Streaming video results lead today's cable news roundup.
Hulu LLC says it's on the verge of cracking 1 million subs for its $7.99-per-month Plus service, which is available on connected devices such as Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT)'s Xbox 360, Android phones, TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq: TIVO)'s Premiere DVR and Samsung Corp. Blu-ray players. (The results come amid word that Hulu's owners are committed to selling the Web video hub.
Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK)'s switch to the Xfinity brand and new interactive program guide is confusing some subscribers in Southwest Florida who also miss features such as local weather radar maps and its picture-in-picture function. (See Comcast's 'Xfinity' Brand to Take Over the House .)
Comcast is hiking rates for subscribers in York, Pa., by 3.3 percent on Aug. 1.
A drug smuggler in Texas attempted to use a fake DirecTV Group Inc. (NYSE: DTV) van to transport 2,300 pounds of marijuana, but an "imperfect logo" caught the eye of a Border Patrol agent. The smuggler remains on the loose, after ditching his truck during a chase.
Virgin Media Inc. (Nasdaq: VMED) is putting some weight behind a Fujitsu Ltd. (Tokyo: 6702; London: FUJ; OTC: FJTSY) proposal that calls for the extension of fiber to as many as 5 million homes in the U.K. Fujitsu's $3.2 billion proposal includes a caveat that it is granted "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory access" to BT Group plc (NYSE: BT; London: BTA)'s infrastructure, with Virgin planning to pitch in using cable's Radio Frequency Over Glass (RFoG) platform, IPTV News reports. (See Fujitsu Unveils UK FTTH Plan.)
Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) says more than 15 billion apps have been downloaded from its App Store by more than 200 million iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch users in the last three years.
iStreamTV will begin marketing an IPTV video service over ADSL lines and 3G networks in Australia next week.
— Steve Donohue, Special to Light Reading Cable, and Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Light Reading Cable