Even as Netflix raises its prices and changes its plans, networks are continuing to make new deals with the service. Today, NBC/Universal announced it is re-upping its deal with Netflix and making more episodes available from programs such as 30 Rock, The Office, Parenthood and more.

Although you will see more episodes of shows on Netflix for streaming, you still won’t be able to see current season episodes for some dumb reason. Check out all the details from the official press release:

NEW YORK and LOS GATOS, Calif., July 13, 2011 — Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) and NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution today announced a multi-year renewal of their licensing agreement expanding the selection of non-exclusive NBCU film and TV library titles available to watch instantly streaming from Netflix.

Programming under the deal includes prior-season series across multiple NBCU networks, including NBC hits “The Office,” “30 Rock” and “Parenthood.” All future seasons of these shows will be available on Netflix on a one season delay basis. Under the deal, Netflix members will also be able to enjoy prior season episodes of “Law and Order: SVU” and “The Event.”

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Now that just about every new device, be it a TV, computer, game console, or Blu-Ray player, comes with Instant Netflix programmed into the device itself, the rules have to change to accommodate just about everyone on the planet watching Netflix either through streaming or the original DVD plan. That means the company is making changes in the way you use the service, and exactly how much you spend monthly.

Now, instead of having that fancy DVD and streaming plan together, the company is making you choose or pay for both at double the price. Here’s the breakdown from the horse’s mouth.

First, we are launching new DVD only plans. These plans offer our lowest prices ever for unlimited DVDs – only $7.99 a month for our 1 DVD out at-a-time plan and $11.99 a month for our 2 DVDs out at-a-time plan. By offering our lowest prices ever, we hope to provide great value to our current and future DVDs by mail members. New members can sign up for these plans by going to DVD.netflix.com.

Second, we are separating unlimited DVDs by mail and unlimited streaming into separate plans to better reflect the costs of each and to give our members a choice: a streaming only plan, a DVD only plan or the option to subscribe to both. With this change, we will no longer offer a plan that includes both unlimited streaming and DVDs by mail.

So if you have the current $9.99 unlimited streaming/DVD plan, you’ll have to pick between paying for JUST unlimited DVD’s at $7.99 or unlimited streaming for $7.99. Or both if you’re so ambitious. Unfortunate, but it was bound to happen with this service becoming more and more popular.

Welcome to another edition of On the Radar where we delve into all corners of the entertainment, tech and geek Internets for news, views and whatnot that may have escaped our regular coverage during the week. Let is know if we missed something interesting.

Let’s get started!

• After 13 years of production and impatient waiting, it looks like Duke Nukem Forever is finally hitting shelves very soon. So soon that the first launch trailer has hit and already has us salivating.

• As if the laws in Tennessee weren’t crazy enough, a new law has passed making it illegal for people to share Netflix accounts. Bring on the legal grey area debates!

• Green Lantern: Emerald Knights hits stores next Tuesday, but if you can’t wait that long, we totally understand. Here’s a way to win a free copy so you can spend that money on important things like tickets to Green Lantern in theaters.

• What happens when you mix classic horror and cult films with well-known cereal brands? The epicness of the Cereal Killers trading cards from Eye Wax. Names like “Clockword Porridge” and “Zomb’a Crunch” are enough to get us to buy several boxes.

• Just in time for the possibly huge release of X-Men: First Class, contributor Wally has put together a pretty comprehensive list of the Top 5 X-Men Video Games. Sadly, Marvel Ultimate Alliance doesn’t make the cut.

• In nerdy business news, Groupon has filed for an IPO, allowing it to become publicly traded. Rumor has it, there will even be a Groupon deal for stocks…

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If you’re an Android-powered device user and have been jealous of all your iPhone and iPad using friends who get to watch Netflix content on their devices, be jealous no longer. Netflix finally announced that its Android application is now available and ready for you to download in the Android Market.

However, as great as that news is for Android users, there’s one thing that may dampen the excitement. The app is only supported on “select phones that have the requisite playback support.” All is not lost, however, as Netflix says it will add supported devices to its list over time.

As you probably already know, the video streaming service is currently available on Windows Phone and iOS devices, but what was the holdup for Android? “Because the platform has evolved so rapidly, there are some significant challenges associated with developing a streaming video application for this ecosystem,” Netflix product team member Roma De said.

“One of these challenges is the lack of standard streaming playback features that the Netflix application can use to gain penetration across all available Android phones. In the absence of standardization, we have to test each individual handset and launch only on those that can support playback.”

I guess that makes sense. See, Apple owning the entire widget and making developers adhere to a strict set of rules might not be a bad thing after all. At least iOS users get cool apps first, at least in most cases.

Netflix for Android currently runs on the HTC Incredible, Nexus One, and EVO 4G with Android 2.2 installed. It’s also supported on the Nexus S and Nexus One with Android 2.3 installed.

You can put this in the “Why?” file but it seems somebody at least wanted to buy the Blockbuster video rental chain even as that business is going in the toilet. That somebody is Dish Network who, pending approval at a hearing on Thursday, will acquire Blockbuster Inc. following an auction that took place this week.

Dish Network’s winning bid was approximately $320 Million but the acquisition is expected to end up costing more like $228 Million in cash, taking into account Blockbuster’s inventory, available cash and other adjustments. Blockbuster was put up for sale at auction on Monday following its recent bankruptcy filing, and several companies competed for control of Blockbuster’s business and assets.

Dish’s winning bid topped several other bidders including Cobalt Video, a group of hedge funds lead by Monarch Alternative Capital and billionaire investor Carl Icahn. Also, I considered bidding as well but then the feeling passed after I turned on Netflix, started streaming a movie and realized having a video store these days is a pretty dumb idea.

However, Dish Network doesn’t seem to agree. “Blockbuster will complement our existing video offerings while presenting cross-marketing and service extension opportunities for Dish Network,” said Dish Network’s EVP of sales, marketing and programing, Tom Cullen. Okay, if you say so.

Click through for the full press release from Dish Network. And no, it doesn’t really explain the ‘Why?” either. Really, I can’t remember the last time I went to a Blockbuster and rented a movie. Can you?

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With all the ways in which consumers can get video content to their televisions, its sometimes difficult to figure out what way is the best. From Netflix to Google TV to Amazon, Apple TV and more the number of choices has grown a great deal over the last few years.

Now, another player in the race for your living room is upping its game. Roku, which has only been available online, has announced that its media streaming box, the Roku XD model, will be available nationwide at all Best Buy locations. This is a big move fore the company and one that they obviously hope will lead to increased sales.

The Roku box has been doing pretty well as an online-only option (selling over 1 Million units) so getting into stores and in front of more potential buyers has got to help sales. However, as with any device of this type, content will be king. The convenience of being able to stream Netflix, Amazon, Pandora, Hulu and more using one box may appeal to many. Plus, the price of $79.99 is also pretty good.

However, for those who already have other hardware options to stream content (an XBox 360 or PS3 for example) this device may be a non-issue. Plus, there’s no way to get anything on this device from iTunes so that may also eliminate some potential users who prefer to stick with Apple’s offerings.

Still, competition is a good thing and the more players in this space, the better. Good luck Roku.

Check out the full press release from Roku after the jump.

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Welcome to another edition of  On the Radar where we delve into all corners of the entertainment, tech and geek Internets for news, views and whatnot that may have escaped our regular coverage during the week. Let is know if we missed something interesting.

Let’s get started!

• The first reboot of the Spider-Man franchise hasn’t even gotten a trailer yet, but James Vanderbelt is already locked in to write a sequel for Sony.

• We love the original series The Wire, but one question we never asked was “What if it was Written as a Classic Novel?”

• Turns out millennials aren’t the only reason for the degradation of the English language, as both LOL and OMG seem to have a pretty deep history.

• If last night’s episode of Community wasn’t enough Pulp Fiction for you, how about these original Pulp Fiction action figures?

• In more casting news for Superman: Man of Steel, star of Boardwalk Empire Michael Shannon is in talks to play the film’s villain.

• Just after Netflix’s deal with Showtime’s original series went sour, Starz has issued a 90-day delay for new original programming to hit the instant servers.

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Well, I guess it was too good to last, right? If you’re a fan of Showtime original series like Dexter and Californication but like to watch them via Netflix’s Instant service, you better watch and enjoy them now because they won’t be there for long.

Showtime’s current deal with video streaming company Netflix is over in the summer and as part of its renegotiation, the pay cable network has informed Netflix that it will no longer make its current original series available for streaming. Right now, all Showtime series are accessible for Netflix subscribers.

However, Showtime CEO Matt Blank doesn’t want that to be the case any longer.“With all the options out there, we want to be sure people know they have to subscribe to see Dexter or The Borgias,” Blank said.

The network clarified that under the proposed new Netflix deal, series such The Tudors and Sleeper Cell, which no longer air original episodes on the premium cable newtork, will continue to be available to Netflix subscribers. As for current and past seasons of Showtime’s current original series, they “will be available to our authenticated subscribers via our TV Everywhere service Showtime Anytime.”

Well, I guess Showtime doesn’t like that Netflix is going to start developing and producing original programming for itself, including a new series featuring Kevin Spacey. Let’s hope this doesn’t start a trend with other cable networks and more deciding they don’t want their programming on Netflix. That would be a shame.

In a move some could consider a direct answer to Amazon’s announcement this week that Prime members can watch streaming content and its included with their membership, Netflix announced a new deal with CBS to bring shows from the network’s library to the service’s roster of streaming content.

Of course, Netflix and CBS did’t announce the terms of their deal but only said it will bring CBS content to Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” service for the next two years. CBS also has an option to extend the deal for another two years. Some of the content available because of this deal includes episodes of recent shows such as Medium and Flashpoint, as well as full seasons of older shows like Star Trek, Twin Peaks, Frasier, Cheers and The Twilight Zone.

“We are thrilled to be bringing CBS shows to Netflix and are looking forward to growing our relationship over time,” Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said in a statement. ”Netflix is now the only online premium subscription service with shows featured on all four broadcast networks and dozens of cable TV’s biggest brands.”

Click through to check out the full press release.

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Since Netflix broke the barrier between disc rental and instant streaming on the console, every other digital media provider has been vying for the attention of gamers everywhere, and that even includes the gaming powerhouse Sony and their PlayStation Network market.

As of late, a ton of mega studios have signed up to exclusively release their new films on the PSN market, including Sony Entertainment Disney. According to Variety, two more have now hopped on board.

Two more studios have signed on for Sony Computer Ent.’s movie service for gamers, according to a report in the Nikkei newspaper.

Starting in January, Fox and Universal will join Sony and Disney in supplying pics online to users of Sony PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable machines for either unlimited-time purchase or limited-time rental.

At this rate, Sony’s PlayStation Network may just take the lead in digital content, and could end up surpassing Microsoft’s Zune Marketplace, which is what the Xbox 360 is supplied by. No word yet on exactly what titles this new deal entails, but we expect to hear more as we enter the new year.

Netflix came one step closer to total entertainment domination today with its announcement of a new deal that will bring additional content from ABC, ABC Family and the Disney Channel to the company’s online streaming service. New shows will now be available on Watch Instantly 15 days after their initial air date.

Some of the new content coming to the service includes Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters. The deal also brings complete seasons of past shows such as Lost, Ugly Betty and Scrubs.

“TV content streamed from Netflix has proven to be immensely popular with our members,” Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said in the release. “Adding to our existing Disney-ABC lineup with great network and cable shows, and opening up ABC Family for the first time, are important steps in creating a wide and diverse selection of content Netflix members of all ages can watch.”

Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” service allows DVDs-by-mail subscribers to stream an unlimited amount of TV and movie content to computers, compatible set-top boxes and other devices like Apple’s iPad and iPhone 4. The company also recently made available a stand-alone version without the physical media component for $7.99 per month.

Today’s deal with ABC/Disney is the latest in a series of deals Netflix has put together in an effort to increase the quantity of new content available to its streaming customers. We say keep up the good work and keep the content coming.

Greetings War Movie Monday fans. This week’s pick is the 1970 20th Century Fox classic Tora! Tora! Tora! which depicts the attack on Pearl Harbor on Sunday December 7, 1941 as seen through the eyes of both the American and Japanese Forces. The attack on Pearl Harbor was what hurtled a shocked and outraged America into the chaos of World War II.

The film was made at a time in which a lot of the information was becoming available to the general public who were still unaware of the political back story which led up to the attack. The film was primarily casted with B-list talent as to not draw attention away from the story.

The cast includes Martin Balsam (Adm. Husband E. Kimmel, Cmd-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet), Joseph Cotten (Sec. of War Henry L. Stimson), E.G. Marshall (Col. Rufus Bratton), Soh Yamamura (Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto, Cmd-in-Chief, Imperial Navy), James Whitmore (Vice Adm. William “Bull” Halsey), George Macready (Sec. of State Cordell Hull), and Jason Robards (Lt. Gen. Walter Short, Cmd-in-Chief, U.S. Army Forces Hawaii).

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