HIGH-DEF DISC NEWS TAGGED "CANADA"

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The BBC iPlayer Makes it to Canada

It's coming to the US soon, but until then we have reason to be jealous of our neighbors to the north.

Canadian fans of British television now have access to the BBC iPlayer, an app for the iPhone that allows subscribers to watch shows from the BBC any time they want. It's a bit like a British Hulu.

The BBC is adding a little bit of incentive for Canadian customers to use the service too. They'll be giving up one piece of entertainment a day until Christmas. They're hoping, of course, that this taste of what you can watch on the iPlayer will inspire viewers to pay the $8.95 a month subscription for the rest of the content.

Canada is the 16th territory to get access to the program and the first in North America. A US release date hasn't been announced, but the BBC has confirmed that the iPlayer is on the way to the states.

Source: Engadget

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Netflix Canada Expands Streaming Selection and Implements User-Set Limits

Now that more content is available, Netflix wants to make sure you don't exceed your ISP's bandwidth cap.

It's been a big week for our Canadian friends, at least in terms of Netflix streaming. First off, the service has signed an agreement with Paramount Pictures that allows Netflix to stream all of the studio's first-run movies. The deal adds quite a few classics and some new titles like 'Iron Man 2.'

That's not all. Netflix has also unveiled a new option for Canadian customers that allows them to limit the amount of data used by streaming videos. Now you can set the kind of quality you want and the amount of data that Netflix uses to send it.

It may not seem like a big deal to those living in the US, but Canadians have been hammered recently by some very strict bandwidth caps - as low as 100GB for a month. The new change allows Canadian Netflix subscribers to enjoy their content while staying well under their monthly limit.

Source: Netflix Blog

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Netflix Goes Live in Canada

But sadly, the selection seems to be significantly less than what's offered in the US.

Oh our neighbors to the north, how we love to tease you! Your ways – and your bacon – are different from ours, but we kid because we love. Netflix loves you too, and has finally made it across the border with its streaming service.

Canadian residents wishing to get their stream on will be shelling out $7.99 a month, just a touch cheaper than the least expensive one-disc plan in the states. Just like in the US, you'll be able to watch Netflix on the PS3, Wii, and soon the 360 as well.

The downside is that the selection seems much more limited than the US version. Canadians don't have access to shows like 'Lost,' or 'The Office,' which we do. There's no official word from Netflix, but it's almost certainly a licensing issue. It's not cheap to get such a wide variety of shows available streaming, and Netflix seems to be testing the market a bit before diving in head first.

Source: Netflix

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