Virgin and Universal to team up again – this time for movies

Untitddddddddled.jpg

Virgin and Universal sitting in a tree,
k-i-s-s-i-n-g.
First comes music,
then comes movies,
then comes….actually I can’t think of anything to rhyme with movies but you get the point.

After the announcement earlier this month that Virgin and Universal are to join forces to offer a DRM-free music download service it seems you can’t keep the two media giants apart.

Virgin have today announced that they are to offer Universal’s Picturebox service to their 3.6million TV subscribers.

The service, which is already available to BT Vision and TopUp TV customers, will cost a fiver a month and will give subscribers access to around 28 films a month – with seven new ones being put up every Friday. The majority of these should be available in HD too.

Virgin seems to be aggressively targeting the on-demand generation with their latest announcements. They have realised that, amongst other things, the internet and new technology have brought with them a culture whereby users want their content instantly and they want it when it fits their schedule. Well done Virgin I say, well done indeed.

If Virgin’s Picturebox service is enough to tempt you in to a subscription then sign up here.

Project Kangaroo VoD service could begin alpha testing in December

inspect-roo.jpg

Project Kangaroo, the joint online TV initiative from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, has been a long time in the making, but at last it seems as if a launch date — for alpha testing at least — is in sight.

Despite ongoing reservations from the Competition Commission that this hopping beast is going to be just too big and stifle competition (you know, a bit like Sky does — err… allegedly), a December launch is planned…

O2 to iPhone 3G desirers: join the Friday scrum

o2_iphone_stock_very_limited.jpg

O2 has published a guide to not getting the iPhone 3G this Friday. It thanks visitors for their interest in the device, but warns that unprecedented demand means that it will be the end of summer before everyone who wants an iPhone 3G gets one.

As expected, each O2 and Carphone Warehouse store will have on average just a few dozen handsets, though that will depend on store size and location. Apple will also be selling iPhones at its stores, but only for new customers, not those upgrading…