Best Buy’s Internet video service ready

May 23, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

SAN FRANCISCO

Best Buy Co. is about to give its customers one less reason to buy DVDs.

The largest U.S. consumer electronics retailer said it will start renting and selling the latest video releases over high-speed Internet connections by the end of this month. It will compete against an array of other similar services offered by Wal-Mart Stores, Amazon.com Inc., Netflix Inc., Apple Inc. and Blockbuster Inc.

Best Buy began working on the digital delivery system late last year as part of a partnership with Sonic Solutions.

The service will bear the CinemaNow brand, which Best Buy bought from Sonic Solutions for an undisclosed amount. Sonic Solutions will provide the technology for piping the video to buyers.

Rentals are expected to cost about $4 per title, while consumers who want to own a movie will pay about $15. CinemaNow will have all the latest studio releases on the same day Best Buy and other retailers start selling them on DVDs and Blu-ray discs.

Facebook for kids keeps parents in loop

NEW YORK

Kids under 13 aren’t allowed on Facebook, but that hasn’t stopped many of them from joining. Togetherville, a new social network for kids ages 6 to 10, hopes to lure them into a more age-appropriate setting.

It’s free to join, and kids’ accounts must be created by their parents using their own Facebook logins.

Parents can approve or reject their children’s friends and see what activities or games their kids are up to.

Kids have separate logins to Togetherville, and the site looks different depending on whether a parent or a child is logged in.

For kids, there are games, prescreened YouTube videos and other activities, such as educational applications, but no ads.

Poll: Clients happier about their cell service

NEW YORK

Consumers are more satisfied than ever with their cell-phone service, according to a new survey.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index for cell-phone service was 72 on a 100-point scale in the first quarter this year. That rose three points from last year and is the highest grade since the survey started looking at wireless in 2004.

The financial reports of the major wireless carriers bear this out. Most of them say the number of subscribers canceling service every month has declined.

The only major carrier that demonstrated a big improvement from last year’s survey was Sprint Nextel Corp. The company has seen subscribers flee for several years, but it has made big efforts to improve customer service. Those efforts appear to be bearing fruit, as its score rose from 63 to 70.

Associated Press