEO

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

Hi, my name is Eric Ravenscraft and I'm an addict. I have a weakness for trying out new online media services. I've signed up and, where applicable, paid for Spotify, Rdio, MOG, Rhapsody, Pandora, Last.fm, Jamendo, Grooveshark, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Epix, Crackle, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, and virtually every other movie and music streaming service on the internet. So it bugs me that I haven't yet been invited to add Redbox Instant to my collection of collections. According to Verizon's CEO, though, people like me won't have to wait too much longer as the service will be going public 'before the end of the first quarter.'

What's most interesting is that the company is touting it has 7,500 "streaming and transactional movie titles" available so far.

Dec

[Editorial] Play Store Wishlist: How We'd Like To See Google Improve Its Content Storefront In 2013

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Editorials, Google

Hey guys, have you heard that 2012 is almost over? Yep! The new millennium is about to be a teenager. It's exciting. (No, the year 2000 is not included, you mathematically remedial cur.) The past twelve months have been fantastic and we'll be hearing more about that later, but one of the things we felt the need to talk a bit more in-depth about is the Play Store. You know the one.

The last year has been hugely transformative for the Play Store. Most notably, it's now called the Play Store! Play Store Play Store Play Store. Let it sink in real deep, because you're gonna be stuck with it for a while, much to David's dismay.

Dec

Redbox Instant By Verizon Details Announced: Unlimited Streaming & Four One-Night Disc Rentals Per Month

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in News, Verizon Wireless

We've been hearing rumblings for a while now about Redbox partnering with Verizon for a streaming service. Today, the company announced the details of that arrangement: for $8/month you can get access to unlimited streaming of a selection of movies (including the EPIX library which, for those who don't know, is pretty impressive), as well as four monthly credits to rent a physical movie for one night from any Redbox kiosk.

The plan is clearly aimed to compete with Netflix directly. Customers may recall that the current leader in the streaming video world split off its DVD services from the Instant collection in an attempt to increase revenue.

Dec

Netflix Signs Deal With Disney To Get First-Run Movies In 2016, Huge Library Right Now, US Streaming Exclusivity

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in News

In times past, there have been concerns about Netflix' ability to continue acquiring rights for streaming video content. The more users the company gets, the more pressure there is to get high-profile content. After the loss of the Starz deal, there was some doubt, but today there is a renewed hope for fans of Netflix and Disney at least: the two just inked a deal that will bring first-run movies from Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel, and Disneynature to the streaming service in 2016. This deal will also make Netflix Disney's exclusive streaming subscription partner. Not bad!

The new movies will be coming to Netflix in what sounds like an extremely early window.

Nov

[Update: It's Live] Rdio Beta Review: Bugs Aside, Spotify Could Learn A Thing Or Two From This App

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News, Reviews

To call Rdio's latest beta a complete overhaul might be a bit of a misnomer. The feature set is largely the same, even if the design has gotten a facelift. However, seeing as the music streaming wars are heating up, it seems like a perfect time to take a second look at the service that always seems to play second fiddle to the behemoth that is Spotify.

Update: This version of the app is now live.

For the uninitiated, Rdio (ar-dee-oh) is a music streaming service with both web and Android-based applications. New users can get a limited amount of free music via the site.

Nov

[New App] Todoist Arrives On Android, Monthly Subscription Fee Included

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Applications, Apps/Games, News

Android is far from the first platform Todoist has landed on, but fans of the service have been anxiously waiting. Todoist is a clean, snappy to-do list manager that has a ton of cloud features to keep your busy life under control. The app is free to use in basic mode, but the advanced features are gonna cost you.

The main interface in Todoist is just a super-minimalist task list organized in chronologic order. It is still recognizable as Todoist to anyone that has used it on other platforms, but it has enough Holo UI elements that it fits in nicely on Android.

Oct

Rdio Launches Beta For Its Upcoming App Redesign, And It Is Glorious

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

When it comes to streaming subscription services, Spotify has stolen the spotlight in the US, where companies like Rdio have struggled to get the attention and acclaim they used to enjoy back before the Swedish invasion. With Xbox Music looming on the horizon, promising to install 30 million free, ad-supported tracks into every computer running Windows 8, the market has never been more competitive. Which makes Rdio's newly announced overhaul to its Android app all the more timely. It's even better that it looks fantastic.

Old Versus New

^{The old version of Rdio that current users have.}

^{The slick new look.}

Sep

Rhapsody App Turns 3.0, Celebrates By Adding Offline Support For Individual Tracks And Albums

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

While services like Spotify and Rdio may steal the spotlight most of the time, there are other streaming subscription services out there. Related: we need a better name than "streaming subscription services." Rhapsody, originally founded by Real Networks and since become an independent entity, has a pretty impressive library that users can now download for offline playback. An essential feature for a modern cloud music player. Update: To clarify, it's the ability to download songs on an individual or per-album basis that is new. Users were always able songs by adding them to a playlist first. This simply makes the process simpler.

Sep

NFL Game Rewind Comes To Android, Lets Subscribers Watch Full Replays Of 2012 NFL Games On Your Tablet

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

As football season gets underway, the annual tech upgrades start. What new toys do you have for getting sucked in to your favorite not-soccer sport? Well, one of the nicest ones this year might be NFL Game Rewind. The app, which requires an existing subscription to the streaming service of the same name, will allow viewers to watch games in their entirety after they air. No live shows, but they're available via On Demand. As a bonus, they'll even get access to special features like Coaches Films and All-22, a feature that allows a sports fan to see all 22 players position on the field simultaneously, not just following the ball.