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YouTube To Host Clips, Share Revenue with TV Networks
YouTube announced a deal to distribute news, sports and entertainment video clips from CBS, Showtime and CSTV Networks with an advertising revenue share. Sony BMG and Universal Music Group recently agreed to a similar deal to place their music videos on YouTube. CBS will provide short clips from "Survivor," "CSI," "CBS Evening News With Katie Couric" and other shows; CSTV will provide college sports clips; and Showtime will screen promotional videos. The record label agreements will allow YouTube users to add music clips into videos they create and post on the service. The deals will test YouTube's new copyright protection system that allows content providers to locate protected material on the service and choose to let it remain or be pulled.
10/25/2006 2:37:41 AM Google YouTube CBS Showtime CSTV Sony-BMG Universal-Music-Group video syndication
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Television's New Syndication Model Is RSS
RSS publishing service NewsGator announced an agreement with nbbc, the NBC-owned distribution/advertiser network of video clips. In this video J.B. Holston, CEO of NewsGator, explains how he is applying RSS technology to network TV content.
10/23/2006 2:37:26 AM RSS JB-Holston NewsGator NBC nbbc TV video
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Google Partners With Sony, Warner for Music Videos [TV Week]
Google's announced an agreement to feature music videos from Warner Music Group and Sony BMG, marking the Web-video service's first agreements to distribute record label content. Google will stream music collections on Google Video for free with advertising, or for purchase for $1.99 each -- in a revenue share with the music companies. Google will make music-video content available through the network of third-party Web sites where it places ads using the AdSense service -- and also plans to allow users to include music content from the labels in videos they create and post on Google Video.
10/16/2006 2:37:07 AM Google Google-Video Sony-BMG Warner-Music-Group video
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"Massively Social" Online Shows Blending Social Networks, Reality [TV Week]
Dubbed "massively social," a new Web-based programming genre is emerging amongst online dating shows – combining elements of reality TV, massive multiplayer gaming, and viewer-contributed video. Massively social shows encourage viewers to submit videos of themselves, answer trivia questions, and vote on winners as they play, watch and participate online together at the same time. 30-minute shows give way to short-form produced recaps and individual video segments. Online video-sharing site GoFish.com premiered “America’s Dream Date” earlier this month. The show runs online for 8 weeks and lets the viewer community play matchmaker. Heavy.com plans to debut "The Massive Dating Game" in August, followed by AOL in September with “Gold Rush” – built around a treasure hunt in which viewers compete for gold over the course of the 8-week show.
7/17/2006 10:08:52 AM massively social online reality show Heavy.com GoFish.com AOL
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Online Media & Entertainment Attracting New VC Funding
In the first three months of this year, venture capital investment increased 12% over the same period last year, with notable growth in the online media and entertainment sector. VC firms invested $254.9 million in blogging and online social networks in the first half of 2006 – exceeding total 2005 investments. Likewise, the $156.3 million pumped into online video will soon surpass last year's investment. News Corp’s $580 million acquisition of MySpace has inspired some 180 new companies vying to be the next YouTube. The volume of venture investment in the first quarter of this year was one-fifth the $28.1 billion spent at the height of the first Internet boom, in Q1 of 2000.
7/14/2006 10:08:41 AM Online-media entertainment venture capital VC funding Moneytree
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DVR Ratings Data Boosts Top Shows [MediaPost]
Nielsen reports that its new DVR ratings are delivering increases for almost all the shows in the top 25 and boosting some programs by 4-5%. For the week of Feb. 6-12, 19 of the top-25 shows among adults 18-49 saw ratings grow when DVR-playback viewing was added to live viewing. NBC's "The Office" grew by 4%, as did ABC's "Lost," Fox's "24," and NBC's "My Name is Earl." Fox's "American Idol" saw its 12.4 "live" rating increased three-tenths to a 12.7 in "live plus seven day" -- which adds DVR viewing during the seven days after broadcast to the "live" number. NBC's "The Office," one of the most popular downloads among shows offered on Apple's iTunes, received a 5% ratings jump from a 4.4 "live" number to a 4.6 in "live plus seven day." Sellers are expected to press for incremental payment for the added ratings during the coming upfront, which buyers will resist, since DVR users are thought to be fanatical commercial skippers. Syndicated shows were not heavily impacted by DVRs, with neither the top show, "Wheel of Fortune," or comedies "Everybody Loves Raymond" or "Seinfeld" affected by the DVR ratings.
4/26/2006 11:09:11 AM Nielsen DVR ratings NBC The-Office
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Bravo Opens iTunes TV Storefront
NBC Universal's Bravo Network began it
will sell TV shows a la carte on Apple iTunes -- adding reality series "Project Runway" in March along with selected episodes of "Inside the Actor's Studio." NBC began giving away iTunes downloads of the new Dick Wolf legal drama "Conviction". The network began selling other episodes for $1.99 once the show began its run.
4/24/2006 11:09:01 AM NBC Bravo iTunes Storefront Project-Runway
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Podcasting Ad Market to Reach $300 Million [Media Post]
A new report forecasts that ad spending in podcasts will grow from $80 million in 2005 to $300 million by 2010.
4/21/2006 11:08:55 AM Podcasting market-forecast
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Yahoo, CBS To Launch '60 Minutes' Website
Yahoo News and CBS announced they will produce a co-branded Web site dedicated to "60 Minutes," expected to launch in September. Yahoo has launched a preview site featuring 23 short clips of footage from Ed Bradley's interviews with Tiger Woods, and sponsorship by Buick.
4/20/2006 11:08:43 AM Yahoo CBS 60-Minutes website
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Fox Joins TV’s Internet Rush [Red Herring]
Fox Broadcasting announced it will rebroadcast its prime-time fare on the Internet in a revenue-sharing arrangement with its affiliates. The deal will allow Fox's local affiliates to share in web rebroadcast revenue, and will steer traffic to local station websites for program downloads. Disney recently announced it will rebroadcast its top shows online for free with skip-proof ads from P&G, Ford, and others. A recent study found that 80% of advertisers plan to shift more of their media budgets on web advertising. Advertising on blogs, podcasts, and web feeds is expected to grow 145% this year (from $20.4 million in 2005) and increase thirty-fold to $757 million by 2010.
4/18/2006 3:38:07 PM Fox affiliates Internet TV rebroadcasts
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One In Four View Web Video Weekly [Media Post]
A new study found that 24% of web users watch online video at least weekly, while 46% view online video at least once a month, and 5% watching online daily. 65% of those who view Web video weekly are male; with an average age of 33. Of those who watch online video, 58% percent view movie clips or trailers; 57% watch humorous clips; 56% view news and current events videos; and 47% view music videos at least once per month. Online video watchers said the most appealing content was video that could only be found online -- and not on TV, DVD, or other media.
4/14/2006 4:01:49 PM Internet video viewership Frank+Magid
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65% of Digital Cable Subscribers Using VOD [Center for Media Research]
A consumer research study found that 65% of current digital cable subscribers have used VOD; and that 16% of current VOD users report that they would be very likely to pay $0.99 to get a primetime program on-demand.
4/13/2006 11:17:12 PM VOD DVR penetration usage
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TV Ad Effectiveness Drops 7% In Non-DVR Households [Ad Age]
NBC Universal presented research findings that show households without digital video recorders are skipping more ads than those that use DVRs; and that the drop in commercial effectivess in DVR households is 3%, compared to a drop of 7% in non-DVR households. Media buyers are wondering why, if non-DVR households have been ad skipping to a much greater extent, have agencies been paying for ads. The issue arose when Nielsen began reporting separate streams of ratings data in December that recorded households playing back the shows via DVR within 7 days, in addition to those watching live broadcasts. The DVR debate is expected to crest in upfront negotiations in May. Research on DVR penetration by the 6 broadcast networks found that households with a DVR increase TV viewing by an average of 12%. DVR penetration is expected to rise from 12% of US households today to 18% by the end of the year and 35% by 2009-10.
4/12/2006 11:16:35 PM TV ad effectiveness DVR penetration
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Studios to Start Selling Major Films Online [Associated Press]
Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, and MGM announced they will sell major films for download-to-own through Movielink. Sony and Lionsgate will separately sell through CinemaNow. Downloadable new releases from Movielink will be comparable to DVD's ($20 to $30), with older titles priced from $10 to $20. Movielink will allow burning to DVD, though only for playback on up to 3 authorized PC's -- not via a standard DVD player or a portable video player. CinemaNow will not allow burning to DVD or transfer to other PCs. Some new films will be release online the same day they become available on DVD, though most will be made available within 45 days of their DVD release. Movies have been available in the past for rental through the Internet 30 to 45 days after DVD releases, with 24-hour viewing periods on computer screens.
4/11/2006 11:16:27 PM Hollywood films download-to-own Movielink CinemaNow
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AtomFilms Introduces Portable Media Player Services [Video Podcasting News]
AtomFilms announced a new mobile video service that makes its original short film and animation content available for download and playback on the PSP, iPods, PCs, and various mobile platforms. "AtomFilms To Go" is premiering with 10 titles and plans to add new titles weekly, including comedy and animation fare along with the "Cheney’s Got a Gun" musical parody chronicling recent hunting misadventures. Upcoming releases will include AtomFilms’ hits, film festival favorites, and worldwide premieres of original AtomFilms projects. AtomFilms has a monthly audience of over 5 million viewers.
4/10/2006 11:16:19 PM AtomFilms AtomFilms+To+Go PSP iPod
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Live-action 'The Simpsons' Video Goes Viral [Reuters]
UK satellite broadcaster BSkyB painstakingly recreated the entire animated opening sequence to "The Simpsons" using live actors as part of an on-air promotion for the Sky One network. The company decided instead to release the clip on the Internet as part of a word-of-mouth brand building exercise, and after less than a week the video had been viewed millions of times at online video sites like YouTube and Google Video. In contrast, NBC recently forced YouTube to take down "Saturday Night Live" clips that had been widely shared online. NBC now hosts the clips on its own advertising-supported site, which announces that "We've taken your viral favorites and gathered them into one convenient location."
4/7/2006 11:15:10 PM BSkyB live action The+Simpsons YouTube NBC Saturday+Night+Live
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Mobile Music, Gaming, Video To Reach $40 Billion By 2010 [InformationWeek]
Mobile phone content is forecast to reach $43 billion worldwide by 2010, up from $5.2 billion in 2004. Led by ringtones and ringtunes, 'mobile music' represents the largest and fastest-growing wireless content segment -- with last year's transition from polyphonic ringtones to ringtunes pushing global music content revenues for the year to $3.8 billion. The emerging wireless video category is expected to offer the most significant long-term opportunity in the mobile-content market. 400 million installed phones currently offer music codecs capable of playing music. TV-capable phones are expected to represent 12% of the global market in 2010.
4/6/2006 11:15:00 PM Mobile music gaming video market forecast
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iTunes Offers Monthly 'The Daily Show' Subscriptions [Los Angeles Times]
Apple's iTunes store began offering video downloads of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" in a new monthly Multi-Pass pricing package bundling a month of the two shows (16 episodes at $1.99 apiece) after they air, for $9.99. The new pricing is expected to appeal to TV studios with more of the predictability of a subscription.
4/5/2006 11:14:54 PM Apple iTunes iPod Comedy Central Multi-Pass subscription pricing
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NBC Premieres New Drama on iTunes [WorldScreen]
NBC made the premiere of its Dick Wolf legal drama "Conviction" available for free download on the iTunes Music Store for more than a week before its March 3 TV premiere, after which episodes will be available for download at $1.99.
4/4/2006 11:14:47 PM NBC Conviction premiere Dick Wolf iTunes episode download
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Cingular Launches New Mobile TV Service [News.com]
Cingular announced an on-demand mobile TV service called Cingular Video that allows viewers to watch short 3-5 minute clips from the Cartoon Network, NBC, ESPN, and 15 other channels. Cingular will offer exclusive short news clip content from Fox News clips of of "The Sopranos," "Sex and the City," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Entourage" from HBO. The service will be free to Cingular customers purchasing a $19.99/month unlimited 3G data package, which also allows unlimited text messaging, e-mailing and picture sharing over the network. HBO clips will be available for a $4.99 per month subscription. Cingular has previously offered a 2.5G live TV service through MobiTV for $9.99/mo and a $4.99/mo data package. Cingular's 3G network will initially be available in 16 markets to owners of the LG CU320, Samsung SGH-ZX10, Nokia 6282, and LG CU500 handsets. Verizon Wireless offers its competing Vcast service for $15 per month with 300 channels of 1-4 minute video clips. Sprint Nextel charges $9.99 for its on-demand video service, which requires a $10 per month data package. 75% of respondents in a recent poll said they had no interest in watching TV on their cells.
4/3/2006 11:14:34 PM Cingular+Video mobile+TV
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40 Million Surf Internet Daily For Fun [Pew Internet & American Life Project ]
A study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 30% of Internet users go online just for fun or to pass the time. By comparison, 52% of Internet users go online to send or receive email on a typical day, 38% to use a search engine, and 31% to get news. Idle browsing has broad appeal, cutting through all races, income groups, levels of educational accomplishment. 34% of men use the Internet to surf for fun, and 26% of women do; with younger users the most likely to surf for fun. 39% of those with home broadband surf the Web for fun on a typical day compared with 23% of those with dial-up. 40 million people went online on any given day in 2005, compared to 25 million a day in 2004.
3/31/2006 6:16:51 PM Internet usage entertainment
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Atom Films' Relaunches AddictingClips.com with CGM [MediaPost]
Atom Films launched a redesign of its video directory site, AddictingClips.com, with an emphasis on consumer-generated media. Popular videos from the site will move to the flagship site at AtomFilms.com, where they may be monetized with pre-roll video ads as part of Atom Film's "Cash For Clips" program, which pays content creators a share of revenue. The goal of the new site is to take advantage of the large volume of content submitted to AtomFilms that does not make it onto the main site, which is much more tightly controlled editorially. A "Cash For Clips" program will pay content creators if their clips gain an audience and get moved to AtomFilms.com. Bolt Media is launching a "Spotlight" program which pushes outstanding user content, selected by the Bolt staff, to the front page -- though Bolt does not place ads in the content nor share revenue.
3/29/2006 4:06:12 PM AtomFilms AddictingClips CGM BoltMedia
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Time Inc.'s "Office Pirates" Bows with User-Created Video [Business Week]
Time Inc. has quietly launched OfficePirates.com as a new destination for user-created content and short-form video. The site is run by 5 full-time staffers and sponsored by Bacardi and Dodge Caliber. The site is banking on such user-generated content as SNL "featured player" Andy Samberg's highly entertaining rap video "Lazy Sunday," which became a viral hit on iFilm and YouTube -- playing over 5 million times on YouTube alone within weeks.
3/26/2006 1:12:23 AM Time OfficePirates.com Andy Samberg Lazy Sunday
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AOL Unveils In2TV Internet Video Service [TV Squad]
AOL launched its In2TV Internet television service, featuring thousands of free ad-supported episodes from some of the most popular TV series of all time -- provided by Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution. The shows may be streamed (not downloaded) in their entirety by Windows XP users only, either in-page or full-screen, and with an option for "Hi-Q" DVD-quality video. The site features 6 genre channels (each offering 10 rotating episodes of 5 shows) and 7 other feature/games pages (Star Play, TV Karaoke, Punch Line, Retro Runway, Betcha Didn't Know, Creme De La Classic TV and Pilot Theater). "LOL TV" features comedy shows such as Chico and the Man, Hangin' With Mr. Cooper, Head of the Class, Perfect Strangers, Welcome Back Kotter. "Drama Rama TV" runs Eight is Enough, Falcon Crest, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Sisters and Spencer: For Hire. "What A Rush TV" airs Dark Justice, Kung Fu, La Femme Nikita, Brisco County, Jr. and The Fugitive. "Vintage TV" offers Alice, F Troop, Growing Pains, Maverick and The F.B.I. "Heroes & Horror TV" features Babylon 5, Freddy's Nightmares, Lois & Clark, V and Wonder Woman. "Toon Topia TV" runs Beetlejuice, Pinky and the Brain, Freakazoid, New Adventures of Batman and Hysteria!.
3/24/2006 11:48:38 PM AOL In2TV WarnerBros DomesticCableDistribution
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SNL Adds Sketches to iTunes [WorldScreen]
NBC Universal has added Saturday Night Live sketches to the 12 other shows it has made available for download through Apple's iTunes video store. The sketches are bundles in 3 categories — "Best of SNL" (1-hour collections of sketches by individual performers), "Sketches" (offers individual sketches), and "Commercial Parodies”.
3/23/2006 11:48:23 PM NBC Universal SNL Comedy Sketches iTunes
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Video-sharing Site YouTube, MTV2 Team Up [Hollywood Reporter]
After facing recent criticism from broadcasters for letting its users upload pirated programming from the airwaves without permission, YouTube.com struck a partnership to obtain copyrighted content from MTV2. MTV2 is seeding YouTube.com with clips promoting new seasons and DVD releases for “The Andy Milonakis Show” and “Wonder Showzen.” YouTube recently modified to its site to make it a more corporate-friendly environment, now requiring users seeking to upload video content to agree that they own rights to the content they intend to distribute via YouTube.
3/22/2006 11:01:36 PM YouTube.com MTV2 video-sharing
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News Corp. Unveils Mobile Content Destination [WorldScreen]
Fox Mobile Entertainment launched a new website dedicated to mobile content, games, music and mobisodes. 'Mobizzo' is initially available for Cingular and T-Mobile phones, offering content aggregated from across News Corp divisions, other media companies and aspiring talent. Programming will include content from Family Guy, American Dad, Napoleon Dynamite and the upcoming release "Ice Age: The Meltdown". A la carte content will range from $1.99-$2.49 and monthly subscription plans average $5.99/month. Fox Mobile Entertainment is launching a multimillion-dollar television, print, radio, outdoor, and viral marketing campaign as part of its plans for a global rollout later this year.
3/21/2006 11:01:23 PM Fox Mobile Entertainment Mobizzo Cingular T-Mobile
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VOD Operators Embrace Dynamic Ad Insertion [MediaPost]
Cable operators are set to deploy VOD ad insertions that will improve over the 'evergreen' spot advertising that has required advertisers to "bake" their ads into programming for 3-4 month runs. Technology from Tandberg Television, SeaChange, and others will enable advertisers to deliver targeted and timely messages within VOD content, with market-specific spots targeted by time of day and triggered by user actions.
3/20/2006 11:00:57 PM On-demand advertising targeted
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CBS Offering Cell Phone News Alerts [Red Herring]
CBS introduced CBS News to Go, which for $0.99 per month will deliver video notifications of the latest news and entertainment headlines to subscribers’ mobile phones. E.T. to Go will deliver Entertainment Tonight video alerts for $3.99 per month. CBS will initially send 5 video alerts per day, though in the future the services will allow users to customize the types of alerts they receive based on topics and keywords. CBS is also creating miniature soap opera episodes for mobile phones, and recently streamed 60-second episodes of a show called "The Courier" over Verizon’s V Cast mobile video service after they were shown on TV and the web. Viacom is working with V Cast service to offer skits from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart for viewing on cell phones. News Corp. recently launched mobile entertainment store Mobizzo with a variety of content that users can download to their cell phones.
3/17/2006 8:39:32 PM CBS-News-to-Go ET-to-Go The Courier CBS Viacom V Cast News Corp Mobizzo
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Facing Growing Competition, Yahoo Scales Back Webshow Originals [LA Times]
After announcing plans to capture mass audiences with new Web-exclusive video programming, Yahoo is now scaling back efforts to create original programs -– and instead highlight content created by its millions of users while serving as an online distributor for traditional media companies. Yahoo’s "Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone" attracted 1.2 million to 1.5 million unique visitors a month during the fall, representing 5% to 7% of Yahoo News visitors. NBC plans to launch its "StarTomorrow" search for music talent this summer, releasing video clips of 20 bands each week for 8 weeks, and letting audiences vote on the field until a victor emerges. AOL is developing Mark Burnett’s "Gold Rush," an online treasure hunt with clues leading viewers to gold hidden in 13 locations across the U.S. AOL also signed the producer of MTV's "Punk'd" and WB's "Beauty and the Geek," to develop 5 programs of 20 short episodes each. The webshows will rely on e-mail and instant messaging to pull viewers into the video experience. Fox Interactive Media is developing an online talk show with the creator of animated hit "Family Guy," which will be hosted by an animated infant character on the show and is designed to appeal to fans of the TV show and build the “Family Guy” franchise by extending the brand and establishing a vehicle to market and promote the TV show and DVD business. Amazon.com is developing "Amazon Fishbowl With Bill Maher" specifically for its website with the intent of selling books, CD’s, and DVD’s. While MTV averages 449,000 viewers on its most popular show, “True Life.” Blair Witch Project co-creator Daniel Myrick expects his new web-show “The Strand” to be profitable with an audience of 150,000. Video ads contributed $225 million of the $12.9 billion in US Internet ad revenue in 2005.
3/16/2006 8:39:10 PM Yahoo Kevin Sites Hot Zone AOL Gold Rush Fox Family Guy Webshow
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Monster House Producer Launches Online TV Network [WorldScreen]
A producer of Discovery Channel's Monster House announced plans to partner with streaming video service provider Maven to launch an online television network featuring all-original programming. The Fix (http://www.thefixtv.com) was devised to bypass the traditional network television model and will offer a home for celebrities and rock bands to create their own shows. Expected to debut in spring 2006, programming on The Fix will be original first-run featuring integrated product placements, and available for download to the iPod, cell phones and DVR's.
3/15/2006 8:38:45 PM TheFix online television network
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TiVo to Offer Free DVR's [Red Herring]
TiVo announced plans to multiple pricing options for its DVR service, including free set-top boxes -- which will include a more costly subscription to the service. The offer is design to stem potential customer losses amongst the two-thirds of TiVO customers who receive service through DirecTV and who will be targeted with the rollout of DirecTV's own DVR service in 2007. TiVo is also developing a customized version of its service for Comcast cable customers, expected to bow in mid-to-late 2006.
3/14/2006 8:38:23 PM TiVo Free DVRs
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Fox Uses MySpace Social Networking to Promote
Fox is using its popular social-networking service, MySpace.com, to promote new television shows. A recent stealth marketing campaign for Fox’s comedy “Free Ride” was built around “Free Ride” characters “Nate” and “Dove.” MySpace profiles for the characters appeared as random pages for two 20-somethings in Johnson City, Mo, and did not mention the “Free Ride” show. The pages listed the characters’ book choices, music interests, favorite TV shows (all Fox shows), and personal videos. Viral marketers then brought the characters to life, networked them within the MySpace environment, and generated traffic to the Nate and Dove’s profile pages. As the comedy’s premiere approached, Fox began placing ads for “Free Ride” on the MySpace profile pages linking to Fox.com and featured a MySpace page for "Free Ride" that includes a video trailer, profile pages for the show’s 9 characters, and a way for other MySpace users to become ‘friends’ of the show and link their profiles to the site. Acquired by News Corp last summary, MySpace reaches 50 million members and is expected to serve as a marketing channel for the 20th Century Fox film studio, the Fox network, FX, Speed Channel, TV Guide, and DirecTV. News Corp announced plans to use MySpace as a promotional vehicle to help launch its new "My Network TV" television network on Fox-owned station this fall.
3/13/2006 8:38:06 PM News Corp Fox MySpace TV Social-Networking Free Ride Nate Dove
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Rural Broadband Users Closing Gap [USA Today]
A recent survey found that 24% of rural Americans had broadband Internet access at home in fall of 2005, compared to the 9% rate reported in 2003. Broadband access amongst urban and suburban dwellers rose to 39% from 22% in 2003. 62% of country dwellers use the Internet via broadband, dial-up, or at work -- compared with 70% elsewhere.
3/10/2006 8:37:33 PM Urban suburban broadband Internet access adoption
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Comcast to Test Nielsen VOD Measurement [Multichannel News]
Comcast announced it will conduct a trial of Nielsen Entertainment’s new “On Demand” Web-based reporting service to measure and aggregate anonymous on-demand usage data to interpret real time on-demand viewing habits on its Comcast On Demand service. Comcast recently extended its nonexclusive multiyear agreement with Rentrak to use its “OnDemand Essentials” VOD measurement system to report and analyze aggregate VOD-viewership data. Comcast subscribers watched 1.4 billion on-demand programs last year, more than double the number watched in 2004.
3/9/2006 8:37:17 PM Comcast Nielsen Rentrak On Demand VOD usage reporting
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TV Catches the Net Video Vug [News.com]
Bravo TV began airing "Outrageous and Contagious: Viral Video," a new half-hour series featuring popular video shorts circulating the Net. USA Networks announced plans to air a 1-hour pilot based on eBaumsworld.com, a Web site of extreme videos submitted by users. ABC News recently introduced its "Seen and Heard in America" online service to collect viewer videos captured on multimedia-equipped cell phones and incorporate into shows like "World News Tonight" and "Good Morning America." ABC News has previously tested user-generated video within various news shows, including Hurricane Katrina coverage.
3/7/2006 8:36:50 PM Bravo TV Outrageous and Contagious Viral Video USA Networks eBaumsworld ABC News Seen and Heard in America
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Dish, CNN Roll Out Interactive TV News [MediaPost]
Dish Network is launching a CNN Enhanced TV channel featuring a system that lets viewers explore background on stories of interest using their remote control. The service uses technology from OpenTV to allow viewers to continue watching CNN's live broadcast while accessing up to 5 different CNN news reports from CNN.com in text format. OpenTV's technology works on both cable and satellite and has been used to run interactive ads for Dish advertisers such as Mercedes Benz, whose ads allowed consumers to order a brochure, set up a test drive, or view a photo gallery and look at vehicle specs. While OpenTV's system enabled response rate tracking and ad targeting, EchoStar and various advertisers have opted not to target due to privacy concerns. EchoStart is considering an incentive system by which subscribers receive bonus features or discounts for agreeing to receive targeted advertising.
2/24/2006 11:13:15 AM Disn CNN Interactive TV News Advertising OpenTV
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Video Content Goes Interactive [ClickZ]
Automaker GM recently found a unique way to incorporate interactivity into an online video campaign by letting users compete for a chance to win a Pontiac Solstice by hitting on VH1 VJ Rachel Perry 'virtually' with their best pickup lines. United Virtualities recently launched a streaming video format called Shoshmosis, featuring a clickable Flash layer. Avant Interactive and Launch Ideas launched new "clickable video" technology in a campaign for Honda allowing users to click on apects of video footage of the 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid to see close-ups and detailed information on each feature in an adjacent 'meta' pane. Coca-Cola is running clickable video ads on NASCAR.com.
2/22/2006 9:18:59 AM GM Pontiac Solstice clickable video United Virtualities Shoshmosis Avant Interactive Honda Accord
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PSP to Ship 20 Million Units in 2006 [GamesIndustry.biz]
Sony PSP manufacturing partner Samsung said that Sony expects to ship 20 million units of the Playstation Portable in 2006. Sony reported shipment of 10 million units during 2005 - with 3 million units shipped to the UK. Nintendo's DS handheld sold 13 million units in 2005.
2/17/2006 1:16:07 PM Sony PSP 2006 sales forecast
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Surf the Web, Watch TV on Nintendo DS [GameDaily]
Nintendo announced web browser and TV tuner support for its DS handheld gaming device. The Opera web browser will be sold on a DS cartridge in Japan this June for approximately $32, allowing users to surf the Internet via Wi-Fi. Nintendo’s DS Terrestrial Digital Broadcast Receiver Card will allow DS users to watch digital TV broadcasts. Nintendo is targeting sales of 10 million units in Japan this year.
2/15/2006 1:15:36 PM Nintendo DS Portable Web Browser TV Tuner
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NBC Universal Ramps Up Its Stations' Web Sites [MediaPost]
NBC Universal is upgrading its TV station websites with increased video, Web-exclusive content, podcasts, and wireless applications. WMAQ Chicago, WNBC New York, and KXAS Dallas have started with the new format while 11 other NBC-owned stations will upgrade over the next several months. Each station will produce daily webcasts hosted by anchors, to be featured in a top-level video player on station home pages along with news clips on health, weather, entertainment, sports, and consumer news. NBC Universal is encouraging its individual stations to produce Web-specific content that can be shared by the entire group. "The Download" is a Web-only daily magazine program produced by WVIT Hartford. WNBC New York will produce an online version of movie review show "Reel Talk."
2/10/2006 1:14:24 PM NBC Universal Station Websites Video
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Users Prefer Ad-Supported Video [ClickZ]
A new consumer study found that users prefer watching online video ads versus paying the now-standard $1.99 for commercial-free programs, by a margin of more than 3 to 1. 62% of respondents said they would prefer getting missed TV shows free online with commercials versus 17% chose paying $1.99 for an ad-free version.
2/8/2006 1:13:49 PM Free Online Video TV Show Downloads Research
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Disney Launches Broadband Channel for Preschoolers [Reuters]
Disney launched a learning-oriented online subscription service aimed at preschool children. Priced at $49.95 per year, “Playhouse Disney Preschool Time Online” was developed with the help of educational experts to focus on pre-kindergarten skills such as letter and number recognition. The subscription broadband service includes no advertising, and features interactive story books and "fun learning" tools based on "JoJo's Circus" and "Higglytown Heroes" and other characters and shows from Disney Channel's "Playhouse Disney" programming block. Disney plans to integrate “Preschool Time” into Disney Connection, a broadband network offered to subscribers of high-speed Internet services provided by Comcast, Adelphia, MediaCom and Verizon. Disney also offers Toontown Online, a multiplayer game for ages 8 to 12, and Blast, a multiplayer game for 5 to 9 year olds – and is developing broadband services for older game players with a multiplayer game based on the "Pirates of the Caribbean" due to launch this year.
2/3/2006 1:12:40 PM Disney Playhouse Preschool Time Online Broadband Channel
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Yahoo Hopes to Make Network Flop a Net Hit [Wall Street Journal]
Yahoo! is developing ABC’s abandoned “The Runner” reality TV show concept into a broadband hybrid of a narrative video production and an online game, focusing on the pursuit of a fugitive traveling between secret locations around the U.S. Video clips of 3 to 5 minutes in length will be published regularly through Yahoo's site, and viewers will be challenged to solve online puzzles about the fugitive's real-world location as they interact with Yahoo instant messaging, maps, and search services. “The Runner” will be produced by Mark Burnett and LivePlanet. Yahoo separately confirmed it is developing another Internet reality project, "Wow House," that will follow the efforts of families upgrading their home electronics. Yahoo’s first online show, “Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone” is now in its fourth month, though has attracted meager audiences and little new advertising, ranking 451 among all news and media sites in visits from U.S. consumers. Yahoo played 4 billion music videos in 2005 and delivered 4.4 million video streams of shock jock Howard Stern during his last day on terrestrial radio in December. 335,000 simultaneously viewers tuned in for the takeoff of the space shuttle Discovery on Yahoo's site last July.
2/2/2006 1:12:27 PM Yahoo LivePlanet Internet TV The Runner
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Softbank, Yahoo Start Internet Television Service [Reuters]
Softbank and Yahoo Japan have formed a company to broadcast television programs via the Internet. The joint venture, TV Bank Corp., will operate a new streaming video service called "Yahoo!Doga", a portal site for 100,000 movies, sports and music shows and drama series from Japan, Taiwan and South Korea to be offered with advertiser sponsorships and on a pay-per-view basis.
2/1/2006 1:12:04 PM Softbank Yahoo Internet TV
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iTunes Downloads Boost TV Viewership [iMedia Connection]
NBC credits the availability of its shows on iTunes for the recent increase in prime time viewers of its comedy "The Office," delivering a 5.1 rating among adults 18 to 49 up from a 4.5 the week prior. ABC has also seen ratings increases for "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" since they were added to Apple’s store in October. The total audience for “Lost” rose 14% and ratings for adults 18 to 49 are up 28% over the same time last year. “Desperate Housewives” saw its audience grown 7% with ratings amongst adults 18 to 49 ratings up 3%. Now at 100 million broadband users, 74% of the total US online population now has high speed Internet access. 25 million (19%) have watched or downloaded video online in the last 30 days.
1/30/2006 3:41:15 PM Apple iTunes video NBC The Office ABC Desperate Housewives Lost ratings increase
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CBS Debuts 60-Second Shows [Red Herring]
CBS announced it will debut an experimental set of original micro-series for cell phones. The 40-60 second episodes of "The Courier" will run for 7 nights. The show will be broadcast during or following hit shows such as Cold Case, Criminal Minds, and CSI: Miami. After their network broadcast, the show will be available for viewing on cell phones through Verizon Wireless' V Cast service and on the CBS.com website. The show will feature interactive story lines promotions by its single advertiser, Pontiac. CBS is separately developing mini soap operas exclusively for cell phones. Verizon Wireless currently offers its V Cast subscribers clips of popular CBS shows such as CSI: Miami; CSI: New York; Survivor; The Amazing Race; The King of Queens; and The Late Show with David Letterman.
1/27/2006 3:31:26 PM CBS micro-series The Courier mobile TV
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Brits Not Gaga for Mobile TV [Red Herring]
U.K. wireless carrier BT found that consumers would rather use a cell phone to listen to radio than watch TV programs. The 1,000 London cell phone users in the trial listened to mobile radio for an average 1.5 hours per week and watched mobile TV for 1 hour per week. BT also found that 2 out of 3 subscribers said they would pay 8 pounds ($14) per month for the bundled mobile TV and radio service, raising doubts over consumer willingness to pay $20-range prices for a stand-alone mobile TV service. A recent study of US mobile users found that 1 in 8 respondents would be willing to pay for mobile video.
1/26/2006 3:20:31 PM British Telecom mobile TV radio trial
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TV Ads Made Quick and Cheap on the 'Net [News.com]
Los Angeles-based startup Spot Runner launched a new service allowing companies to create television ad campaigns over the Internet for as little as $500 to run within as little as a week. Spot Runner offers a library of generic commercials which advertisers can personalize and target customers by demographic, network and neighborhood. Advertisers can buy air time on major broadcast/cable networks including CNN and ESPN.
1/26/2006 3:11:56 PM Spot Runner self-service TV advertising
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Broadband Gold Rush Is On [Television Week]
Startup iWatchNow.com has spent $3 million to develop a video player and secure video rights to 3,000 hours of classic, cult and hard-to-find shows like "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "The Andy Griffith Show," "Dragnet," "Bonanza" and movies such as "Night of the Living Dead" and "The Toxic Avenger." Viewers have the choice of paying 99 cents per view or watching an ad-supported version for free on iWatchNow.com. Meanwhile, Google is selling "Survivor" and other commercial-free CBS programs for $1.99 apiece and Apple is selling shows from ABC and NBC. Recent deals giving are giving major broadcasters about 70% of revenue their shows generate online. News Corp. announced plans to make shows from FX and Fox Broadcasting available for download on DirecTV DVRs before they air on the networks. CBS has made shows available on-demand with Comcast, and NBC has done so with DirecTV. The Web site is breaking even on its $125,000-a-month operating costs, averaging 6,337 viewers per hour. AOL's In2TV offers a competing service offering classic shows from the Warner Bros. catalog such as "Welcome Back, Kotter" and "Kung Fu" free of charge.
1/23/2006 2:51:17 PM iWatchNow TV show downloads
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Comcast, Bon Jovi Duet [Variety]
Comcast announced it will offer hours of behind-the-scenes Jon Bon Jovi footage filmed during his concert tour via free cable VOD for Comcast's digital customers and on Comcast.net to the company's 8.1 million broadband Internet subscribers. Music is the fastest-growing category on Comcast's on-demand menu, with a 135% increase in music video orders to 33 million in November '05.
1/20/2006 2:22:19 PM Comcast Bon Jovi VOD
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ESPN, ABC Sports Tune Into iTunes [Media Post]
Walt Disney will now offer football games through its deal with Apple's iTunes Music Store. The games are offered as condensed 15 minute-long shows with no commercials and can be purchased for $1.99 each. Other Disney content is included in the deal from Touchstone Television, ABC Family, ABC News, Buena Vista Television, Disney Channel, SOAPnet, and Walt Disney Feature Animation. Touchstone will offer "America's Funniest Home Videos" and "School of Rock." ABC News will offer free, ad-supported video podcasts with segments from "Good Morning America" and "World News Tonight." Except for news videos, all Disney-ABC content will continue to be commercial-free. ESPN will offer "This is SportsCenter" commercials for free through the iTunes Music Store, along with interviews from "SportsCentury" and clips from reality show "Knight School" (which will premiere on iTunes before beginning its exclusive run on ESPN). The new content supplements Disney's original deal with iTunes which includes "Commander in Chief," "Desperate Housewives," "Lost," "That's So Raven," and "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody." NBC Universal has 11 shows on iTunes and cross-marketing support including featured NBC program pages on the iTunes site and specific tune-in information that drives viewers back to traditional television. NBC promotes the iTunes Music Store through promotional "swipes" that appear on the TV screen when a show is aired.
1/19/2006 2:17:04 PM ESPN ABC iTunes
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Yahoo! Streams CBS Sitcoms [MediaPost]
Yahoo! began offering free streams of two ad-free episodes of the CBS sitcoms "Two and a Half Men" and "How I Met Your Mother." CBS recently offered free streams of UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris" on Google's video website, also carrying no ads.
Yahoo! also streamed the debut of the WB's "Supernatural" series earlier this year, and the premiere of Showtime's "Fat Actress."
In March, social networking site MySpace.com will webcast the premiere episode of NBC's "The Office" comedy a week ahead of its scheduled broadcast pilot. CBS recently made 3 episodes of sci-fi series "Theshold" available on CBS.com.
1/18/2006 2:00:25 PM Yahoo Google CBS UPN Free Episode Video Streams
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NBC Adds Interactivity to "Deal or No Deal" [ITVT]
NBC offered an interactive TV game on the Web and via mobile to accompany Endemol's gameshow "Deal or No Deal" during the week of its US debut. "Lucky Case Game" was promoted and explained during the show as viewers playing on mobile phones were asked to send their case choice via SMS and viewers interacting on NBC's website were also asked to pick a case number. Winners were then chosen at random from the viewers who had selected the correct lucky case, and announced at the end of the show.
1/16/2006 12:10:38 PM NBC Endemol Deal or No Deal Interactive
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Verizon in Mobile VOD Deal with The WB Network [ITVT]
Verizon has signed a deal with The WB Network to make on-demand scenes and trailers from WB shows, "Everwood," "Gilmore Girls," "Smallville," and "Supernatural," available on Verizon's V CAST mobile TV service the day before the show airs. Warner Bros. is also offering Looney Tunes and Hanna Barbera cartoons on the service including "Bugs Bunny," "The Flintstones," and "Scooby-Doo."
1/13/2006 1:44:11 AM Verizon VCast Warner Bros Everwood Gilmore Girls Smallville Supernatural Bugs Bunny The Flintstones Scooby-Doo
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Yahoo Shapes Up Online Video Project [San Francisco Chronicle]
Yahoo announced it has filmed a $100,000 pilot for a reality series called "Wow House" to be broadcast online. The program follows two families as they refurbish their homes with $10,000 in new electronics. Wow House joins other original Yahoo video programming including a war correspondent, an adventure writer, a weekly NFL football wrap-up show and exclusive rock music performances. 4.4 million viewers watched Yahoo's December broadcast of Howard Stern celebrating his departure from FM radio to satellite, 214,000 simultaneously. 10 million viewers have watched JibJab's "Grumpy Santa" short. 1.2 million saw the "Fat Actress" premiere online. And Yahoo viewers watch 2.9 billion music videos in 2004.
1/11/2006 1:40:11 AM Yahoo TV reality series Wow House
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VH1, iFilm unspooling 'Web Junk' [Hollywood Reporter]
VH1 is launching the first programming project resulting from MTV's $49 million purchase of online video aggregator iFilm. "Web Junk 20" is a weekly show compiling clips and shorts, to be aired on VH1 and screened on-demand via VSpot, VH1's broadband network. "Web Junk 20" counts down the strange and humorous body of videos spreading virally around the Internet, and will include celebrity material, current news, local TV and viral Internet clips. iFilm will research the clips used in the show and will offer each for viewing on iFilm.com, in addition to its use on VH1 and vSpot. Now offering video upload, iFilm provides viewers with an easy method of uploading clips for inclusion in "Web Junk 20." VH1 expects that within 6 to 9 months, virtually everything it does will have a viewer-generated component to it.
1/11/2006 1:29:01 AM VH1 iFilm Web Junk 20 webshow
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HBO aims Sopranos clips at Cingular phones [Reuters]
Cingular Wireless announced an exclusive 3-year deal withe Time Warner to bring clips of the Sopranos and other popular HBO shows to its mobile phones.
1/10/2006 1:17:27 AM HBO Sopranos mobile TV clips Cingular
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Teen Soap Hollyoaks goes interactive [Media Week]
Channel 4 New Media and launched a series of broadband and mobile extensions to the popular teen-oriented soap opera, "Hollyoaks". The website has begun offering new services including "Hollyoaks Xtra," a video fanzine designed to provide viewers with more information on the series' actors, with cast interviews and behind-the-scenes exclusives. The "Hollyoaks Bitesize" daily catch-up service will offer a round-up of individual episodes, with two 60-second packages available for each episode, allowing viewers to catch up on the main storylines from the show. Clips will cost 50p each and will be viewable on all 2.5G and 3G mobile phones and on the Hollyoaks Web site. The "Hollyoaks Weekender" mobile-only service will allow viewers to watch new "Hollyoaks" mini-episodes on Saturdays and Sundays, with 60-second episodes following the "Hollyoaks" cast in storylines parallel to that of the main program. Mobile subscribers can access the Channel 4 Mobile portal by texting the word "MOBILE" to 83188, and purchasing clips downloads for 50p.
1/9/2006 1:08:24 AM Teen Soap Hollyoaks interactive
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TVGuide.com Streams Sleeper Cell [Media Week]
TVGuide.com streamed the first episode of the new Showtime mini-series Sleeper Cell during its 10 p.m. premiere. The first episode was available for 24 hours on VOD network TV Guide TV guide Spot. TV Guide will promote the 10-part series on the TV Guide Channel and other TV Guide outlets. Showtime debuted Fat Actress on Yahoo! earlier in the year as part of an effort to drive subscriptions.
1/6/2006 12:52:03 AM TV Guide Showtime Sleeper Cell streaming episode
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TiVo Adds Movie Tickets, Photos to Offerings [USA Today]
TiVo announced the introduction of a suite of broadband services that will allow subscribers to use their TVs to buy movie tickets, share photos, check local weather and traffic, listen to podcasts and play games. TiVo's interactive services partners include movie-ticketing service Fandango, Yahoo Photos and podcast-streaming service Live365. 300,000 of TiVo's 1.3 million stand-alone subscribers have connected their DVR to a home networks and will have access to the new services, but will not be available to the 2.7 million DirecTV TiVo subscribers. 28% of the people who buy DVR service directly from TiVo have a home network, up from 12% a year and a half ago.
1/3/2006 2:00:05 AM TiVo movie tickets photos radio podcasts
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CBS.com Streams Survivor [Media Week]
CBS streamed the Thanksgiving night episode of Survivor: Guatemala without commercials on CBS.com, marking the second time CBS has steamed a complete episode of a prime time show on CBS.com. CBS streamed 3 episodes of freshman drama Threshold on CBS.com ealier this month.
12/29/2005 1:42:20 AM CBS Survivor episode Internet TV
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Comcast Launches 'Gaming Lifestyle' VOD service [iTV Today]
Players Network has launched a free on-demand network on Comcast's VOD system offering gambling and wagering programming including talk shows, educational seminars on poker, and 'gaming lifestyle' programming featuring celebrities and high-profile players. Players Network also distributes its programming through in-room entertainment services in hotels and casinos, home video sell-through, and its broadband website at www.playersnetwork.com.
12/17/2005 12:01:24 AM Comcast Players Network gaming lifestyle gambling wagering VOD
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Ziff Davis Net Video Series Becomes Top-Ranked Video Podcast [Media Week]
Ziff Davis' new half-hour online video series featuring technology news and reviews has emerged as the top-ranked video podcast on iTunes. Since its launch in August, the series has expanded from one to two episodes per week, ranging in length from 30 minutes to an hour. DL.tv runs live on Tuesday at 9 p.m. and Thursdays at 2 p.m., though most viewership occurs on-demand either on the DL.tv website or via the iTunes Music Store. CDW is the show's sole advertiser, running 15 and 30-second video spots along with sponsorship placements and banners.
12/14/2005 10:24:08 AM Ziff Davis DL.tv online video series top-ranked video podcast
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TiVo Users Soon Can Search for Ads [Wall Street Journal]
TiVo is partnering with ad firms Interpublic, Richards Group, and Comcast Spotlight on a new service expected to launch next spring that will allow its users to search for commercials centered around a specific topic. TiVo users will be able to set up a profile of products by clicking on categories such as automotive or travel or typing in keywords on their TV screens. TiVo will then download relevant commercials over the Internet to TiVo recorders or will send the video via traditional broadcast signals. The commercials will appear in a folder next to the list of recorded TV shows. Advertisers will select the keywords and categories they wish to associate with their ads. Pricing will most likely be based on keyword bidding, similar to Google’s model.
12/13/2005 10:15:17 AM TiVo video ad search keyword bid
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CBS, Google in talks for video search [Hollywood Reporter]
CBS announced it is in discussions with Google for video search and on-demand video distribution outlets for top-ranked shows such as "CSI." CBS recently announced a 1-year deal to let Comcast cable customers view episodes of certain shows for 99 cents each, and is in talks with DirecTV for a similar deal.
12/12/2005 10:08:00 AM CBS Google video search on-demand CSI
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Movie studios, BitTorrent sign anti-piracy pact [Reuters]
Peer-to-peer file-sharing operator BitTorrent signed an agreement with the MPAA to help stem piracy of films on the Web by removing links from its website that direct users to illegal copies of downloadable films.
12/9/2005 10:02:57 AM BitTorrent MPAA anti-piracy
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Online Video Ads Surging [Red Herring]
A new report forecasts that video advertising on the Internet will quadruple to $1 billion by 2008. Online video ad spending is expected to grow to $640 million in 2007 from $225 million in 2005. The report cites short video, story-like ads or ‘webisodes’ such as those created by Jeep, Unilever, and Volkswagen as examples of large-scale video ad campaigns. The number of homes with broadband is expected to jump to 69 million by 2008 from 34.3 million homes in 2004.
12/7/2005 12:51:50 PM Online video ad spending market forecast
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Web Video Popular With 35-54 Demo [Media Week]
A new study of the streaming video habits of Internet users found that those ages 35-54 watch 45% of Internet video streams, making them 20 times more likely to watch Web video. 25-34 year olds are 12 times more likely to view streaming video online. Earlier research found that men represent 61% of Web video streamers, against their 50% portion of the Internet audience.
12/7/2005 12:48:08 PM Internet streaming video viewership usage
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NBC Offers Shows to iTunes Users [Variety]
NBC Universal has begun offering its shows for download on Apple's iTunes music store. iTunes will provide $1.99 downloads for library, cable, and network primetime shows such as "Monk," "Battlestar Galactica," "Surface," and "Knight Rider". Unlike ABC’s earlier deal with Apple, the new deal allows NBC U’s networks to advertise TV airtimes.
12/7/2005 12:43:48 PM NBC Universal iTunes iPod TV show downloads advertising
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New Soap Opera to Debut for Cell Phones [ITVT]
A new youth-oriented show "Brick-it" is scheduled to launch in January exclusively on cell phones. The series will offer a new 5-minute episode available each weekday for on-demand viewing on 3G and 2.5G phones.
12/6/2005 12:36:31 PM On-demand mobile TV soap opera Brick-It
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New Drama Series to Let Viewers Determine Storyline [ITVT]
A new drama, "Dubplate Drama," will allow viewers to vote on its ending. The show stars an array of UK hip-hop stars and tells the story of a young, female MC trying to make it in the music business over the course of six 15-minute episodes. The show ends with a "dramatic moral cliffhanger" for the show's lead character and asks viewers to vote via SMS for which of 2 possible paths the character will take. Each episode will premiere on the PSP with a broadcast premiere on UK terrestrial broadcaster, Channel 4, and will be rebroadcast on MTV Base, E4 and UK mobile network 3.
12/6/2005 12:29:40 PM Channel 4 MTV Base E4 Dubplate Drama PSP SMS vote
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Disney Uses iPods for Ads [Red Herring]
Disney and Clear Channel will start to advertise movies and other content over video-enabled portable players like the iPod -- becoming the first major media companies to deliver promotional videos to the new iPods. Disney plans to offer video content from its upcoming ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ release directly to PCs and video-enabled iPods, allowing users to download and transfer trailers, clips, interviews, and other film content to their PCs and their iPods from the Internet channel on the film’s official website. Clear Channel will provide 60-second video segments of the “Rush Limbaugh Show” in playback formats for video-enabled iPods and PCs to subscribers of the “Rush 24/7” $6.95-per-month premium content service. Online video ad spending is expected to triple in the next 2 years to $640 million, growing to $1.5 billion by 2010.
12/5/2005 12:22:16 PM Disney Narnia Clear Channel Limbaugh video download PC iPod
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TiVo Offering CNET Video Downloads [PVR Wire]
TiVo announced it will offer video downloads of CNET product reviews via broadband connections – delivering a 15-minute product review segment each for 6weeks.
12/2/2005 12:09:22 PM TiVo CNET broadband video downloads
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TiVo Handheld Device Software Draws Fire from TV Network [PC Magazine]
NBC Universal responded with objections to TiVo’s plans to allow users to setup their DVR to automatically transfer recorded TV shows to an iPod or PSP. NBC expressed concerns that "TiVo appears to be acting unilaterally, disregarding established rights of content owners to participate in decisions regarding the distribution and exploitation of their content,” and that widespread use of such technology could be seen as a threat to the network's ability to market and sell DVDs, videotapes and CD-ROMs that contain video and audio copies of original network content. Other analysts expect TiVo’s new feature to fall within the fair use precedent of the 1984 Sony v. Universal Studios time shifting case -- that allows playback of recorded tapes on other devices, and compare the new TiVoToGo functionality to the commonly-accepted practice of transferring MP3 files ripped from a CD onto a portable music device.
12/1/2005 12:04:30 PM TiVo DVR TiVoToGo auto-sync transfer TV shows iPod PSP
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New Emmy Award for Phones, PC's, and Portables [News.com]
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has created an award category to recognize original video content for computers, cell phones and other handheld devices, like the video iPod and PlayStation Portable. Entries cannot be from television shows that have already been broadcast. Potential submissions include video blogs, web programs, event coverage, mobile phone serials and other video-on-demand content not exceeding 20 minutes.
11/22/2005 4:41:49 PM Emmy award mobile phones portable handheld PCs
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NBC's Trio Channel Winds up on Web [Hollywood Reporter]
NBC Universal announced that its struggling Trio cable venture will be pulled from its digital channel slot and relaunched as an Internet-only service. Starting in January, Trio will become an arts- and pop culture-oriented broadband channel linked to BravoTV.com. Existing Trio programming will continue on the Internet, and more new programming will be added throughout the year. The Trio network lost half of its available homes when DirecTV pulled the plug in 2004.
11/22/2005 4:40:42 PM NBC Trio BravoTV broadband video Internet TV channel
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New HGTV Show to Debut Online [Media Week]
Scripps’ HGTV will premiere “My First Place” online 5 days prior to its cable TV debut. The weekly series provides moving tips to couples, families and individuals as they move into new homes. A broadband version of the show includes additional video content, such as interviews with celebrities on their first homes, features on decorating new homes, and advice on housewarming gifts.
11/21/2005 4:39:12 PM Scripps HGTV My First Place online premiere broadband TV
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'Lost' Deal Hatched for Mobile [Hollywood Reporter]
ABC's "Lost" is spawning a second series for mobile phones in a deal soon to close with Verizon or another major U.S. carrier. 20 several-minute episodes are expected to hit phones early next year. The project is not produced by ABC or Touchstone Television, but is under the oversight of "Lost" executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. The "Lost Video Diaries"series will introduce 2 new characters said to be stranded alongside the cast of the primetime version. The story lines of the pair will be new to "Lost" viewers, though the events depicted in the primetime broadcast will inform their story lines. Broadcast and mobile tie-ins are also being considered. Pricing on the "Lost" spinoff is undetermined, though the phone carrier would have exclusive rights to "Diaries," which could be followed by an iPod window after that exclusivity expires. Verizon's 15 frame-per-second VCast service offers video content at $15 per month, and "Diaries" would likely will fall into that window. VCast also offers premium original content for $.99 per episode. Fox's "24" previously spawned "mobisodes" this year with “24 Conspiracy,” a series unrelated to the characters or story of the original “24.”
11/21/2005 4:33:57 PM ABC Lost Video Diaries spinoff mobile TV Verizon VCast
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The Clash Over Content Delivery [News.com]
A growing movement among content providers is to market ring tones, music and other digital content directly to consumers so they can buy from content provider mobile portals rather than through the carrier's portal – which costs 25-30% of the revenue generated. Content owners are seeking direct access to consumers without having to pay an intermediary. Carriers want to control the quality of the user experience and are concerned about protecting their lucrative content delivery revenues and worried that giving consumers direct access to content could spawn higher churn. Verizon Wireless does not allow subscribers to access content outside its portal, though has begun the process of looking at content providers who want to offer services directly to customers – and will require them to abide by certain guidelines. While Cingular allows its mobile data subscribers to visit any WAP-enabled site, Verizon does not plan to give consumers free reign to surf for mobile content – restricting access to content it has certified. Content providers will need to certify they have the rights to distribute the content they're delivering, and Verizon will allow access only to content deemed appropriate for all ages and will ensure sites that can be accessed are free of viruses. Billing is a key challenge content providers face in offering content directly to consumers. Billing relationships with carriers avoid requiring consumers to enter credit card information on a mobile site. Analysts expect the mobile operators will eventually lose their grip on content, much as AOL and Prodigy did as the wireline Internet service provider market evolved in the ‘90s. Of an estimated 180 million cell phone subscribers in the U.S., about 74 million currently buy content for their phones. Wireless carriers are targeting the remaining 106 million mobile consumers with data and multimedia services. People who subscribe to data services typically outspend voice-only subscribers by about $6 per month, with some consumers spending up to $20 per month on downloadable content for their phones.
11/21/2005 4:33:08 PM Verizon Cingular wireless broadband content delivery portal
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iPods, Playstations to Tune in TiVo [CNN Money]
TiVo will begin testing an enhanced TiVoToGo feature to let subscribers transfer recorded television programming to Apple iPods or Sony's PSP’s. TiVo software will translates the programming into files that can be read on either the iPod or Sony's PSP, with anti-piracy watermarks on the video files traceable to originating computers. The new feature will likely be available only to non-DirecTV customers.
11/21/2005 4:32:09 PM TiVo TiVoToGo iPod PSP DirecTV
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TV Networks Support DVR Viewing [News.com]
After initial concerns that DVRs would undermine the commercial value of broadcast television, the major networks issued a report with the principal finding that DVRs that allow viewers to watch shows at their leisure will boost viewership to major network television programs. CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, the WB and UPN said the technology offers an opportunity to attract viewers who might otherwise miss shows when they first air. The networks reported that homes with a DVR watched 5.7 hours of television daily compared with 5.1 hours for homes without the device. DVR households watch 90% of their TV at original broadcast time, and the remaining 10% is the recorded shows – largely made up of the most popular broadcast programs during a given season. 90% of viewers said they skipped all or most commercials when they watched a show played back on DVR. 58% paid attention to the commercials in a fast-forward mode, and 53% have gone back to watch an ad that interested them. Nielsen will begin to issue national television ratings in January that include DVR playbacks within a day of original airing and up to 7 days later. 8% of US homes use a DVR, with an estimated 39% forecast by 2010.
11/18/2005 4:31:25 PM Nielsen DVR penetration TV households viewership usage report
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CBS.com Streams Threshold [Media Week]
CBS will stream 3 commercial-free episodes of its new drama Threshold on CBS.com with free access, marking the first time CBS.com has streamed free video of scripted-series on the Internet.
11/18/2005 4:30:31 PM CBS Threshold commercial-free broadband Internet TV
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NBA Plays Broadband [Media Week]
The NBA is launching NBA TV Broadband, an ad-supported online video web site that will provide NBA fans free access to game footage and commentary. The new site will feature game highlights, including highlights from games currently in progress. After halftime fans will be able to play highlights of the first half, and clips from the entire game after completion – with memorable in-game moments pushed onto the site as quickly as possible. Fans can have game video highlights sent to their desktops or mobile device via an NBA video RSS feed. The site will also carry news roundup NBA TV Daily, talk show NBA TV Insiders, and other programming from the NBA TV cable network. NBA TV Broadband will also provide access to the TNT Overtime – a new Web site that features footage from TNT network's coverage of NBA games with popular pre and post game shows. The site will include 15- and 30-second video ad spots and corresponding banners ads from Toyota, Reebok, Nike, Converse and Sony PlayStation.
11/16/2005 4:25:37 PM NBA TV Broadband ad-supported online video game footage
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RipeTV Grabs Ads for Launch [Media Week]
RipeTV launched its multi-platform digital network targeted to 18-34 males. The video-based network will be delivered over media platforms including broadband Internet, Comcast video-on-demand, and various mobile devices. Programming consists of 5-15 minute short-form clips, including music videos and extreme-sports. Ad deals for launch include Dodge, Procter & Gamble's Old Spice, Boost Mobile and Midway Games. RipeTV's ads are inserted into programming dynamically and are sold on a guaranteed impression basis. A VOD version of the RipeTV network was tested on Comcast last summer, resulting in 3 million program views.
11/15/2005 4:21:34 PM RipeTV broadband wireless on-demand TV network advertisers
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Yahoo, Google to Launch New Wireless Services [Mercury News]
Yahoo and Google will soon roll out new wireless services, utilizing advanced networks and phones to provide advanced features. SBC and Yahoo are expanding their partnership to merge video, wireless and phone services with an SBC-Yahoo phone to be manufactured by Nokia and released next year priced from $200 to $300. The phone will include an MP3 player, a camera, and a memory card and will operate on Cingular. Google Local will allow certain cellphone models to access satellite maps wirelessly and scroll through as they do Google Maps. Sprint Nextel reported $550 million in Q3 wireless data services revenue, up 60% from a year earlier.
11/15/2005 4:20:05 PM SBC-Yahoo cellphone Cingular Google Local
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DVR Data Becomes Hot Issue [Media Week]
Nielsen’s move to incorporate playback viewing from digital video recorders into daily ratings reports sparked a debate over how advertising time should be bought and sold. Broadcast and cable networks have been pushing Nielsen to revise the ratings system to include tracking viewers watching prerecorded shows – allowing them to more easily charge advertisers for the larger audience. Advertisers are not as interested in including DVR viewing reported because research shows a high percentage of viewers skip through the ads. Top-10 media agencies Magna Global and Mediaedge:cia declared that they will not use Neilsen’s revised system for negotiating deals for the 2006 upfront market, but will stick with the “live” viewing numbers that have been available all along. This is not likely to change until Nielsen starts issuing ratings that measure the level of commercial skipping – which is not expected in the near term. OMD is conducting a DVR usage study with TiVo, Comcast and other cable operators to better understand how the devices affect viewing. DVR penetration is estimated bewteen 7% to 13% of households, and expected to grow to 30-40% penetration within 5 years.
11/15/2005 4:18:08 PM Nielsen ratings prerecorded shows Magna Global Mediaedge:cia DVR penetration
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Warner Bros, AOL to Launch Classic TV Shows Online [LA Times]
Time Warner plans to make 100 TV series that have fallen out of syndication available for free viewing, establishing the first major archive of TV shows on the Web. The “In2TV” joint venture between Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution and America Online will launch in January, reviving once-popular TV programs that have fallen out of syndication and tapping into the booming market for streaming video commercials. Viewers will see 4 commercial breaks of 15 or 30 seconds during each half-hour show (AOL is negotiating with major sponsors such as PepsiCo), and will choose shows from 6 channels, then watch episodes streamed to their computers. AOL will also offer trivia contests and polls and will allow viewers to e-mail short videos to their friends (i.e., such as clips of Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jay Leno and other celebrities before they became famous). AOL will initially license shows exclusively from Warner Bros., and share the ad revenue. AOL wants to expand its offerings by including TV programs from other studios. Over the last year AOL and Warner Bros have cleared music rights for 300 of the studio's 800 TV series, including "Falcon Crest," "Kung Fu," "Welcome Back, Kotter," "Chico and the Man," "Alice," "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" and "Eight is Enough." In2TV users will be able watch the shows when connected to the Internet but won't be allowed to download them to their PCs or mobile devices. AOL will make only 10 episodes from each TV series at a time available to choose from.
11/14/2005 9:12:06 AM Time Warner Warner Bros AOL Internet TV series classics In2TV
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'Lost' Finds Alternate Reality Online [News.com]
The producers of "Lost" are tapping the paranoia-inducing "alternate reality game" model, using online teases, puzzles and "Easter eggs" to help keep the buzz around the popular show at a fever pitch between episodes and through the long dry spell of summer. The studio has created an expanding set of Web sites (such as Oceanic-Air.com) offering troves of short videos, stills, maps and other tidbits to provide hints of new background for the characters to provide clues or raise questions about the mysteries in the show itself. The “alternative reality” sites serve as a gateway to the TV show with a seductive mix of mystery and revelation tapping into a new cross-media vein of interactive storytelling that media researchers say is a natural development in an increasingly wired world.
11/14/2005 8:48:29 AM ABC Lost alternate reality TV website easter eggs
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Sony Beams Wireless Video to PSP [Extreme Tech]
Sony has expanded its LocationFree wireless multimedia network to support PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld gaming devices. The upgrade allows PSP owners to stream TV programs or movies via any WiFi hotspot from their broadband-connected LocationFree base station (retails for $350) set up in their home. Previously, consumers could use LocationFree only through certain broadband-equipped Sony TV monitors and Vaio notebook PCs. Using LocationFree, PSP owners can view wireless content stored within their home networks as well as additional content hosted on the service by Sony. Sony recently upgraded the PSP to allow access to the Internet from Wi-Fi hotspots and photo-sharing, and enhanced video and audio playback. Sony increased its worldwide PSP shipment target to 14 million units for this year.
11/13/2005 3:46:23 PM Sony LocationFree PSP TV
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1% of Mobile Subs Now Using Video [Media Week]
A recent survey found that 1% of mobile subscribers viewed video on their phones in September, with 6.1 million subscribers saying they plan to view mobile video in the coming year and males under 35 demonstrating the highest propensity to use mobile video. 39.4 million Americans own multimedia-enabled phones, and ownership of video phones has doubled since January. 27% of the 1.6 million subscribers who viewed a short video clip in September did so at least once per week. 51% of the 1.4 million subscribers who viewed streaming video accessed it several times during the month.
11/13/2005 1:46:58 PM mobile video subscriber penetration
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Heavy Content Made iPod-Ready [Media Week]
Heavy.com is launching some of the first free ad-supported programming designed for the video iPod. Its "Must Stream TV" programming lineup includes programs such as "Behind the Music that Sucks" with sponsorship by Burger King. Heavy.com was among the first content companies to release video geared specifically for Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP).
11/7/2005 11:50:31 AM Heavy.com ad-supported broadband video iPod PSP
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Porn May Be On the Way for iPods [AZ Central]
Playboy and Penthouse may make adult movies for Apple's iPod and other portable video players. Penthouse is in talks with device makers to provide adult videos and plans to adapt movies and make new ones tailored to portable video players. Playboy and Penthouse are ramping up video production to bolster profit from slumping revenue at their magazines. RBC's Bank upgraded Playboy to "outperform" from "sector perform," prompted by the potential from new content delivery devices. Apple offers video content that is rated "explicit" on its iTunes Web site and offers parental controls to iTunes users who want to limit which content their children can access.
11/7/2005 11:48:43 AM Playboy Penthouse iPod portable video players adult content
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NHL, ESPN Pact on New Media [Media Week]
The NHL reached a new media agreement with ESPN, which had previously televised the league's games (they are now televised on OLN). ESPN will deliver NHL game highlights via Mobile ESPN, and will re-air recent and archival games on ESPN Classic.
11/7/2005 11:48:21 AM NHL ESPN Mobile game highlights
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MSN to Screen 'Maxim' Video Clips [Media Week]
MSN inked a deal with Maxim to get 5 exclusive video clips per week for publishing on the MSN site. The broadband video content will include photo shoots, celebrity interviews, and auto and music reviews. MSN has expanded its Web video content and now has dozens of sports, news and entertainment videos via its partnerships with NBC, Fox Sports and Universal Music Group.
11/7/2005 11:46:14 AM MSN Maxim broadband video clips Internet
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CBS, NBC make VOD play [Hollywood Reporter]
Deals between CBS and Comcast and between NBC and DirecTV will allow viewers to watch current primetime broadcast hits for a fee just hours after they air for free. CBS and NBC plan to charge $.99 per episode for selected series. The CBS-Comcast VOD offering will cover "CSI," "NCIS," "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race." "CSI" and "NCIS" will be available in standard def and HD for 24 hours after viewers order, with the window opening the midnight after the original episode airs and closing before the next episode. "Survivor" and "Race" share less sensitive syndication windows and a lack of broadcast repeats – and will offer a library of past episodes on-demand. The CBS-Comcast deal will keep the commercials that aired as part of the original broadcasts intact, and the VOD package will be available only to owned-and-operated stations within Comcast's digital footprint of 9 million homes. NBC’s deal with DirecTV does not include commercials and will cover "Surface," "The Office," and "Law & Order" spinoffs; as well as USA’s "Monk" and Sci Fi’s "Battlestar Galactica." The NBC deal does not cover programming whose cable syndication window lies outside the conglomerate – resulting in "Law & Order" spinoffs on USA and Bravo will be accessible in the new offering but not the original series (airs on TNT). NBC-DirecTV programming will be available to subscribers who purchase the new DirecTV Plus Interactive DVR – for up to a week after broadcast.
11/6/2005 11:45:17 AM CBS Comcast NBC DirecTV Plus Interactive DVR primetime episode on-demand
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Yahoo, TiVo team up to blend their services [MSNBC]
Yahoo and TiVo announced a partnership to offer Yahoo’s Internet content and services through TiVo’s digital video recording devices. Users of Yahoo’s TV page will be able click ‘record-to-TiVo’ buttons to remotely schedule recordings from a television program listing. Yahoo will also make traffic and weather content viewable on televisions via TiVo’s broadband service, along with users’ photos. TiVo has 3.6 million subscribers.
11/6/2005 11:39:21 AM Yahoo TiVo partnership record-to-TiVo traffic weather photos
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Nintendo to Offer Free Wi-Fi Access [Red Herring]
Nintendo announced it will offer free wireless broadband access in Europe and Asia for users of its DS handheld game consoles. Gamers in the UK will have access to free Wi-Fi hot spots at 7,500 locations, including McDonald’s restaurants and select coffeehouses, hotels, gas stations, railway stations, airports, football stadiums, and in major video game stores. McDonald’s recently said it will offer free Wi-Fi access in the US to users of Nintendo’s DS handheld game consoles.
11/6/2005 11:14:33 AM Nintendo DS handheld game consoles free Wi-Fi wireless broadband
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TV's New Parallel Universe [Business Week]
With improved broadband speeds and online video quality, along with an estimated 40 million U.S. subscribers, TV executives are rushing to connect with younger audiences via the Internet and recapture ad dollars that have migrated away from the 30-second TV spot. Broadband is expected to allow executives to take more chances on new programming with low-cost pilots that will allow them to go up against a slew of upstarts creating their own channels. Comedy Central’s MotherLoad broadband channel provides users with access to 500 free comedy clips (plus 80 new clips per week) which they can e-mail to friends – 80% of Comedy Central cable viewers have broadband. Internet TV service company Brightcove has been hired by Viacom, A&E, and Oxygen to help them create new broadband channels.
11/6/2005 11:13:47 AM Broadband TV low-cost pilots
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VH1 Classic Special Gets Online Tease [Broadcasting & Cable]
VH1 Classic announced it would run a portion of its Thanksgiving special “A Very Classic Thanksgiving” on its broadband network Vspot 7 days before the special runs on cable. VH1 Classic will run the first of 4 15-minute segments in the special on Vspot, marking VH1 Classic’s first ever advance premiere of a show on the web. VH1 premiered the latest season of “The Surreal Life” on Vspot 3 days before it ran on cable. MTV Networks also operates broadband sites for MTV (Overdrive), mtvU (MTV Uber), Nickelodeon (TurboNick), and Comedy Central (MotherLoad). VH1 Classic launched in 2000 and now reaches 33 million homes.
11/6/2005 9:07:44 AM VH1 Classic Vspot cable network web premiere
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Motorola, MTV Air ‘Mobisodes’ [Red Herring]
Motorola and MTV International launched an entertainment series for cell phones throughout the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America, and Europe. The ‘mobisodes’ will be distributed to US carriers through Comedy Central. The show, “Head and Body,” consists of 8 short mobisodes lasting 2-3 minutes each, featuring comic sketches involving a man whose head is detached from his body and his mishaps trying to keep them together. The mobisodes will be available for individual purchase, or as part of a subscription service – depending on the wireless carrier. The series will be available on high-speed 3G wireless networks, with shorter highlight clips also available on lower-speed 2.5G networks. The show is part of a $75-million, 3-year deal signed by MTV and Motorola in 2003 to extend MTV programming to wireless devices. MTV operates 3 mobile TV channels in Europe and plans to launch dozens more in coming months.
11/6/2005 8:58:23 AM Motorola MTV Head and Body mobisodes mobile TV channels
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Mobile Entertainment Faces Issues [News.com]
The ring tone business generated $217 million in revenue in 2004 for cell phone providers. Wireless operators, content providers and cell phone makers see huge opportunities in the addition of music and entertainment content, though business challenges loom as they try to create partnerships that will satisfy customers without eroding their existing markets. The new Rokr handset from Apple and Motorola allows users to download full-length songs from their iTunes libraries, though is restricted to hold only 100 songs even when ample memory is available for more – most likely an attempt by Apple to protect its iPod business. The Rokr phone also restricts songs downloaded into it from iTunes from being used as ring tones – likely imposed by Cingular to protect its lucrative ring tone deals. Rokr owners are also prevented from downloading songs directly from the iTunes Web site (they may access music only from the iTunes library on their PC) –likely due in part to Cingular’s plans to launch its own music download service next year (as will Verizon and Sprint).
11/5/2005 2:33:13 AM Apple Motorola Rokr handset music downloads
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NBC Goes Online With Daily News [Reuters]
NBC announced it will begin making a 21-minute version of "NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams" available online at MSNBC.com every weeknight at 10 p.m. ET, marking the first full newscast by a Big Three network available online for free. MSNBC.com will deliver one video ad per break, from advertisers not necessarily on the original newscast. ABC News offers segments of "World News Tonight" on ABCNews.com and via a premium service. CBS offers an 8-minute nightly newscast along with the ability to customize the newscast using a video player. Other NBC News shows, such as "Today," may also become available online on MSNBC.com -- though it faces more complex rights issues surrounding music and other non-NBC content.
11/5/2005 2:32:35 AM NBC Nightly News Internet TV newscast
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Comedy Central MotherLoad Screens Web Originals [Lost Remote]
Comedy Central’s “MotherLoad” broadband network is organized around 5 channels, each of which is themed and programmed on a weekly basis and updated every weekday. In addition to clips from shows on the Comedy Central cable networks, Motherload will offer Web originals. "Odd Todd" offers 11 episodes of Internet cult sensation Todd and his adventures in unemployment. "I Love the Thirties" features 10 episodes parodying a nostalgic look back at the 1930's and hilarious fads and trends such as The Great Depression, The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping and others. “Shadow Rock" is 8 episodes of dark and twisted cartoons from Max Cannon, the artist behind the popular cult comic strip "Red Meat." "Meet the Creeps" offers 10 episodes of an extreme hidden camera show. Comedy Central’s short-film showcase "Jump Cuts" moves from cable to broadband, with a new short comedy film every week. "TV Listings" is a guide to everything else on television. Original projects in development include live-action narratives, animation, topical stand-up performances, sketch comedy series and a movie review show.
11/5/2005 2:32:01 AM Comedy Central Motherload original webisode programming
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Yahoo’s Big Content Adventure [Red Herring]
Yahoo has hired adventure traveler Richard Bangs to produce the Richard Bangs Adventures site, which will carry digital accounts of the expeditions of adventure travel firm Mountain Travel Sobek. The site will allow visitors to add to blogs and post their own videos. The announcement marks the third video programming deal by Yahoo, who also sees user-generated content as a big growth area.
11/5/2005 2:30:54 AM Yahoo Richard Bangs Adventures site Mountain Travel Sobek
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Comcast Builds Mini Internet to Fend Off Rivals [Post-Gazette]
CBS is developing an online service as a “cable bypass” for people to watch as an alternative to the early evening news. Phone giants SBC and Verizon are using Internet-based technologies to offer consumers access to libraries of on-demand movies and TV shows. Cable giant Comcast is responding to the new competition by building a TV version of the Internet, stocked with movies, archived television programs and other interactive features, including search. Comcast offers more on-demand programs than most other cable operators and plans to grow it to 10,000 programs – up from 3,500 titles today, consisting of 250 free movies, 500 music videos, 300 kids shows, NFL Replay game highlight clips, and shows from newtorks such as A&E, Oxygen and MTV.
11/5/2005 2:28:43 AM Comcast video on-demand Internet
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FoodNetwork.com Cooks Up Web Special [Media Post]
FoodNetwork.com announced its first exclusive online video series, "Eat This With Dave Lieberman." The show will consist of 13 episodes running between 3 and 5 minutes long, 3 of which pill be posted on the website each week – following a young chef through trendy food locales in 5 major cities, interviewing subjects experimenting with hot food trends. Each "webisode" is presented on the website with interactive content such as recipes, photo galleries, and travel guides -- along with bonus footage and an abridged 60-second version of each episode. FoodNetwork.com will provide a travelogue of every show location and will show popular eateries in each city. Microsoft advertises on the Food Network cable channel and throughout FoodNetwork.com, and is the exclusive sponsor of "Eat This."
11/5/2005 2:26:51 AM FoodNetwork.com online video series Eat This With Dave Lieberman
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Sony Ships 10 Million PSPs [Red Herring]
Sony announced it has shipped 10 million PlayStation Portables in the 10 months since December, and plans to ship 13 million by the end of the year. Sony shipped 3 million PSPs in Japan since its launch last December; 4.5 million units since March in North America; and 2.5 million units in Europe since September. Sony leads the video game console market with 70% market share with its PlayStation 2, though Nintendo has led the portable market with Nintendo DS (5.2 million units) and the Game Boy Micro.
11/5/2005 2:20:02 AM Sony PSP 10 million units shipped Nintendo DS
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iTunes Breaks One Million Video Barrier [Silicon.com]
Apple announced it has sold 1 million videos within 19 days of the launch of its video iPod, which also includes videos downloaded to Macs and PC. By comparison, Apple’s iTunes Music Store sold 1 million tracks in the first four days after it opened in Japan earlier this year.
11/5/2005 2:19:18 AM Apple video iPod iTunes one million sold
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Traffic Surges At TV Sites [Media Post]
The crop of new shows this season sent fans to the Web, with a spike in traffic at TV-related sites up 8% to 69.3 million unique visitors from 64.4 million in August. ABC.com saw a 90% surge to 7.6 million visitors. Traffic at MSN Television surged to 10.2 million unique visitors (up 76% from August); AOL Television traffic increased 45% to 10.6 million unique visitors; and Yahoo! TV grew by 30% to 8.3 million unique visitors.
11/5/2005 1:47:32 AM TV website traffic spike
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Comedy Central Unveils Motherload Net [Media Week]
Comedy Central unveiled its new broadband network Motherload, with 5 video channels featuring clips from Comedy Central’s programming as well as original content produced for the broadband network. The channels will offer 450 video clips at launch and be updated 5 days a week, with a total of 50-80 new clips added each week. Motherload has a variety of new programs in development, including a sketch comedy series and a movie reviews show. Much of the TV Shows content will resemble “DVD-extras,” primarily consisting of short clips and not full-length episodes – which will more likely premiere on Yahoo and other major portals. Verizon Broadband will be Motherload’s lead sponsor at launch, running 15 and 30-second spots and banners. Like MTV Overdrive, one ad will run for every three pieces of video content a user consumes. Comedy Central is also touting custom advertiser programs, such as a series of original, sponsored shorts produced for Verizon featuring a standup comedian. Motherload content will gradually find its way onto mobile devices. “Daily Show” clips are available on Verizon’s VCast service, and in negotiating with Sprint TV.
11/5/2005 1:46:40 AM Comedy Central Motherload Daily Show Internet TV Mobile Verizon VCast
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The Lowdown on Mobile TV [News.com]
Mobile TV is being hyped as the next big moneymaker for mobile phone operators. Services are gaining popularity in Asia and Europe and U.S. operators are now offering services of their own. 500,000 people subscribe to a mobile TV service today, of the estimated 200 million cell phone subscribers in the U.S. The typical mobile TV viewer is between the ages of 20 and 40 years old and two-thirds are male. Plans cost between $10-13 per month for basic TV service on top of a multimedia/data package of $20 per month, and some phones are offered by carriers for free. Video quality depends on the quality of the phone and the network that it is sent over. 3G cellular networks run video at 15 frames per second. Sprint and Cingular run video over their existing cell networks, which can run as slow as 3 to 4 frames per second. Analysts caution that if too many people sign up for video services, wireless networks could be overwhelmed as ocurred in South Korea, which built a separate satellite network to broadcast its mobile TV service after the wireless network became congested within 8 to 9 months of launch.
11/5/2005 1:45:52 AM Mobile TV viewership video quality network congestion
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NBC, Time Warner Deal to Let Viewers Start Over
NBC and Time Warner Cable announced a broad carriage renewal agreement that includes video on demand rights and new interactive television services. The agreement grants Time Warner the right to offer some NBC cable and network programs using its new "Start Over" feature – letting viewers restart shows already in progress, though they will not be able to fast forward past commercials. Certain programs on NBC, USA, CNBC, MSNBC, Bravo and SCI FI will have "Start Over." NBC will also develop interactive TV services for Time Warner Cable and participate in new technology trials.
11/4/2005 4:27:36 PM NBC Time Warner Cable carriage renewal video on demand Start Over interactive TV
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Google Shows TV Star Talks [Red Herring]
Google teamed with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation to put online the first 75 videos of the Foundation’s collection of 284 interviews with TV performers, producers, directors, and executives about the history of television. Google has been expanding its video search capabilities to compete against Yahoo, blinkx, AOL and others to provide access to free video content. Google also plans to offer paid content as well as the free content available now.
11/4/2005 4:23:45 PM Google Television Academy interviews online video
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Video iPod Puts Wrinkle in TV Advertising [News.com]
Apple's video-enabled iPod replays some of the hottest TV shows within a day of their broadcast without commercials, and is expected to prod advertisers to find a foothold in portable media players. Apple does not allow advertising on its iPod platform, though is expected to soon if it can share in a lucrative new revenue stream. Advertisers may push ABC and other networks to assure that their ads will remain embedded in a show for a period of time. Marketers may sponsor video downloads requiring viewers to watch an ad first, or embed their brands into program storylines.
11/4/2005 4:10:15 PM Apple iPod video advertising
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Sony Readies New PSP Bundle [GameSpot]
Sony announced it will offer a new 'PSP Giga Pack' for the holiday season, priced at $299 and including an upgrade from the 32MB memory stick to a 1GB 'PSP-stick' (will also be sold separately) -- ample storage for music or a movie.
11/4/2005 4:09:38 PM Sony PSP Giga Pack 1GB PSP-stick
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Yahoo!, mtvU Face Reality [Media Week]
In conjunction with MTV's mtvU, Yahoo! announced it is launching online reality series "IMU: I Miss You," following 3 college couples enduring long distance romances. The students stay in touch with each other using Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Mobile, Yahoo! Messenger with Voice, and the new blogging and social networking platform, Yahoo! 360. Fans will be able to read through all of the couples' digital communications on the website. IMU premieres as both as a TV series on mtvU and online at Promotions.Yahoo.com/IMU. The IMU series marks Yahoo!’s second major programming launch, following that of of Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone, which follows a war correspondent through various conflict regions around the world.
11/3/2005 3:26:45 PM MTV mtvU Yahoo IMU I Miss You
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Video iPod Gets a Little Steamier [News.com]
Numerous sources of content for Apple's video iPod are appearing online. The iPod supports any video content stored in H.264 or MPEG-4 formats. Elgato's EyeTV and other add-on tuners offer the means of recording shows on the Mac and exporting them in a format that works with the video iPod. Independent adult content producers such as Suicide Girls and Povpod.com and a handful of video podcasts are some of the first offering downloadable videos reconfigured for the iPod.
11/3/2005 3:25:20 PM video iPod EyeTV Suicide Girls Povpod
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Mobile TV Rundown [Red Herring]
Video aggregators including GoTV, MobiTV, RTV on Real TV, and Smart Video are bundling acquired and original live and on-demand video content into mobile TV networks. Cingular Wireless offers offers MobiTV for $9.99 per month as part of its MediaNet package, priced from $4.99 per month for 1 megabit of traffic to $19.99 for unlimited monthly service. Sprint TV offers MobiTV at $9.99 per month on top of the $25 per month Spring PCS Vision Multimedia Service, with additional premium channels priced from $3.95 to $6.95 per month. T-Mobile offers 3 streaming TV channels to subscribers in Germany, with no mobile-TV service planned in the U.S. until 2007. Priced at $15 per month, Verizon V Cast is the first 3G wireless broadband multimedia service in the US, and requires a compatible phone or mobile device – offering content from several cable networks and clips from popular network shows.
11/3/2005 3:24:42 PM Cingular Sprint MobiTV T-Mobile Verizon V Cast mobile TV
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AOL Rolling Out Project Freshman [Media Week]
After recent failures on TV like The Cut and The Contender, the reality genre is re-emerging on the Web. AOL’s Project Freshman online reality series will chronicle 6 college freshmen's real life experiences on 6 different campuses with weekly episodes on the teen-centric AOL’ Red. The students in Project Freshman will shoot their own video with a DV Camera, also recording confessionals and posting a blog on AOL Red.
11/2/2005 3:16:59 PM AOL Red Project Freshman IMU: I Miss You online reality series
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Verizon to Offer WWE 24/7 On-demand on FiOS IPTV Service [ITVT]
Verizon, has signed a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment, to offer the WWE 24/7 subscription VOD service on its newly launched FiOS TV service. WWE 24/7 offers a 75,000-hour library of wrestling content.
11/2/2005 3:16:06 PM Verizon FioS TV IPTV WWE 24/7 World Wrestling Entertainment
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IBM Teams with NFL for Fast Video Retrieval [Red Herring]
IBM announced it has teamed with the National Football League to make its vast library of game video easier to search as part of an overall strategy to build video storage and retrieval systems tuned to the needs of vertical markets with large content repositories. The NFL deal involves coaching videos made by each team to review on-field performance and plan tactical plays for upcoming games. IBM’s technology is designed to take the time-lag out of cataloging and accessing specific information after footage is sent to NFL Films for cataloging. The new system reduces from 5-6 hours to 5 seconds the time required to call up sophisticated retrieval requests, such as all clips of all third-and-seven-plus plays by the Dallas offense this season. IBM recently launched two new interactive television services during the U.S. Open. The company demonstrated On Demand scoring, a system that delivers scores in real time to broadcasters and fans, and Point Tracker, an animated graphics tool that recreates the trajectory of each shot.
11/2/2005 3:14:40 PM IBM NFL video search retrieval On Demand scoring Point Tracker graphics
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Endemol to Launch Mobile TV Channels [BBC News]
TV producer Endemol announced plans to launch 2 new channels for the mobile phone market -- the Extreme Reality Channel, featuring "weird" clips from the world of entertainment, and a Comedy Channel. According to Endemol, Big Brother fans in Australia, Italy and the UK viewed 6 million streaming minutes and 500,000 downloaded clips on their cell phones during 2005. A projected 65 million cell phone users worldwide subscribe to streaming or broadcast TV services by 2010. Interactivity and original material is considered vital to the future success of persuading mobile phone users to view TV on their small screens.
11/2/2005 3:13:47 PM Endemol Extreme Reality Comedy Channel mobile TV usage forecast
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Netflix Delays Movie Download Service [Video Business]
Netflix said it is delaying plans to launch an Internet movie download service this year, due to limited movie content availability. The biggest obstacle to download services are exclusive agreements in place with pay TV outlets limiting the number of movies available for download online. Though Blockbuster recently warned of slowed subscriber growth, Netflix reported a 61% increase in subscriptions during Q3 – counting 3.6 million subscribers, after adding 396,000 subs in Q3. Netflix expects to close the year with between 4 million and 4.2 million subscribers, growing to 5.65 million subscribers in 2006.
11/2/2005 2:54:00 PM Netflix delays Internet movie downloads
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56% of Internet Users Watch Video [Media Metrix]
94 million Web users in the U.S. (56% of the Internet population) viewed streaming video online in June 2005. 18 to 34 year-old males viewed an average of 84 minutes in June. Male users account for 50% of the total online population yet represent 61% of video streamers, viewing an average 72.4 minutes of video downloads per month. Women watch about 70.6 minutes per month. Average monthly video viewership over a 3-month period ending in June 2005 reached 73 minutes. The Daytime daypart (10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) generates highest viewership (averaging 18 streams per user), followed by Late Night (1 a.m. to 7 a.m.) with 17 streams, then Late Fringe (11 p.m. to 1 a.m.) with 15 streams per user.
11/2/2005 2:51:26 PM Internet video viewership demographic daypart usage
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MTV acquires IFILM to expand Web presence [Reuters]
MTV has acquired IFILM for $49 million as part of its ongoing effort to expand its broadband Web presence. MTV expects to increase IFILM's current reach to over 10 million users a month and boost advertising revenues.
11/2/2005 2:50:53 PM MTV acquires iFilm
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Networks Enter Brave New World Beyond TV Sets [Sun Herald.com]
Apple Computer and Disney announced that the new video iPod will offer episodes of ABC's “Desperate Housewives',” and “Lost,”' the new “Night Stalker,” and Disney Channel’s “That’s So Raven” and “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” the day after they air. The shows cost $1.99 to download and can be played on the iPod's 2.5-inch screen, a computer or a TV. UPN recently streamed the debut of “Everybody Hates Chris” on Google. The WB offered the opening episode of “Supernatural” on Yahoo. Showtime premiered “Fat Actress” online, and the Sci Fi channel has offered complete episodes of “Battlestar Galactica” on its Web site. A recent survey found that 20% of respondents would “definitely” be willing to pay $1 to buy an episode without commercials. A majority said they would be “somewhat likely” to use such a service at some point. CBS estimates that level of response, could result in initial annual revenue of $5 billion for the networks. Other analysts note that video-on-demand “has grown through delivering free programming. Consumers have not necessarily shown a willingness to pay for programs.''
11/1/2005 2:49:41 PM Apple iPod video Disney ABC Desperate Housewives Lost
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Akimbo Adds Hallmark, Outdoor Channel [Multichannel News]
Akimbo announced it is adding library movies and miniseries from the Hallmark Channel’s 3,000-hour library, and shows from The Outdoor Channel’s on-demand package to its Internet VOD service.
11/1/2005 2:49:09 PM Akimbo Hallmark Outdoor Channel Internet Video-on-demand
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Verizon's TV dreams [News.com]
Verizon is now offering its new Fios TV service, which uses a fiber-optic network to deliver TV programming and interactivity over the Internet. The Fios service will include interactive features such as an interactive fantasy sports application that lets viewers compare statistics and keep track of points on their TV while they're watching games. 80% of the U.S. population subscribes to paid TV services such as cable or satellite. Satellite providers took a decade to reach 12.5% market penetration. Verizon expects to acquire customers from cable and satellite services with an emphasis on customer service. SBC plans to launch its own IP-based "U-Verse" TV service next year using software from Microsoft. Carriers around the world, such as Bell Canada, Swisscom and Telecom Italia, are using Microsoft technology in their IPTV networks.
11/1/2005 1:34:17 PM Verizon Fios TV IPTV SBC U-Verse Microsoft
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mtvU Launches Broadband-Only Channel [Press Release]
24-hour college network mtvU unveiled MTV's first broadband-only channel, “mtVU Uber.” In addition to mtvU's on-air programming, "mtvU Uber" will showcase original music and short-form programming and student-produced short films, music videos, animation, webisodes. The website’s “Rough Cut” area allows student bands and artists to upload their own music videos and let the college audience decide online if they make “The Cut.” The “Unveil” series premieres exclusive live performances of highly anticipated albums, with artists performing a new song from their new album to debut each day leading up to the album's release. In “Breaking the Video” students compete to produce and direct music videos for their favorite artists. mtvU broadcasts to 730 colleges across the country, with combined enrollment of 6.8 million.
11/1/2005 1:33:20 PM mtvU Uber rough cut unveil breaking the video online video
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BBC to Launch Broadband Media Player Trial [ITVT]
The BBC announced that 5,000 viewers will participate in the second phase of its integrated Media Player (iMP) trial that will offer UK broadband users access to TV programs online for 7 days after their initial broadcast. The technology has the working title “MyBBCPlayer.” During the initial iMP trial which ran for 3 months in the Summer of 2004, 40% of participants accessed the broadband service 2 to 3 times a week; 75% felt the BBC needed to provide this kind of service; and 60% said they wanted to use the service to watch TV when it suited them. The iMP service uses peer-to-peer distribution technology from Kontiki, with DRM software that deletes programs after 7 days and prevents users from emailing video files to other users or burning them to discs. A planned broadband programming service from BSkyB is also expected to utilize Kontiki’s technology. The BBC will initially restrict access to the service to UK users using geo-IP software, though is expected to eventually open the system for access worldwide on a pay-per-view basis.
10/28/2005 8:22:03 PM BBC integrated Media Player iMP MyBBCPlayer trial
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Apple Unveils Video iPod, iTunes TV Shows [Fortune]
Apple unveiled its new video iPod featuring a 2.5in color screen, video-output port, and access to the iTunes store now stocked with 2,000 downloadable music videos for sale at $1.99 each, short films from Pixar, and current episodes of Desperate Housewives, Lost, and 3 other shows from ABC. A 30GB video iPod is priced at $299, while a 60GB model sells for $399. The iTunes video store uses Apple's FairPlay content protection software and the company’s new Front Row media-management software. Apple announced it had sold 6.5 million iPods in Q3, bringing lifetime sales to 30 million units.
10/21/2005 10:26:31 AM Apple iPod video TV shows ABC Desperate Housewives Lost FairPlay Front Row
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Smaller Video Producers Seek Audiences on Net [The Ledger]
Dan Myrick, co-director of “The Blair Witch Project,” is launching an Internet-only series called “The Strand of Venice,” a moody drama set in Venice, CA. Visitors to strandvenice.com may watch the 50-minute pilot episode for free. Future episodes will be 30-minutes and cost 99 cents to view. The show is using new online video production software from Brightcove that makes it easier for producers to distribute video programs, allowing shows to become profitable on as low as 100,000 subscribers. Brightcove is creating a network that will sell video ads associated with independent video producers, whom it allows to charge fees to watch or download video and to distribute video content to third-party websites with revenue-sharing. Eco-Nova currently produces "Oceans of Mystery" for the Discovery Network and offers daily videos on its Ship Wreck Central Web site called "Live from the Dive," with clips preceded by 30-second advertisements sold by Brightcove. Eco-Nova will additionally offer a $10-a-month subscription service that will let users watch clips from the company’s 10 years of underwater exploration.
10/21/2005 10:25:51 AM Brightcove Shipwreck Central Discovery Networks
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Video-laced Websites Evolve into Pseudo-TV stations [USA Today]
Online news and entertainment video is booming, with video traffic doubling every 6 to 8 months on average at websites that offer video. When UPN pre-empted WWE’s “Friday Night Smackdown” series for Hurrican Katrina coverate, WWE put the show on its website. The webcast attracted 500,000 viewers for a show that averages 5 million viewers weekly. Yahoo now webcasts former WB summer TV concert series “Pepsi Smash” (pepsismash.com) along with “Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone.” AOL webcasts “The Biz: The Battle for the Best Job in Music,” an online reality series competition amongst 8 contestants for a job to run a music label; Project Freshman, in which 6 college freshmen shoot their own footage and write blogs for the site; and TMZ offers video segments about entertainment and celebrities. WWE Velocity and WWE Heat have moved from Spike TV to the Internet. Fueling the video boom are forecasts of online advertising expected to grow to $26 billion by 2010, up from $14.7 billion.
10/21/2005 10:20:26 AM Online video WWE AOL Yahoo TV series
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Mag Rack to Offer Classic Children's Show, New Zoo Revue [ITVT]
Rainbow Media's announced it has secured exclusive VOD rights to 12 episodes of the classic children's TV show, "New Zoo Revue," for the “Kids Club” category on its on-demand video magazine service, Mag Rack. Kids Club is the third-most popular of Mag Rack's 20-plus content categories, which has seen significant growth driven by pre-school viewers watching with their parents.
10/21/2005 10:19:23 AM Rainbow Media Mag Rack Kids Club VOD rights New Zoo Revue
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Web Video Comes of Age [Motley Fool]
Video-rich websites see video traffic double every 6 to 8 months. Gross billings from streaming video ads are expected to reach $321 million in 2005 (up 75% from 2004). 2006 gross billings are expected to grow 41.7% to $455 million. Buyers of streaming video ads include brand advertisers such as General Motors and Procter & Gamble.
10/21/2005 10:15:35 AM Internet video website traffic broadband advertising revenue forecast
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TiVo Offering Broadband Programming Content from CSTV [ITVT]
TiVo is offering content from College Sports Television (CSTV) during the run-up to the upcoming Navy-Air Force football game. A new listing on TiVo's TiVo Central menu takes subscribers to a TiVo showcase where they can schedule a recording of the game and download an hour of bonus content including interviews with coaches and players, season highlights, and two documentaries. Subscribers will also receive "game highlights and post-game materials a few days after the whistle's blown." TiVo's "Tahiti Strategy" promises to transform TiVo DVR’s into a vehicle for broadband content services by creating “an open software platform that allows third parties to develop applications and distribute content to the TiVo subscriber base”. The launch of the CSTV download service came soon after a TiVo trial in which select subscribers were able to download the IFC shows, "Hopeless Pictures," "Greg the Bunny," and "Festival," in advance of their linear TV premiere.
10/21/2005 10:14:47 AM TiVo Internet video download College Sports Television CSTV IFC
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TV To Go [Broadcasting & Cable]
Unlike cable VOD operators, wireless-phone companies are willing to pay to license content. Mobile syndicator SmartVideo pays programmers from a few cents to $1.50 per subscriber monthly. By comparison, MTV collects an estimated 27¢ per sub from cable and DBS operators. Analysts expect it will be at least 5 years before TV networks and producers see a material license fee or ad revenue from mobile video. More immediate benefits are expected for handset manufacturers, network-equipment makers, wireless telco operators, rather than media companies. The Consumer Electronics Association predicts that 70% of U.S. homes will have a video-capable phone by 2006. While millions of mobile subscribers have camera-phones, many won't pay extra for the service to send pictures to friends -- less than 1% of carriers' revenue comes from products other than phone calls and text messaging. Verizon’s V Cast costs $15 monthly and handsets capable of receiving V Cast start at $99. Sprint PCS offers Sprint TV on its high-end phones and MobiTV on lower-end phones. MobiTV offers live network feeds, while Sprint TV has live and on-demand networks priced at $15 per month for wireless Internet access and an additional $10 per month for TV. By 2015, mobile entertainment is expected to generate $6 billion in ad revenue and $12 billion in content services.
10/21/2005 10:02:12 AM Mobile TV usage MobiTV SmartVideo Sprint TV Verizon V Cast
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MTV, Sprint in Mobile Programming Deal [ZDNet]
Sprint announced an agreement with MTV to deliver music, comedy and other TV segments to Sprint PCS Vision Multimedia Services subscribers. The programming will include short segments from MTV, Comedy Central, VH1 and Nickelodeon, as well as content offered exclusive for mobile phone viewers. Sprint is working with Walt Disney to develop phone programming from the ESPN sports network as well as Disney entertainment for children.
10/21/2005 10:01:24 AM Sprint TV mobile MTV Comedy Central VH1 Nickelodeon Disney ESPN
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RealNetworks to Run Cingular Mobile Video Service [Washington Post]
Cingular Wireless announced it will use RealNetworks video streaming technology to deliver video to mobile phones. Cingular will also offer a mobile version of RealNetworks RealArcade video games. RealNetworks will put its media player software in Cingular phones and host Cingular’s video programing content on its media servers. Verizon Wireless uses Microsoft's media player to deliver news and entertainment video clips to subscribers over its high-speed wireless data network.
10/21/2005 10:01:01 AM Cingular RealNetworks wireless video streaming mobile TV games
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MTV, Warner Music Cut Mobile Pact [Media Week]
MTV announced a deal with Warner Music Group to include its library of music videos in original mobile programming. MTV will offer clips from various MTV programs along with music video content for distribution through major cell phone carriers and subscription-based mobile content aggregators.
10/21/2005 10:00:07 AM MTV Warner Music Group music video mobile TV programming
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Echostar Plans Portable Media Player [Rocky Mountain News]
EchoStar Communications unveiled its PocketDish portable video player for storing TV programs, music, games, and photos. The device includes a 2”, 4” or 7” LCD display and is priced between $329 to $599. The PocketDish connects to EchoStar’s $699 Dish Player DVR 942 and can download a pre-recorded full-length movie in under 10 minutes. The device can also connect to any DVR, TV or cable box and record programs in real-time. Manufacturers such as Creative Labs and Archos have had portable video devices on the market but have yet to see widespread adoption. A 2004 survey found that 50% of consumers were interested in portable media players, though only 1/3 of consumers were interested in paying over $200 for the device. The PocketDish is expected to appeal to frequent travelers and parents seeking portable entertainment for their children.
10/21/2005 9:59:16 AM Echostar PocketDish portable video player
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Broadband to Rule the TV Waves [BBC News]
A new report concludes that TV delivered into living rooms over broadband connections will completely change TV and the Internet as we know them. Internet-protocol Television (IPTV) is expected to adopt many attributes of the web, providing access to near-limitless selections of programs – and emphasizing the 'pull' of broadband network television over the 'push' of traditional broadcast television.
9/26/2005 12:18:47 AM Broadband TV IPTV report
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MTV Launches Interactive Channel [Digital Spy]
MTV announced plans to turn its MTV Hits network into a fully interactive channel, allowing viewers to dictate the content, tone and look of the station. Viewers can create their own “character” on the MTV UK website, customize its appearance, and select their favorite tracks. User-created avatars then appear on the broadcast channel to introduce new tracks, relay info, and distribute viewer messages.
9/26/2005 12:15:46 AM MTV Hits interactive broadband channel avatar
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Akimbo Unveils Download-to-Own Video [News.com]
Internet TV operator Akimbo Systems announced it will begin selling ‘dowload to own’ digital programming to customers in early 2006. Akimbo subscribers will be able to buy music videos, concerts, fitness programs, children's shows and independent films and then burn a copy of the shows to a DVD using the Windows Media Format.
9/26/2005 12:12:04 AM Akimbo Internet TV download to own videos
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CinemaNow, Archos Team up for Video Downloads [Macsimum]
Movie download service CinemaNow and consumer electronics maker Archos announced an agreement to bring CinemaNow video downloads to Archos’ new Mobile Digital Video Recorder and Pocket Multimedia Center devices. Consumers who purchase the Mobile DVR will receive 2 free download-to-own videos from CinemaNow for viewing on the Archos device. Buyers of the Pocket Multimedia Center will receive 5 free music video downloads. CinemaNow has a library of 550 features and 200 music videos available for portable video players. The Archos Mobile DVR stores up to 400 hours of video, has a 7” wide screen and connects to TV sets for full screen viewing. The device records video content from a TV, DVD player, VCR, cable box or satellite receiver, and can play and record music. It supports MP3, WAV, and WMA audio files and MPEG-4 and DivX video files.
9/25/2005 11:57:39 PM CinemaNow Archos video downloads mobile DVR
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Microsoft in Venture to Develop Internet TV [Mercury News]
Microsoft and Scientific-Atlanta announced an agreement to work together to bring digital TV programs and video to living rooms via the Internet to support SBC’s IPTV rollout. Microsoft will provide the software and Scientific-Atlanta will make the set-top boxes that allow subscribers to access and control their digital music, video, and photo content from one place. SBC plans to launch its $4 billion IPTV service in select markets by early 2006 with the deployment of IPTV set-top boxes that will allow people to access digital video on TVs or PCs around the house. The global IPTV audience is expected to grow from 2 million subscribers in 2004 to 25 million in 2008 with subscriber revenue expected to reach $7.2 billion.
9/25/2005 11:53:36 PM Microsoft Scientific-Atlanta Internet video SBC IPTV market forecast
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Cablevision Offers Nick Jr. VOD [Mediaweek]
Cablevision began offering a preview of Nick Jr.'s new animated series Go, Diego, Go! free on-demand to subscribers of its iO: Interactive Optimum digital cable service a full month before its linear debut on Nickelodeon. iO gave its subscribers on-demand access to the premiere episode, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the show, interviews with the cast, and other footage.
9/25/2005 11:51:45 PM Cablevision iO Nickelodeon Nick Jr. on-demand
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ABC News Now Adds Carriage on Verizon [Mediaweek]
The ABC News Now broadband network signed its first significant deal with a broadband provider to will allow viewers to watch the network on TV. Disney and Verizon announced that ABC News Now and 11 other Disney-owned networks would be offered as part of Verizon's FiOS TV basic cable service launch. News Now has been primarily a subscription based online channel, featuring both a live, 24-hour programming feed and a selection of video-on-demand footage. ABC had previously discontinued tested distribution of News Now on several digital cable outlets last year. ABC will begin offering a portion of News Now VOD content as part of upcoming cable partnerships.
9/25/2005 11:50:00 PM ABC NewsNow broadband network Verizon FiOS TV
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Blockbuster Probing Online Video-On-Demand [Herald Tribune]
Blockbuster has completed a test of its new online video service involving 5,000 British households, while rival Netflix plans a small-scale test in the United States this year. Studios earn $1-2 from each movie rental, but can make $12 or more on each DVD sale, resulting in a short-term incentive against supplying recent movies to video-on-demand services. Combined VOD/PPV sales have remained flat since 2004, at 6.1% of the home video market, due to largely to a lack of recently released movies.
9/25/2005 11:49:30 PM Blockbuster online video service VOD movie rental
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Verizon Launches IPTV Service [MediaWeek]
Verizon debuted its FiOS TV service in a town in Texas, offering 160 channels in its expanded basic tier for $40 a month – underpricing local cable operator Charter who offers 100 channels for $48. The service includes a number of VOD packages including free, subscription ($8/month), and pay-per-view, with 600 titles available at launch and plans for a library of 1,800 titles by year end. Verizon plans to have FiOS TV up and running in 6 markets by the end of the year. Verizon expects to have fiber passed to 3 million of its homes by year end, with plans to cover 20 million homes (60% of its footprint) by 2010. Cablevision faces the largest threat from FiOS TV, with 19% of its markets overlapping Verizon territory.
9/25/2005 11:35:04 PM Verizon Launches IPTV Service [MediaWeek]
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Yahoo Launches First Web Original [LA Times]
Yahoo announced it has signed Iraq war journalist Kevin Sites to produce the first of many original programs expected to come from the Yahoo Media Group. "Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone," will feature video, audio and text dispatches along with live chat and videoconferencing sessions from the world's most brutal conflicts.
9/25/2005 11:31:57 PM Yahoo Launches First Web Original [LA Times]
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CBS Adds Video to SportsLine.com [ClickZ]
CBS has revamped SportsLine.com to integrate more video content from its TV properties. “TheEyebox” now appears as a video window on the home page playing on-demand clips and with inventory for 15-second pre-roll video ads. CBS is pursuing a "cable bypass" strategy and is in the second phase of its plan to re-launch all of its Web sites as broadband channels. CBS SportsLine will produce new shows for broadband using video shot specifically for the Web using CBS Sports talent, and excess footage that was edited out of TV broadcasts.
9/25/2005 11:28:02 PM CBS Adds Video to SportsLine.com [ClickZ]
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Mobile Video Service Broadcasts from Cell Phone to TV
Amsterdam-based IceMobile has unveiled its VideoCall2TV technology enabling viewers with 3G mobile phones to send video to TV programmers for broadcast live on the air. The new technology may be used to allow viewers to take part in live talent contests with "preliminary game rounds" which take place on the mobile screen and allow thousands of people to call in simultaneously, with producers making an initial cut of entrants and sending the most talented on to further rounds on live TV. IceMobile counts MTV Networks, Endemol, Vodafone and T-Mobile amongst its clients.
9/25/2005 10:05:06 PM Mobile Video Service Broadcasts from Cell Phone to TV
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Interactive Television Market Grows [Kagan Research]
34.1 million households currently subscribe to interactive television services, with 69 million subscribers expected by ‘09, representing over half of U.S. TV households. Revenues for electronic transactions for games, television, t-commerce, and interactive advertising are estimated to reach $2.4 million by ‘09. The interactive services segment is projected to generate $780 million in operator revenue by ’09 for cable, digital broadcast satellites (DBS), and telcos.
9/25/2005 4:25:16 PM Interactive Television Market Grows [Kagan Research]
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Sony's PSP Breaks Sales Records [BBC News]
Sony’s PSP has become the fastest-selling game console of all time in the UK, with 185,000 units sold in its first 4 days in UK retail outlets. By comparison, the rival Nintendo DS sold 87,000 in its launch week in March. Sony has shipped 5 million PSPs since its late 2004 launch in Japan, and expects to ship 13 million by March 2006.
9/8/2005 11:51:46 PM Sony's PSP Breaks Sales Records [BBC News]
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Internet Syndicator Studio One Inks CBS Deal [MediaWeek]
Web syndicator Studio One announced a deal with Viacom to provide broadband video content to its 17 local CBS Web sites. Studio One will deliver video programming ranging from family-oriented programs such as Real Families, Real Fun and Your Baby Today, to technology-focused shows such as Digital Living Today. The company produces content geared for specific advertisers such as Nestle, Bridgestone, American Express, and Dupont; then licenses the syndicated content to a wide variety of web sites. Studio One’s 12 genres of content reach 55 million Web users, or 40% of the active online audience.
9/8/2005 11:49:02 PM Internet Syndicator Studio One Inks CBS Deal [MediaWeek]
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Sony, Fox Use IPTV to Plug Movies [Red Herring]
Sony Pictures deployed broadband video software technology by Maven Networks to promote its summer release Stealth over IPTV with full-screen video interactive trailers. 20th Century Fox first deployed broadband video advertising for its November 2003 release of Master and Commander and used interactive trailers this summer for releases of Fantastic Four, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Kingdom of Heaven. Fox reports that 56% of viewers who watch a trailer opt to watch additional Fox trailers as well, and that click-through rates to view theater schedules or purchase tickets rose to an average of 24% during the week of the Master and Commander release. An estimated 40% of U.S. households now have a broadband connection.
9/8/2005 11:48:17 PM Sony, Fox Use IPTV to Plug Movies [Red Herring]
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Netflix Near Launch of Movie Downloads [Mercury News]
Netflix is ready to test its Internet movie download service and close to launching an on-demand rental service. The new Netflix service is expected to be similar to studio-supported ventures like MovieLink and CinemaNow, but require a Netflix set-top box.
9/8/2005 11:40:24 PM Netflix Near Launch of Movie Downloads [Mercury News]
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Big Bucks Back Next Mobile Frontier: Broadcast TV [Reuters]
Qualcomm is leading the charge in the US to build a broadband wireless network specifically for one-way video broadcasting with its $800 million MediaFLO system. The service can offer 15-20 channels of real-time broadcast TV displayed on a mobile phone at 30 frames per second in HD resolution, on par with standard TV – twice the frame rate of Verizon's VCast high-speed video service and 3 times the picture quality. MediaFLO also supports "clipcasting," which allows users to select hourly, daily or weekly content they would like automatically pushed to their phone like a podcast. Qualcomm plans to position MediaFLO as a service for all wireless carriers, allowing each carrier to differentiate themself with exclusive, on-demand, premium programming of their own, or by incorporating music and ringtone stores. Qualcomm is aggressively lobbying ESPN, MTV, Comedy Central and CNN to include their content in the MediaFLO service.
9/8/2005 11:38:00 PM Big Bucks Back Next Mobile Frontier: Broadcast TV [Reuters]
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Akimbo to Offer Baseball Highlights Online [Sun Herald]
Akimbo is now offering Major League Baseball game highlights through its Internet video-on-demand service. The deal lets Akimbo offer highlight clips and 10- or 15-minute condensed versions of games played the previous day, along with classic games from years past. MLB also offers such downloads directly at www.mlb.com for 99 cents per game for highlights and $3.95 for a complete game. Akimbo has previously arranged deals with A&E, National Geographic, the History Channel, the Biography Channel, Turner Classic Movies, and CNN's "Larry King Live."
9/8/2005 11:37:12 PM Akimbo to Offer Baseball Highlights Online [Sun Herald]
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Yahoo! and the Million-Channel Universe [Wired]
With a tsunami of video bearing down on American viewers, Yahoo! and others are developing video search technology to improve viewer access to the 3 million hours of programming a typical household with 300-cable channels receives each year, or the 31 million hours of total annual video programming. While TV Guide is drastically cutting the amount of space it devotes to listings, video search companies such as Blinkx are captioning and indexing videostreams with voice recognition software. Both Google and AOL are adopting Yahoo’s Media RSS format for searching and indexing Internet video. Yahoo! is also working with SBC and Microsoft on Project Lightspeed, an IPTV initiative called that uses Yahoo! software to deliver video-on-demand, instant messaging, photo collections, and music.
9/8/2005 1:01:40 PM Yahoo! and the Million-Channel Universe [Wired]
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Why Gamers are Watching Movies Instead [Slate]
To the surprise of tech pundits, movies in Sony’s UMD format have been selling well, with estimated sales of 500,000 since the discs arrived in April. By comparison, the DVD took a year to ship half a million units in the US. Sony bundled Spider-Man 2 UMDs into the first million units sold after the PSP's March launch in the US, and launched an ad campaign in gaming magazines promoting UMD viewing. Sony’s UMD releases of “House of Flying Daggers” and “Resident Evil: Apocalypse” sold over 100,000 units each, convincing other studios to publish in the format. 90 titles are expected on UMD the format by year’s end from all major studios but Warner, which continues to push the Mini-DVD format. Amazon.com's UMD top 10 was recently led by Sin City followed by Kung Fu Hustle, Black Hawk Down, and Team America. Retailers such as Best Buy are placing UMD video discs front and center in their PSP displays, where they often receive more dedicated PSP shelf space than do games. Sin City is priced on UMD at $20, while most PSP games run from $40 to $60. Other formats such as X-OOM’s Movies on PSP allow users to store movie files on a Memory Stick for playback on the PSP.
9/8/2005 1:00:14 PM Why Gamers are Watching Movies Instead [Slate]
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IBM Getting Chummy with Local TV [News.com]
IBM and Fox Entertainment Group are developing a new copy-protection technique to keep local broadcast TV content from being distributed online outside its home market. The technique is a variation on the FCC "broadcast flag" rules going into effect this year, and lets devices that read or receive TV content identify themselves as part of a home broadcast market.
9/8/2005 12:55:12 PM IBM Getting Chummy with Local TV [News.com]
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Original Programming Online [Media Post]
Following rapid broadband adoption, a new crop of programming and original content is coming to the Web. AOL is launching a slate of web-only programming ranging from “The Biz,” (contestants vie to become president of a fledgling Warner Music Group record label), "Princess Natasha" (10- to 15-minute webisodes featuring adventures of animated super-sleuth), "Chubby Butter" (series of offbeat animated shorts designed for a teen and college audience), to "Inside the Game" (video game news, tips, reviews, features and games) and “AOL Red” (back-to-school fashion show with online polls, fashion tips, and makeovers). Atom Shockwave is airing web-only programs such as "Reactor" (films and animations about hot-button issues in the celebrity and political arena), "Joe Cartoon" (animated shorts), "Happy Tree Friends" (cute forest creatures doing naughty things). Viacom debuted its TurboNick website featuring 6 channels with 20 hours of broadband programming each week consisting of full-length cartoon such as "SpongeBob SquarePants" from Nick's cable channel and Web originals such as animated series "Catscratch.” Topps, Kellogg's, and Honda signed on as advertisers for non-skippable commercials that will appear every 5 minutes. VH1 recently launched its VSpot web site and aired the season premiere of the reality show "The Surreal Life" 3 days prior to the episode's TV debut.
9/8/2005 12:53:36 PM Original Programming Online [Media Post]
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TV Watching Will Be Influenced by Future Technology [Media Post]
A new study projects that by 2010, 62% of US households will have broadband access to the Internet and 37% will use a DVR to control how and when they watch TV.
9/8/2005 12:53:06 PM TV Watching Will Be Influenced by Future Technology [Media Post]
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Internet TV Sparks Ad Boom [Charlotte Observer]
The phenomenal growth of high-speed Internet connections has set off a mad scramble across multiple industries to control Internet television. 5 million people watched the Live 8 concerts on AOL.com. 4.4 million people clicked onto MSNBC.com the day of the July 7 London terrorist bombings for continuous coverage. The clip of Tom Cruise's meltdown on the "Today" show was downloaded 2.5 million times within a week. Investment bank Harris Nesbitt forecasts advertising revenue for Internet TV at $1.15 billion this year.
9/8/2005 12:52:01 PM Internet TV Sparks Ad Boom [Charlotte Observer]
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Flash Leads Online Video Ad Formats [Accustream]
Gross streaming video ad billings are expected to reach $321 million in 2005, of which 40% will be delivered in Flash. Approximately 15% of total pre-roll video inventory and 75% of in-page/embedded avails under representation in 2005 are powered by Flash.
9/8/2005 12:49:58 PM Flash Leads Online Video Ad Formats [Accustream]
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Streaming Ad Revs to Surge [MediaPlannerBuyer]
Ad revenue for online video is projected to reach $321 million this year, up 75% from 2004. Rich media service provider PointRoll reports serving 8 times more video ads in the first half of this year than during all of 2004. An esimated 80% of video ads are made by repurposing television ads, while 15% edit existing video content for online and 5% are created specifically for the Web. Online video advertising is projected to hit $657 million in 2009.
9/8/2005 12:49:23 PM Internet video advertising market forecast
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Telecoms' Quest for Customers Leads to IPTV [USA Today]
Oklahoma-based Pioneer Telephone serves 35,000 telephone customers yet is one of the first to have deployed IPTV. Pioneer's basic digital package is priced competitively with satellite TV service at $42.95 a month for local programming, 60 channels, an interactive program guide, on-screen Caller ID, parental controls, access to pay-per-view, and a local community channel. A deluxe package sells for $47.95 and includes 80 additional channels and CD-quality music channels. Installation typically requires 4 to 7 hours of household rewiring, resulting in fees of $245 for up to three TVs and $75 per additional TV. One year after its launch Pioneer has 2,600 IPTV customers and hopes to capture 35% of its 35,000 telephone customers within another two years. SBC is spending $4 billion to wire up to 18 million homes by 2007 for IPTV with technology from Microsoft and other vendors dubbed "Lightspeed."
9/8/2005 12:48:41 PM Telecoms' Quest for Customers Leads to IPTV [USA Today]
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TV Tries Hand at Podcasting [Wired News]
iPod-equipped consumers are signing up to download and listen to free, audio-only versions of their favorite TV shows or companion MP3 programming. Meet the Press regularly makes the iTunes top 100 with its weekly podcast. Nightline is building an audience of audio-only listeners. ABC News offers The AfterNote, a podcast-only show about politics based on its influential newsletter, and Shuffle, a mix of news and human interest stories. With still nascent podcasting audiences, ABC News is exploring subscription or pay-per-play podcasts in addition to advertising revenue. 80,000 people downloaded the DVD-style episode commentary by Battlestar Galactica’s executive producer within a week of the final episode broadcast. Fox offers brief episode recaps of shows like The OC and Nanny 911 and is the first to include "episodic audio" with its Arrested Development podcast. And Fox has plans to offer extras such as show commentaries.
9/8/2005 12:48:01 PM TV Tries Hand at Podcasting [Wired News]
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On-Demand Giving Way To Scheduled Web Shows [Internet Week]
Wedding planning website The Knot debuted The Knot TV last month. The service streams shows through TheKnot.com and broadcasts several on the Oxygen cable network. The Knot TV’s 24-hour schedule largely showcases bridal fashions and relies on technology from Multicast Media Networks. Multicast supports both linear and on-demand program delivery and delivers mostly on-demand programming for Better Homes and Gardens, Home Depot, This Old House Ventures, and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Multicast serves religious webcasters with its StreamingFaith.com portal featuring a 24-hour program schedule with 20 on-demand channels such as Gospel Flava and the Prophetic Network and live Sunday mass broadcasts on 50 other channels. Typical webcasts are available 3-4 times a day, and made available on demand at a later date. Multicast plans to launch hundreds of specialty networks over the next 12-18 months.
9/8/2005 12:45:23 PM On-Demand Giving Way To Scheduled Web Shows [Internet Week]
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MSN Streams Showtime's 'Barbershop' [Media Post]
MSN streamed the premiere episode of Showtime’s half-hour comedy series "Barbershop" simultaneously with the show's debut on the cable network and made it available on-demand for 8 additional days. In addition to the full episode, MSN presented behind-the-scenes footage and other extras. As additional episodes air on cable, MSN will provide access to companion video content but not the actual shows. The debut had no official online sponsor, but ran an ad from a regular MSN Video sponsor.
9/8/2005 12:44:43 PM MSN Streams Showtime's 'Barbershop' [Media Post]
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TiVo Tests Internet Download Service [Sun Sentinel]
TiVo began a trial program with the Independent Film Channel to deliver three shows to subscriber DVR’s via a broadband connection prior to their debut on the cable channel.
9/8/2005 12:43:49 PM TiVo Tests Internet Download Service [Sun Sentinel]
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Telco, Cable TV to Spark Ad War [Reuters]
US cable and satellite operators are expected to bolster their marketing spending and sophistication in an advertising battle to protect consumer loyalties from phone companies now entering the TV market and vying for control of the home media pipeline. Verizon spends an estimated $1.5 billion on U.S. media advertising while cable and satellite operators such as Comcast and DirecTV spend approximately $100 million each. Verizon is targeting a 30% market share within 5 years of introducing its Fios television service in each region.
9/8/2005 12:43:10 PM Telco, Cable TV to Spark Ad War [Reuters]
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BellSouth Launches Wireless Broadband Service [News.com]
BellSouth announced it is offering wireless broadband service to home and business customers in Athens, Ga. Using a pre-standard version of technology called WiMax. The basic service offers 384kbps downloads and 128kbps uploads for $29.95, while the premium service offers 1.5mbps downloads and 256kbps uploads for $39.95; and requires purchase of a $99.99 modem from BellSouth. BellSouth’s DSL service reaches only 80% of its customers and WiMax may afford a cost-effective means to reach the remaining 20%. Analysts expect WiMax to eventually deliver two-way Internet access at speeds of up to 75mbps and over distances of 30 miles – though cable/DSL speeds require a one mile radius from broadcast towers. Qwest and SBC are also planning tests of pre-standard forms of WiMax technology.
9/8/2005 12:40:02 PM BellSouth Launches Wireless Broadband Service [News.com]
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Yahoo to offer CNN, ABC video feeds [News.com]
Yahoo announced deals with CNN.com and ABC News to carry daily news, entertainment, and commentary video feeds supported by advertising and free to consumers. The ABC and CNN feeds will be available on the front page of Yahoo News and bundled in coverage packages. Yahoo broadband subscribers will receive the video feeds through ongoing partnerships with SBC Communications, Rogers Cable, BT and Verizon Communications.
9/8/2005 12:38:31 PM Yahoo to offer CNN, ABC video feeds [News.com]
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Survey Polls Gamers, Shows Less TV, More Mobile [Gamasutra]
A recent study found that 24% of video game players have reduced the amount of television watched since 2004, while 18% plan to do so in the next year. The average amount of television consumed by gamers went down to 16 hours a week this year from 18 hours in ‘04, though 18% of gamers reported HDTV-capable sets (up from 7% in last year). Game console usage has increased to 62.6 million players in ‘05, up from 54.5 million in ‘04, while PC gaming as grown somewhat from 52.3 million gamers in ‘04 to 56.6 million in ‘05. 86% of gamers own a mobile phone (up from 70% last year), and 48% of mobile phone owners say they play games on their phone – with average game sessions lasting 19 minutes.
9/8/2005 12:33:53 PM Survey Polls Gamers, Shows Less TV, More Mobile [Gamasutra]
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Broadband Users Watch 30 Minutes Less TV [Hollywood Reporter]
A recent study found that broadband Internet users in North America watch just 12 hours of TV per week, compared with 14 hours for those who are offline and 13.5 for those with dial-up Internet connections. The number of broadband households in the U.S. is expected to reach 71.4 million by 2010 (up from 31 million last year). Digital video recorders are forecast to reach 42.7 million U.S. households in 2010 (up from 6.2 million last year). DVD recorders are projected to reach 56 million from 12.1 million; MP3 players to 40.1 million from 10.8 million; DVD players to 102.9 million from 76.2 million; and video game consoles to 48.8 million from 40.1 million.
9/8/2005 12:31:04 PM Broadband Users Watch 30 Minutes Less TV [Hollywood Reporter]
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DirecTV Offers Interactive NFL Viewing Features [USA Today]
DirecTV unveiled new interactive features for its SuperFan premium NFL viewing package, allowing viewers to use their remotes to call up onscreen graphics with player and team statistics for games in progress or to watch up to 8 games at once on their screen. The Red Zone Channel takes viewers automatically between games to see key moments unfold. Post-game coverage will include condensed 30-minute highlights of every play. The SuperFan option costs $99, which comes in addition to the $199-$279 cost of Sunday Ticket and DirecTV's basic monthly charge of about $40. DirecTV counts 14.5 million satellite subscribers.
9/8/2005 12:23:03 PM DirecTV Offers Interactive NFL Viewing Features [USA Today]
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Video Blogs Enter the Living Room [Silicon Valley / San Jose]
Internet TV operator Akimbo Systems announced it is making video blog content available to its subscribers and now offers 5 of the most popular video blogs, including Rocketboom, FreshWave.TV, Clint Sharp's Vlog, Steve Garfield's Video Blog and "The Carol and Steve Show." Akimbo delivers its on-demand programming via the Internet with video from more than 125 providers in 50 different categories.
9/6/2005 12:04:54 AM Internet TV Akimbo set-top video blogs Rocketboom FreshWave.TV Clint Sharp Steve Garfield
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Mad Ave Is Starry-Eyed Over Net Video [Business Week]
Advertisers from General Motors to Unilever are investing in online video as a laboratory to transform television with new ways to connect with customers. Lincoln Mercury launched an online campaign with videos that have the quirky look and feel of an episode of Twin Peaks. Converse draws online viewers with a series of quirky amateur videos hawking its sneakers. American Express grew its online by 31% when it ran a Jerry Seinfeld ad on its Web site and promoted it on TV; and later ran online spots directed by Barry Levinson. McDonald's spends less than half of its budget on prime-time TV (down from 80% four years ago), and credits a Net-only video campaign in France with boosting its young-adult share by 9%. GM drew 3,000 entries during 3 weeks in January with a campaign of 5-second ads running on ESPN.com and other sites tying in a contest for amateur filmmakers to submit their own 5-second ads. GM’s Cadillac is doubling its online media budget this year to nearly $20 million. Mercury attracted 500,000 viewers in 6 months to its offbeat soap opera, “Meet the Lucky Ones,” of which two-thirds of viewers went on to view pages promoting the Mariner SUV, and of which 500 purchased a Mariner SUV. Production of 35 minutes of “Meet the Lucky Ones” cost about $700,00, roughly equivalent to a one-time airing of two 30-second spots during a hit prime-time TV show. This year CBS created a sales team to link its TV ads to online offerings on CBSSportsLine.com and other affiliated sites. Last year Fox launched an online talk show sponsored by Ford to follow “24.”
9/6/2005 12:04:25 AM Online video advertising website TV
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Viacom Starts Digital Media Wing for TV Stations [Media Week]
Viacom revealed the direction of its TV stations’ digital strategy with the creation of the Television Stations Digital Media Group, station counterpart to the new CBS Digital Media. The new group will explore, identify, plan and execute a broadband, Internet and wireless strategy for Viacom's 40 TV stations, and will coordinate local TV station efforts with CBS Digital Media units CBS.com, CBSNews.com, CBSSportsline.com and UPN.com.
9/6/2005 12:02:42 AM Viacom CBS Digital Media local TV stations
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HBO Video goes PSP [Variety]
HBO Video announced it will release 6 of its television programs on the mini-disc platform for Sony’s PSP handheld videogame device. HBO's first PSP releases in September are "Da Ali G Show: Da Compleet Second Seazon," (same date as DVD debut) and "Da Ali G Show: Da Compleet First Seazon," followed by "Entourage: The Complete First Season," "Todd McFarlane's Spawn 1," "Chris Rock: Bigger & Blacker" and "Chris Rock: Never Scared." Warner Home Video and DreamWorks are the only remaining major studios not to embrace the format.
9/6/2005 12:02:12 AM HBO Video PSP UMD
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TV Sweeps Drive Web Traffic [iMedia]
Traffic to Television category sites increased 49% during the final week of May Sweeps over the same week in 2004, reaching 33 million unique visitors. FOX traffic increased 172% over 2004 levels, up to 989,000 visitors from 383,000. NBC realized 114% year-over-year growth to 1.5 million visitors from 714,000. ABC led all network sites with 1.9 million visitors during the final week of May sweeps. ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” site received 341,000 visitors during the week the season finale aired, representing an 847% growth in traffic from the first week of January ‘05. ABC’s “Lost” jumped 141% from 58,000 visitors in the first week of January to 140,000 visitors for the last week of May ‘05. Traffic to CBS’ “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” website increased from 108,000 visitors during its debut week in September ‘04 to one million visitors per week in May ‘05. FOX’s “24” increased from 15% from 189,000 visitors during its premier week in January to 217,000 during the last week of May sweeps. Traffic to FOX’s “American Idol” reached 2.4 million during the week of the season finale, a 220% increase over the 749,000 visitors during the week of its January debut (representing an 85% increase over the week of the 2004 finale).
9/6/2005 12:01:47 AM TV website traffic growth
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Inside the Broadband Revolution [AdAge.com]
After a period of rapid high-speed Internet growth, 56% of Internet users in the U.S. now subscribe to broadband at home. At the core of their changing online experience is Internet video, of which AOL, MSN and Yahoo currently control most video inventory. Seeking to grow the video programming inventory suitable for video advertising, all three major portals plan to expand content offerings for the at-home user by delivering licensed programming along with original and user-generated content. Portal executives are beginning to learn how long visitors wish to stay, how much advertising they will accept and how they can leverage their audience’s interest in music to other entertainment areas. Music videos have been a category leader, with Yahoo Music streaming 336 million videos in January of this year. MSN has emphasized development of its player technology and on the balance between programmed content and giving the MSN visitor control to create custom video play lists. AOL has carried videos from Turner Broadcasting, WB, Warner Bros. Television, HBO, Warner Bros. and New Line. Outside deals have included ABC, NBC, CBS, Miramax and Walt Disney, and most of the major sports leagues. Marketers spent $121 million for online video advertising in 2004, are expected to spend $198 million this year, and are forecast to spend $282 million in 2006. A recent study found that broadband users spent 34% more time online and visited 35% more "e-tailers" than their dialup counterparts – 69% of online sales were from high-speed consumers. Consumers viewed 81% more video streams in 2004 than they did in 2003 for a total of 14.2 billion, and are expected to view over 21 billion streams this year.
9/5/2005 11:59:28 PM Broadband video advertising usage market forecast
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Sony Adds Web Browser, Internet Video to PSP [Red Herring]
Sony Computer Entertainment began offering a web browser for its PlayStation Portable, enabling the handheld device to access the Internet. The software upgrade will allow users to access a collection of video content on an on-demand TV network reportedly called Portable TV (PTV), from which they can download videos to the PSP.
9/5/2005 11:56:56 PM Sony Adds Web Browser, Internet Video to PSP [Red Herring]
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Fox Goes Broadband [Red Herring]
20th Century Fox launched an interactive broadband channel to promote its summer releases. The channel debuted with promotions for Fox’s Kingdom of Heaven release, allowing consumers to view full-screen, DVD-quality video trailers and battle scenes as well as behind-the-scenes video clips and interviews with the actors. Viewers can share clips with friends, purchase tickets in advance, and view a full-screen interactive photo gallery. Fox signed a 5-movie deal with broadband video provider Maven Networks. Fox previously used Maven’s technology for the 2003 release of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, which prompted users to return to the desktop channel an average 3.6 times to view trailers and other features and generated 24% click-through rates from fans seeking to view theater schedules or purchase tickets. An estimated 40% of U.S. households now have a broadband connection.
9/5/2005 11:54:37 PM Fox Goes Broadband [Red Herring]
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DVR's to Reach Half of US Households in 5 Years [Jupiter Media]
A new report on digital television (DTV), "U.S. DTV Forecast, 2005-2010," found that DVR penetration will grow from 7 million households in 2004 to 55 million by 2010, reaching 47% of U.S. households in the next 5 years. The report projected that HDTV monitors will grow from a 13 million installed base in 2004 to 74 million by 2010; and that households receiving HDTV service will grow from less than 4 million in 2004 to 69 million by 2010.
9/5/2005 11:38:14 PM DVR's to Reach Half of US Households in 5 Years [Jupiter Media]
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HBO to Premiere 'Rome' Episode On-Demand
HBO announced it will premiere the third episode of its upcoming high-profile drama series, "Rome," on its HBO On Demand service six days prior to its first broadcast. HBO is providing digital cable customers with free access to its subscription-based channels including HBO On Demand during this week. Separately, A&E Television Networks says it will bundle its Biography programs channel into a standalone VOD channel, separate from the A&E on-demand service. Independent Film Channel plans to premiere several movies on its VOD service concurrently with their theatrical release as early as this year.
9/5/2005 11:37:12 PM HBO to Premiere 'Rome' Episode On-Demand
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GM Targets TiVo Viewers with Interactive Ads [Detroit Free Press]
General Motors is one of the first advertisers to take advantage of TiVo’s new interactive advertising technology that allows TV viewers to link from a traditional commercial to a longer-form ad with more information on the products and services that interest them. WB Television Network will air new interactive ‘telescoping’ TV commercials through TiVo. TiVo users will be able to pause regular programming and get additional promotional footage by clicking on icons on spots for OnStar, GMC, Chevrolet and Saturn, or sign up to receive additional information from GM. GM is piloting a similar service with Comcast in certain cities, in which digital-cable subscribers can click messages on ads for GM's Cadillac division that direct them toward more information. Chrysler began airing interactive banner ads this month on DirecTV that allow viewers to click on icons for Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler brands and do things such as customize a vehicle. Mercedes ran an interactive ad this year on EchoStar, who has aired interactive ads for other companies such as Sony on its Dish Network.
9/5/2005 10:48:53 PM GM Targets TiVo Viewers with Interactive Ads [Detroit Free Press]
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Mobile Video Faces Tough Sell [Broadcasting & Cable]
While TV networks and content owners are readying video for distribution over cell phones, a new study reports that the best customers may be the hardest to attract. The report, “Mobile Video Services-Perched at the Brink?,” found that the most desirable wireless subscribers are the least interested in mobile video services. The study found that one in eight respondents are interested in mobile video services and that two-thirds of mobile phone subscribers are not ready for the next-generation services touted by mobile service providers. The report forecast that mobile video subscribers will exceed 30 million by 2010. Analysts project that mobile video services revenues will grow from $28.8 million in 2004 to $1.5 billion in 2009.
9/5/2005 10:46:24 PM Mobile Video Faces Tough Sell [Broadcasting & Cable]
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Apple Introduces iTunes Video [Hoovers]
Apple is expected to launch an iPod video player in the next few months, and its iTunes music store has begun offering music videos for sale. Analysts expect Apple to take a cautious approach to the video market – facing studio concerns of copyright protection and impact to DVD sales. iTunes currently bundles bonus music videos with an album sale, often at a $1 premium; and offers free movie and DVD trailers alongside accompanying soundtrack and audio book offers. Apples faces stiff competition from Comcast and other cable operators offering video-on-demand; from Internet movie download services Movielink and CinemaNow; and from subscription video-on-demand networks HBO, Showtime and Starz who have locked up premium Internet movie rights.
9/5/2005 10:35:13 PM Apple Introduces iTunes Video [Hoovers]
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TiVo Introduces Popup Ads and Instant Viewer Response [Washington Post]
TiVo introduced a feature that lets television viewers respond to encoded advertising embedded in certain commercials by sending their personal information to advertisers along with a brochure request or participation in a promotion. Ads embedded with special "tags" pop up as small pictures which persist when viewers fast-forward though the commercial. General Motors and the WB Television Network are first to launch campaigns with TiVo’s new service. TiVo reports that 5-30% of viewers watching long-form content in enhanced showcases are releasing their names to the advertiser, and that 5-15% of all TiVo subscribers watch a typical long-form commercial on its service.
9/5/2005 10:34:34 PM TiVo Introduces Popup Ads and Instant Viewer Response [Washington Post]
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Showtime Building TV Subs Via Web [Media Week]
Showtime plans to expand its use of the Internet as a way to build its TV subscriber base. However, the network faces online programming challenges due to content restrictions. Showtime aired the premiere episode of “Fat Actress on the Web” in advance of its cable premiere, and delivered 700,000 to 800,000 viewer streams over the weekend of its airing.
9/5/2005 10:33:38 PM Showtime Building TV Subs Via Web [Media Week]
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Lifetime Study: Women Rule DVR Domain [Media Week]
A new study found that 48% of married women say the decision to purchase a DVR is their own, and 55% of the wives say they understand how to use the device better than their husbands. The study found that women are more likely to stop fast forwarding through commercials if a brand or product captures their attention, and are more likely than men to resume playback during TV and movie promos. 99% of women respondents said they use their DVRs to zap through commercial spots, while 76% said they stopped for ads that are entertaining or relevant to their own interests. 94% say they fast forwarded commercials said they could still recognize brands and products as they zapped through the spots. 98% of the women surveyed said they would recommend DVR to a friend, and 94 % said the service was “worth the cost.”
9/3/2005 8:51:54 PM Lifetime Study: Women Rule DVR Domain [Media Week]
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Time Warner Pilots Broadband TV in San Diego [San Diego Union-Tribune]
In a 6-month pilot delivering cable television programming via IPTV, Time Warner has begun offering the 75 channels in its Advantage cable bundle to PC’s of customers who subscribe to Time Warner cable TV and its Road Runner high-speed Internet service. Users must first download and install a media player developed for Time Warner by RealPlayer, then log on to a Web site (www.twcbbtv.com) using their cable TV account numbers. Viewers change channels with the click of a mouse, though it can take up to 7 seconds to connect to a channel. The key to avoiding jumpy pictures typical of streaming Internet video is keeping the data on Time Warner’s private network. Road Runner in San Diego offers download speeds of up to 5 megabits per second. SBC is planning to launch a $4 billion project offering IPTV video service to digital set-top boxes over its phone lines next year. The SBC service will allow customers to view photos stored on their computer using their televisions, access weather information for their cities and scores of their favorite sports teams, and record a program from their cell phones or their computers. For additional fees subscribers can access on-demand video. Earlier this year Cox launched a $14.95 a month subscription service that allows customers to watch live Major League Baseball games over its high-speed Internet service. Cox plans to launch a free feature this year that will allow San Diego digital cable subscribers to surf the Web and check their e-mail on the television. The number of households worldwide subscribing to TV services delivered via Internet technology is expected to grow from 1 million this year to 38 million households by 2010 – of which 14 million will subscribe to telco IPTV, 6.5 million to cable or Internet service, and 17 million to satellite IPTV service. Internet television is gaining adoption in France, Italy, Great Britain, Spain, Hong Kong, and Korea.
9/3/2005 8:51:30 PM Time Warner Pilots Broadband TV in San Diego [San Diego Union-Tribune]
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ESPN to Sell Clickable Web Video Spots [Media Week]
ESPN.com has launched a new Internet video player that allows users to click within video ads to request more information from advertisers on a companion screen alongside the video display. ESPN runs video ads every two clips watched from advertisers including American Express, Adidas and Lexus. ESPN is beefing up its online video content, adding content from ESPN Deportes, Soccernet.com and ESPN Radio to its ESPN Motion 2.0. The network is also developing "Toss Up" as a game show that will run exclusively online. ESPN currently produces a Web-only "Sports Guy" cartoon series. ESPN rolled out ESPN Motion in February 2003 and now receives 2 million video starts per day. The proprietary video player has previously required a download to users' computers, after which the software periodically downloads new ‘pre-cached’ videos to users' hard drives. Motion 2.0 moves ESPN from its proprietary technology to a Flash shell that does not require a software download though it will continue to support pre-caching of video downloads. A recent survey found that 27% of Internet users say they view online video at least once a week.
9/3/2005 8:51:00 PM ESPN to Sell Clickable Web Video Spots [Media Week]
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PBS Launches 'a whole new kind of television' [Lost Remote]
PBS announced the debut of NerdTV, the first downloadable web-exclusive series from a major broadcaster. The hour-long program will be distributed in both long and short form audio and video formats under a Creative Commons license allowing viewers to redistribute the shows or edit them non-commercially.
9/3/2005 8:50:35 PM PBS Launches 'a whole new kind of television' [Lost Remote]
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Web Ushers in Future of TV [USA Today]
Media analysts forecast an Internet TV revolution that will increasingly feed Internet video signals to TV sets and computers. ABC, ESPN, CBS, Fox News, MTV, the BBC, Telemundo and Major League Baseball are all investing in subscription and ad-supported ventures offering TV-like video online. Scripps plans to complement its Home & Garden Television and Food Network broadcast channels with the launch of a kitchen design Web-only channel amongst 9 others by the end of 2006. AOL announced Network Live, a new venture to offer live music and comedy video online in partnership with XM Satellite Radio and arena owner AEG. Viacom launched Nickelodeon’s TurboNick website with episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants and Rugrats. VH1 introduced VSpot, which will debut “The Surreal Life” before its TV broadcast. CNN converted its $5-a-month subscription video service to rely on ad support with beefed-up video programming, and announced plans for a broader subscription service to launch this fall. ABC News Now charges $5 a month for live video reports and archived features. Starz Encore charges $13 a month to download from the 300 movies it has to offer. Major League Baseball has 250,000 customers to its $15-a-month service and expects 400,000 subscribers by season's end. Video transmission costs are down to about 9 cents an hour per viewer, and expected to drop further as storage costs fall. Web ad spending is expected to reach $17.2 billion in 2009, up from $11.5 billion this year. PricewaterhouseCoopers forecasts sales of broadband Internet connections to grow from 35 million homes today to 62 million in 2009.
9/1/2005 2:18:12 PM Internet TV AOL Network TurboNick VSpot broadband networks market forecast
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CBS News to Launch 24-hour Online News Operation [News.com]
CBS News announced ambitious plans to create a 24-hour online news operation. The Web site will provide free access to video clips of CBS news footage not aired in the daily CBS Evening News broadcasts, with breaking news stories updated throughout the day. CBS expects its Internet news programming to be more extensive and on-demand than that offered on the websites of competitors ABC, NBC, Fox News, CNN and MSNBC. The online CBS channel will be ad-supported and will target a younger audience than those attracted to conventional linear news programming. Hoping to avoid cannibalization of its CBS Evening News audience, CBS executives plan to complement the news broadcasts with web content and vice versa, noting that the broadcasts could be a forum for enterprise and exclusive stories, while the Web site would provide a home for more extensive analysis and coverage that would not fit the broadcast format. Analysts expect the new venture could revolutionize news on the Internet the way CNN did for television.
9/1/2005 1:39:45 PM CBS News ad-supported Internet TV
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Netflix Readying for Launch of Media Player [Red Herring]
A technical glitch on Netflix.com provided a brief glimpse of the DVD rental firm’s efforts to build a video-on-demand service with the launch of a Netflix media player. Netflix acknowledged that it is testing something and has previously announced that it will get into the online distribution market this year, spending 1-2% of revenues each year for the next 5 years. Netflix currently has 3 million subscribers to its online mail-order DVD service.
9/1/2005 1:25:25 PM Netflix Internet video-on-demand media player
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BBC to Make TV Shows Available for Internet Download [New Zealand Herald]
The BBC announced an ambitious on-demand TV trial to debut this September, making all of its TV drama, sports and news content downloadable via the Internet. An integrated media player (IMP) software program will provide viewers in the UK with access to all BBC TV programming for 7 days after broadcast. The service is unlikely to see a global rollout anytime soon since the BBC receives licensing income from pay TV operators around the world. The BBC will use P2P file sharing technology to reduce video streaming costs, causing viewers to download files from each other’s computers rather than from BBC servers as more people start downloading files. A 30-minute program is expected to take half an hour to download over a 512 Kbps connection.
9/1/2005 1:02:15 PM BBC integrated media player iMP Internet TV broadband P2P network
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Microsoft Developing BitTorrent-Like File Sharing Network [BBC News]
Microsoft is developing a software program that will allow users to share software, audio or video files, much like BitTorrent. Codenamed Avalanche, the program will leverage desktop PC’s to relieve congested servers from bandwidth-hogging downloads, using “swarming” techniques to divide files into smaller pieces of data which are then downloaded from different sources and reassembled with “network encoding” processes which re-create any missing chunks of data. The system will discourage illegal file re-distribution by forwarding only those files that have been “signed” by the publisher. Analysts report that downloads of TV programs have increased by 150% in the last year, with BitTorrent accounting for 70% of total usage.
9/1/2005 12:39:41 PM Microsoft Avalanche BitTorrent file-sharing TV downloads usage
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TiVo Refocuses on Cable and Satellite Allies [News.com]
TiVo announced the launch of a new division to service Comcast and DirecTV and other cable and satellite partners. Comcast has agreed to make TiVo's interactive advertising capability available over its cable network in mid- to late-2006 under the TiVo brand. TiVo now counts 3 million subscribers to its $12.95 per month DVR service.
9/1/2005 12:22:48 PM TiVo Comcast DirecTV interactive advertising
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Yahoo Hires Another TV Executive [Los Angeles Times]
Yahoo announced that it has hired David Katz, former SVP of CBS Television Network, to run its sports and entertainment businesses. Katz joins Yahoo Media Group alongside former Fox Broadcasting executive Ira Kurgan, former NBC Internet general manager Shawn Hardin, and former ABC Entertainment Television Group chairman Lloyd Braun. AOL recently announced it was producing several Web-only shows.
8/23/2005 2:33:13 PM Yahoo Hires Another TV Executive [Los Angeles Times]
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Comcast Launches 'Alpha Mom TV' On-demand Channel [OC Register]
Comcast announced the launch of Alpha Mom TV, a 24-7 channel devoted to parenting and targeted to mothers. The channel includes four fashion shows, one for each trimester of pregnancy plus the post-natal period, and features programming about child-rearing issues, nutrition and safety, practical parenting, tackling baby gear, and travel and sleep issues. Alpha Mom TV is launching in several markets as a digital cable VOD network with 5 hours of programming edited into 15-minute packages.
8/23/2005 2:28:21 PM Comcast Launches 'Alpha Mom TV' On-demand Channel [OC Register]
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Hollywood Betting on Online Movies [Taipei Times]
Sony is converting 500 movie titles to a digital format that can be downloaded and sold. Universal Pictures is preparing 200 titles for digital online sale. Warner Brothers has digitized most of its 5,000-film library and will start selling them online later this year. The studios are expected to make downloads available to a wide range of online distributors, ranging from Movielink, MSN, Sony Connect, Target.com and CinemaNow. Movie downloads are expected to be priced similarly to DVDs, between $10 and $20. Without the cost of physical distribution and the traditional retail markup, a downloaded title could be sold for close to wholesale, wich for a DVD is around $12.
8/23/2005 2:21:22 PM Hollywood Betting on Online Movies [Taipei Times]
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TNT's Betting on VOD [Variety]
TNT has added VOD rights to its purchase of "Las Vegas" reruns from NBC Universal. The VOD window kicks in when "Las Vegas" reruns begin airing in fall 2007. TNT will pay $450,000 an episode for the "Las Vegas" package of at least 88 episodes, which allows TNT to play each original episode in primetime eight days after it runs on NBC. Until now, major-studio distributors have not allowed cable networks and cable operators to schedule broadcast-primetime shows on VOD, with concerns that the extra plays would diminish the audience for the scheduled runs of original episodes. Cable operators are pressuring the networks to deliver an on-demand service with their regularly scheduled lineup. Other studios are expected to begin including VOD in negotiating off-network program rights with basic-cable networks.
8/15/2005 12:41:52 PM TNT broadcast-primetime VOD window Las Vegas NBC reruns
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Time Warner Cable Tests Pull-down Menus [ZDNet]
Time Warner Cable is testing an on-screen digital navigation tool that will let TV networks direct viewers to sister stations or to enhanced services such as video-on-demand. Viewers click on a pull-down menu during broadcasts to channel-surf to a sister network's properties. CNN has signed on, suggesting a CNN pull-down menu that would point to CNN Headline News or CNN on-demand programming. Analysts caution that video on demand may shift revenue from reruns shown in syndication, though the $50 billion cable industry is aggressively pushing plans for on-demand services. Time Warner's channel navigation technology was originally developed for its defunct Mystro ‘network DVR’ service, which aimed to provide TiVo-like features from a centralized server though ran into complications securing copyrights to shows. Time Warner is also testing a new service called Startover that lets viewers start playback from the beginning of a broadcast if they miss the first few minutes.
7/29/2005 3:02:17 PM Time Warner Cable Tests Pull-down Menus [ZDNet]
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TiVo, DirecTV in Advertising Deal [Centre Daily]
TiVo and DirecTV announced a deal to let both companies sell advertising for TiVo recorders. TiVo recently began showing still images, such as company logos when users fast-forward certain shows. Approximately two-thirds of TiVo's 3 million subscribers receive their TiVo service through a deal with DirecTV.
7/29/2005 3:01:24 PM TiVo, DirecTV in Advertising Deal [Centre Daily]
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Playstation Portable Offers New Venue for Advertisers [Taipei Times]
Heavy.com has started making many of its short films and animation available as free downloads specially formatted for the PSP handheld game system. The company is working with advertisers such as Unilever to sponsor commercials shown before or after the downloads play, or to provide branded entertainment content. Unilever is testing “Evan and Gareth,” an Axe body spray promotional series of shorts about two guys roaming the country and filming their efforts to meet women. The series is available for online viewing at www.evanandgareth.com in addition to PSP download. ABC News converted videos on topics like cybersecurity and hybrid cars for the PSP. Sony Pictures made previews for movies such as Lords of Dogtown available for the PSP.
6/28/2005 4:38:27 PM Heavy.com PSP video advertising
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Google, Yahoo Boosted by Ad Surge [Associated Press]
Shares of Google and Yahoo rose after an analyst report suggested that total online advertising could reach $12.4 billion this year. Search advertising is expected to generate $5.6 billion this year, then double to $12.3 billion by 2009.
6/28/2005 4:24:40 PM Online advertising forecast
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"Cellevision" Coming Soon to a Tiny Screen Near You [Forbes]
Verizon Wireless now counts 10,000 subscribers on its V-Cast mobile video service, which offers dozens of channels with 60-second "mobisodes" of 24: Conspiracy, Sesame Street and other video content for $15 a month. MobiTV is offered by Cingular and Sprint and now reaches 300,000 subscribers with news and sports highlights from CNBC and Fox Sports, amongst others, for $10 a month. Picture quality is jumpy, and runs at half the frames per second of regular TV. Americans bought $4 billion in wireless data services last year; of which 85% consisted of SMS messages used by 33% of U.S. residents, and the remainder from downloaded content and applications such as ring tones (60% of download sales).
6/28/2005 4:24:03 PM Verizon V-Cast mobile video mobisodes 24 Conspiracy Sesame Street MobiTV Cingular Sprint TV Cellevision market forecast
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Yahoo Launches Off-Net Show Online [New York Times]
Cancelled after two broadcast TV runs of eight episodes attracted just 1.8 million viewers last summer, the live-concert show “Pepsi Smash” is seeing new life as a collection of 3- to 4-minute video segments on Yahoo. One segment, "100 Concerts/100 Days," is a daily series featuring online video and daily blog postings from two music fans chosen by Pepsi to travel around the country attending 100 concerts. The on-demand “Pepsi Smash” video streams will be promoted throughout the Yahoo website in an effort to compete with music video offerings from AOL, MSN, and MTV’s new Overdrive service. Yahoo recently offered a Webcast of the debut episode of Showtime’s “Fat Actress” series. The series is expected to establish a long-term 'always on' broadband presence that Pepsi will use to push viewers online from integrated ad buys on television, radio and other offline media. Pepsi is rapidly increasing its online media spending, up from $3 million of last year's $372 million US media budget to $8.6 million of a $133 million spend in Q1 this year alone. 29.9% of US households (34.3 million homes) had broadband connections last year with 56.3% of households (69 million broadband homes) projected by 2008.
6/28/2005 11:54:33 AM Yahoo Launches Off-Net Show Online [New York Times]
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Major Sites Hope to Keep Users 'Tuned In' [USA Today]
AOL announced plans to offer its public Internet users a choice of two custom-designed start pages — one with picture and text links; the other a "Video Hub" loaded with video highlights. With the online advertising market expected to grow to $26 billion in 2010 (from $12 billion in 2004), the lines between Internet video and broadcast television are blurring. Yahoo just acquired Internet distribution for the WB Network's Pepsi Smash music concert TV series. Google Video currently searches video clips closed-caption transcripts from networks including PBS, CNN and C-SPAN, and is Google is wooing networks and producers to participate in a program to provide access to episodic video content for a fee. MSN Video offers daily highlights of MSNBC news, sports and entertainment. AOL has 15 Web shows in development. Yahoo has hired former ABC programmer Lloyd Braun to develop its entertainment properties and has moved Silicon Valley staff into the former MGM Studios headquarters in Los Angeles. Yahoo screened the pilot episode of Kirstie Alley's Fat Actress series online and has hired Web animation studio Jib Jab to produce originals for Yahoo.com. Yahoo, MSN and AOL all average over 100 million users a month, with Google at about 75 million. US broadcast TV networks reach 43.4 million viewers daily.
6/26/2005 12:59:51 AM Major Sites Hope to Keep Users 'Tuned In' [USA Today]
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VOD Squad takes on satellite TV [Chicago Sun-Times]
Hundreds of thousands of Chicago-area cable customers are now viewing movies and TV shows on-demand using their remote controls with VCR-like controls to select, play, and pause programs and zip past commercials. Chicago MSO’s Comcast and RCN both charge an extra $15 monthly for digital services. Comcast bundles VOD access with its digital services at no additional charge, and allows customers with subscriptions to premium channels, including HBO and Showtime, to view some of this programming on VOD. RCN charges and extra $5 per month for VOD, or bundles it with subscriptions to program packages. Comcast's Chicago-area customers "streamed" 13 million digital programs in April, up from 5 million two months earlier. Comcast offers 2,500 hours of VOD entertainment and aims to reach 4,000 hours by the end of the year, eventually providing 10,000 hours. Of the 18 million to 20 million US households that have access to VOD, only about 8 million to 10 million use it.
6/22/2005 11:26:05 AM VOD Squad takes on satellite TV [Chicago Sun-Times]
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Fox Raises Curtain on Five-Film Promotion [ClickZ]
Twentieth Century Fox will promote 5 upcoming films using an interactive broadband video channel developed by rich media technology provider Maven Networks. The broadband channel allows users to view full-screen video trailers, behind-the-scenes video clips and actor interviews; share clips with their friends, purchase tickets in advance and view a full-screen, interactive photo gallery or check out other trailers for upcoming movie releases from Fox. Utilizing interactive layer placed over the video, marketers can place links to additional downloaded content or allow users to save or share content a certain number of times or over a certain period. Fox previously used Maven's technology in last year's "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" promotion, which led users to return to the desktop channel an average of 3.6 times to view video trailers and behind the scenes footage that was automatically delivered over a three month period leading up to the film's release. During the promotion, 22% of visitors clicked through to check local showtimes, while 12% purchased tickets online, and users spent an average of 15 minutes watching behind the scenes footage or listening to interviews with the movie's stars.
6/22/2005 11:24:34 AM Fox Raises Curtain on Five-Film Promotion [ClickZ]
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Broadband Population Growth Continues [Jupiter Research]
A new study found that broadband Internet reached 32 million households in 2004 (around 50% of all residential online accounts), and is expected to reach 88 million (78%) by 2010. The trend is expected to fuel a move to rich media websites amongst consumer-facing Internet businesses. Online population gaps among seniors, kids, African-Americans, Hispanics and low-income households are expected to narrow, led by growth in the online senior population from 10 million in 2004 to 20 million in 2010.
6/15/2005 4:32:09 PM Broadband Population Growth Continues [Jupiter Research]
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Media Revolution to be Digitized, On Demand [Hollywood Reporter]
Rapid consumer adoption of DVR-type devices and standardized formats of on-demand content delivery are marking a shift toward personalized, portable, and interactive media. TiVo recently announced that it’s TiVoToGo service will be available on any device operated by Microsoft software. NBC saw an estimated $600 million-$800 million drop in upfront ad sales this year due in part to the steady shift of dollars to the Internet. Procter & Gamble announced a 25% reduction in this year’s upfront TV spending. Analysts caution that a 10% drop in demand at the television networks could mean a 40% drop in advertising prices, and expect the effect of the spending reduction to show up in future spot ad markets. Disney is making digital adoption a top priority by migrating more Disney- and ABC-branded content to VOD and rich-media Web offerings, modeling success seen by ESPN. The new moves are expected to generate additional revenue for ABC on its primetime hits by streaming day-after series episodes, deleted scenes, extras, and rich media advertising. Challenges for the studios remain in protecting and monetizing their copyrights, attracting advertiser support, and acquiring distribution access to broadband consumers. DVR subscribers are expected to reach 32 million by 2010 (up from 7.4 million today) and VOD services are forecast to reach 66 million subscribers (up from 20.4 million). The number of movies a $70 hard drive can store is expected to grow from 1,500 today to more than 12,000 by 2010. 83 million US households are projected to be online by 2010, of which 80 million will be broadband – up from 64 million households today of which 40 million are broadband.
6/15/2005 4:24:42 PM Media Revolution to be Digitized, On Demand [Hollywood Reporter]
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Reuters, AOL Ink Video Deal [Media Week]
Reuters announced a distribution deal with AOL to offer its business, fashion and sports news video clips through AOL's multimedia search engine, Singingfish, which allows users to search millions of audio and video clips. Reuters' videos are also available through Yahoo Video Search and startup search engine Blinkx. The New York Times, CNN and Forbes are also increasing the amount of ad-supported videos on their sites. A recent poll of Internet users found that 53% of respondents would watch more Internet video if they could locate it easily. Yahoo recently released its video search engine with content from television channels and film companies. Google and AOL are also developing video search engines to distribute Web videos.
6/14/2005 8:56:00 PM Reuters, AOL Ink Video Deal [Media Week]
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AOL to Focus on Free Music, Video [Business Week]
AOL is launching a free music and video portal outside its subscription service in a new strategy to boost advertising revenues. AOL's diminishing base of $23.90 a month subscribers will continue to have exclusive access to parental controls, special sections for kids and teens, antivirus and other security programs, and customer support hotlines operating 24 hours a day. AOL’s U.S. subscription has decreased by 5 million since its peak of 26.7 million in 2002.
6/13/2005 4:24:43 PM AOL to Focus on Free Music, Video [Business Week]
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Online Advertising to Rival TV Ad Sales [The Economist]
In 2005 the combined advertising revenues of Google and Yahoo! are expected to rival the combined prime-time ad revenues of ABC, CBS and NBC. Google’s net profit in Q1 was up 93% from the same quarter last year, while Yahoo!’s was up 55%. Many large advertisers still allocate only 2-4% of their marketing budgets to the Internet, though it represents about 15% of consumers’ media consumption. Google has begun testing upgrades to its auction-based AdSense service that displays advertising on third-party websites. The AdSense upgrades will offer rich media advertising to third-party websites. Google plans to continue using only small, text-based ads on its own search sites. Worldwide Internet ad revenue grew by 21% in 2004.
6/13/2005 4:11:22 PM Online Advertising to Rival TV Ad Sales [The Economist]
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EBay Debuts on Time Warner Cable TV [Reuters]
eBay announced a deal with Time Warner Cable for a one-year pilot to let cable subscribers in Austin, Texas make Internet auction bids through their televisions. Viewers will also be able to view the status of bids placed from their computers, receive on-screen alerts if they are outbid, and use a remote to raise their bids. Time Warner Cable uses software by BIAP in its boxes to let TV viewers find Internet programming and lets viewers personalize menus to access local weather, news, stock prices and sports team scores. The test is seen as part of wider cable industry efforts to retain customers in the face of competition from satellite TV and telephone companies.
6/9/2005 4:58:46 PM EBay Debuts on Time Warner Cable TV [Reuters]
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AOL Begins Ad-Friendly Media Player Rollout [ClickZ]
AOL rolled out a new media player on its news and entertainment properties, with a broader Web launch planned for mid-summer. The player will run 15-second video ad spots before every other clip and will synchronize them with a 300x60 rich media “ad curtain” unit that expands to 300x240 while the video plays. AOL has more than 10,000 on-demand video clips in its news, music videos, TV programming and sports properties, and each channel previously used a unique video player. The new player is AOL’s first step on a road map to create a consistent video experience across all of its media properties. AOL is using DoubleClick's Motif technology for animation and ad curtain operation, with ad serving and playlist functionality provided by LightningCast.
6/7/2005 12:51:14 AM AOL Begins Ad-Friendly Media Player Rollout [ClickZ]
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Online Music Television Takes Off [ClickZ]
MTV has launched MTV Overdrive, a 6-channel slate of music videos, artist interviews, MTV News updates, and original short-form programming delivered to broadband Internet users. Overdrive extends MTV's trademark music video programming as reality shows increasingly fill its primetime broadcast slots. The online channel sells program-intro sponsorships, along with :15 and :30 in-stream ad placements, on a run-of-site (ROS) basis and in its Sponsor Area. Advertising clients include Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, and Sony. Music Plus TV (MPTV) plans to launch a 24-hour online cable TV network this June to stream popular videos and increase exposure of independent and undiscovered bands. MPTV will mingle video content with short commercial spots and sponsored content. The network will launch with 6 months of prerecorded programming along with live daily content. The channel plans to give advertisers a chance to test the network for free before committing to a campaign. Internet video channel ManiaTV launched last year and now reaches 1 million unique viewers per month, offering "online broadcast commercials" on a CPM basis to advertisers including DaimlerChrysler, Dell, Levi's, Norelco, and The Princeton Review. According to Jupiter Research, 18 million American teens used the Internet in 2004 and 22 million are expected to by 2008. Teens aged 13-17 spend an average seven hours online per week, compared with nine hours watching TV.
6/2/2005 11:31:54 AM MTV Overdrive broadband music television usage forecast
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CNET Chases Online Ads with Launch of TV.com [Wall Street Journal]
Internet publisher CNET Networks unveiled TV.com, a Web site about TV shows for television junkies, with plot summaries, photos, video clips, cast lists and online forums related to TV series from the 1940s to today. Internet ad revenue in the U.S. rose 33% to $9.6 billion last year. Total ad expenditures increased 4.4% in the first quarter of 2005, to $33.5 billion.
6/2/2005 11:05:22 AM CNET TV.com TV shows website
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IPTV, Games To Drive Online Entertainment Boom [TechWeb]
A new study forecast that revenues from IPTV and VOD video, music downloads, games, gambling and adult entertainment are expected to triple to $36 billion in 2009 (from $12.3 billion last year). Online entertainment is expected to reach $15.8 billion this year. IPTV is expected to be the biggest driver behind the 24% annual growth in online entertainment. Multi-player online games are expected as the second biggest driver, while music is not seen as an area of growth as music subscription prices are expected to drop. Internet VOD sales are expected to reach $7.9 billion in 2009 (from $200 million in 2004), while DVD sales are projected to increase to $22 billion in 2009 (from $15 billion in 2004).
4/22/2005 12:25:54 AM IPTV VOD music games online entertainment market forecast
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iTunes Selling a Million Songs Per Day [Seattle Post Intelligencer]
Apple Computer said that it is selling 1.25 million music downloads at 99 cents apiece every day, with total purchases of over 250 million songs from its online iTunes Music Store. iTunes accounts for 70% of music sold online legally between December 2003 and July 2004. Apple sold 4.5 million iPods in Q4, with total sales over 10 million since October 2001. RealNetworks said it has 625,000 paying subscribers for its Rhapsody subscription service and its premium radio services as of Sept. 30, up 145% from the year-ago period.
3/15/2005 2:08:34 PM iTunes Selling a Million Songs Per Day [Seattle Post Intelligencer]
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NFL Games Broadcast to IPods [Associated Press]
The National Football League announced plans to make recordings of this year's playoff games available for portable audio players, including the iPod. Recordings of the Sunday NFL conference championships would be available for purchase through Apple's iTunes Music Store on the following morning, in addition to replays of the Super Bowl. Complete recordings of games are priced at $10 each, while highlights of games are priced at between 95 cents and $4.95.
3/8/2005 10:34:16 PM NFL playoff games audio iPod
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AOL Revamps Video Channel [CNN]
America Online announced plans to rename its cable music video channel from "My Music Channel" to "AOL Music On Demand" and offer more content to draw viewers to its AOLMusic.com Web site. Launched last year on Time Warner Cable, the channel lets viewers watch music videos and AOL programming on demand via remote control. The service is free to subscribers of AOL's high-speed Internet service. AOL Music On Demand just entered New York and New Jersey and is now available in 30 markets.
3/8/2005 10:24:24 PM AOL Music On Demand cable music video broadband channel
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Comcast Launches HDTV ON DEMAND [Press Release]
Comcast announced the launch of HDTV ON DEMAND, featuring new release movies for the Washington Metro/Virginia Region. Priced between $3.99 and $5.99, the HD movies may be ordered for unlimited viewing over a 24 hour period. Comcast currently offers 18 HDTV channels including local ABC, NBC, and CBS network affiliates; FOX, PBS and the WB; ESPN HD and Comcast SportsNet HD; HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, Starz!, InHD, InHD2, and Discovery Theater. Comcast's ON DEMAND service currently offers fast-forward, rewind, and pause features and a library of 1,800 movies, news, entertainment, sports, and children's programs. Comcast recently announced it would make ABC News content available for free to Comcast's 6 million high-speed Internet customers.
12/22/2004 5:09:08 PM Comcast HDTV On-demand movies
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TiVo to Launch Pop-up Ads and Copy-Protection [CNN]
TiVo announced that in March its subscribers will begin seeing static images as they fast-forward through ads. The billboard-like ads which last four seconds for a fast-forwarded 30-second spot and may feature a company logo and offer giveaways or links to other ads. Popup recording tags may appear during TV show promotions, allowing users to click “thumbs-up” to schedule those programs for recording. TiVo also plans to make use of Macrovision's new copy-protection scheme to restrict which programs users can record, save, and share from PPV and VOD channels. HBO plans to restrict viewers to having only one recorded copy of its regular shows, and no copies of its on-demand programs.
12/22/2004 5:08:19 PM TiVo pop-up ads Macrovision copy-protection
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Microsoft Targets Older People for Web via TV [USA Today]
Microsoft is targeting older adults and first-time Web users with the launch of MSN TV2, the latest version of its former WebTV interactive platform. The service allows easy-to-use browsing the Web, reading news and e-mail, instant messaging, access to 200 radio stations and video clips, and viewing of digital photos on memory cards. The service costs $200 for a set-top box, remote and wireless keyboard with a $22 monthly dial-up subscription or a $10 monthly fee for subscribers with broadband.
12/22/2004 5:04:25 PM Microsoft MSN TV21 adult first-time Web users
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Home Entertainment to Go [Business 2.0]
Enabled by rapid broadband adoption, high availability of digital music and video content, and ubiquitous access to wireless networks, place-shifting technology is expected to drive the next media revolution. Companies such as KineticTide and Orb Networks let consumers access videos, photos, and music from a home PC via their cell phones or mobile device. Peer-to-peer startups Grouper and Mercora let consumers shared digital media on their harddrives with family and friends. Digital cable radio programmer Music Choice announced new services that will let users listen to music on their cell phones and order on-demand music videos through their TVs and PCs. Consumer electronics startup Sling Media is rolling out a device that plugs into a TV, cable box, DVR, or PC and streams live TV or other media over the Internet to any broadband-connected device.
12/22/2004 5:03:55 PM Home Entertainment to Go [Business 2.0]
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Rich Media Is Rising Star of Online Ads [eMarketer]
A new report forecasts that rich media will overtake paid search to become the dominant form of Web advertising by 2010. Rich media ad spending grew by nearly 37% in 2004, and is expected to grow at more than 25% annually over the next 3 years. Yahoo! reported that its 200 largest brand-advertising customers spent 38% more on branding ads in Q1 2004 than in 2003's corresponding quarter.
12/22/2004 5:03:12 PM Rich Media Is Rising Star of Online Ads [eMarketer]
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Online Video Ad Growth Expected [ClickZ]
Analysts expect online video ad spending to increase 500% to reach $657 million by 2009. Analysts cite auto-play functionality as a key success factor in online video campaigns, with research findings that only 5-15% of Internet users will voluntarily initiate an ad containing video footage. Online video agency Klipmart often uses a flashing or blinking sound button for user-initiated audio, and reports that 42% of viewers watch at least 22 seconds of video in its 30-second auto-play ads.
12/22/2004 5:02:12 PM Online Video Ad Growth Expected [ClickZ]
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Video on Demand Expected to Boost Cable Earnings [TheStreet.com]
After sinking billions of dollars over the last decade to upgrade their networks for high-speed interactive video and data services, large cable operators are expected to see significant revenue growth from their VOD services. Comcast rolled out its on-demand television dating service in September, allowing users to enter criteria and then watch a video of a potential date. Subscribers watched 100,000 streams in the first month of a Philadelphia rollout. Comcast’s NFL replay feature allows on-demand users to view, pause, and rewind archived, 8-to-10-minute highlight reels of each game with audio from the local market's radio broadcast. The service has had 3 million streams since the season start in early September.
12/22/2004 4:05:43 PM Video on Demand Expected to Boost Cable Earnings [TheStreet.com]
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SBC in Deal With Microsoft to Provide TV on High-Speed Lines [New York Times]
In a new effort to compete head-on with the cable industry for television subscribers, SBC Communications announced it will pay Microsoft $400 million for IPTV software that will compress and encode TV programming for delivery over high-speed data lines to TV set-top boxes. The 10-year agreement is Microsoft’s first commercial contract to deliver TV programming, after having spent $20 billion in the last decade to break into the business. Microsoft has been testing the technology with telcos such as Bell Canada and India’s Reliance Telecom. SBC plans to start offering programming provided by satellite TV operator EchoStar by the Q4 of 2005. SBC has a separate agreement to market EchoStar's Dish Network satellite service. SBC expects to spend over $4 billion over the next 3 years improving its fiber optic network to carry digital video programming. In addition to SBC, Verizon Communications and BellSouth plan to offer TV programming in the coming years. The Bells are expected to acquire 6.1 million TV subscribers (6.2% of the national market) by 2010.
12/22/2004 4:04:41 PM SBC in Deal With Microsoft to Provide TV on High-Speed Lines [New York Times]
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Making the Most of Advertainment [eMarketer]
As advertisers respond to the “DVR Effect,” digital content producers are gearing up for a boom in alternative forms of advertising such as “advertainment.” Following on the heels of BMW’s successful online series of short films, Amazon released a series of short films on its website featuring prominent product placement of Amazon products. Covad recently piloted another form of short film advertainment for its voice-over-Internet (VoIP) service by airing a TV commercial that resembled a movie trailer and directed viewers to www.voipthemovie.com. The website featured a short film promoting Covad's VoIP service. A recent survey of US ad professionals found that 50% think advertainment is "somewhat effective" while 38% think it is either "very" or "extremely" effective.
12/22/2004 4:02:59 PM Making the Most of Advertainment [eMarketer]
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Nielsen to Measure DVR Ratings via Paper Diaries [Media Post]
Nielsen unveiled its controversial plans to begin reporting TV ratings from households with DVR’s beginning in some markets on April 7, 2005. The company will use paper-based diaries to measure recording and playback of digital recordings in most U.S. TV markets. Nielsen plans to introduce new meters in its metered markets to capture all DVR playback on a daily basis. The DVR portion will be stripped out of daily "overnight" reports, which will include ratings only for programs that were viewed "live." Nielsen will reissue a revised rating at the end of each week combining both the "live" and DVR data. Nielsen estimates average DVR penetration in the U.S. at 4-5% percent, peaking near 10% in “Western” markets such as Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Austin. Critics point out using paper diaries to measure viewing of digitally recorded TV programming fails to account for instant features such as fast-forward, pause and repeated replays that can occur on a second-by-second basis. Nielsen acknowledged that while it will have the capability of measuring those features in its electronic meters, it will not report that data initially in its DVR ratings.
12/22/2004 4:02:26 PM Nielsen to Measure DVR Ratings via Paper Diaries [Media Post]
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Universal Music Releases Clickable Music Videos [News.com]
Universal Music announced it is creating a series of interactive music videos for Internet play. The label hopes to use interactive video initially for three British bands to lure fans online as a direct way to sell albums, tickets and other band-related merchandise. Universal Music is experimenting with technology developed by British start-up Coull on a content category that's had mixed results on interactive TV services. The Coull software pre-treats the video to take advantage of little used MPEG 4 features, then streams the videos online to any ordinary Windows Media or RealNetworks player.
12/22/2004 4:01:05 PM Universal Music Releases Clickable Music Videos [News.com]
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Ad Execs Reacting to Diminishing Effects of Broadcast Advertising [In-Stat/MDR]
A new report, "Television Advertising 2004-2009: The Slow Death of the 30-Second Commercial," found that two-thirds of TV viewers with a PVR skip ads, with 75% of those individuals skipping over 50% of ads shown. The study also found that ad executives are reallocating their ad budgets to include highly targeted methods such as paid search and broadband video advertising. The total U.S. electronic advertising market will grow at an average rate of 2.8% annually from 2005 through 2009, primarily driven by Internet advertising, and to a lesser extent cable TV and video game advertising. The total market for video game-based advertising will reach $2.8 billion by 2009, with online gaming audiences increasingly tracked as TV audiences are today.
12/22/2004 3:51:31 PM Ad Execs Reacting to Diminishing Effects of Broadcast Advertising [In-Stat/MDR]
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Broadband Grows, AOL Groans [eMarketer]
US broadband providers added 2.3 million subscribers in Q3 2004. The record gain came as a surprise amid signs of slowing broadband growth. The new growth is attributed to aggressive marketing of cable and DSL broadband services with discounted offers to new subscribers and returning college students. Cable drew more new subscribers than DSL, adding 1.3 million net subscribers compared to 1 million for DSL. At the end of Q3 2004, there were 18.8 million cable Internet subscribers in the US and 12.2 million DSL subscribers. Comcast added 549,000 broadband subscribers while Time Warner added 168,000. AOL stopped accepting broadband customers in February and is expected to phase out its $54 per month broadband service. The company will continue offering its exclusive $25 per month "AOL for Broadband" portal services and broadband content.
12/22/2004 3:50:52 PM Broadband Grows, AOL Groans [eMarketer]
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McDonald's to Offer DVD Rentals [CNN]
McDonald's announced it will install DVD rental machines in 100 Denver-area outlets. Operated by DVDPlay, the automatic Redbox kiosks will feature 30 to 40 popular DVD titles, which will rent for $1 per night without any membership or late fees. Movies can be returned to any McDonald's outlet featuring the Redbox kiosks. DVD-ready households are expected to represent 80% of the US within 3 years.
12/22/2004 3:46:46 PM McDonald's to Offer DVD Rentals [CNN]
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Blockbuster's Brick-and-mortar Netflix Defense [News.com]
Blockbuster announced plans to use its rental outlets as distribution centers next year to deliver next-day movies by mail. Blockbuster’s online DVD rentals are currently delivered from centralized distribution centers, and the company expects to cut costs and delivery time by sending DVD’s from a closer retail outlet.
12/22/2004 3:46:05 PM Blockbuster's Brick-and-mortar Netflix Defense [News.com]
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Akimbo Debuts Video on Demand on Amazon [ZD Net]
Akimbo launched its video-on-demand service and signed on Amazon.com as its official retailer. The $230 Akimbo Player set-top box stores up to 400 video programs downloaded via the Internet for television viewing. The $10 per month Akimbo Service offers thousands of on-demand and niche programs, ranging from yoga how-tos and CNN news to children's shows and surfing videos. Akimbo will compete with Dave TV, another video-on-demand player and service, RipeTV, TimeshifTV, Disney's Moviebeam VOD movie service, and TiVo’s Netflix VOD service planned for launch in 2005.
12/22/2004 3:43:12 PM Akimbo Debuts Video on Demand on Amazon [ZD Net]
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For Cell Phones, it's TV to the Rescue [News.com]
70% of cell phones are expected to have built-in digital TV receivers within 2 years, many with pocket-sized DVR features. News Corp is creating "Mobisode" shows, with episodes whittled down in size and scope to work best on cell phones. The Walt Disney Internet Group’s mobile content distribution business has expanded to include videos and other mobile content based on Trivial Pursuit and National Lampoon. AT&T Wireless and Sprint are offering live television service on their phones, with Sprint recently adding mobile TV programming from the Cartoon Network and Adult Swim channels.
12/22/2004 3:42:04 PM For Cell Phones, it's TV to the Rescue [News.com]
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Scientific-Atlanta Seeing Continued DVR Demand [Macon Telegraph]
Cable set-top box maker Scientific-Atlanta pushed its profit up 31% on continued demand for DVR’s. The company shipped 397,000 DVR units during the fiscal quarter ending Oct. 1.
12/22/2004 3:41:04 PM Scientific-Atlanta Seeing Continued DVR Demand [Macon Telegraph]
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Advertisers to Go Gaga Over Gaming [News.com]
U.S. marketers are expected to spend $260 million on ads for video games in 2008, up from $79 million in 2003. Spending on in-game ads was $10 million in 2003 and is forecast at $92 million in 2008. A new video game advertising service by in-game ad firm Massive helps marketers target gamers with real-time ads and instant results reporting. The game industry in 2003 was made up of 108 million U.S. gamers 13 years and older, who spent a total of $7.4 billion on games. The market is expected to grow to 126 million consumers and $8.3 billion in sales by 2008.
12/22/2004 8:51:17 AM Advertisers to Go Gaga Over Gaming [News.com]
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Starbucks Serves up CD Burning [News.com]
Starbucks is expanding its digital music service to 15 Starbucks shops in Seattle and 30 in Austin, Texas. The Hear Media music bar service lets customers burn custom music compilations onto a CD, selecting songs from Hear Music's digital library of 150,000 songs. Consumers can browse the catalog on a touch screen and listen to songs and albums, or purchase seven songs for $8.99 and 99 cents for each additional. Starbucks also offers music downloads over a wireless network via a Wi-Fi partnership with T-Mobile.
12/22/2004 8:50:27 AM Starbucks Serves up CD Burning [News.com]
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Netflix Sees Amazon Entering DVD rentals [News.com]
Amazon.com plans to enter the DVD rental business in a bid to compete against Netflix and new entrants Blockbuster and Wal-Mart. Netflix expects to introduce a movie download service in 2005 in partnership with TiVo, though projects that DVD rentals will be more dominant in 5 years than they are today. Netflix currently has 2.23 million subscribers and ships 3 million DVDs a week.
12/22/2004 8:49:56 AM Netflix Sees Amazon Entering DVD rentals [News.com]
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PSX Game Console Tops DVD Recorder Charts [GamesIndustry.biz]
Sony's PSX home media system topped the DVD recorder sales charts for the end of September. The low-end PSX model (160Gb hard drive) took first place, ahead of Pioneer's DVD Recorder in second place, and Sony's DVD recorder in third. The PSX combines a PlayStation 2 console with DVR and DVD burner, bundled with digital music and photo playback features. The PlayStation Portable (PSP) plays music, movies and games – and will use the "media bar" interface developed for the PSX.
12/22/2004 8:49:24 AM PSX Game Console Tops DVD Recorder Charts [GamesIndustry.biz]
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Fox Joins Blu-ray Group [News.com]
Fox has joined the Blu-ray Disc Founders, who are working to establish Blu-ray as the next-generation DVD format. Blu-Ray discs store 10 times as much as current DVD technology, while the competing HD DVD format offers 6 times as much. Fox joins Dell, HP, Hitachi, Matsushita, Mitsubishi, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, TDK, Thomson and Sony as Blu-ray Disc Founders. HD DVD is supported by NEC and Toshiba. Sony’s entertainment and electronics divisions stand to gain if Blu-ray gains mass acceptance, with movies and TV shows from recently purchased MGM to play a key role in the development of Blu-ray.
12/22/2004 8:47:01 AM Fox Joins Blu-ray Group [News.com]
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Online Media Spend Predicted to Double by 2007 [American Advertising Federation]
An American Advertising Federation survey forecasts that online advertising will double by 2007. The average portion of media plan spending on online advertising is expected to grow from 8.35% in 2004 to 17% in 2007. 17.5% of advertisers did not include online media in their buys in 2004, while 8.5% are expected to remain offline-online by 2007. 85% of advertisers rely on online media for more precise targeting of a fragmented audience, while 62% look to online ad formats to grab attention and break though clutter. 21% of advertisers believe DVRs will herald the end of the traditional TV ad spot, and dramatically transform the TV advertising paradigm.
12/22/2004 8:45:54 AM Online Media Spend Predicted to Double by 2007 [American Advertising Federation]
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Comcast Taps Microsoft for Seattle Set-Tops [News.com]
Marking the first large-scale deployment of Microsoft’s TV Foundation software, Comcast announced it will offer set-top boxes using Microsoft’s software. The software includes an advanced program guide that powers DVR and VOD services, and allows the display of news and information content as well as basic game play. Comcast will initially offer the software to Seattle subscribers with high-end set-top boxes that include a built-in dual-tuner DVR, then to its HDTV customers. In 2005, Comcast plans to roll out the software to all 500,000 of its digital cable customers in the Seattle area. Comcast licensed Microsoft's software to use in 5 million homes, following a $1 billion investment by Microsoft into the cable operator. Microsoft competes with iGuide software developed by Comcast and Gemstar-TV Guide, which Comcast is launching in other markets.
12/22/2004 8:43:37 AM Comcast Taps Microsoft for Seattle Set-Tops [News.com]
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Nicktoons: Movin' ships for EyeToy [GameSpot]
THQ released Nicktoons: Movin', the first game for the PS2’s EyeToy camera to feature characters from children's television. The game puts players right in the middle of the TV screen alongside Nickelodeon cartoon characters, allowing up to 8 players to control the onscreen action with arm and body movements. "Hosted" by SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star, the game features characters and minigames from Nicktoons shows such as The Fairly OddParents, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Rocket Power, and Danny Phantom.
12/22/2004 8:42:33 AM Nicktoons: Movin' ships for EyeToy [GameSpot]
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Xbox Uses Halo 2 to Herd Players Online [USA Today]
Microsoft launched Halo 2 with a Hollywood-sized publicity blitz. The immersive science-fiction combat game is a linchpin in Microsoft's $2 billion bet that it will lure mainstream audiences to video-game play. With an emphasis on online communal game play, the Halo 2 marketing campaign hopes to tilt mainstream attention toward Xbox Live. Microsoft has sold 18 million gaming consoles, compared to Sony’s 75 million PS2 sales, and Nintendo’s 16 million GameCube sales. While Microsoft’s Xbox Live online gaming service has drawn 1.5 million subscribers, it is unlikely to meet its initial target of 10 million subscribers by 2007.
12/22/2004 8:35:44 AM Xbox Uses Halo 2 to Herd Players Online [USA Today]
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FCC Reports on US Broadband Adoption [eMarketer]
In a recent report the FCC found that "high-speed" broadband lines have increased from 9.6 million lines in 2001 to 28.2 million in 2003. The FCC defines “high-speed” connections as 200 kbps or faster in at least one direction; whereas “advanced” connections offer at least 200 kbps in two directions. Subscribership to both tripled between June 2001 and December 2003. The FCC noted that Japanese consumers receive 8,000 kbps for as little as $10 per month, and that Korean consumers pay the same amount for 10,000 kbps that Americans pay for 1,500 kpbs.
12/22/2004 8:32:35 AM FCC Reports on US Broadband Adoption [eMarketer]
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TiVo Is No Longer Skipping Past Advertisers [LA Times]
In a groundbreaking new strategy developed with 30 of the largest US advertisers, TiVo’s TV “your way" is becoming TV "their way too." This Spring TiVo viewers will begin seeing small logos or "billboards” appear over TV commercials as they fast-forward through them. The interactive “hot spots” will allow viewers to opt-in to contests, giveaways and other promotions and share their contact information with advertisers. By late 2005 TiVo plans to introduce on-screen shopping services allowing viewers to purchase products and participate in surveys via their remote control. This shift to on-demand viewing and interactive advertising has industry observers saying that TV advertising and programming must change dramatically to survive. The number of American households with a TiVo or TiVo-like recording system is expected to increase from 5% to 41% in five years. A September report found that DVR owners typically fast-forward through 92% of commercials.
11/16/2004 11:57:02 PM TiVo Is No Longer Skipping Past Advertisers [LA Times]
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Advertisers Will Triple Spending On Video Game Ads By 2008 [MediaPost]
A new study reports the U.S. video games industry reaches 108 million gamers 13 years of age and older. Advertisers are expected to spend $260 million on in-game ad placements in 2008 (up from $79 million last year). Analysts point to nascent impression measurement systems and pricing guidelines, and lead times ranging from 6 months to 1 year as the chief barriers to advertiser adoption. Nielsen Entertainment and Activision are panel-testing ad interaction and recall in video games, triggering inaudible audio codes when game players interact with advertiser brands and measuring how long and how often players are exposed to various products. Chrysler is the first participant in the test, which will run daily through 2005. A goal is to create a metric based on targeted reach and frequency that is comparable to what advertisers are used to buying in television and other media.
10/3/2004 2:11:57 PM Advertisers Will Triple Spending On Video Game Ads By 2008 [MediaPost]
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Newspaper Websites Expand Video Programming [Media Post]
Boston.com joins a growing number of newspaper publishers to expand their online video offerings. In an agreement with broadband services provider WorldNow, Boston.com added election-related news from a regional cable network to its sports-related on-demand video streams. The WorldNow technology allows users to create playlists of video clips and provides advertisers with detailed information about the total number of clips users viewed, how long they spent watching them, and whether they saw the entire ad. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also signed a deal with WorldNow to use its streaming technology on AJC.com. USAToday.com joined forces earlier this year with The FeedRoom to offer streaming video content.
10/3/2004 2:11:19 PM Newspaper Websites Expand Video Programming [Media Post]
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DAVETV Launches Broadband TV Service [ClickZ]
A new Internet-to-TV broadcast system has launched offering traditional programming and original shows on-demand over a secure peer-to-peer network. The DAVETV television broadcast network (Distributed Audio Video Entertainment) uses DAVE Media Center (DMC) software to download and catalog rights-secured video and audio content for playback on a user's PC or TV. The DMC software allows publishers to publish, protect and monetize their content with custom business and DRM rules. The DAVETV system includes a set-top digital media receiver, the Xport – a Windows CE device with an 80GB hard drive that stores up to 200 hours of TV-quality video. DAVETV will begin offering 30,000 hours of content in January.
10/3/2004 2:10:39 PM DAVETV Launches Broadband TV Service [ClickZ]
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Massive Inc. Launches Ad Serving Network [Media Post]
Massive Incorporated launched its ad serving network with the release Take-Two Interactive's Mall Tycoon 2 Deluxe -- the first PC or console-based title to serve digital ads in real time. Massive will sell ads for Mall Tycoon 2 along with 14 other titles from Konami, Legacy, Ubisoft, and Vivendi Universal, reaching a weekly in-game audience of two million young men. Close to $10 billion is spent on video games annually, and 239 million computer and video games were sold in 2003, approximately two for every household in America.
10/3/2004 2:05:45 PM Massive Inc. Launches Ad Serving Network [Media Post]
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New Software Turns PS2 Into Media Console [Extreme Tech]
Network storage company Ximeta announced it is developing software that will allow the PS2 to serve as a home media player. The new system will allow a PS2 to connect to a Ximeta removable hard drive to play back recorded files on a television screen, without requiring a PC.
10/3/2004 2:05:03 PM New Software Turns PS2 Into Media Console [Extreme Tech]
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Broadband Coming to Electrical Outlets [CNN]
The FCC has changed its rules to encourage the development of a new broadband over power line (BPL) technology that provides access to high-speed broadband services using the nation's power grid. Given the widespread availability of the electrical grid, the costs of rolling out the new service are expected be small. The technology allows subscribers to plug a device into an electrical outlet to communicate with devices plugged into outlets in other rooms and access the Internet at from 1 to 3 megabits per second. A trial of the new service has begun in Cincinnati as a joint venture between Current Communications and local utility Cinergy, offering broadband access at $29.95 to $49.95 a month, depending on the speed.
10/3/2004 2:03:26 PM Broadband Coming to Electrical Outlets [CNN]
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Study Finds DVR Users Skip Ads, Taped or Live [Ad Week]
A new study of TV viewers in DVR households has found that in addition to skipping commercials during programs they’ve recorded, DVR users are also avoiding ads when viewing live programs. 90% of respondents said they always or usually skip commercials when watching DVR-recorded material. 59% of males always skip commercials compared to 69% of females. The study also found that 40% change channels when a commercial appears during live program viewing, while 50% get up to do something else. 16% said they watch commercials when viewing programming live.
10/3/2004 2:02:09 PM Study Finds DVR Users Skip Ads, Taped or Live [Ad Week]
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In-Game Ad Networks Offer Targeted Branding [ClickZ]
In-game ad network inGamePartners (IGP) announced the launch of its inGameServer ad-serving system that will allow advertisers to better target their prime demographics and measure results. IGP and other in-game advertising networks such as Massive help advertisers reach elusive 15-35-year-old consumers in online video games – with technology allowing geotargeting, ad frequency capping, detailed campaign reporting, precise demographic targeting, customized ad messages, loyalty programs, and private-label games. Unlike typical direct-response online placements, online game campaigns are often used as a targeted branding medium. Massive focuses on top-tier console game advertising while IGP serves the online/PC hybrid game market. IGP partners with public game servers and online gaming networks that let PC gamers play online in multiplayer environments, allowing users to play free of charge by opting in to see ads. IGP currently reaches 5 million unique users per month, and plans to expand to console, handheld, and pure online games.
10/3/2004 2:01:03 PM In-Game Ad Networks Offer Targeted Branding [ClickZ]
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Wi-Fi Homes Fuel Digital Entertainment Boom [ClickZ]
Analysts expect 64 million Wi-Fi systems to be sold in 2004 (up from 24 million in 2002), with growth expected to surge among home users. The home wireless market is projected to reach 28 million in 2008 (up from 8.7 million households in 2004). Wi-Fi households represent a demographic segment of young, affluent, tech-savvy, early-adopter consumers with an interest in mobile devices, entertainment, and digital content. Consumers aged 25 to 34 make up 27% of home Wi-Fi users (they account for 22% of the total online population). Consumers with income of $60K to $99K represent 49% of home Wi-Fi users (compared to 32% of the total online population). 79% of Wi-Fi homes favor wireless access in the living room, 42% in a child’s bedroom, 37% in the master bedroom, and 22% in the kitchen. Online media outlets such as ESPN.com and Yahoo haved added features targeting users who are surfing the Web while watching TV, while Allrecipes.com and Epicurious are offering content for cooks who bring their laptops into the kitchen. 97% of home Wi-Fi users regularly carry portable digital entertainment players, and 77% want to integrate such devices with their PC’s for streaming music (29%) and TV (25%). 78% plan to buy digital home entertainment products in the coming year.
10/3/2004 1:59:52 PM Wi-Fi Homes Fuel Digital Entertainment Boom [ClickZ]
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HDTV, Program Guide and DVR Outlooks [ClickZ]
A recent study forecast that 37 million US households will receive HDTV programming by 2008. Over 14 million US households will own some type of HDTV capable hardware by the end of this year (up from 8.7 million at the end of 2003). Despite the rapid growth, analysts do not expect the adoption numbers to hit the FCC’s goal of completing a full transition to the new standard within 5 years. Interactive Program Guides (IPGs) are now built into a variety of consumer electronics devices from Digital TV’s to DVR’s, and viewers are increasingly using IPG’s to select viewing choices. The IPG market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 36.9% over the next 4 years, to projected revenue of $1 billion by 2008. A new report dubs IPGs the "Killer App" for Enhanced TV, pegging Gemstar-TV Guide, Microsoft, and Tribune Media Services as prospective market winners. Another study found that 55% of respondents own a DVD player and 10% plan to acquire one in the next year, while 4% own a DVR and another 4% plan to buy one in the next year. Standalone units such as TiVo and PC-based DVR’s currently represent 39% of market share, and are expected to drop to 20% by 2009 – with satellite and cable DVR providers controlling the remainder.
10/3/2004 1:58:54 PM HDTV, Program Guide and DVR Outlooks [ClickZ]
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Sony Rolling Out Powerful DVR [CBS News]
Sony announced a new computer and home server system with enough DVR storage space to record up to six TV channels simultaneously for five and a half days. The Vaio Type X will launch in Japan on November 20 offering 1,000 gigabytes of hard-drive storage and priced at $4,700. A "Time Machine View" feature displays recorded programs as a thumbnail TV guide and allows grouping into categories such as sports or sitcoms. By contrast, TiVo's $300 model can record a single channel for up to 6 days.
10/3/2004 1:58:15 PM Sony Rolling Out Powerful DVR [CBS News]
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Microsoft to tune up Media Center PC [News.com]
Microsoft announced that its Windows XP Media Center Edition will support multiple TV tuners, allowing consumers to record two channels simultaneously or watch one channel while recording another – though a sub-$800 Media Center PC model will not include the TV recording feature. The Media Center operating system includes a second interface that can play movies, music, digital pictures or television and be controlled via remote control. The system includes the ability to burn CDs and DVDs using the remote-control interface – along with instant messaging (overlaid on the TV image) and photo slideshow viewing. Microsoft also announced that its new Portable Media Center handheld device will allow user to take content from a Media Center PC on the go. Media Center Extender set-top boxes will allow users to view content in one room that is stored on a Media Center PC in another room. Sony is offering a new Media Center Edition Vaio with a single TV tuner. HP’s Digital Entertainment Center looks more like a consumer electronics device than a PC and will offer dual tuners. HP and Linksys have announced they will offer Media Center Extender set-top boxes. Creative and Samsung recently released the first Portable Media Centers handhelds.
10/3/2004 1:51:56 PM Microsoft to tune up Media Center PC [News.com]
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Next-Generation TV Streams Over Phone Lines [Boston.com]
In a move that will counter the ‘triple-play’ phone/broadband/TV offerings from cable companies, phone companies are beginning to offer TV over Internet protocol (TVIP), delivered via broadband phone lines. The technology is taking root in Europe, with France Telecom, Italy's FastWeb, Britain's HomeChoice, BT Group and others either offering or preparing to launch TVIP services. HomeChoice bundles a high-speed Internet connection with a broadband-connected set-top box that offers 80 channels, including many free on-demand programs and movies for an additional charge. HomeChoice offers customizable music channels that let subscribers choose which videos they want to watch; and the company signed a recent deal with BSkyB to offer the Sky Movies and Sky Sports pay-TV channels. Using the BT Group network, HomeChoice reaches 1.25 million homes in London, with rollout plans for other UK cities in 2005. TVIP requires an Internet connection of at least 2 megabits per second. TVIP viewers are expected to grow from several hundred thousand today to 15.6 million by 2007.
10/3/2004 1:49:50 PM Next-Generation TV Streams Over Phone Lines [Boston.com]
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TiVo Experiments with Interactive Advertising [The Motley Fool]
TiVo announced a new interactive advertising partnership with Royal Caribbean that will use the TiVo platform to advertise a one-hour TV special airing on the Travel Channel. Two-minute video spots about Royal Caribbean's destinations will be delivered to viewers' boxes for on-demand viewing.
10/3/2004 1:49:10 PM TiVo Experiments with Interactive Advertising [The Motley Fool]
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Comcast Arms for TV Revolution [The Seattle Times]
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts outlined the company’s strategy to ‘personalize’ television, growing its on-demand programming library from 2,000 hours today – much of it now free – to over 30,000 hours, of which 10% would be movies-on-demand and 90% free programming such as on-demand sports, news, and kids entertainment. Comcast is partnering with Microsoft and other search technology developers to create an elegant user interface that allows viewers to pick what shows they want from a vast program library.
10/3/2004 5:42:16 PM Comcast Arms for TV Revolution [The Seattle Times]
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Netflix, TiVo confirm alliance [The Mercury News]
Netflix and TiVo announced a partnership to develop the technology for delivering movies over the Internet directly to television set-top boxes, and a new service that may debut next year. Analysts expect the on-demand video service to help TiVo fend off competition from cable operators such as Comcast who are giving away set-top boxes with basic DVR features. Netflix currently mails its DVD rentals to 2 million subscribers.
10/3/2004 5:41:18 PM Netflix, TiVo confirm alliance [The Mercury News]
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Akimbo lands Net TV programs [The Mercury News]
San Mateo startup-up Akimbo announced it will distribute some of Turner Broadcasting System’s (TBS) best-known shows as video delivered to televisions over the Internet. The deal includes Cartoon Network shows, selected CNN news documentaries, and Turner Classic Movies. Akimbo’s set-top box ($229) will also deliver video programming now found exclusively on the Internet, foreign-language programs, and special-interest shows such as Billiards Club Network, VegTV, and the Yoga Learning Center. Set to launch in October, the Akimbo service ($10 per month) requires a broadband connection and downloads up to 200 hours of films and TV shows to an 80GB television set-top box for broadcast-quality on-demand viewing. Atlanta start-up Dave.tv plans to introduce a competing Internet television service in January.
10/3/2004 5:32:21 PM Akimbo lands Net TV programs [The Mercury News]
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Sony Tunes in New Wireless TV [Globe & Mail]
Sony unveiled its new ‘LocationFree TV’ allowing users to travel around the world with a portable touch-screen TV and watch television or listen to music from their home PC via the Internet and a wireless (Wi-Fi) connection. The system comes with either a 12-inch or 7-inch LCD touch-screen ($2,499 and $1,599 respectively) and a broadband-enabled wireless base station, which houses an NTSC tuner. The device can record and playback TV shows to/from a home PC, or display digital images and video files from built-in memory or a Memory Stick media slot. Viewers can capture freeze-frame TV scenes with a button on the monitor, scribble notes across the image on the touch-screen, and save or email them.
10/3/2004 5:31:42 PM Sony Tunes in New Wireless TV [Globe & Mail]
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MP3 Software Pulls Satellite Radio into Piracy Fight [News.com]
A new software program allows XM Satellite Radio subscribers to record radio programs directly onto a PC hard drive, neatly arranging individual songs into MP3 files and labeling them with artist name and song title information -- allowing users to leave the software running unattended for hours and amass a vast library of songs. The RIAA has expressed concern about any software that permits listeners to transform a broadcast into a music library. XM Radio is the largest U.S. satellite radio service with over 2.1 million members paying $10 a month for about 120 channels. 2,400 XM listeners have downloaded the program since August, with 400 paying $19.95 for the full version. XM has said it plans to launch in October a new car and home radio receiver that enables users to pause and rewind live broadcasts. XM also has a deal to stream its broadcasts over next-generation TiVo digital video recorders.
10/3/2004 5:28:08 PM MP3 Software Pulls Satellite Radio into Piracy Fight [News.com]
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Online Music Sales to Crescendo [Jupiter Research]
A new study forecasts that digital music sales in the US are expected to reach $270 million by the end of 2004, and grow to $1.7 billion by 2009 – representing 12% of total consumer music spending, with CDs still the medium of choice. Another study early this year found that 37% of American downloaders had paid for online music, compared to 22% in 2003 and 8% in 2002 who said they paid a fee. 62% of those who paid to download music burned the songs to CDs, while 26% transferred the files to a portable MP3 player. U.S. shipments of MP3 players are expected to grow over 50% in 2004 to 5 million – and to continue growing at 50% per year for the next several years.
10/3/2004 5:26:36 PM Online Music Sales to Crescendo [Jupiter Research]
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Virgin Launches Online Music Service [News.com]
In an effort to replicate the success of its offline chain of retail music stores, Virgin Digital has launched an online music service to compete with Apple’s iTunes song store – becoming the first major offline music retailer to enter a market now dominated by software, hardware and consumer electronics businesses. The new service consists of a proprietary, full-featured music jukebox, which includes a music download store and music subscription service powered by wholesaler MusicNet. The online store sells song downloads in a high-quality, copy-protected Windows Media format. The "Virgin Music Club" subscription service offers unlimited streams and "tethered" downloads (locked to the computer) for $7.99 per month ($2 less than comparable subscriptions offers from RealNetworks and Napster). The Virgin Group recently branched into a consumer electronics business with a line of MP3 players – and Virgin plans to eventually link its MP3 player and US cell phone services with the music store.
10/3/2004 5:25:38 PM Virgin Launches Online Music Service [News.com]
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TV Aims for Prime Time in Digital Home [News.com]
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) trade group announced it is publishing a user interface standard that will provide TV viewers with access to and control of networked components such as PC’s and DVR’s through their TV screens using a single remote control. The new technology supports full control of any networked device, including all of its unique functions defined by the device manufacturer. Some consumer electronics product manufacturers have previously been reluctant to add networking connectivity to their products because of concerns about losing their brand identity.
9/28/2004 5:30:01 PM TV Aims for Prime Time in Digital Home [News.com]
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New Microsoft Set-Top Box Ready to Roll [News.com]
Microsoft plans to start shipping MSN TV2, a next-generation of the original WebTV set-top box. The $199 device will require a $9.95 monthly subscription for broadband homes; or a $21.95 dial-up Internet access subscription. Microsoft will initially target the offering at Internet ‘newbies,’ who have historically been the bulk of MSN TV subscribers. The device allows video-playback and photo-viewing, and includes a version of Internet Explorer 6 designed to simplify Web browsing on the television. Features targeting broadband users include the ability to play music or movies stored on a PC in another room via wireless home networks. The product has no hard drive but uses flash memory to store up to 100 compressed photos that can be used as part of a slide show. MSN TV2 will compete for space in the living room against other Microsoft products including entertainment PCs, the Xbox game console, and the Media Center Extender.
9/28/2004 5:27:54 PM New Microsoft Set-Top Box Ready to Roll [News.com]
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Verizon Wireless Expands Mobile Broadband to 17 Cities [Reuters]
Verizon Wireless is expanding its broadband mobile data service to 17 cities in a $1 billion service upgrade targeting business users who want high-speed connections while travelling. Currently available in three cities, Verizon's BroadbandAccess service offers typical download speeds of 500Kbps per second and bursts of 2Mbps, comparable to home broadband service. The new cities include New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. BroadbandAccess is priced at $80 per month for unlimited usage.
9/28/2004 5:26:33 PM Verizon Wireless Expands Mobile Broadband to 17 Cities [Reuters]
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Netflix, Warner Bros. in Video-On-Demand Test [ZDNet]
Warner Bros. has agreed to license some films to Netflix to its upcoming movie-download service, sources say. The new on-demand service would allow people to rent and download films from Netflix to a TiVo personal video recorder. The agreement does not yet constitute a deal from Warner Bros. to participate in a commercial video-on-demand service from Netflix. And TiVo says it has not announced a video-on-demand service.
9/27/2004 5:38:50 PM Netflix, Warner Bros. in Video-On-Demand Test [ZDNet]
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Is It Online? Or TV? [ClickZ]
Dubbed “MTV for the 21st Century,” the ManiaTV! Network launched a pioneering new Internet television network. The independent TV network caters to youth culture and broadcasts 24/7 programming with 30 programs ranging from music videos and short films to action sports and cartoons. The network engages audience interaction through chat functionality, a "live webcam room," and a team of live "CyberJockeys." Viewers watch streaming video in a pop-up screen designed to allow watching picture-in-picture while surfing the web, email-ing, IM-ing, etc. ManiaTV appeals to advertisers targeting the coveted youth market for whom the Internet is the medium of choice. In a hybrid online/broadcast advertising model, the ManiaTV! Network sells broadcast commercial spots on a CPM basis and does not accept traditional online ad formats such as banners and pop-ups. ManiaTV's client list includes DaimlerChrysler, Norelco, Intel, Dell, and eBags. The network also works with smaller businesses and Internet companies to help produce their ads. The ManiaTV Network currently draws 5,000 unique viewers per minute and expects over 100,000 uniques per minute within the next five years.
9/27/2004 5:37:57 PM Is It Online? Or TV? [ClickZ]
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TV Now Available on Your Cell Phone [San Mateo County Times]
A new technology available initially from Sprint PCS allows cell phone owners to watch real-time television on the screen of their phone. Idetic, maker of MobiTV, expects the service to be available on other carriers by the end of the year. Launched in November 2003, the MobiTV service costs $9.99 per month in addition to a basic voice plan and a $15 per month subscription to the Sprint PCS Vision Internet and data service. Through an alliance with Comcast, MobiTV captures broadcast and cable satellite signals then encodes and streams audio and video to cell phone handsets at 10 frames per second. MobiTV is working with NBC, Fox and ABC in programming ventures and currently provides unlimited viewing of 20 channels including MSNBC, CNBC, NBC and Discovery Channel, and specialty channels such as NBC Mobile, ABC News Now and Comedy Time.
9/27/2004 5:36:47 PM TV Now Available on Your Cell Phone [San Mateo County Times]
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European TV Shopping to Double by 2008 [Reuters]
Television shopping in Europe is projected to double to $10.8 billion by 2008, with UK viewers most likely to buy goods from shopping channels, arrange travel services and spend money gambling over the TV (German and French viewers ranked second and third, respectively). Adoption of digital TV services and rollouts of special interest and highly specialized channels are expected to drive adoption of TV shopping, direct response, and travel shopping channels. European “T-commerce” sales were $5.51 billion in 2003, derived primarily from 24-hour shopping channels. In the US, shopping channels QVC and HSN reported $6.9 billion in revenues last year. 35% of QVC's UK orders now come from a "buy button" option on the BSkyB satellite TV remote control. Digital TV is expected to reach 40% of European homes by 2008, up from 18.5% in 2003.
9/27/2004 5:36:03 PM European TV Shopping to Double by 2008 [Reuters]
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Sony-MGM Deal Marries Movies With Technology [The Morning Call]
Sony’s $2.9 billion acquisition of MGM will double the studio’s film library and is expected to spur growth by combining entertainment and technology businesses. Announced just months after Chairman Nobuyuki Idei declared ''The industry is still a few steps away from having televisions that are integrated to the Internet,'' the MGM deal includes a venture with Comcast to let viewers select and view movies from Sony and MGM movie libraries via broadband. Comcast's second-quarter sales of VOD-ready broadband service surged by 39% over the same quarter a year ago. The market for movies downloaded over the Internet is projected at $9.5 million in 2005 and $498.5 million in 2010, up from $1.6 million last year.
9/27/2004 5:35:26 PM Sony-MGM Deal Marries Movies With Technology [The Morning Call]
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Slow Adoption, High Churn for Cablevision’s VOOM [TheStreet.com]
Since launching its high-definition satellite television service last October, Cablevision reports it has 28,700 activated customers nationwide with an additional 1,200 customers awaiting installation. While Voom has been received positively in the press as offering “Christmas morning every day” for cinemaphiles, subscriber churn has been high – 30% of subscribers have dropped the service since its launch. By comparison, EchoStar’s churn over the same period was roughly 19% and DirecTV’s churn less still.
9/27/2004 5:34:32 PM Slow Adoption, High Churn for Cablevision’s VOOM [TheStreet.com]
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Sony Could Launch PStwo in Late October [GamesIndustry.biz]
Sony may launch a redesigned version of its PlayStation 2 console this month, dubbed PStwo. The device will be 30% smaller than the PS2 and will include a built-in network adapter, and will likely be priced $149.
9/27/2004 5:31:49 PM Sony Could Launch PStwo in Late October [GamesIndustry.biz]
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Microsoft Showcases Interactive TV [News.com]
Microsoft’s TV division announced a deal with Telecom Italia to begin testing Microsoft’s Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) software. IPTV allows phone companies to offer on-demand TV subscription services via two-way broadband networks, enabling VOD and interactive program guide features. Microsoft has partnered with electronics makers Thomson and RCA to develop set-top boxes that support IPTV. Microsoft TV had previously announced trials with Bell Canada, India-based Reliance Infocomm, US-based SBC Communications and the Swiss Bluewin.
9/27/2004 10:41:27 AM Microsoft Showcases Interactive TV [News.com]
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Online Gaming Revenue to Quadruple [In-Stat/MDR]
A new report forecasts that the online gaming market is poised to quadruple, growing from $1 billion in 2003 to $4 billion by the end of 2008. The revenue growth will be fueled by advertising and millions of new players expected by 2008. Half of the U.S. population is expected to participate in online games by 2008. While males account for 51% of America’s 46 million online gamers, women over 40 were among the most avid gamers and 35 to 49-year-old women spent the most time online at Internet gaming sites in May 2004. Mobile gaming services will generate $1.8 billion annually in the U.S. by 2009, based on a forecast of 78.6 million wireless subscribers to mobile games.
8/26/2004 12:20:57 AM Online Gaming Revenue to Quadruple [In-Stat/MDR]
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On-Demand TV: Market Grows, DVR Supply Outpaced By Demand [Media Post]
A benchmark study on the "on-demand" television marketplace found that adoption rates of DVR and VOD services are growing, though deployment of DVR’s has been limited by the ability of cable operators to "procure and distribute them." The U.S. DVR universe is estimated at about 4.4 million, of which 1.8 million come from standalone providers such as TiVo and ReplayTV. The remaining 2.6 million DVR subscribers come from satellite and cable TV operators, who are having a harder than expected time getting sufficient hardware to meet customer demand and rollout expectations. VOD services are now available in 61% of U.S. cable homes, approximately 15.5 million digital cable subscribers. With Comcast, Cox, and other major cable operators aggressively expanding their VOD "footprints," penetration is projected at 68% of cable homes, 18.6 million VOD households by the end of 2004.
8/26/2004 12:20:46 AM On-Demand TV: Market Grows, DVR Supply Outpaced By Demand [Media Post]
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Broadband Penetration Hits 51% [ClickZ]
According to a Nielsen/NetRatings survey, at-home broadband penetration just passed 50% of online US households, now reaching 28.6 million US subscribers. DSL operators added 900,000 new subscribers in Q2 2004, and broadband cable services added 830,000. Cable holds 61% of the domestic market with a 6.4 million subscriber lead. Broadband penetration is highest amongst 18 to 20-year olds, of whom 59% use broadband. 58% of kids use broadband, 55% of the persons aged 25 to 34, 53% of teens, and 53% of 21 to 24-year olds.
8/26/2004 12:20:41 AM Broadband Penetration Hits 51% [ClickZ]
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Television Drama to Debut on AOL [News.com]
Marking the first time a media company has debuted a TV show in its entirety on the Internet, AOL revealed that it will broadcast a sneak preview of a new television series, “Jack & Bobby,” to subscribers of its “AOL for Broadband” service. The show follows the life of a mother whose son becomes the President of the United States, and is slated to air on the WB network in September. Continuing to lose dial-up modem Internet subscribers, AOL hopes that exclusive programming on its AOL for Broadband service will help lure new subscribers. AOL Television believes the promotion will demonstrate a new way for studios to introduce new shows. Separately, Time Warner Cable is launching a cable music channel using AOL programming.
8/22/2004 1:14:01 AM Television Drama to Debut on AOL [News.com]
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Broadband Goes Broader [Hollywood Reporter]
63 million Americans, or 51% of the US online population, used a broadband connection in July – up 47% over the same month a year ago. 59% of Internet users 18-20 use broadband while 46% of Internet users 55-64 use a broadband connection. 58% of Internet users under 11 use broadband, while 34% of users over 65 use broadband. Total broadband US households now number 28.6 million. DSL providers signed 895,000 subscribers in Q2 while cable operators signed 831,000 broadband subscribers, bringing total US broadband subscriptions to 11.1 million DSL subscribers and 17.5 million broadband cable subscribers.
8/22/2004 12:58:04 AM Broadband Goes Broader [Hollywood Reporter]
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Comcast to Launch NFL On-Demand [Reuters]
Comcast announced it will launch an on-demand National Football League Network to bolster its VOD programming with 54 preseason games, an archive of historic games, and other NFL-related programs. Analysts view the move as part of an effort by Comcast to gain access to lucrative Sunday games and lure more viewers back to cable. DirecTV owns exclusive cable broadcast rights to NFL Sunday games through 2005, though Comcast executives have speculated about acquiring the cable broadcast rights when DirecTV's exclusivity rights expire. Cable operators have lost video subscribers to satellite TV services at a higher than expected rate in the second quarter.
8/22/2004 12:54:51 AM Comcast to Launch NFL On-Demand [Reuters]
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Broadband MSN TV Device On The Way [Twice]
Microsoft and Thomson announced an agreement to develop a broadband and home network-enabled version of the MSN TV Internet receiver. The new MSN TV device will be available through major retailers in October priced at $199 and bundled with a wireless keyboard and remote control. Microsoft is still determining the monthly subscription fee for its broadband MSN TV service. The device itself will have limited downloading and storage capabilities but will connect via wired and wireless home networks to stream digital music, video and digital image files to a home entertainment system from a home PC hard drive or from the Internet.
8/22/2004 12:54:18 AM Broadband MSN TV Device On The Way [Twice]
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On-Demand Channels Place as Emmy Finalists [Reuters]
Virtual channels are emerging as a promising interactive TV programming format -- with Showtime Interactive, Cablevision's iO Dashboard, and Mag Rack placing as finalists for this year's interactive TV Emmy Awards. The nonlinear virtual channels are available to audiences on demand, and allow viewers to interact with content on their TV screen while they are watching a show. Dubbed an "interactive information portal," the iO Dashboard allows viewers to read current news, sports and entertainment headlines, and watch localized traffic and weather programs and personalized lottery and horoscope segments presented with video and other enhancements. Cablevision reports 1 million iO customers, representing 36% of its customers (up from 13.6% one year ago). Mag Rack pioneered on-demand TV on iO's service with highly targeted special interest content, offering dozens of magazine-style channels include "Celebrating Dogs," "Yoga Retreat," "Motorcycle Freedom" and "Inside Weddings." Viewers can select what to watch, fast-forward, rewind or pause the program as they wish. Mag Rack worked with 20th Century Fox on the on-demand premiere of "Cheaper by the Dozen" by creating a VOD magazine around the show that offered segments including a movie trailer, celebrity interviews, and features exploring the real-life parenting challenges explored in the film. Virtual channels can help cable operators reduce churn and sell new digital cable services and help content owners strengthen their brands. The new channels are expected to shift the relationship between content creators and their audiences.
8/22/2004 12:46:36 AM On-Demand Channels Place as Emmy Finalists [Reuters]
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Real Networks in Online Music Price War [BBC News]
RealNetworks has halved the price of its music downloads in a bid to boost its share of the online music market, offering songs for $0.49 each and albums for $4.99. The limited time offer targets rival Apple’s successful iTunes service, which typically sells songs for $0.99. The $2 million promotion coincides with the launch of new RealPlayer jukebox software that allows iPod users to play tracks downloaded from RealNetworks. Apple claims the software may have breached its intellectual property rights.
8/22/2004 12:45:28 AM Real Networks in Online Music Price War [BBC News]
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MSN Adds Movies; Blockbuster Launches Netflix-buster [Internet Week]
Microsoft's MSN division announced agreements with Blockbuster, CinemaNow, and MovieTickets.com to promote the 3 sites on MSN and share revenue for business drawn from traffic to their sites. CinemaNow competitor Movielink has a similar deal with AOL, and with SBC, BellSouth, and Charter Communications. Blockbuster and Microsoft are investors in CinemaNow. Blockbuster just launched a new site for online rental of DVDs, competing with Netflix with a $20 movies-by-mail subscription package. The number of US homes networked for entertainment is expected to grow from 500,000 last year to 20 million by 2008.
8/22/2004 12:44:40 AM MSN Adds Movies; Blockbuster Launches Netflix-buster [Internet Week]
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Sony to Use PlayStation 2 Chip in New Flat-Panel TVs [Forbes]
Sony announced plans to install its PS2 game console chips in flat-panel TVs due for release this fall. The new TV sets will use the PS2’s computer graphics processing capacity to offer new features and enable faster on-screen control for navigating TV broadcast information and viewing of image data from digital and video cameras. Sony is co-developing its next-generation Cell microprocessor with IBM and Toshiba and has announced it will use the new Cell chip in a line of digital home electronics as well as its next-generation game console. The Cell chip is expected to be ready for mass production in 2005, and to arrive in products on the market in late 2005 or in 2006. Sony plans to use its current generation of game console chips in a wide range of products.
8/22/2004 12:44:02 AM Sony to Use PlayStation 2 Chip in New Flat-Panel TVs [Forbes]
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Pocket DVR Stores Music, TV Shows [Newsfactor]
Retailing at $549.95 a new AV400 pocket video recorder from Archos can schedule, record and play television programs, music and radio – also storing photos and data files. The AV400 connects to the TV, VCR, cable or satellite recorder via a TV cradle, and offers between 20 and 100 GB of storage – recording up to 400 hours of TV programs or movies, or up to 15,003 hours of music. Recorded material can be viewed on the AV400's 3.8-inch color LCD screen, or on a TV, PC or other video device.
8/22/2004 12:41:37 AM Pocket DVR Stores Music, TV Shows [Newsfactor]
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NFL Makes High-Definition Gains [Reuters]
CBS announced it will broadcast three NFL games in high-definition in the 2004 season with sponsorship from Sony. Fox said it will increase its HD football coverage with up to 6 games per week during the regular season. ABC's “Monday Night Football" games are also in HD.
8/22/2004 12:40:10 AM NFL Makes High-Definition Gains [Reuters]
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Viacom Chief Ups Stake in Midway Games to 80 Percent [GamesIndustry.biz]
Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone has increased his personal holding in publisher Midway Games to over 80%. He had already appointed his daughter Sherri Redstone to the Midway board and replaced the board’s chairman. Industry observers expect that Redstone will take Midway private and acquire full ownership of the firm. Some suggest he may then sell Midway to Viacom. Viacom has expressed strong interest in the videogame industry, briefly considering a $20 billion buy-out of market leader Electronic Arts earlier this year.
8/22/2004 12:39:34 AM Viacom Chief Ups Stake in Midway Games to 80 Percent [GamesIndustry.biz]
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Warner Bros Acquires Games Producer [Seattle Post Intelligencer]
Warner Bros. Entertainment expanded its interactive-gaming capabilities by acquiring Monolith Productions, a video-game production company that has created game titles such as "Alien vs. Predator 2," "Tron 2.0" and "No One Lives Forever." Monolith will become part of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, which licenses video games, co-publishes games and produces multiplayer online games. Warner Bros.’ new online multiplayer title "The Matrix Online" is due out in November.
8/22/2004 12:38:19 AM Warner Bros Acquires Games Producer [Seattle Post Intelligencer]
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Sprint Puts Streaming Media on Phones [PC World]
Sprint announced a new streaming video service that will run on a Samsung multimedia cell phone that Sprint recently began offering. Sprint’s Multimedia Service now plays video clips at 15-frame-per-second (compared to the 1 frame-per-second video download service Sprint has offered its wireless subscribers since last year). The Samsung handsets rely on a new Qualcomm media player to deliver pure streaming. The phones also include a digital camera and camcorder and retail at $400 or $250 with a 2-year contract. Sprint's new video service will offer 600 new audio and video clips each day. Programming includes “Athens on Location”, showing Olympics highlights through August; and “Sprint TV” which aggregates content from NBC, Fox Sports, The Weather Channel Interactive, and others. The $9.99 per month basic service includes a movie previews channel and a channel featuring previews of all channels available on the Sprint service. Premium channels are available for $4.95 per month each from CNN, Fox Sports, The Weather Channel, V-Star's 1KTV, E! Entertainment Television. An AccuWeather channel is available for $3.95 per month.
8/22/2004 12:37:48 AM Sprint Puts Streaming Media on Phones [PC World]
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Sony Zooms in With New TV Technology [News.com]
Sony announced TV technology allowing viewers to zoom in, pan and tilt their perspective in television broadcasts. The new "Digital Reality Creation Multifunction" controller chip will be used in future television models to take more advantage of the level of detail available in high-definition digital video.
8/22/2004 12:37:09 AM Sony Zooms in With New TV Technology [News.com]
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AOL Broadband Programming Targets Video Gamers [Hollywood Reporter]
In September AOL will launch a new animated mini show in its games area called "Face Off," in which a team of "American Gladiator"-type gamers compete. It joins other mini shows, such as "Players Club," "First Tip," "Phive," and "V.I.P." -- which do exclusive interviews with hot celebrities whose image, music, or voice is featured in a current game. AOL sells 30-second video spots that run during its game-oriented programming, sells boxed games, and recently signed a deal to offer PC games on demand. AOL expects its game programming to entice new subscribers to pay $14.95 or $23.95 a month for its premium broadband service.
8/22/2004 12:36:25 AM AOL Broadband Programming Targets Video Gamers [Hollywood Reporter]
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ABC.com to Air on RealNetworks' SuperPass [News.com]
Disney’s ABC.com announced a deal to offer clips of its TV shows on RealNetworks' SuperPass subscription video service. “ABC On Demand” will feature clips from soap operas such as "General Hospital," "One Life to Live" and "All My Children," morning talk show "The View," late night comedy show "Jimmy Kimmel Live," and behind-the-scenes footage from "Extreme Makeover." ABCNews.com has been on SuperPass since 2002. RealNetworks generally shares subscriber revenue with its content providers.
8/22/2004 12:29:58 AM ABC.com to Air on RealNetworks' SuperPass [News.com]
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Cablevision's iO Digital-TV Service Leads Subscriber Growth [Newsday]
Cablevision announced it had gained 7,500 cable TV subscribers in the second quarter, contrasting with total subscriber losses of 285,000 from Comcast, Time Warner and 4 other major cable companies. Cablevision's iO digital-TV service signed 110,000 new customers, reaching 1,165,700 (40% of its 2.95 million cable TV subscribers). The company added 50,000 broadband customers, now reaching 1,179,000. The cable industry faces competition from satellite TV operators, including DirecTV, which gained 455,000 subscribers in the quarter, and from phone companies that offer DSL and satellite TV service.
8/22/2004 12:23:26 AM Cablevision's iO Digital-TV Service Leads Subscriber Growth [Newsday]
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PlayStation 3 to Feature Blu-Ray Disc [GamesIndustry.biz]
Sony revealed that its next-generation PS3 game console will use Blu-Ray discs. The format holds 5 times as much data as a DVD on a similar size disc, and is expected to play back high definition movies. Details of a read-only Blu-Ray system are being finalized by electronics companies including Sony, Dell and Panasonic. Blu-Ray is compatible with standard DVD formats and the PS3 will more than likely play back standard DVD movies and PS2 titles. The PS3 along with other Blu-Ray video disc players are expected to be available by March 2005.
8/22/2004 12:21:41 AM PlayStation 3 to Feature Blu-Ray Disc [GamesIndustry.biz]
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Kerry and Bush Campaign on Broadband Policy [News.com]
Declaring that broadband is as important to the future of the economy as electricity, John Kerry announced he would introduce tax incentives for "next generation" broadband investment; put in place universal broadband for emergency services; free up more wireless spectrum for broadband; and promote rural broadband purchasing groups to help lower prices. George Bush has outlined his own plan for providing universal access to high-speed Internet connections by 2007 and has vowed to Keep Internet access tax-free; eliminate regulations that discourage investment; use federal land for wireless towers and fiber rights of way; and free up more wireless spectrum for broadband. Cable and telecom providers are expected to receive various benefits from such policies. Verizon currently commands 2.7 million DSL customers and forecasts 1 million fiber customers by year end. SBC provides DSL to 4 million subscribers in partnership with Yahoo. Comcast reaches 5.7 million subscribers with broadband delivered via cable networks it claims will soon rival fiber. And Time Warner serves 3.4 million cable subscribers.
8/22/2004 12:15:24 AM Kerry and Bush Campaign on Broadband Policy [News.com]
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HDTV Viewers to Reach 60 Million in 2008 [ClickZ]
A new report forecasts 59.3 million US homes will have HDTV by the end of 2008. 10% of US households currently claim to have HD televisions, and another 20% intend to purchase them. The average retail price for HDTVs has declined 20% annually. 48% of men and 35% of women chose sporting events as the best HD content, followed by theatrical movies for men and police/western action adventure programs for women. Movies were rated the most important programs to view in HD for both men and women.
8/22/2004 12:11:38 AM HDTV Viewers to Reach 60 Million in 2008 [ClickZ]
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Home Audio Devices to Download Broadband Music [Memorystick.com]
Any Music has launched a broadband music service in Japan that allows subscribers to download music into Any Music-compliant home audio devices. Kenwood, Pioneer, Sharp and Sony have begun selling hard disk drive-equipped (HDD) network audio systems designed to be compatible with the Any Music service. Onkyo, Denon and Marantz, JVC and Yamaha are also investors in the service. The new home audio devices connect to a TV set and display an on-screen music service menu operated by a remote control that allows users to download music, purchase CDs online and access information from FM broadcasts. The Any Music service is priced at approximately $2.85 (¥315) per month and requires users to connect via a broadband network.
8/22/2004 12:10:47 AM Home Audio Devices to Download Broadband Music [Memorystick.com]
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FCC Lets TiVo Users Share Shows Over Internet [Hollywood Reporter.com]
In a unanimous vote the FCC approved TiVoGuard as adhering to the “broadcast flag” copyright protection regulations. TiVo’s new TiVoToGo system will allow viewers to record a show and share it remotely with a limited number of TiVo-equipped friends or relatives who may have missed the broadcast. The NFL and other sports leagues argued that the devices pose a threat to local black outs of broadcast sporting events. The MPAA warned that “redistribution of copyrighted TV programming beyond the local TV market disrupt local advertiser-supported broadcasting and harm TV syndication markets.” The MPAA indicated that its member companies are not categorically opposed to remote access, but that there are many business and copyright issues associated with remote access to TV programming from anywhere in the world. The commission's order also approved digital output technology and recording methods including Sony’s MagicGate secure video recording software, Microsoft’s Windows Media digital rights management software, and RealNetworks’ Helix DRM trusted recorder.
8/6/2004 10:39:16 PM FCC Lets TiVo Users Share Shows Over Internet [Hollywood Reporter.com]
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Life on Demand: Changing The Channel On TV Viewing [Forbes]
5% of Americans now watch network programming on a DVR instead of on the network's air schedule. One third of Americans are expected to watch TV this way by 2007. Analysts expect that every major cable provider will offer DVR services by the end of this year, and that DVR penetration will hit 50 million homes by 2009. Nielson’s new metering system will track DVR usage and is expected to change the way networks sell advertising and how advertisers create and place ads. Nearly half of all US cable systems offer VOD services. Comcast offers lots of free VOD programming, including some network news. Cablevision offers some fee-based ad-hoc how-to VOD programming. Time Warner offers some free programming in some markets. 1.2 million of Time Warner’s 11 million cable subscribers use video-on-demand. 36 million digital cable homes are expected to have access to VOD by 2008. Analysts expect 14 million people to be using VOD services by 2007, up from 4.7 million people today. Consumer VOD sales are projected to triple to $1 billion by 2007.
7/30/2004 12:54:22 AM Life on Demand: Changing The Channel On TV Viewing [Forbes]
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Video Game Biz Squeezing Revenue from Older Titles [Reuters]
New games on demand services are using digital distribution to extend the life of older, mainstream library titles beyond the typical 6-8 week lifespan on store shelves. Atari recently launched its Atari On Demand service allowing gamers to try and buy games or get unlimited gameplay for $14.95 per month. Comcast, RCN, Bell Canada, and Yahoo have also launched recent games on demand services. Comcast now offers 70 game titles through its Comcast Arcade partnership with Real Networks. A recent study projected that over 2 million broadband-enabled households will subscribe to games-on-demand services by 2007 – up from 100,000 subscribers as of year-end 2003.
7/30/2004 12:53:46 AM Video Game Biz Squeezing Revenue from Older Titles [Reuters]
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Comcast Launches On-demand Game Service [ZDNet]
Comcast unveiled Games on Demand, a monthly subscription service debuting with 60 game titles. Priced at $14.95 per month, the service offers Comcast.net customers unlimited access to various PC games such as Atari's "Dead Man's Hand," Scholastic Media's "Clifford Thinking Adventures," and "I SPY Fantasy" games. Comcast continues to support the game service it launched in May 2003 with Real Networks. Comcast's G4techTV will develop special programs to promote the new game service with special programs.
7/30/2004 12:52:25 AM Comcast Launches On-demand Game Service [ZDNet]
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No Backward Compatibility in Xbox 2 [GamesIndustry.biz]
Industry sources report that Microsoft does not intend to make its next-generation Xbox console, set for launch in 2005, backwards compatible with existing Xbox software titles. Microsoft’s internal research suggested that only 10% of PS2 purchasers were interested in the console’s ability to play titles developed for the original PlayStation. However, some analysts believe that failing to provide backward compatibility could alienate Microsoft's existing Xbox installed base and evaporate its first-mover advantage.
7/30/2004 12:26:10 AM No Backward Compatibility in Xbox 2 [GamesIndustry.biz]
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Disney Talks Up Expanded Moviebeam [News.com]
In a broad technology push to position itself more as a retailer in the digital entertainment market, Disney announced plans to expand its low-cost Moviebeam video rental service. The service is allowing Disney to build direct relationships with movie consuming customers and avoid sharing revenue with retail outlets. Disney is expected use the Moviebeam service to deliver movies, TV shows, sports and news to cell phones and personal media players. Moviebeam is a set-top box with a hard drive that stores up to 100 DVD-quality movies and is equipped with an antenna that receives films via local broadcast airwaves. Consumers rent the box for $6.99 to $8.99 per month and pay an additional $1.99 to $3.99 to rent each film for a period of 24 hours. Moviebeam launched last September in Salt Lake City, Jacksonville FL, and Spokane WA and plans to be in 3 more cities this fall and additional markets in 2005. The service targets an estimated 30 million US consumer homes who rent at least 4 movies a month and pay an average $11 to $15 a month in late fees. Moviebeam estimates its start-up costs at $250,000 per city and targets break-even at 2 million subscribers.
7/30/2004 12:26:03 AM Disney Talks Up Expanded Moviebeam [News.com]
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Comcast to Use Microsoft's Digital Video Recorder (DVR) Software [News.com]
Comcast Cable announced a deal to use Microsoft's latest TV Foundation to display program choices on up to 5 million of its customers, with an option to extend the software to the rest of its 21 million subscribers. Microsoft's software supports interactive TV services such as DVR, video on demand and high-def television, and includes a channel guide that keeps 14 days of listings. Expected to be available this summer, Microsoft TV Foundation Edition 1.7 is Microsoft's fourth DVR product and the third to offer dual-tuner digital video support.
7/30/2004 12:25:57 AM Comcast to Use Microsoft's Digital Video Recorder (DVR) Software [News.com]
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Comcast Tunes into Disney for Broadband [News.com]
Comcast announced a deal with Disney to offer its broadband subscribers streaming media and on-demand video from Disney's ABC News, and an online channel for children with programming from the Disney Connection broadband destination. Comcast will begin offering ABC News broadcasts on its Internet news channel, including content from "World News Tonight," "Good Morning America," "20/20" and "Primetime Live." Comcast will also offer the ABC News Live real time streaming-video application to its broadband customers. The Comcast Kids Channel will offer Disney Connection's online games, activities and videos, along with the Disney Blast children’s portal site, and the Toontown Online site for preschoolers.
7/30/2004 12:25:18 AM Comcast Tunes into Disney for Broadband [News.com]
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Movie Downloading Spurred by Broadband [ClickZ]
A new MPAA survey found that one-quarter of primarily broadband Internet users have downloaded movies. The MPAA reported that 56% of those who download movies don't expect to discontinue the activity, and 17% of non-downloaders are likely to begin downloading movies from the Internet. 79% of respondents found downloading films before theatrical release to be unacceptable. Korea led the trend with 58% of respondents reportedly downloading movies, followed by France at 27% and the US at 24%. Another study found that file-sharing music downloads have shrunk over the last year, while downloads of video, games, and software has increased. Video files accounted for 35% of downloads in Germany, 32.4% in Italy, and 26.1% in France. Over 31 million films are downloaded via non-commercial methods per month in France, with 4% of Internet users actually paying to view films online. Home broadband reached 49% (63 million) of all US Internet connections in May 2004, up from 9% of US Internet users in 2000.
7/30/2004 12:25:11 AM Movie Downloading Spurred by Broadband [ClickZ]
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Xbox Live Service Reaches 1 Million Users [Reuters]
The Xbox Live online console gaming service reached 1 million users. Launched in 2002, the Xbox Live service currently offers 100 online game titles and is expected to reach 150 by the end of this year. Microsoft recently added new features to Xbox Live, including the ability to store data on the network, create online competitive tournaments and swap messages with other Xbox Live users.
7/30/2004 12:25:06 AM Xbox Live Service Reaches 1 Million Users [Reuters]
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EBay Sets up 6-month Digital Music Test [USA Today]
eBay has entered the digital music download marketplace, enabling a handful of record labels to sell downloadable music directly to consumers. The new service is expected compete with sites such as Garageband.com, Download.com, and mperia.com, providing a new outlet for unsigned and independent musicians to save on CD manufacturing and shipping costs. Sony and Wal-Mart entered the digital music market in recent months, hoping to compete with Apple’s iTunes music store which has sold 100 million downloads since 2003. Microsoft plans to launch a music download store later this year.
7/30/2004 12:25:00 AM EBay Sets up 6-month Digital Music Test [USA Today]
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Movie-swapping Up; Kazaa Down [News.com]
A new survey of worldwide file-swapping traffic found that online movie trading is skyrocketing. Use of Kazaa file-sharng software has slipped far behind rival BitTorrent, which now accounts for 53% of peer-to-peer network traffic. The report found that overall traffic has not been falling, as some analysis have suggested. In June 2004, an average 8 million users were online at any given time. The report marks a generational shift in the peer-to-peer world, with computer users increasingly downloading big files such as movies and software. The average number of people on the FastTrack network and Kazaa held steady in June at 2.7 million simultaneous users. Use of eDonkey has risen sharply in the last year, though held at 2.2 million average users in June. A recent MPAA survey found that 24% of Internet users had downloaded a feature-length film online at least once, each downloading an average of 11 films.
7/23/2004 3:18:03 AM Movie-swapping Up; Kazaa Down [News.com]
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DSL Has Record Growth Spurt [ClickZ]
Global DSL subscriptions achieved three consecutive record-breaking quarters, reaching 9.5 million new lines in Q1 of 2004 alone and bringing worldwide DSL subscribers to 73.4 million. China led the DSL market with 14 million subscribers at the end of Q1 2004, followed by Japan with 11.2 million subscribers and the US with 10.6 million broadband DSL subscribers. Cable modem technology has dominated US broadband subscriptions, though DSL has surged from 28% market share in March 2003 to 42% in 2004. Global cable modem subscriptions are expected to reach 68 million subscribers in 2007.
7/23/2004 3:17:56 AM DSL Has Record Growth Spurt [ClickZ]
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Online-game Revenue to Skyrocket [News.com]
Analysts expect revenue from online games to triple to $1.1 billion by 2008, representing 10% of the global video game market. Falling console prices are expected drive the shift, dropping as low as $49 within 5 years. Sales and subscriptions to Web-based games currently generate $353 million annually, with online-game advertisements receiving an additional $500 million. Massively multiplayer online games are expected to boost the industry, with a projected 5.2 million Americans spending $556 million on subscriptions to these games by 2008 -- compared to 2.4 million subscribers and $209 million in revenue in 2003. Monthly online game subscriptions have effectively overcome widespread software piracy in Asia. Of the 41.1 million video game consoles installed in the US, 3.3 million console players were online at the end of 2003. This number is expected to reach 8 million by 2008, with growth spurred by next-generation online consoles from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.
7/23/2004 3:17:50 AM Online-game Revenue to Skyrocket [News.com]
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Sony Takes the Fight to iPod [CNN International]
Sony unveiled plans to enter the hard disk music player with the launch of a palm-sized Walkman player that stores up to 13,000 songs on a 20GB hard drive and offers 30 hours of playback on a rechargeable battery. The new NW-HD1 Walker is smaller and lighter than the iPod's 15-, 20- and 40-GB models (it is slightly larger than the 4-GB iPod Mini), and Sony claims the portable player is the smallest of its class. Priced near $400, the new Walkman will be available in the US in August. Apple’s October 2001 launch of the iPod defined the market for high-capacity hard-disk portable music players and has now sold 3 million units. Dell and Samsung have since launched competing products, though Apple leads in the US with a 60% market share.
7/23/2004 3:17:45 AM Sony Takes the Fight to iPod [CNN International]
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Home Networking on the Upswing [News.com]
The home networking market is expected to grow from $8.3 billion this year to $17.1 billion by 2008, with a growing number of broadband users sharing broadcast and Internet content over home entertainment networks. Home networks are emerging as a key delivery platform for entertainment content -- with Comcast positioning its new broadband cable technology as a home network gateway and EchoStar using home networks for multi-room viewing on its DVR. Linksys ranked as the market leader for wireless media adapters in 2003, while Ximeta captured the largest share of the consumer network storage device market.
7/23/2004 3:17:39 AM Home Networking on the Upswing [News.com]
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Wireless Device Brings Remote Control to PC [News.com]
SnapStream Media announced plans to launch a handheld remote control that lets people manage the media and entertainment functions on their PCs including TV tuning, DVD playback, streaming video, digital music, and photos. SnapStream's new Firefly package includes the remote control, software to manage the PC's media applications, and a wireless receiver that plugs into a PC's USB port. Priced at $49.99, the product is compatible with Windows XP and Windows 2000 PCs and requires a 500MHz processor, 128MB of memory, 100MB of free hard disk space, and a CD or DVD drive. The Firefly software manages media applications including Windows Media Player, Winamp, iTunes and QuickTime, and RealPlayer.
7/23/2004 3:17:34 AM Wireless Device Brings Remote Control to PC [News.com]
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PS2 Sales Double Following US Price Cut [GamesIndustry.biz]
The PS2 topped US hardware sales rankings after a price cut to $149, with sales more than doubling in the month after the cut. The sales increase has driven annual PS2 sales up 26% from the same period last year. Excluding gains from the PS2 price cut, the overall US console hardware sector has been down 10.7% this year to date, primarily due to slower sales of the PS2. The Xbox and GameCube have shown year-on-year gains in the US. Console sales in Europe and Japan have risen up 10.9% and 2.3%, respectively, this year to date.
7/23/2004 3:17:25 AM PS2 Sales Double Following US Price Cut [GamesIndustry.biz]
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Advertisers Take Aim at Gamers [Business Week]
Games publisher Activision is focused on capturing videogame advertising dollars as a strategic priority, recently featuring McDonald's burgers and fries as part of the adventure in its Extreme Skate game. Activision reports that while advertisers spent $8 billion last year targeting American males aged 18-34 (who watched 30 billion hours of TV), 18-34 males spent at least the same amount of time playing video games but US advertisers spent less than $15 million on video game advertising. Industry analysts expect that to change. Within a year, Nielsen Entertainment will start a gaming-ratings service to monitor consumers in sample households and report on what games they’re playing, which level of the game they're on, and which ads they're seeing. New technology will allow advertisers to serve up targeted in-game ads. Massive Inc. is launching new peer-to-peer software in October that will allow advertisers to market a movie release in online PC games. Major in-game advertisers currently include Nike, DaimlerChrysler, Nestle, Sony Ericsson, and Intel. Game advertising is cheap compared with TV ads, with many publishers accepting barter. Xbox receives 50% of its in-game ad payments as cross-promotions. Spending on in-game advertising is expected to reach $200 million this year and could reach $1 billion by 2008.
6/29/2004 1:32:57 PM Advertisers Take Aim at Gamers [Business Week]
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Viacom Looks for Ways to Advertise in Video Games [Reuters]
After selling off parts of its Simon & Schuster Interactive video game business last year, Viacom reports it is now looking at the potential for advertising in video games and at capturing its share of the $10 billion US video game industry. Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone has made aggressive personal investments in games publisher Midway Games (to whom his daughter serves as vice chairman), fueling speculation Viacom that plans to re-enter the industry.
6/29/2004 1:30:21 PM Viacom Looks for Ways to Advertise in Video Games [Reuters]
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Court TV Puts Trials Online [Television Week]
Court TV plans to launch a broadband service that will allow subscribers to view live Internet streams of its trials for $5.95 per month. CourtTV.com Live Trials will be streamed commercial-free and will often feature multiple trials, extending the network’s one-trial-at-a-time on-air model. The Court TV Web site attracts 1 to 1.5 million unique visitors each month and generates 15 million to 25 million page views. Court TV forecasts about 20,000 to 100,000 subscribers and expects profitability at 20,000 subscribers. US consumers spent $748 million for online content in the first half of last year, an increase of 23% over the same period in 2002. The FCC reported that the number of high-speed Internet lines grew by 42% last year, bringing high-speed service to 28 million homes and businesses.
6/29/2004 1:29:33 PM Court TV Puts Trials Online [Television Week]
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Online Game Publishers Going Global [News.com]
Two of the leading online gaming companies in Asia are making plans to launch their multiplayer games to the worldwide market. Game developer Gravity reports that 80,000 US gamers are already playing its feudal fantasy "Ragnarok," though the game has been launched only in Brazil, Italy, Turkey and 13 other countries. Competitor Webzen reports that 40 million players subscribe to its online game "Mu" in China and South Korea – averaging 500,000 simultaneously players at any given time. Gravity generated $50 million in revenue in 2003, and expects to reach $70 million this year. Webzen forecasts its revenue to increase from $48.7 million to $64 million. More than 28,000 gaming parlors operate throughout South Korea -- one for every 1,700 residents – and the country boasts three cable TV channels dedicated exclusively to covering tournaments and how-to shows. A TV show based on "Ragnarok" is a hit in Japan, and comic book deals are in negotiation in 15 countries. Online games will account for $650 million in revenue in the US this year.
6/29/2004 1:28:44 PM Online Game Publishers Going Global [News.com]
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Analysts Expect High Prices for Next Gen Game Consoles [IGN.com]
A new report predicts high prices for the next generation of consoles and a slow start amongst faithful consumers, resulting in new games for the PS2 lasting well into 2008. Analysts project the PS3 may debut at $500 and come bundled with a DVR, broadband Internet support, and a DVD recorder – costing up to $700 per unit to manufacture. Analysts project a $250 opening price for the PSP and $30 to $40 for game titles. Rather than charging a $10 monthly fee for online services on top of the cost of games, the report recommends a cable TV model consisting of a $30 per month fee that includes downloads of online games. With an estimated 11.4% growth per year over the next three years, the interactive entertainment sector will be the fastest growing segment in entertainment.
6/29/2004 1:27:18 PM Analysts Expect High Prices for Next Gen Game Consoles [IGN.com]
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Widespread Broadband Access Fueling German Movie Piracy [LA Times]
While black-market street sales of pirated movies proliferate in Asia and Latin America, Germany rates among the highest in the world in broadband access and is considered the Internet piracy capital of Western Europe. US studios attribute a 9.1% drop in German cinema admissions last year to widespread downloading and copying of movies. Officials estimate that piracy resulted in $980 million in lost German DVD and theatrical sales. 69% of German homes with Internet access now have broadband, compared to 43% of US homes with Internet access – and the studios fear Germany may be a harbinger as global broadband penetration advances. While box-office decline may be of immediate concern, also at risk are DVD sales — up 43% to $14.9 billion last year, representing over a third of the $41.6 billion in total revenue from all media worldwide. The MPAA is funding 57 anti-piracy organizations around the world to assist in local law enforcement activities.
6/29/2004 1:25:03 PM Widespread Broadband Access Fueling German Movie Piracy [LA Times]
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Cable TV Channel to Offer Movies via Internet [San Francisco Chronicle]
RealNetworks is teaming with premium cable TV movie service Starz Encore to offer a subscription service for downloading movies. The new service, Starz Ticket on Real Movies, costs $12.95 per month and will offer a selection of over 100 new features and library films at the same time they are released to home video, with 25% of the selection rotating each week. The movies are 600MB each in “near DVD quality” and take an average of 20 minutes to download. Starz Ticket on Real Movies will compete against Movielink and CinemaNow. Movielink attracts 100,000 users per month and rents downloadable movies for $1.99 to $5.99 each. CinemaNow offers downloadable rentals and a subscription service priced at $9.95 per month or $49.95 per year. While Movielink and CinemaNow limit playback to a 24- or 48-hour window, the Starz-Real service allows subscribers to watch new releases an unlimited number of times during the period they are available to Starz. Subscribers will also get access to a Starz cable channel that is streamed over the Internet. RealNetworks and Starz Encore had first announced the service in December 2002, but waited for broadband penetration to develop. 26 million US homes now subscribe to broadband Internet service. Starz reaches 23 million homes with its digital cable service.
6/29/2004 1:22:53 PM Cable TV Channel to Offer Movies via Internet [San Francisco Chronicle]
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DVR Users Develop Ad-Skipping Strategy [CLickZ]
A recent report found that over 50% of DVR users have rewound or paused TV commercials to better understand the advertised product. However, the survey also found that 10% delay watching all the TV shows they watch with the intention of skipping ads or to save time. 32% delay watching over 60% of their shows. 38% of DVR users skip 100% of the ads when watching a recorded show, with another 31% saying they skip over 80% of the commercials. 51% of DVR users are satellite subscribers, while 45% subscribe to cable.
6/29/2004 1:22:21 PM DVR Users Develop Ad-Skipping Strategy [CLickZ]
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TiVo to Offer Internet Television Service [NY Times]
TiVo announced plans to offer new Internet-based services that will allow users to download movies and music from the Internet to the hard drive on their video recorder, though did not set a timetable or price for the offering. The new service leverages TiVo’s 2003 acquisition of Strangeberry, and its technology for viewing Internet video streams. TiVo plans to integrate Strangeberry’s technology next year. TiVo now has 1.6 million subscribers. Competing startup Broadband Networks is launching a service in December called TimeshiftTV, which will use a $299 digital video recorder to offer video programs in eight foreign languages. Video distributors such as Netflix, RealNetworks and Blockbuster are exploring the possibility of delivering feature-length movies via the Internet to users for viewing later. Analysts estimate the cost of delivering Internet video across a DSL connection at 15 cents per hour.
6/29/2004 1:11:04 PM TiVo to Offer Internet Television Service [NY Times]
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Apple Pumps Music Through Air [Wired News]
Apple introduced a portable Wi-Fi base station that doubles as a receiver for streaming music to a home stereo. Available in July, the $130 AirPort Express is an 802.11g base station that features Ethernet, USB and a stereo mini jack for setting up an instant Wi-Fi network, sharing a printer or streaming music. The device can be plugged into a stereo and used to receive music wirelessly from a Wi-Fi-equipped computer. New AirTunes music networking software works together with a new release of Apple's iTunes software which will automatically detect AirPort Express stations within range and stream music to them. Multiple base stations can be strung together to create a wireless music network.
6/29/2004 1:09:55 PM Apple Pumps Music Through Air [Wired News]
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Tech Giants Go for the Games [News.com]
Online game-playing has multiplied the complexity of the game creation process, prodding game developers to outsource the complex server infrastructures required to power online games. Enterprise technology companies such as IBM, Sun Microsystems, Oracle, and Microsoft have recently launched projects to handle online gaming infrastructures. IBM is adapting elements of its “on-demand computing” strategy to running games and is a main backer of Butterfly.net, which applies grid supercomputing techniques to operate online games. Sun last year formed its Game Technologies Group to promote Sun hardware and services to run online games and expand the use of Java as a game foundation. Oracle adapted its grid computing technology to host the high-profile "Sims Online" game. Microsoft launched its Xbox Live subscription gaming service. Revenue from the North American online game market is currently estimated at $1 billion, with 20% annual growth expected over the next few years. The worldwide market is expected to grow to $9 billion in 10 years, largely due to rapid growth in Asia.
6/29/2004 1:08:46 PM Tech Giants Go for the Games [News.com]
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McDonald's offers digital music [BBC News]
McDonald's has teamed with Sony’s online music service Connect to give away free music downloads as a new way to attract customers. Launched in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico this month, and in France, Germany and the UK in July, the campaign lets customers download one free song from the Connect music service for every promotional Big Mac meal purchased. Sony launched its Connect download service in the US in May with 500,000 tracks available for sale. Singer Justin Timberlake will promote the Big Mac Meal Tracks offer in a television advertising campaign.
6/29/2004 1:05:49 PM McDonald's offers digital music [BBC News]
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Homes Getting Ready for Self-Serve Movies [ClickZ]
VOD deployments are expected to reach 36.5 million households (one-in-three US homes) by the end of 2008. 11.4 million households were VoD-capable at the end of 2003 (up 70% over 2002). VOD revenue is expected to grow from $318 million in 2003 to $1.16 billion in 2008. Last year just 30% of VOD-equipped digital subscribers had used the service while this year up to 50% of VoD-capable subscribers in some markets are using VOD services every month. 50% of US cable subscribers are now passed by a system that delivers VOD. HBO, Showtime, and Starz are all offering "premium on demand" subscription VOD services where subscribers pay to access a video library, rather than individual programs. Roughly two-thirds of digital subscribers get a premium service.
6/29/2004 1:04:32 PM Homes Getting Ready for Self-Serve Movies [ClickZ]
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Gaming Coming to On-demand TV [GameSpot]
Video game-related programming producer g-NET Media announced a partnership with on-demand TV service Mag Rack to launch 24seven gamer, a new VOD service set to debut in July about video games. Programming topics will include strategy guides for games, insider coverage of events such as E3, and coverage of viewer suggestions on the most influential games and the hottest game characters. According to Mag Rack, 40% of all US cable TV systems were offering VOD as of mid-2003, with 4 million cable subscribers regularly using VOD services.
6/29/2004 1:02:45 PM Gaming Coming to On-demand TV [GameSpot]
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BBC Prepares to Put TV Archive on Web [ZDNet]
The BBC announced plans to make its archive of digital TV program clips available online for UK Internet users. While users won't be allowed to resell the material, they will be able to download, modify, and distribute through an initiative called the Creative Archive. The project effectively creates a middle-ground between putting materials fully into the public domain and controlling it tightly through copyright by utilizing a Creative Commons license which will allow content creators to dictate whether anyone can copy their work, creative derivative works from it, or use it for commercial purposes. The Creative Archive is expected to boost Britain's digital content market and encourage more people to take up a high-speed Internet connection and a faster PC. The Creative Archive will launch this fall initially with clips from factual programs, though more genres of content are expected in the future such as sports, music, drama – and possibly longer formats.
6/29/2004 12:59:45 PM BBC Prepares to Put TV Archive on Web [ZDNet]
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Web Presence Pays Off [Television Week]
A recent study on local online Internet spending found that local TV stations should expect about a 70% increase in Internet revenue this year. The growth will be fueled by local Internet advertising, which rose 27% to $2.1 billion in 2003 (up from $1.65 billion in 2002). Local Internet spending is expected to rise 28% this year. However, newspapers still collect the lion’s share of local online dollars, and local stations generally capture only 1% to 2% of the local Internet ad budgets. 20% of TV stations began selling Internet ads for the first time in 2003, though over 95% of stations now have an Internet sales offering. Rapid growth in broadband penetration is driving the advertising increase. A recent study found that 68 million adults had broadband Internet access at home or work as of March. Representing 39% of American Internet users, 48 million adults have broadband connections at home (up from 31% in November). The New York Times Co. Broadcast Group sees broadband adoption as melding TV with the Internet and says its station group is exploring streaming opportunities on its 8 station sites. Hearst-Argyle-owned WISN-TV in Milwaukee says its Web site generates 2 million page views per month. Internet advertising service DoubleClick reported that 43% of all ads it served in the first quarter of 2004 were rich media ads (up 54% from the same period last year).
6/29/2004 12:59:01 PM Web Presence Pays Off [Television Week]
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Video Games Emerge as Major Ad-Supported Mass Medium [Ad Age]
Puma is a marketing partner in Activision’s "True Crime: Streets of L.A.," where players wear Puma clothing and occasionally drive past Puma billboards or bus benches in the virtually real L.A. Puma promoted the video-game trailers on its website when the game was released in November, Puma merchandise was included in promotional giveaways for the game, and pre-release copies of "True Crime" were available at Puma stores. Others marketers playing in the video-games field include Levi Strauss & Co., Nike, Coca-Cola Co., BMW of North America, Nokia, Callaway Golf Co., Kraft Foods, DaimlerChrysler's Jeep and Sony Ericsson. New advances in graphics and online connectivity, as well as increased challenges of reaching elusive consumers, are pushing game advertising even further. Media buyer Starcom MediaVest Group created its game-focused unit SMG Play a year ago to focus on the sector. While ‘advergaming’ has been an effective technique for grabbing consumer attention in interactive web ads, ‘gamevertising’ places the entertainment experience first with a focus on original games tied closely to specific consumer brands.
6/21/2004 1:28:42 PM Video Games Emerge as Major Ad-Supported Mass Medium [Ad Age]
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Online Gaming Rises as Broadband Expands [Reuters]
With broadband access at 23 million U.S. households as of the end of 2003, the number of people playing games online is rising. Of the 186.4 million console games sold in the U.S. last year, more than 23 million were enabled for online game play. Sony shipped its latest PS2 in March with a 40GB hard drive, pre-loaded with a multi-player "Final Fantasy XI." 10% of the PS2 installed base is now online, representing 2.6 million players. More than 60 PS2 games are now available for online game play, with 100 titles likely available by year's end. With 750,000 Xbox Live subscribers online as of the end of 2003, Microsoft expects 1 million subscribers by June. 70 Xbox Live games are available for online play, with 100 expected this summer.
6/21/2004 1:24:21 PM Online Gaming Rises as Broadband Expands [Reuters]
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TV Gets Animated [Christian Science Monitor]
In a challenging network TV environment in which TV executives are competing against video games, iPods, and DVDs for Americans’ attention, edgy and sophisticated animation shows targeting adults may be emerging as a dark horse in programming. NBC, Fox, the SciFi Channel, and Comedy Central all plan to add animated fare to their slates next season. Based on Aaron McGruder’s subversive comic strip, "The Boondocks" is one of five animated shows on Fox's shortlist for next season. Also in the running is "American Dad," about a suburban CIA employee on constant alert for terrorist activity; and based on the nationally syndicated radio program, "The Phil Hendrie Show" is about the married life of a once-notorious bachelor. NBC is investing millions of dollars in an ambitious animated comedy scheduled to air in September. Produced by DreamWorks, the computer-generated "Father of the Pride" promises edgy humor about a family of lions who star in Siegfried & Roy's act. The Cartoon Network's 'Adult Swim,' features a late-night block of adult-oriented cartoons based on classic cartoon characters such as Fred Flintstone. SciFi plunged into animation this year with "Tripping the Rift," a salacious series about a spaceship gone awry, and has several cartoons in development, including "The Amazing Screw-On Head." Comedy Central has two animated series in the works. Spike TV just added “This Just In,” about a conservative newspaper columnist, to its risqué "Stripperella."
6/21/2004 1:13:04 PM TV Gets Animated [Christian Science Monitor]
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History Channel Brings Rome Game to TV [Wired]
With video-game graphics now able to portray realistic environments, TV producers are using game technology to create virtual sets. The History Channel is using a not-yet-released PC game to visually re-create epic battles and tell the story of key confrontations in Roman history. Set to debut in July, the 13-episode half-hour series “Decisive Battles” makes use of the “Rome: Total War” PC game which Activision will publish this fall. The game allows players to create epic battles, micromanaging every aspect of warfare while ruling the empire. Orchestrating real-time battles on lush battlefields in vibrant 3-D, players assign orders, organize formations, and give pre-attack speeches to rally the virtual soldiers. Artificial intelligence features allow combatants to behave in a lifelike manner. The History Channel hopes the use of video-game graphics will attract younger viewers. According to Nielsen Interactive Entertainment, males between 8 and 34 spend more time playing video games during prime-time TV hours than they do watching television. rther, 75% of TV households with a male between 8 and 34 own at least one game console system. 29% of males enjoy playing video games during their free time compared with 33% who enjoy watching TV. Male gamers spend an average 9.8 hours watching TV each week compared to 12.5 hours playing games.
6/20/2004 6:23:37 PM History Channel Brings Rome Game to TV [Wired]
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TiVo Shows Subscriber Growth, Posts Wider Loss [News.com]
TiVo reported a widening loss along with strong subscriber growth, driven by use of its service by DirecTV subscribers. The company lost $9.1 million in the first fiscal quarter of 2004, on net revenues of $34.5 million, topping a $7.9 million loss in the same quarter last year. TiVo said it added 264,000 subscribers during the quarter, largely from its relationship with DirecTV, bring total subscriptions to 1.6 million. The company expects to reach sustainable profitability by the end of next fiscal year.
6/20/2004 6:23:27 PM TiVo Shows Subscriber Growth, Posts Wider Loss [News.com]
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Sony says 'Cell'-based TV ready by 2006 [News.com]
Sony plans to offer a broadband television by 2006 that will us the new "Cell" processor it is developing with IBM and Toshiba. The Cell processor will be up to 10 times more powerful than conventional chips and will be optimized for sending and receiving large volumes of data through high-speed Internet connections. Sony plans to use Cell to power a network television that will offer functions similar to a personal computer. Due to start test production in early 2005, Cell will power the next-generation PlayStation game console, which will likely double as a home entertainment server. Sony has earmarked $4.4 billion to spend through 2007 on semiconductor development for Cell and other key devices.
6/20/2004 6:23:21 PM Sony says 'Cell'-based TV ready by 2006 [News.com]
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Sony's LCD TV Goes Portable [PC World]
Sony announced it will ship two models of its LocationFree Portable Broadband TV this fall. The portable LCD TV’s are bundled with Wi-Fi base stations which include a built-in NTSC tuner, an Ethernet port, two video inputs, a USB port, and an IR Blaster remote control. The system allows remote viewing via the Internet by connecting the base station to a broadband connection and tuning the portable LCD TV in at a Wi-Fi hotspot. The flagship 12.1-inch LF-X1 model weighs 5 pounds, has a screen resolution of 800 by 600, and will sell for $1500. The 7-inch LF-X5 has a screen resolution of 800 by 480 and will be priced at $1000. The system also allows photo viewing, Web browsing, and email using an on-screen keyboard.
6/20/2004 6:23:13 PM Sony's LCD TV Goes Portable [PC World]
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Video Games Are Going Gray to Keep Growing [LA Times]
Gamers aged 17 and under currently make up 59% of sales for console games in the US. Publishers are increasingly targeting older gamers in their 30s and 40s to retain aging gamers and grow their market base. Electronic Arts sells 25% of its non-sports titles to gamers over the age of 35, likely due to their deeper and more complex plotlines compared to sports games. And the company releases new versions of franchise titles like “Madden NFL Football” year after year in order to hook aging customers with familiar games. Sony says that 12% of its game customers are 36 or older, and 22% are in the 26-to-35 age bracket. Insomniac Games targets the over-30 market with family titles gamers under 10 are likely to play with their parents.
6/10/2004 8:27:28 AM Video Games Are Going Gray to Keep Growing [LA Times]
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EA To Launch Xbox Live Sports Titles, Xbox Live to Rollout Video Chat [NY Times]
Electronic Arts announced an agreement with Microsoft to support the Xbox Live online gaming service. EA had held out when Microsoft launched the Xbox Live service two years ago, objecting to the Xbox Live business model under which Microsoft handles all networking, billing and infrastructure and game developers pay a flat fee to use of the service. EA will initially bring its popular sports titles online, launching "NCAA Football" in July, followed by "Madden NFL." The two companies recruited Muhammad Ali, star of EA’s "Fight Night" series, and Donald Trump to promote the deal with a parody of "The Apprentice." Microsoft also announced a new videoconferencing capability for Xbox Live to allow video chats with up to 5 other users simultaneously using a planned video camera plug-in on the Xbox console. The video service is planned to launch later this year in Japan, with North American and European dates to follow. Microsoft says it has sold 14 million units of the Xbox console to date, with targets for cumulative sales of 14.5 million to 16 million units by the end of the fiscal year on June 30.
6/10/2004 8:27:20 AM EA To Launch Xbox Live Sports Titles, Xbox Live to Rollout Video Chat [NY Times]
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Microsoft Plans Net Game Service [LA Times]
Microsoft announced a new online game service targeting older Xbox console owners with casual games such as traditional card games, puzzles and trivia quizzes. The service will launch in the fall offering downloadable multi-player games starting at $10 apiece, on top of a $50 annual subscription to the Xbox Live online service. Solo player versions of some such games are available on Microsoft's MSN site for free. While most of Xbox Live's estimated 750,000 customers are serious gamers, the new service targets occasional players such as parents and older siblings of Xbox owners, who may tend not to get involved in more complex games or spend $50 on a new title.
6/10/2004 8:27:00 AM Microsoft Plans Net Game Service [LA Times]
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Advertisers Face up to TiVo Reality [News.com]
Believing that ad-skipping DVR devices will take hold in households, 75% of 55 national advertisers surveyed plan to cut spending on TV commercials by 20% in the next five years – scaling back first national cable ads then national network ads, local spots and local cable ads. 75% of advertisers plan to boost budgets for Internet banner ads and rich-media spots, and expect to begin creating content and programming that will invigorate their brand campaigns.
5/24/2004 12:33:00 AM Advertisers Face up to TiVo Reality [News.com]
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Consumers Brands Making Their Presence Known in Video Games [Hollywood Reporter]
Sony Ericsson featured its P900 smartphone in the Xbox shooter "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow." The advertising exposure of the deal is estimated at the equivalent of 300 30-second TV ad slots for 150 minutes of branding – to an anticipated 13.2 million player audience worldwide. Product placement deals frequently run from $150,000 to $250,000. Electronic Arts’ product placement rate card is based on unique units sold. EA advertisers include Honda and Seven Up in "SSX 3" snowboarding game, AutoZone and Radio Shack in auto racer "Need For Speed Underground," McDonald's in "NBA Live 2004" and "The Sims Online," Colgate/Mennen's Speed Stick in "NBA Live 2004," and Proctor & Gamble's Old Spice Red Zone cologne in "NCAA College Football 2004." Ubisoft rates product placement fees based on how long it takes to complete a game, the pass-along rate, the anticipated number of units sold, the number of impressions, and whether players will manipulate the product in the game (interactive rate), and whether the product is in the background or foreground. Activision’s product placement pricing structure is based on the number of anticipated units sold, its pass-along rate, a frequency rate (typically 50 hours per game), and degree of integration (from 2-D billboards along the road to deep player interaction with the product). Activision's "Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer" incorporates a Nokia phone which pops up at various points to explain what needs to be accomplished next and to provide a keypad for punching in cheats and saving the game. In 2003, $10 million was spent on product placements for all game publishers (compared to $ 8 billion to reach the same young, male audience on TV).
5/10/2004 10:44:55 AM Consumers Brands Making Their Presence Known in Video Games [Hollywood Reporter]
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Sony Online Music Store Launches [LA Times]
Sony launched its online music store, Connect, offering downloadable songs that transfer seamlessly to Sony's line of portable music players. The service consists of a music store integrated with a downloadable program for playing music on a PC. Connect is expected to include online radio stations and perhaps music videos. New features are expected to come as new devices roll out, such as a next-generation MiniDisc recorder and the handheld PSP game player. The Connect service works with an installed base of 2.5 million portable Sony music devices. Sony expects to sell 4.5 million more Connect-compatible devices in the U.S. this year, currently selling the largest number of digital music players -- though Apple takes the largest share of dollars at 50% of the market.
5/10/2004 10:43:57 AM Sony Online Music Store Launches [LA Times]
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iTunes Upgrade Prompts 3.3 Million Downloads [Tech News World]
Apple said that users downloaded a record number of songs from its iTunes Music Store after an upgrade that marked the site's one-year anniversary and included a limited-time free song offer. 3.3 million songs were downloaded in the week following the upgrade to iTunes 4.5 – including 500,000 songs downloaded from the free music catalog made available for an eight-day anniversary promotion. New features include personalized “iMixes”, which have received 20,000 user postings and 50,000 ratings by fellow iTunes Music Store visitors. The upgraded site also allows users to print CD-case inserts.
5/10/2004 10:43:10 AM iTunes Upgrade Prompts 3.3 Million Downloads [Tech News World]
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TV Execs Try to Lure Gamers Back [MSNBC]
A recent Sony press release proclaimed "When people go looking for their favorite entertainment some are turning to online gaming with PlayStation 2 instead of tuning into broadcast television." Broadcasters are volleying back with slates of game TV programming. The Comcast-owned G4 network is expected to bring its round-the-clock gamer lifestyle programming to 43 million households through its merger with TechTV. TechTV’s own “X-Play” caters to the hard core gamer with insider jokes and irreverent style. Last year the Discovery Channel presented a mini-series, "The X Factor: Inside Microsoft's Xbox," a behind-the-scenes look at game development. SpikeTV last year launched the first annual Video Game Awards. UPN's CGI-animated sitcom "Game Over" was yanked earlier this year after dismal ratings.
5/10/2004 10:41:28 AM TV Execs Try to Lure Gamers Back [MSNBC]
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Streaming Video More Mainstream [ClickZ]
Video streams served during January and February 2004 by the top ten sites surged 104% to 523 million over the same period in 2003. Another 28% growth is expected in 2004. Music video captured 33% of the streaming audience in 2003, followed closely by news at 28% then sports at 17%, film at 11%, Internet TV at 6%, and general entertainment at 5%.
5/10/2004 10:29:57 AM Streaming Video More Mainstream [ClickZ]
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The Broadband Tipping Point [ClickZ]
55% of adult Internet users have high-speed access either at home or work, and 39% have a broadband connection at home. DSL represents a 42% broadband market share, up from 28% in March 2003. Cable modems command 54% of the market. 54% of work broadband users are college educated, and 37% have annual household incomes above $75,000.
5/10/2004 10:29:14 AM The Broadband Tipping Point [ClickZ]
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'Law & Order' Spinoffs Reach Video Game World [Reuters]
Legacy Interactive will publish two "Law & Order" new games, extending the franchise into "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and the game exclusive "Law & Order: Justice Is Served." Several of the show's stars will lend their likenesses and voices to their virtual characters. Animated renditions of actors Jesse L. Martin, Jerry Orbach, and Elisabeth Rohm will appear in "Justice" as Detectives Edward Green, Lennie Briscoe and assistant district attorney Serena Southerlyn, respectively, and tennis personality Patrick McEnroe will appear as himself. A virtual Vincent D'Onofrio will star in "Criminal Intent" as Detective Robert Goren. Vivendi Universal Games will distribute the titles in North America, releasing "Justice" later this year and "Criminal Intent" early 2005.
5/10/2004 10:26:56 AM 'Law & Order' Spinoffs Reach Video Game World [Reuters]
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Nielsen Plays New Game, Adds Videogame Ratings [Media Post]
Nielsen unveiled plans for a new service that will measure advertising exposure, demographics and audience recall of ad messages embedded in video games. A new multimedia usage study shows that console-based video game systems now account for 15% of the time teenage males and 6% of the time young adult males spend with media each day. 27% of active male gamers noticed ads in the last video game they played. 52% of heavy gamers say they like games to contain real products and 70% say that the placement of real products makes the games more "genuine." 35% of male gamers say that advertising in video games helps them decide which products to buy, suggesting that in-game ads positively affect gamers' purchase decisions. Nielsen recently launched services that measure advertising exposure in movie theaters and product placements in TV programming.
5/10/2004 10:25:36 AM Nielsen Plays New Game, Adds Videogame Ratings [Media Post]
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Study: DVR adoption on the rise [News.com]
At the end of 2003, there were 3.2 million DVR households in the United States. DVR penetration is expected to reach 28 million in the US by 2008 -- representing compound annual growth of 47%. TiVo accounts for 39% of the U.S. market. While the DVR market in Western Europe resembles that of the US, Japanese consumers are expected to adopt combination DVR/DVD-recording devices. Shipments of the hybrids are forecast to reach 11.8 million in 2008, 40% of the worldwide market.
5/10/2004 10:24:15 AM Study: DVR adoption on the rise [News.com]
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Game Show Network Changing Name to GSN [San Jose Mercury News]
In an effort to broaden its audience beyond its core of older women, the Game Show Network renamed itself to GSN, “the network for games,” and plans to phase in reality programming, video games, and televised card games such as "National Lampoon's Greek Games" and "Fake-a-Date". In March, GSN premiered the documentary, "Video Game Invasion: The History of a Global Invasion," with host Tony Hawk, the skateboard and video game entrepreneur. GSN is half of the nation's television homes, with a median viewer age 47.
5/10/2004 10:22:36 AM Game Show Network Changing Name to GSN [San Jose Mercury News]
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Mobile Phones to Operate TV Recorder [Reuters]
Norwegian mobile phone Internet browser maker Opera Software announced a new product that will allow mobile phones to control a video recorder when away from the home. The Mobile Interactive Programming Guide will allow consumers to look up television schedules on a mobile phone and press "record" to request that a video be recorded. Opera's Internet browsers are installed on a range of mobile phones.
5/10/2004 9:59:51 AM Mobile Phones to Operate TV Recorder [Reuters]
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Digital TV Driving Upswing in iTV [Hollywood Reporter]
The rapid adoption of digital TV services is credited with spurring strong growth in interactive TV advertising. iTV programming producer GoldPocket Interactive reports that it worked with 80 advertisers in 2003, up 100% from 2002. GoldPocket says advertisers spent 300% more on interactivity in 2003 compared with 2002, and that advertisers on average pay 10% more for interactivity that they would for traditional ads. iTV media buyer Brightline Partners works with 12 ad agencies representing 60 advertisers, and expects all of the top 500 advertisers to have embraced iTV by the end of 2005. Interactive advertising techniques help determine a commercial's effectiveness, telling advertisers how many consumers download a coupon or interact with a commercial in some way. Analysts report that iTV viewers stick with a program twice as long as non-iTV viewers, and that 85% of iTV viewers interact with enhanced commercials. 48 million U.S. households are expected to be subscribers of digital cable or satellite TV services by the end of 2004.
5/10/2004 9:59:06 AM Digital TV Driving Upswing in iTV [Hollywood Reporter]
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Sharp Introduces First Wi-Fi TV [The News-Press]
Jumping on the Wi-Fi bandwagon, Sharp Electronics announced the first Wi-Fi television. Priced at $1,800, the Wireless AQUOS TV has a 15-inch flat panel LCD screen and is designed for watching television or DVDs around the house or outside using an 11-megabit 802.11b wireless signal. Sharp’s AQUOS brand leads the LCD television category with a 48% share of the market. In 2004 the number of wireless home networks will exceed the number of wired networks for the first time. By 2008, 90% of home networks will be wireless.
5/10/2004 9:58:13 AM Sharp Introduces First Wi-Fi TV [The News-Press]
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2003 Sales of Online-Capable Console Games Exceed $1 Billion [BusinessWire]
U.S. retail sales of online-capable console video games exceeded $1 billion in 2003, up 167% over 2002. Over 23 million such titles were sold in 2003, a 182% increase over 2002, bringing total unit sales to 33 million and $1.5 billion since online console games were introduced in 2000. Sport games claimed 51% of the online console market in 2003, with shooter games capturing 22%, racing games 15%, and role-playing games 4%. Most of the online titles include offline-only features for players without Internet connections.
5/10/2004 9:56:55 AM 2003 Sales of Online-Capable Console Games Exceed $1 Billion [BusinessWire]
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Machinima: Gaming Meets Hollywood Cinema [Animation World]
Machinima is the is the convergence of filmmaking, animation and gaming to create films using realtime, 3D virtual environments. The emerging format allows storytelling within an interactive virtual space where characters can be controlled by human ‘actors’, scripts or artificial intelligence. By re-using game assets and real-time animation techniques, machinima allows producers to create films for a fraction of the time and cost of a conventional 3D animated production. Spike TV recently had game designers use machinima to create vignettes for its Video Game Awards broadcast.
5/10/2004 9:56:00 AM Machinima: Gaming Meets Hollywood Cinema [Animation World]
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Ubisoft to Release New "Dukes of Hazzard" for PlayStation 2 and Xbox [TMCnet.com]
Ubisoft announced it will release “The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee” for the PS2 and Xbox in October 2004. Licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, the game follows two previous Dukes of Hazzard titles and is “a humorous action racing game that combines a mission-based adventure and arena-style driving.”
5/10/2004 9:54:10 AM Ubisoft to Release New "Dukes of Hazzard" for PlayStation 2 and Xbox [TMCnet.com]
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Online Consoles Soar, PC Games Stumble [Miami Herald]
Sony has sold 2.4 million units of the $40 network adapter that enables Playstation online gaming via broadband and dial-up. Nearly 50 games with online features have been released for the Playstation2 in the past year, with twice that planned by year's end. 750,000 players now use Xbox Live, for a $50 annual fee to play against other people online and download content updates. Microsoft anticipates 100 Xbox Live-enabled games in stores by May. Multi-player action titles are faring well. Of the 920,000 copies sold of the PS2 title "SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs", half are being played online. Massively multiplayer online games are performing well in countries with high residential broadband penetration. Korean-based "Ragnarok Online" boasts 17 million users worldwide in a game where players can battle, chat or obtain pets. In the US, tens of thousands of players have subscribed to the electronic hangout "There" for $5 a month to chat, buy and sell virtual items and drive dune buggies. There Inc., says nearly half its users are women and 55 percent are over age 25. Analysts expect 40.2 million gamers worldwide will be going online with video game consoles by 2008.
5/10/2004 9:53:23 AM Online Consoles Soar, PC Games Stumble [Miami Herald]
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Satellite seeks broadband re-entry [News.com]
Facing the high speeds and low casts of broadband cable and DSL, satellite companies have yet to successfully launch their own broadband services. Last year Hughes Electronics ended an ambitious $1.5 billion partnership with AOL to deliver high-speed Internet access over the Hughes satellite network. With new technology and greater demand for broadband, satellite companies are making another attempt to offer broadband Internet access in the second half of 2004 – initially targeting rural customers ignored by cable and DSL providers. Hughes plans to sell two-way broadband Internet service to small businesses with the launch of its Spaceway service this summer. Hughes hopes to leverage Spaceway into a residential broadband service in a few years. Satellite broadband provider WildBlue will sell two-way broadband for $49.95 a month for speeds of up to 512kbps downstream and 256kbps upstream, with a few hundred dollars in installation fees. Both Hughes and WildBlue plan to utilize new satellites that broadcast signals with efficient two-way Ka-band technology.
5/10/2004 9:52:07 AM Satellite seeks broadband re-entry [News.com]
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MGM to License Stargate SG-1 Titles [Gamespot]
Game publisher JoWood announced an agreement with MGM Television and game developer Perception to develop and publish games based on the current Stargate SG-1 sci-fi show and any spin-off series, such as the upcoming Stargate: Atlantis.
5/6/2004 3:13:21 PM MGM to License Stargate SG-1 Titles [Gamespot]
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Volvo Partners with Xbox to Lure Young Buyers [GamePro]
Volvo has recently partnered with Microsoft to help rebrand the auto-maker’s image from "safe family car" to "young cool car." The redesigned S40 sedan is promoted in Xbox's RalliSport Challenge 2. Microsoft has featured cars from automakers in other racing car games, and will for the first time be partnering with an automaker for a TV commercial. The estimated $28 million campaign is due to launch in March 2003. RalliSport Challenge 2 is slated for release on May 4, 2004.
5/6/2004 3:12:27 PM Volvo Partners with Xbox to Lure Young Buyers [GamePro]
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EyeToy Boosted by Support from EA's Harry Potter Franchise [GamesIndustry.biz]
Electronic Arts has partnered with Sony to become the first third-party publisher to incorporate the EyeToy camera in a PS2 game. Due out on May 28th, Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban will use utilise the EyeToy camera to let players wear the famous Sorting Hat. The camera will be used in a variety of Potter-themed mini-games involving catching Chocolate Frogs, playing Exploding Snap, chasing the Snitch on the Qudditch field and exploding Dungbombs. Players will use the EyeToy microphone to speak commands to repel attacks from the Hogwarts school's resident ghost Peeves. The Harry Potter game will be released one week before the film’s theatrical release.
5/6/2004 3:11:27 PM EyeToy Boosted by Support from EA's Harry Potter Franchise [GamesIndustry.biz]
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EA Confirms Plans for Godfather Title [GamesIndustry.biz]
EA announced that it is developing a game based on Francis Ford Coppola's classic mafia movie The Godfather, a rare venture into mature content for EA. “Grand Theft Auto” publisher Take-Two recently released a “Mafia” title on the PC and PS2.
5/6/2004 3:10:36 PM EA Confirms Plans for Godfather Title [GamesIndustry.biz]
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Ads Invade Video Games [Daily Press]
Since last fall’s Nielsen ratings suggested that many young males were abandoning TV, advertisers are increasingly placing their products in video games. In-game “billboards” displaying advertiser messages are being substituted for campaigns incorporating branded products into games. In the mountain biking title “Downhill Domination” players can select TREK bicycles. In EA's "Need for Speed Underground" players can tune their cars with parts from Auto Zone. Online gamers can dress their avatars with Levi jeans in the online gaming community There.com. A character in "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow" uses a Sony Ericsson camera phone to take pictures and a Sony Ericsson "smart phone" to communicate. In tennis matchup "Top Spin," players exchange tokens to equip their characters with Prince T-shirts, Wilson racquets and Adidas shoes. In "NCAA Football 2004," players use points to buy Nike shoes that make their running backs faster. "Tony Hawk Underground" has received criticism for featuring video of the rock band Kiss, a hidden Kiss skateboarder that appears at certain times, fast-food ads, and candy-bar logos on characters' T-shirts. Sales of video game software were up 5% in 2003 to a record $5.8 billion.
5/6/2004 2:48:46 PM Ads Invade Video Games [Daily Press]
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Playing Catch-Up on the Console [New York Times]
Analysts forecast that Xbox will outsell the PS2 in North America in April, by 275,000 units to 200,000, potentially marking the first time a rival has surpassed Sony's console sales in North America in 45 months.
5/6/2004 2:44:07 PM Playing Catch-Up on the Console [New York Times]
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Comcast Acquires Tech TV, to Merge Network with G4 [Media Week]
Comcast has reached a deal to buy San Francisco-based cable channel Tech TV from Vulcan Programming. The 43 million-subscriber network will merge with Comcast's 15 million-sub G4 network to reach a combined 44 million satellite and cable homes.
3/26/2004 11:25:12 PM Comcast Acquires Tech TV, to Merge Network with G4 [Media Week]
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TiVo looks to tune in to advertisers [News.com]
This fall TiVo will introduce Web-like, interactive advertisements to TV. Billed as ‘Video-to-Video’, the new feature lets viewers click a button on their remote control to watch a 3-minute video describing products and services that might appeal to them. The clips appear as small icons on the TV screen as viewers fast-forward past regular ads. The feature would provide advertisers with a method of measuring viewer interest for a product while also presenting those viewers with more detailed information for that product. TiVo's Showcase has been successful so far for advertisers, particularly car manufacturers and movie studios. The company said the program proves that people are interested in watching ads for products that they are interested in. In 2002, 66% of TiVo households viewed a Showcase promoting the "Austin Powers in Goldmember" film, spending an average of 6 minutes viewing the video clips. Analysts estimate that advertising and audience measuring accounted for $6 million of TiVo's revenue in 2003. 3.5 million DVRs were shipped in 2003, and 24.7 million units are expected to ship by 2008.
3/23/2004 11:41:02 PM TiVo looks to tune in to advertisers [News.com]
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Marketing, Features Drive DVR Growth [Ipsos-Insight]
An estimated 6% of U.S. households own a digital video recorder (DVR), and analysts expect the number to reach 25 million US households by 2008. Satellite customers are twice as likely to own a DVR device (11.4%) as cable customers. DVR unit prices are expected to drop to under $30 in Europe and North America by 2007. 28% of DVR owners say they sometimes skip past commercials. 25% say they never do. 20% say they skipp commercials every time they watch TV. 75% of early technology adopters find the ability to skip commercials more important to them than time-shifting their programs. 56% of DVR owners use the instant replay feature, and 55% use their DVR pause live TV.
3/23/2004 11:40:19 PM Marketing, Features Drive DVR Growth [Ipsos-Insight]
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Online Gaming Hurting Television [Gamerfeed]
Sony says that more people in the 18-34 age group are turning to online gaming during primetime TV viewing hours and that the audience for online gaming on the PS2 console grew to 2.6 million. The majority of gamers were online during traditional prime time television hours. During the month of February the PS2 online gaming audience was strongest from 5 to 11 p.m. 18-34 year old males made up about 65% of the online audience during prime time hours in the month of February. Sony is registering over 65,000 new gamers a day for its PS2 online gaming services and the the PS2 online gaming audience was up 239% compared to February of last year. Sony expects the audience growth for PS2 online gaming to accelerate as the company adds new online titles. Currently, 42 new titles have gone online and Sony plans to double the number of online titles for the PS2 by years end. Nearly 1 million copies of SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs have been sold and 50% of players have played the game online. Players spend an average of 4.2 hours a day playing the game online. Sony has sold over 25 million PS2 units in North America with 10% online.
3/23/2004 11:39:33 PM Online Gaming Hurting Television [Gamerfeed]
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Broadband overtaking dial-up in major cities [News.com]
A new study found that roughly half the residents of major U.S. metropolitan areas are accessing the Internet via broadband. San Diego has the highest broadband penetration rate in the nation, with 52% of residents using a high-speed service. Boston ranks second with an 50/50 split between broadband and narrowband customers. New York City places third with 49%. The San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles rank ninth and tenth, each at 44% broadband penetration. 64% of online Americans still use a dial-up service, and AOL counts 28% of the U.S. Internet population as subscribers. Increased promotional activity and lower prices are fueling broadband growth in larger markets. SBC, Verizon, BellSouth and Qwest have aggressively cut prices for their DSL services. Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, and other cable companies responded by doubling their base download speeds. Cable modems dominate with 63% of broadband subscribers, versus 37% going to DSL.
3/23/2004 11:39:05 PM Broadband overtaking dial-up in major cities [News.com]
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Sony releases hard drive for PlayStation 2 [Forbes]
Sony released a 40 gigabyte hard drive for the PS2, retailing for $99. Sony has said that the hard drive would be the final piece needed before launching a version of the AOL service for the PS2. Xbox comes with broadband networking and a smaller hard drive built in.
3/23/2004 11:37:27 PM Sony releases hard drive for PlayStation 2 [Forbes]
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ABC News inks video-on-demand cable deal [Reuters]
ABC announced an agreement to offer some of its news programs in a subscription service from cable operator Insight Communications. ABC News will provide Insight with 20 hours of programming including special reports and “Nightline” excerpts, with 10 hours of fresh content each month. The deal does not include access to daily news. Insight will offer a sports and news service for $4.99 a month to include ABC News and content from six other providers, and possibly ESPN.
3/23/2004 11:37:00 PM ABC News inks video-on-demand cable deal [Reuters]
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Cablevision's iO Hits 1M Mark [TV Technology]
Cablevision Systems says it has exceeded one million subscribers to its iO: Interactive Optimum digital cable service. iO delivers advanced TV services including HDTV, VOD, international programming packages and iO Showcase preview channels. 33% of Cablevision's customers are now iO customers, up from 6.5% at the end of 2002.
3/23/2004 11:36:32 PM Cablevision's iO Hits 1M Mark [TV Technology]
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AOL ditches broadband offering [News.com]
America Online has stopped accepting new orders for its broadband access service, as part of its strategy to focus on broadband content. The package was originally priced at $54.95 a month for access to AOL bundled with DSL service or with Time Warner Cable broadband service. Recent DSL price promotions from the Baby Bells priced the AOL service out of the market. AOL lost 2 million dial-up subscribers in 2003 and is counting on its broadband strategy to replace them -- offering a bundle of broadband content and services for $14.95 a month to consumers equipped with their own high-speed Internet access service.
3/23/2004 11:36:01 PM AOL ditches broadband offering [News.com]
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Volvo Ad to Feature Hip Hopsters and New Racing Videogame [GameSpot]
Volvo Cars is preparing to launch a marketing campaign for its redone S40 sedan, targeting 20-something and 30-something buyers with a tie-in to Xbox and Virgin. Volvo is planning to advertise its new S40 using footage of the car racing in Digital Illusions' Rallisport Challenge 2 with a spot featuring music from hip-hop band Dilated Peoples. Rallisport Challenge 2 is scheduled for North American release on May 4.
3/23/2004 11:33:28 PM Volvo Ad to Feature Hip Hopsters and New Racing Videogame [GameSpot]
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Video Games: The New Reality of Youth Marketing [Ad Age]
With the emergence of video gaming as the fastest-growing form of entertainment, ad agencies are co-opting the design, look and sensibility of interactive entertainment much as “MTV style” cuts permeated the media landscape of the 80’s and 90's. McDonald's, Puma, Procter & Gamble, AT&T Wireless, Nokia, Sprite, Butterfinger, and the US Army have embedded their brands in top-selling game franchises. Marketers such as Jeep, Nike and Volvo are using video-game images for TV ad campaigns. Gamer cable network G4 is now in 15 million homes and boosted its upfront ad dollars 200% landing on- and off-channel promotions with Coca-Cola and Best Buy. Jeep launched a new spot exclusively on G4, and Virgin Mobile advertises heavily on the channel. Re-branded games network GSN has seen an uptick in advertising since launching new positioning with video-game imagery in its brand. Coca-Cola signed up for the first time with a multi-quarter commitment, and Hollywood studios are spending more scatter dollars with the network. GSN is also targeting wireless, soft-drink, and technology marketers. Viacom's Spike TV received sponsorship from Virgin Mobile, Radio Shack, Target and General Motors for the broadcast of its "Video Game Awards" late last year. Video games are a $9.4 billion business in the U.S. Marketers in the category spent $414.1 million on advertising in the first 11 months of 2003. There are 100 million gaming consoles in households. One-third of gamers are women. The average gamer is 29 years old. Young audiences rank the Internet and video games above TV in importance.
3/23/2004 11:31:22 PM Video Games: The New Reality of Youth Marketing [Ad Age]
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Dish Network Launches Multiplayer Show With BingoTV [TV Technology]
The Dish Network satellite TV service launched BingoTV, a television game network for Dish customers. Viewers use free game cards to earn prizes during a live broadcast each Wednesday evening.
3/23/2004 11:29:23 PM Dish Network Launches Multiplayer Show With BingoTV [TV Technology]
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Study: Price gives DSL an Edge in Broadband [News.com]
According to a recent report, 71% of US households would switch to a broadband service if it were priced comparably to their dial-up service (averages $10 to $25 a month). Just 17% would upgrade to a $45 broadband service. Cable modem service averages $45 a month, while DSL service averages from $30 to $40 a month. 64% of U.S. broadband households use a cable modem, with the remaining 36% using DSL. Significant price discounts introduced by DSL providers last year have helped them rapidly gain new subscribers. The study found that service discounts through bundles appealed to first-time broadband customers, with 31% of broadband homes having upgraded to broadband as part of a bundled package. SBC Communications recently launched a service bundles including Dish Network satellite TV, DSL access, local and long-distance phone service, and a Cingular Wireless plan for $125 a month.
3/23/2004 11:28:57 PM Study: Price gives DSL an Edge in Broadband [News.com]
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TiVo Expects to Top 10 Million Subscribers in 3-4 Years [Forbes]
TiVo said it expects revenues from its television recording service to grow up to 80% annually, fueled by growing consumer acceptance of the technology. The company expects its DVR service to reach 10 million subscribers and $1 billion in revenue over the next 3 to 4 years, up from its current 1.3 million subscribers and $141.1 million in FY2004 revenues. TiVo plans to spend $50 million in marketing and promotion to accelerate its subscriber growth.
3/23/2004 11:28:16 PM TiVo Expects to Top 10 Million Subscribers in 3-4 Years [Forbes]
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Akimbo Launches Internet VOD Service [Forbes]
TV service developer Akimbo announced a new system consisting of a $200 set-top box and fee-based service ($10/month) that allows users to download alternative TV programming via a broadband Internet connection for later viewing. Planned for a second quarter launch, initial programming will primarily consist of niche categories underserved by mainstream cable and satellite TV, such as adult education, Arabic news and snowboarding. The service will launch with 20,000 hours of on-demand video offerings and plans to include sports, movies and other general content at a later date.
3/23/2004 11:27:46 PM Akimbo Launches Internet VOD Service [Forbes]
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Movielink Announces 'MultiPlay' Rental Feature [Press Release]
Movielink introduced a 'MultiPlay' capability to its broadband video-on-demand (VOD) service offering, allowing Movielink customers to download selected movies using their broadband connection and to view them repeatedly at reduced rental rates for additional days.
3/23/2004 11:27:14 PM Movielink Announces 'MultiPlay' Rental Feature [Press Release]
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Warner Bros Licenses Hospital Drama ER as a Videogame [Daily Direct Marketing News]
Warner Bros’ consumer products division has signed a deal with games developer Legacy Interactive to develop a videogame based on the hit medical drama ‘ER’. The game will feature characters based on the TV shows with some of the star's voices, and will allow players will take on the role of an ER intern and build their careers through the game. The 'ER' game is set for release on PC in autumn 2004 and will be distributed by Take-Two Interactive Software.
3/23/2004 11:26:29 PM Warner Bros Licenses Hospital Drama ER as a Videogame [Daily Direct Marketing News]
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PS2 Passes 25 Million in North American Sales [GamesIndustry.biz]
With 10% of its PS2 owners now enabled for online play, SCEA has sold 25 million PlayStation 2 consoles in North America to date. One million gamers now use their PS2’s for online gaming services.
3/23/2004 11:25:32 PM PS2 Passes 25 Million in North American Sales [GamesIndustry.biz]
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Intel, Movielink Co-star in Web Movie Push [News.com]
Movielink and Intel signed a deal to explore various content-protection technologies to enable wireless transfer of films from a home PC to a television set via digital media adapters (DMAs). Intel and Movielink will jointly prototype an Internet-enabled DMA under development by Intel. Intel will sponsor and promote Movielink's discounted college website and will promote Movielink at retail outlets that sell PCs based on the Intel Pentium 4 processor with HT Technology. Intel recently sponsored Movielink’s "Winter Movie Special" promotion with AOL. More than 20 million people in the United States now connect to the Internet via broadband, and increasingly look to the PC for entertainment. Microsoft’s Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004, released last year, makes it easier for people to rent movies from Movielink, or rival CinemaNow, download them to their PC and then watch them on their TV set.
3/23/2004 11:24:56 PM Intel, Movielink Co-star in Web Movie Push [News.com]
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Netflix Changes Entertainment Game [Seattle Times]
Since its launch in 1999 online DVD-subscription service Netflix has captured a 3% share of the $9.9 billion video-rental market, though is expected to face stiff competition from Blockbuster and Wal-Mart. With its all-you-can-watch monthly fee of $19.95 to receive up to three DVDs at a time through the mail, Netflix allows consumers to keep video rentals indefinitely without facing late fees – a service charge that until recently represented 15% of Blockbuster’s revenue. With access to a library of 18,000 DVD titles, Netflix’s audience is approaching 2 million subscribers as the service acquires 125,000 new customers each month. The company maintains customer loyalty with personalized movie recommendations based on rental histories and feedback on prior rentals, and DVD delivery from 23 distribution centers. The company drops about 5% of its customers each month. Netflix doubled its revenue last year, to $270 million, and is targeting $475 million in 2004 revenue. Viacom, meanwhile, is seeking a buyer for its 81% stake in the 8,900-store Blockbuster chain and the competing FilmCaddy.com DVD-subscription website it owns.
3/23/2004 11:19:12 PM Netflix Changes Entertainment Game [Seattle Times]
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Fox Maps Web Strategy [TV Week]
Drawing one quarter of the size of CNN.com’s audience, FoxNews.com is introducing new content and upgrading its site in an effort to close the gap. Foxnews.com drew 5.4 million unique visitors in January of this year (compared with CNN.com's 23.5 million) and expects to add 1 million unique visitors this year to become profitable this summer by doubling its ad revenue. Key features have recently included expanded content and functionality for the 2004 presidential campaign, a Baghdad webcam streaming live video, and an “Only on Fox” promotional section. The site is adding 40 to 50 new clips of online video each day for an audience of 200,000 to 250,000 daily viewers of video content. Fox’s recently added the “Greta Poll” which is used by Fox’s “On the Record” show and receives 100,000 to 120,000 daily responses. As a result of its growth, Fox has signed new advertisers – with Chrysler sponsoring “You Decide 2004” and SBC sponsoring the online video section.
3/23/2004 11:18:35 PM Fox Maps Web Strategy [TV Week]
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Cartoon Network and Take-Two Sign First Look Deal [Animation World Network]
The Cartoon Network and game developer Take-Two have announced a partnership giving Take-Two "first look" rights to publish and distribute videogames based on Cartoon Network properties targeted to kids ages 6-11. Cartoon Network will present new properties to Take-Two at the earliest stages of series development. Take-Two may exercise worldwide rights to produce games for all future properties owned by Cartoon Network that are targeted to kids ages 6-11. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment handles licensing for Cartoon Network, and helped structure the deal.
3/23/2004 11:16:09 PM Cartoon Network and Take-Two Sign First Look Deal [Animation World Network]
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Coke: Wooing The TiVo Generation [Business Week]
Ad tracker TNS Media Intelligence/CMR estimates that last year through October Coke spent just $188.7 million on TV advertising in the U.S., a sharp drop from $268.1 million in 2001. Due to the fragmenting media environment, advertisers can now hit only 15% of the population with an ad in prime time -- down from the 40% reached in the mid-1980s. Declaring that “the days of mass, homogenous marketing are behind us,” Coke is accelerating its shift in ad spending from passive TV ads toward an ‘experiential’ approach geared toward using events and activities to build close bonds with consumers.
3/23/2004 11:14:57 PM Coke: Wooing The TiVo Generation [Business Week]
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Next Xbox to Skip Hard Drive? [News.com]
Flash memory maker M-Systems announced a deal with Microsoft to provide storage products for future Xbox products. The devices will provide significantly higher capacity than the 8MB add-on memory units currently offered by Microsoft for players to save Xbox game and user data. The move has bolstered speculation that Microsoft will drop the hard drive from the next version of the Xbox to keep production costs low.
3/23/2004 11:14:10 PM Next Xbox to Skip Hard Drive? [News.com]
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24 Goes Interactive [BBC]
The BBC reports that a videogame based on the '24' series is in development.
3/23/2004 11:13:23 PM 24 Goes Interactive [BBC]
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BBC to Turn MI5 Spy Drama into Videogame [Revolution Magazine]
BBC Worldwide said it plans to develop a 'Spooks' game for the PC, PS2 and Xbox. Written by one of the show's writers, the game will allow players to take control of MI5 agents from the series in a mission to thwart an international criminal conspiracy. The game is being launched to coincide with the third series of 'Spooks' due to air in the fall on BBC One. 'Spooks' has aired in the US on the A&E Network as 'MI-5'.
3/23/2004 11:01:31 PM BBC to Turn MI5 Spy Drama into Videogame [Revolution Magazine]
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EA Makes Ad Play [San Francisco Business Times]
Electronic Arts is working with 10 major consumer products companies to incorporate their logos and products in-game, mostly in sports-related titles. EA this year landed product placement deals with Procter & Gamble Co., General Motors Corp. and RadioShack Corp. Other product placement sponsors include Adidas, Nike, McDonald's, Old Spice, and Honda. The makers of 7-Up struck a deal last year with EA to launch its new soft drink, DNL, featured prominently in the SSX snowboarding game. With advertisers increasingly seeing video games as the next product placement frontier, Activision, Sega, and Midway are also striking product placement deals.
3/23/2004 10:57:05 PM EA Makes Ad Play [San Francisco Business Times]
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Verizon Plugs into Satellite TV [News.com]
In a deal with Hughes Electronics, Verizon has begun offering satellite TV service in Rhode Island and plans to quickly to offer it in the rest of the country. The new service will be bundled to compete with cable operators’ "triple play" of telephone, TV and broadband Internet services. Verizon will charge $35 a month for the DirecTV service in Rhode Island when it is bundled with a long-distance telephone and broadband Internet service – $17 less per month than cable TV service from competitor Cox Communications. Similar telco-satellite TV partnerships were struck recently by BellSouth with DirecTV and by SBC with EchoStar’s Dish Network.
2/25/2004 11:55:13 PM Verizon Plugs into Satellite TV [News.com]
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US Game Software Sales Top $7 billion for 2003 [GamesIndustry.biz]
While video and computer game software sales in the USA hit $7 billion for the first time, falling console prices brought overall industry sales down by 4% in 2003 to $11.2 billion. The best selling game of the year was Madden NFL 2004 from Electronic Arts, followed by Pokemon Ruby at number two, and Pokemon Sapphire and Need for Speed at three and four, respectively. Nine of the top 10 were PS2 titles, with one for Nintendo’s GameCube.
2/25/2004 10:57:31 PM US Game Software Sales Top $7 billion for 2003 [GamesIndustry.biz]
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New EyeToy Product Puts Gamers in the Game [GamesIndustry.biz]
Sony and Digimask announced a deal to allow gamers to snap headshot photos of themselves with EyeToy and have them rendered into a fully animated 3D head for use in videogame play. Sony claims to have several titles in development that will take advantage of the new technology, the first of which could be launched in July. The popular EyeToy camera for the PlayStation has sold over 2.4 million units worldwide since its launch last summer.
2/25/2004 10:56:51 PM New EyeToy Product Puts Gamers in the Game [GamesIndustry.biz]
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Microsoft Extends Media Centre Functionality to Xbox [GamesIndustry.biz]
Microsoft announced it will integrate its Xbox game console with the Windows XP Media Centre Edition operating system, offering new software that allows remote media playback on the console. Media Centre Extender (MCX) will enable Xbox owners to use their console as a remote viewer for movies, music and images stored on their PC. Microsoft is working with film studios and other content providers to develop a library of content available in MCX-friendly formats. Currently, ESPN offers Media Centre content on its site. Artisan, IMAX and National Geographic are converting films into the hi-def WMVHD format supported by the Media Centre system.
2/25/2004 10:55:13 PM Microsoft Extends Media Centre Functionality to Xbox [GamesIndustry.biz]
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Morpheus Maker Upping the Ante [Los Angeles Times]
StreamCast Networks, maker of the Morpheus online file-sharing software and target of entertainment-industry lawsuits, released a new version of its software that makes it easier for people to copy digital music and movies. The new version connects to all the major file-sharing networks, expanding the number of files that users can search and copy, and provides new tools to hide users' identities and what they're sharing.
2/25/2004 10:53:58 PM Morpheus Maker Upping the Ante [Los Angeles Times]
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Video Sender Products Enabling Home Entertainment Networks [Seattle Post-Intelligencer]
Products that can transmit signals from a digital video recorder, satellite dish, cable receiver or DVD player to television sets or stereos throughout the house retail for about $100 and are seeing growing demand as a way for DVR owners to share their DVR with a second TV. A wireless versions of the device by Creative Technology retail for $220 uses Wi-Fi to broadcast music from a PC to a remote audio system or a set of powered speakers, with a remote control that lets users select songs. The Wireless-B Media Adapter from Linksys retails for $150 and allows Wi-Fi-equipped PC users listen to music on a remote stereo and view digital photos on a remote TV. A $200 product by Prismiq allows PC owners to use a home TV and audio system to view streaming video, and digital photos and movies, and to hear music and Internet radio from their PC -- allowing use of the TV to go online to browse the Web, check e-mail or exchange instant messages.
2/25/2004 10:51:52 PM Video Sender Products Enabling Home Entertainment Networks [Seattle Post-Intelligencer]
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Microsoft Leaks Details on Next-Generation Xbox [Seattle Times]
Microsoft has circulated specifications for its next-generation Xbox video-game console, which suggest an emphasis on keeping the cost low on its Xbox Next console. According to analysts, the new Xbox will allow gamers to play highly realistic 3-D games on high-definition TV sets. The product is expected to launch in fall 2005, though the console may not be compatible with current Xbox titles. Xbox Next is expected use PlayStation 2-style flash memory to store saved games and permanent data, and to include 256MB of RAM. Microsoft may include a hard drive and up to 512MB of RAM if Sony does so with the PlayStation 3.
2/25/2004 10:50:02 PM Microsoft Leaks Details on Next-Generation Xbox [Seattle Times]
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USA TODAY Publishes TiVo Ratings Listing [PR Newswire]
USA TODAY began a monthly listing of the Top 10 most rated programs based on an analysis of anonymous, aggregate data from 20,000 TiVo households. The TiVo Top 10 list will accompany the Nielsen report on the last Wednesday of each month and will publish an analysis of recorded and live viewing of programs that air in Prime Time on the six major networks.
2/22/2004 12:16:57 AM USA TODAY Publishes TiVo Ratings Listing [PR Newswire]
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Broadband Poised for Takeoff [Internet.com]
The broadband market is expected to more than double to 46 million households in the United States by 2008, up from 21.5 million last year. Analysts forecast that 40% of U.S households will connect to the Internet using high-speed cable or DSL by 2008, and target a price point of $29.99 per month as key to getting dial-up customers to make the switch. Differentiators for broadband service providers will include the availability of music and video content.
2/22/2004 12:11:15 AM Broadband Poised for Takeoff [Internet.com]
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Nielsen, TiVo Sign DVR Monitoring Deal [Ad Age]
Nielsen Media Research signed a deal with TiVo to collect second-by-second data on the viewing patterns and trends of 5-10,000 "opt-in" TiVo users. There are currently 3 million DVR users in the U.S., of which TiVo counts 1 million subscribers.
2/22/2004 12:10:05 AM Nielsen, TiVo Sign DVR Monitoring Deal [Ad Age]
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Sony Releases Updates for PSX Console [GamesIndustry.biz]
Sony has released the first in a series of free software upgrades for the recently launched PSX media centre. The first update was made available online this month to offer compatibility with TIFF images, MP3 music, and USB keyboards, and to increase DVD recording speed. A second update in March will provide compatibility with GIF images, DVD+RW discs, Sony's Cybershot camera, and PlayStation network gaming. The PSX is expected to roll out in Europe and the US later this year.
2/4/2004 11:45:12 PM Sony Releases Updates for PSX Console [GamesIndustry.biz]
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Ascent to Join Pathfire in Offering Tapeless TV Syndication Service [Television Week]
Ascent Media Management Services announced a digital syndicated programming delivery system designed to move syndicators from videotape to digital files. The company is developing a digital solution likely in partnership with Pathfire, who digitally distributes syndicated content to TV stations for Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, affiliate news services and other content companies. Ascent handles post-production for Sony Pictures, Disney, Universal, Fox and Tribune. Tapeless distribution was discussed in a recent panel at NATPE, and faces challenges managing metadata across multiple production and editing environments. Another syndication technology development is the use of digital watermarking to track show promotions. Earlier this year Universal Domestic Television partnered with Teletrax to track when and where the promotions run for its syndicated shows.
2/4/2004 11:43:07 PM Ascent to Join Pathfire in Offering Tapeless TV Syndication Service [Television Week]
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Beverage Brands Tune In to Net Music Scene [LA Times]
Coke is planning a joint promotion with MusicMatch featuring Sprite which is expected to let customers download individual songs free and give them some access to MusicMatch's online jukebox service (normally $4.95 a month). Pepsi, too, is offering 100 million songs from Apple's iTunes Music Store in a promotion that kicked off with during the Super Bowl. Miller is also planning campaigns with Roxio's Napster service, as is Heineken with RealNetwork's Rhapsody, and South Beach Beverage (SoBe) with BuyMusic.com.
2/4/2004 11:41:23 PM Beverage Brands Tune In to Net Music Scene [LA Times]
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Cablevision's VOOM Bids for Wireless Licenses [Reuters]
Cablevision's VOOM satellite TV service is the top bidder for licenses to build a U.S. wireless video and data network that would broadcast in the same spectrum as DirecTV and DISH Network. However, the new signal will be transmitted from local microwave towers, allowing enough bandwidth for hundreds of channels and high-speed Internet service. The new venture will offer high-definition satellite service, but require viewers to buy a receiver for $749.99. Through a 49% stake in DTV Norwich, VOOM has bid $87 million and is the leading bidder in 48 major markets including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago. EchoStar, with a 49.9% stake in South.com, has bid $39 million for licenses in Boston, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Washington, Atlanta, and Detroit.
2/4/2004 11:38:46 PM Cablevision's VOOM Bids for Wireless Licenses [Reuters]
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Sega to Publish Cartoon Network's Samurai Jack [IGN]
Sega announced that the Cartoon Network has awarded it the license to publish a console game based on the Samurai Jack series, due out this March for Xbox, PS2, and GameCube consoles. Samurai Jack debuted in November 2001 with 11.5 million viewers tuning in its 90-minute premiere. The show currently draws 2 million viewers for each telecast, with 13% consisting of adults 18-34.
2/4/2004 11:37:50 PM Sega to Publish Cartoon Network's Samurai Jack [IGN]
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Microsoft Says Xbox Sales Strong Going Into '04 [Forbes]
Microsoft has sold 13.7 million Xboxes worldwide since the November 2001 launch, and forecast total sales of 14.5 million to 16 million by June. However, the company's Home and Entertainment division saw revenue fall in the December quarter to $1.27 billion from $1.33 billion in 2002, primarily on Xbox and PC and console game software. Microsoft attributed the decline to lower revenue from PC games. The Xbox Live online service has signed 750,000 subscribers since it launched in November 2002.
2/4/2004 11:36:10 PM Microsoft Says Xbox Sales Strong Going Into '04 [Forbes]
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Playstation Big Winner in 2003 [The Globe and Mail]
Sony scored record-breaking videogame software sales in 2003 with a 24% increase in PS2 software sales bringing total units to just short of 100 million units for its installed base of 24.5 million PS2 and 37 million PlayStation consoles. PS2 software alone recorded $3 billion in total sales and 80 million units of its 700 titles. Overall PlayStation software generated 60% of total industry revenue at $5 billion.
2/4/2004 11:35:22 PM Playstation Big Winner in 2003 [The Globe and Mail]
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CinemaNow debuts download-to-own movies [News.com]
VOD operator CinemaNow launched a new "digital sell-through" service that lets consumers buy and download permanent copies of Hollywood films to their PC. CinemaNow also introduced progressive download capabilities allowing broadband customers to begin watching a newly rented movie within 30 seconds of the start of the download.
2/4/2004 11:34:21 PM CinemaNow debuts download-to-own movies [News.com]
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New Format Allows TV Ads to Run Online [CNN Money]
Online advertising company Unicast unveiled a new advertising format that allows 30-second, motion-picture-quality video advertisements to play relatively unobtrusively on Web sites. Advertisers such as AT&T, Honda, McDonald's, and PepsiCo will run video ads in the new format on sites such as ESPN.com, GameSpot, and MSN. Analysts expect the technology to open up television advertising budgets to the Internet, whereas most interactive advertising funds to date have come from direct-marketing budgets, which typically constitute 5-10% of a company's ad budget. The new video-streaming format allows TV ad spots to run "as is" online, reducing the need to commission and create entirely different lines of "creative" for online use. The Internet ad market is expected to grow by 20 percent in 2004.
2/4/2004 11:33:10 PM New Format Allows TV Ads to Run Online [CNN Money]
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TV'S Missing Men Are Playing Games [Ad Age]
According to researchers, video-gaming is pulling many of the nation's 32 million 18- to 34-year old males away from TV. High levels of graphic realism, sophisticated story lines and a sense of empowerment are making gamescapes more alluring to many than the more passive environments of traditional TV programming. 38% of gamers are men 18 and over, and males aged 6 to 35 spend an average of eight hours per week playing video games. New research showing that 32% of gamers are over 30 and 47% are in their 20s has game-makers gearing upcoming titles for adult play. Advertisers are beginning to embrace game formats for their immersive branding opportunities, with McDonald's sponsoring EA's "The Sims Online" and apparel makers underwriting Activision's Tony Hawk skateboarding games, who benefits from young men's interest in both video games and boarding. Between January and November 2003 $5.2 billion worth of video games, peripherals and hardware products were purchased by or intended for use by males.
2/4/2004 11:31:21 PM TV'S Missing Men Are Playing Games [Ad Age]
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Trouble in TV Land [Business Week]
According to recent Nielsen ratings, the erosion in network viewership is accelerating from an average 2% annual decline over the past decade. The drop has been particularly alarming this season with a 7% fall among those between 18 and 49. Analysts point to digital entertainment sources such as DVDs, computer games, the Internet, and the DVR as factors in the decline. The networks are responding by boosting their promo spending and reconfiguring the way they create and release shows.
2/4/2004 11:29:54 PM Trouble in TV Land [Business Week]
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EA, Sony Sign Music Promotion Deal for Video Game [Reuters]
Electronic Arts Inc. and Sony Music are working on the soundtrack to a new video game in a pioneering collaboration between a game maker and recording label. The companies have placed various pre-release songs within the new "NFL Street" game and will release two singles for radio along with music videos featuring gameplay footage. "NFL Street" will feature an original score from Sony artists X-ecutioners and tracks from Sony musicians including Korn, Fuel, Killer Mike and Three 6 Mafia. In addition, certain Sony Music album releases will include a bonus disc featuring a demo of "NFL Street." And an MTV special will feature the production of the game and the Sony artists involved.
2/4/2004 11:28:52 PM EA, Sony Sign Music Promotion Deal for Video Game [Reuters]
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AOL to Stem Dial-up Losses with Movie Downloads [News.com]
America Online launched a promotion that lets its members download full-length feature films through Movielink for 99 cents a title. Hoping to stem the defection of its dial-up subscribers to broadband services, AOL's strategy is to persuade broadband users to pay an additional $14.95 on top of their existing broadband bill. AOL lost 688,000 of its $23.90-per-month dial up customers in the third quarter 2003, down from second quarter dial-up losses of 846,000 members. AOL reports 2.6 million subscribers to its $14.95 a month "broadband" plan. The market for online video subscription services is expected to grow from about $991 million in 2003 to more than $4.5 billion during 2007.
2/4/2004 11:26:32 PM AOL to Stem Dial-up Losses with Movie Downloads [News.com]
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ESPN Major League Baseball Goes Online [Gigex]
ESPN Videogames announced that ESPN Major League Baseball will incorporate broadband online play for both the PS2 and Xbox, scheduled to release this Spring. The new title will allow players to create, manage and compete in leagues; review online statistics; and analyze play-by-play GameCasts that are automatically uploaded to the league page. Players on both Xbox and PS2 consoles will communicate via in-game voice-chat.
2/4/2004 11:25:04 PM ESPN Major League Baseball Goes Online [Gigex]
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Xbox Live Winners Face Celebrities with In-Game Voice Chat [1up]
Microsoft announced a series of video game contests allowing winners to play head-to-head against celebrities over its Xbox Live online gaming service. Winners of the first contest were pitted against OutKast hip-hopsters Anwan "Big Boi" Patton and Andre "300" Benjamin in a game of ESPN NFL Football replete with voice chat. Future contests will match winners against The Strokes, Phantom Planet, Fefe Dobson, Crystal Method and Skrape, and others yet to be announced.
2/4/2004 11:23:49 PM Xbox Live Winners Face Celebrities with In-Game Voice Chat [1up]
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Warner Bros. Sets Up Video Game Division [Reuters]
Warner Bros. announced it is setting up its own games division, Warner Bros. Games, to develop and distribute titles. The new division will be headed by Jason Hall, who formerly headed a game development company used by Warner Bros. on "Matrix" video games, and will tap the Warner Bros. library for game content -- developing some titles internally while licensing and co-publishing others.
2/4/2004 11:22:56 PM Warner Bros. Sets Up Video Game Division [Reuters]
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New TiVo Feature Shares Recorded Shows with PCs [Reuters]
TiVo unveiled a new service, TiVo-to-Go, allowing subscribers to transfer saved programs to a home computer. To protect copyrights on recorded shows, a hardware device must be plugged into the computer when recorded content is watched or copied. The company also announced a high-definition DVR for satellite TV subscribers, new DVD recorders by Toshiba and Humax, and new home networking products. TiVo reached one million subscribers in 2003 with strong growth from customers of DirecTV's satellite broadcast system.
2/4/2004 11:22:16 PM New TiVo Feature Shares Recorded Shows with PCs [Reuters]
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Xbox Live Projects 1M Subscribers, Playstation Eyes Video Chat [GamesIndustry.biz]
Microsoft is targeting one million Xbox Live subscribers by June. While up from 500,000 last June, Microsoft's online console gaming service continues to trail uptake of Sony's PS2 network adapter. While Xbox Live has led PS2 in online communications by making voice chat a standard feature in all its games, the success of Sony's Eye Toy webcam product has Playstation eyeing in-game video chat as a natural evolution of console-based communications services. The first titles incorporating Eye Toy to enable video chat are expected later this year.
2/4/2004 11:20:36 PM Xbox Live Projects 1M Subscribers, Playstation Eyes Video Chat [GamesIndustry.biz]
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Verizon to Launch Wireless Broadband Network [NewsDay]
Verizon Wireless announced it will roll out a national broadband network over the next two years, with availability in many major cities starting this summer. For an $80 monthly fee and a $150 computer card, subscribers will link to Verizon's BroadbandAccess network. First launched in San Diego and Washington, D.C. last October, the service offers access speeds of 300 to 500 kilobits per second. AT&T Wireless began offering its EDGE wireless Internet service with speeds of 100 to 130 kbps last November, also for $80 per month.
2/4/2004 11:17:32 PM Verizon to Launch Wireless Broadband Network [NewsDay]
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Sony unveils music store [News.com]
Sony announced a new music download service, Connect, which will launch this spring offering 500,000 titles for 99 cents per track. The service will aggregate content from all the major labels and will be run as a wholly owned subsidiary.
2/4/2004 11:14:24 PM Sony unveils music store [News.com]
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Microsoft To Target Broadband TVs [Forbes]
Microsoft announced it will release products later this year that will allow TV viewers to access live and recorded TV programs, music files, digital photos and other media stored on their PCs. The Media Center Extender software package will provide up to five televisions with remote access to PCs running Windows XP Media Center Edition, and will allow users to order programs through their TV directly from Internet-based subscription services like Movielink. Microsoft will also release an adapter kit for the Xbox that includes the software, a DVD adapter and a remote control. For $60, the kit will turn the Xbox into a media adapter for any television set.
2/4/2004 11:13:26 PM Microsoft To Target Broadband TVs [Forbes]
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AOL Deals Put Net Content on TV, Stereo [PC World]
AOL announced it is working with network hardware and middleware vendors to enable their Wireless Network Player equipment to allow broadband households to listen to AOL's Radio@AOL service and view photos from AOL's You've Got Pictures digital picture service on their TV or home stereo system. Viewers interact with various AOL services through a television-based user interface and remote control. The AOL Radio@ Network offers 175 music, news, sports, entertainment, and seasonal stations.
2/4/2004 11:09:55 PM AOL Deals Put Net Content on TV, Stereo [PC World]
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Intel launches $200 mln fund for 'digital home' [Reuters]
Intel's venture capital arm announced a new $200 million investment fund to back its vision of a PC-centric digital home. The fund will focus on technologies that allow digital movies and music to travel wirelessly between devices around the home and translate video and audio into formats that computers, televisions and stereos can understand.
2/4/2004 11:08:09 PM Intel launches $200 mln fund for 'digital home' [Reuters]
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RealNetworks Launches Media Player, Music Store [Reuters]
RealNetworks released a new version of its software, RealPlayer 10, now featuring a digital music store. Users will be able to buy digital music tracks from the media player and transfer them directly to CDs or portable players, including Apple's iPod. The music store is built upon Listen.com's Rhapsody service, acquired by RealNetworks last year, which allows users to listen to 300,000 songs online and transfer them onto CDs for 79 cents each. Rhapsody subscribers pay a $10 monthly fee for music streaming and 99 cents to purchase a music track for download.
2/4/2004 11:07:23 PM RealNetworks Launches Media Player, Music Store [Reuters]
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Eye Toy Europe shipments Top 2 Million [GamesIndustry.biz]
Sony's Eye Toy camera for the PlayStation has shipped over 2 million units across Europe since it's launch in July of last year.
2/4/2004 1:16:43 AM Eye Toy Europe shipments Top 2 Million [GamesIndustry.biz]
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Report: US Begins Mass-market Broadband Adoption [CableFax]
A Price Waterhouse Coopers report on “The Broadband Future” found that with 20% penetration, the US broadband market has “completed the early-adopter stage and is at the threshold of mass-market adoption.” The report forecasts that subscription to high-speed Internet services will grow from 26 million homes today to 62 million by 2007. Broadband consumers are four times more likely than dial-up consumers to download videos, three times more likely to download music or watch streaming video, and twice as likely to listen to streaming audio.
1/19/2004 1:34:54 PM Report: US Begins Mass-market Broadband Adoption [CableFax]
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UK Satellite Channel to Launch Virtual Horseracing Show [gamesindustry.biz]
Interactive television development studio VIS-iTV announced that its iRace title will debut on the upstart UK satellite sports channel iSports TV. The virtual horse racing simulation game will allow fixed odds betting on the iSports TV channel.
1/19/2004 1:27:13 PM UK Satellite Channel to Launch Virtual Horseracing Show [gamesindustry.biz]
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Future PlayStations to read hand gestures [News.com]
Sony is planning to enable future generations of the PlayStation recognize user gestures and emotions, and may be bundling the PlayStation 3 with a motion sensor and camera add-on similar to Sony's EyeToy. Later generations of PlayStation consoles are expected to include more-complex motion recognition, allowing users to control games using eye movements, gestures and complex finger movements.
1/19/2004 11:41:07 AM Future PlayStations to read hand gestures [News.com]
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BBC's FightBox Show to Launch as Video Game [IGN]
BBC announced that its video game-themed FightBox television series will be developed as a video game allowing players to design their own characters, enter tournaments, and battle it out in multiple game modes inside a specialized interactive game on live TV. A design kit on the FightBox website currently allows players in the UK to create their own characters for use on the game show program to compete for various prizes and money.
1/19/2004 11:40:14 AM BBC's FightBox Show to Launch as Video Game [IGN]
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Peer-to-peer Music-downloading Jumps After a Decline [News.com]
The NPD Group reported that peer-to-peer usage was up 14 percent in November 2003 from September, after 6 months of declines in digital file sharing. Usage began dropping in April 2003 when the RIAA began filing the first of more than 300 lawsuits against individual file sharers.
1/19/2004 11:39:20 AM Peer-to-peer Music-downloading Jumps After a Decline [News.com]
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New Nielsen Ratings May Drive VOD Advertising Sales [Television Week]
Nielsen Media Research has partnered with leading VOD services supplier SeaChange to provide ratings of on-demand audiences. SeaChange powers VOD services for over 100 cable systems in North America. Analysts expect more accurate and standardized VOD usage reporting to drive advertising sales in VOD programming. The VOD ratings data is expected to include demographic information on who watched which program and for how long, how long an ad was watched, and whether the ad was fast-forwarded or rewound.
1/2/2004 12:06:29 AM New Nielsen Ratings May Drive VOD Advertising Sales [Television Week]
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TV Execs Go Gaga Over Gaming [Wired News]
The Discovery Channel aired a documentary on video games, called The X Factor: Inside Microsoft's Xbox. Discovery will air another show next year on the highly anticipated game Halo 2. If the nation's largest cable carrier, Comcast, purchases TechTV next year, video game programming would get a further boost. Comcast is expected to combine TechTV, which reaches 40 million homes, with its video game channel, G4, which reaches 11 million homes. While TechTV produced the video game-themed X-Play, G4 produces 17 shows that feature video games. UPN has entered the game market with Game Over, a prime-time, computer-generated program set to debut by March 2004. The half-hour comedy, which features the voice of Lucy Liu, takes place within a video game universe in which race car drivers and archeologists come home after a long day's work and deal with life in the suburbs and raising kids.
12/18/2003 2:18:56 AM TV Execs Go Gaga Over Gaming [Wired News]
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Pioneer-Tivo DVRs: Setting the Standard [TV Week]
A new DVD/DVR recorder product from Pioneer and TiVo allows users to record a TV show on a hard drive or a DVD -- and to transfer shows from hard drive to DVD at any time. The hard drive can store up to 80 hours of programming, while a single-sided DVD stores up to 6 hours. Pioneer's DVD recorder includes TiVo's DVR service and TiVo's on-screen guide to enable viewers to search for listings up to 14 days in advance and record a favorite program every time it airs. The DVD/DVR recorder retails at more than $1,000, though can be purchased for around $700 to $800.
12/18/2003 2:17:45 AM Pioneer-Tivo DVRs: Setting the Standard [TV Week]
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Game Makers Get Star Treatment [Wired News]
Spike TV aired its inaugural Video Game Awards (VGA) this week. Following G4’s G-Phoria awards in August, Spike TV’s awards show marks the industry’s second attempt to turn video games into stars. Spike TV’s related "Secret Life of Games" show features short segments which depict game heroes like Croft doing ordinary activities like grocery shopping.
12/18/2003 2:17:10 AM Game Makers Get Star Treatment [Wired News]
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Cablevision to Introduce Tivo-Like TV Recorder [Reuters]
Cablevision announced it will offer a new set-top box next year containing a DVR. Cablevision had hoped to make the recording device an option that would be located on Cablecasting's servers, rather than requiring the distribution of new set-top boxes that would make their current digital cable boxes obsolete. Time Warner Cable has introduced a set-top DVR in New York City this year which has proven immensely popular.
12/11/2003 11:22:50 PM Cablevision to Introduce Tivo-Like TV Recorder [Reuters]
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Paid Music Downloading, MP3 Player Sales Double [Internet.com]
The number of paying music downloaders was reported to double in the first half of 2003, with 10 million Americans paying to download Internet music. 18 to 24 year-olds were most likely to have paid to download digital music, with 12 to 17 year olds among the least likely. And 19 percent of U.S. downloaders own a portable digital audio player/portable MP3 player. U.S. shipments of MP3 players were expected to double in 2003 to over 3.5 million.
12/11/2003 11:20:35 PM Paid Music Downloading, MP3 Player Sales Double [Internet.com]
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RealNetworks Blasts Video to AT&T Handsets [ZD Net]
RealNetworks announced a deal with AT&T Wireless to stream digital video to cell phones. For $4.95 per month plus usage fees, the new service, "RealOne for mMode," provides full-motion video and audio on mMode-enabled Nokia 3650 handsets and on the Nokia N-Gage. With 22 million U.S. cell phone subscribers, AT&T is using EDGE technology (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) to power a new wireless Internet network it claims is the fastest in the US. Separately, Motorola announced it is building the RealOne Player into handsets scheduled for release next year. RealNetworks announced a deal in August to introduce a streaming media subscription package to Sprint's 2.1 million PCS users. Also next year, RealNetworks will begin delivering audio and video to Vodafone's mobile phones.
12/11/2003 11:19:41 PM RealNetworks Blasts Video to AT&T Handsets [ZD Net]
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Here Come the Media Phones [The Feature]
Along with a suite of full-featured PDA applications, the Nokia 7700 mobile phone plays MP3’s, Real Audio, and FM radio. The phone’s ‘Visual Radio’ system allows users to vote on songs and enter contests with participating radio stations. Users can also download movie trailers to their phone and purchase tickets. An optional Nokia Stream SU-6 accessory will allow users to watch digital broadcasts. The phone is set for release in Q2 2004, as other manufacturers bid for the media phone space. Qualcomm is developing a video streaming solution for its mobile phones. NEC has a prototype of a mobile phone that can display digital TV, which will probably be released at the same time or before the 7700. NTT DoCoMo's i-mode is the most successful mobile media operation to date and boasts 39 million subscribers in Japan. Vodafone’s year-old video-on-demand service, Live!, has 3 million subscribers. Currently 95 percent of carriers' revenue comes from voice service, 5 percent from text messaging, and 0.5 percent from WAP, EDGE, Wi-Fi, and other services.
12/11/2003 11:18:31 PM Here Come the Media Phones [The Feature]
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SBC calls action for Movielink rentals [ZD Net]
SBC Internet Services has teamed with Movielink to create a co-branded Web site of video downloads for subscribers to SBC Yahoo DSL. New subscribers will receive $10 in movie rentals from the Movielink service. For SBC, the deal adds entertainment content to its broadband services. For Movielink, the deal helps target broadband subscribers. Nearly 20 million households use high-speed Internet connections, and many increasingly use their PC for entertainment. Movielink has similar co-branded website deals with with Time Warner Cable's Road Runner, Lycos, BellSouth, Hollywood.com and The Feed Room.
12/11/2003 11:16:41 PM SBC calls action for Movielink rentals [ZD Net]
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Pirated Movies Flourish Despite Security Measures [LA Times]
In 2002 the MPAA found 163,000 web sites offering pirated movies, with analysts forecasting 200,000 sites by the end of 2003. These sites are supplied primarily by underground networks of “ripping crews,” who recruit members around the world to obtain, edit, transfer and store films – often competing to be the first to obtain a movie through cinema employees, workers at post-production houses and friends of Academy members. Films are shared amongst the crews via private networks of servers and distributed via Internet chat rooms and news groups. The advancing technology of digital camcorders is yielding dramatic improvements in the earliest versions of pirated movies, with the best ones approaching the picture and sound quality of DVDs.
12/6/2003 12:22:43 AM Pirated Movies Flourish Despite Security Measures [LA Times]
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Sony Pares Back Specs for All-In-One PSX Console [Reuters]
Sony announced it has pared back specifications for its all-in-one PSX console, an entertainment system that includes a hard disk drive (HDD) and DVD recorder plus a PlayStation 2 game machine. Sony reduced the PSX's dubbing speed from its hard disk drive onto a DVD to 12 times normal speed from 24 times. The machine also will not record or play DVDs in the DVD+RW format, as in the original plan, but it will play and record in DVD-R or DVD-RW formats. The PSX will not play CDs in the CD-R format, as planned, and there also will be no video format support for certain Sony digital cameras and support for MP3 music playback. The device is set to go on sale on December 13 in Japan, priced at $731 for a PSX with a 160GB HDD will sell for $731 (records up to 204 hours) or $914 for a 250GB version for $914.
12/6/2003 12:20:39 AM Sony Pares Back Specs for All-In-One PSX Console [Reuters]
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Video on Demand Not Yet a Big Movie Player [LA Times]
While the VOD market is developing slower than expected in part due to ineffective promotions by cable operators, VOD service providers believe that studio practices of delaying VOD releases until 30 to 90 days after DVD/VHS releases are limiting consumer selections. According to VOD operator In Demand, 80% to 90% of home-video revenue is generated within 30 days of a movie’s release date. The company, owned by three of the top cable operators, researched 100 movies from 2003 that reached VOD services 30 to 90 days after they were released on DVD and VHS, and found that on average, titles delayed less than 45 days attracted 50% more on-demand viewings than those delayed more than 45 days. Though studios receive a higher split on VOD rentals (60%) than they do on DVD/VHS rentals (50%), there is a concern that earlier VOD availability would adversely impact high margin DVD sales. But as rising broadband penetration and growing DVR adoption contribute to the threat of online piracy, VOD proponents argue that studios should be more aggressive in making their titles available legally online or risk consumers turning to bootlegged movies as they did with music.
12/6/2003 12:18:27 AM Video on Demand Not Yet a Big Movie Player [LA Times]
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Online Sweepstakes Pay Off for Stations [Television Week]
As TV stations continue to mine the Internet as a potential outlet for nontraditional revenue, a number of local broadcasters are looking to online contests to bring in extra change. Online sweepstakes producer DigitalBang currently offers 20 contests to 27 TV stations -- including contests oriented toward footabll, basketball, and reality. DigitalBang manages and runs the contests, and the TV stations sell sponsorships for them. Contest sponsors tend to be local advertisers. According to Jupiter Research, contests and sweepstakes are the sixth most popular online activity, with 52 percent of online adults regularly participating.
11/30/2003 11:10:52 PM Online Sweepstakes Pay Off for Stations [Television Week]
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DSL Leads Global Broadband, Gaining in US [Point-Topic]
According to Jupiter Research, broadband penetration in the US is expected to reach 50% by 2008, with DSL projected to reach 20% of Net subscribers while cable will reach 25%. DSL lines currently account for 6.7% of total U.S. internet accessibility, with cable modem representing 14.4%. Worldwide, 60% of all broadband lines are DSL.
11/30/2003 11:10:04 PM DSL Leads Global Broadband, Gaining in US [Point-Topic]
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Broadband net user numbers boom [BBC News]
Over 2 million Americans switched to broadband in the 3 months to October. Cable firms captured the largest share of the 2 million new subscribers, with 61% of broadband subscribers using cable. Regional US telephone firms have been running promotions during this time period offering DSL at very low prices. Cable firms have responded by cutting their own prices and boosting line speeds. Broadband penetration in the US has reached almost 40% of all net users.
11/18/2003 1:35:55 AM Broadband net user numbers boom [BBC News]
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Broadcasters Pressed to Address PVR Growth [Internet.com]
Reports from SG Cowen and from Booz Allen Hamilton warn that TV broadcasters should seek alternatives to their traditional ad-based revenue models or risk losing ad dollars as consumers up their use of PVRs. SG Cowen lowered its ratings on TV broadcasters Tribune, Gannet, Univision, and Hearst-Argyle Television citing anticipated growth of PVR penetration to 15 percent by 2006, resulting in slowed revenue growth for ad-based broadcasters. The SG Cowen report said the big four networks were "equally exposed" but that cable networks were better positioned to create new revenue streams. Penetration by PVRs has been 1.7 percent in 2002 and 2.7 percent in 2003 -- and is expected to grow to 11 percent within two years.
11/18/2003 1:26:37 AM Broadcasters Pressed to Address PVR Growth [Internet.com]
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PS2 EyeToy Manufacturer Ramps Up Production [GamesIndustry.biz]
Nam Tai Electronics, a production company which creates EyeToy webcam peripherals for Sony, has announced that it has increased its production of the devices fourteen-fold in order to meet surging demand, increasing its output from 50,000 devices each month to a 750,000 devices a month.
11/13/2003 11:20:22 PM PS2 EyeToy Manufacturer Ramps Up Production [GamesIndustry.biz]
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Cable joins broadband price war [News.com]
In an aggressive pricing move, Comcast has begun offering DSL customers in California, Illinois and Maryland 12 months of cable broadband access for $19.95 a month, discounted from a standard cost of $42.95 a month for cable television subscribers. SBC Communications offers DSL services in the same three states and has launched a DSL discount promotion at $26.95-a-month. Last quarter, Comcast reported a 39 percent jump in broadband subscribers to 4.9 million, the highest total of any provider. SBC, the largest DSL provider, reported a 13 percent jump to 3.1 million subscribers.
11/13/2003 11:17:15 PM Cable joins broadband price war [News.com]
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RealNetworks in Venture With Comcast [New York Times]
Comcast Cable announced that it will offer the Rhapsody online music service from RealNetworks to its nearly 5 million subscribers. RealNetworks currenlty has about 250,000 subscribers for its digital music services. The two companies are offering all Comcast Internet customers seven days of free access to Rhapsody. The companies will also offer 10 free "burns" of downloaded songs to users who subscribe by the end of the year (normally) 79 cents a track. Rhapsody users pay $10 a month to have songs played through their Internet connection, listening to an average 100 songs a month drawn from a digital library of 30,000 albums of music provided by all five major music companies and more than 200 other labels. The service has delivered over 28 million songs. RealNetworks has previously announced similarly "co-branded" versions of its service with Best Buy, Gateway and other broadband companies, including Cablevision Systems' Optimum Online, Time Warner Cable's Road Runner, and Verizon Online. The Comcast deal involves by far the largest subscriber base.
11/13/2003 12:33:38 AM RealNetworks in Venture With Comcast [New York Times]
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F.C.C. Acts Against Pirating of TV Broadcasts [New York Times]
Federal regulators has approved rules to prevent people from copying broadcasts of television shows and movies and widely distributing them on the Internet. The order is intended to enable viewers to make copies of digital television programs for their own use but not be able to distribute it in mass, through e-mail, for example. The rules require manufacturers to install new antipiracy technology on digital television sets by July 2005, and permit studios and networks to insert a "broadcast flag" digital marker into the data stream that is transmitted over the airwaves. The flag will be detected by the consumer devices equipped with the new anti-piracy feature.
11/8/2003 10:33:58 PM F.C.C. Acts Against Pirating of TV Broadcasts [New York Times]
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Young Male Viewer Flight to Internet, Video Games Stabilizing [Television Week]
According to Nielsen Media Research, the sudden and alarming drop in broadcast network TV viewers during the first weeks of the fall season, especially among young males, appears to be stabilizing. Broadcast networks witnessed up to 12 percent declines in television viewership for the men 18 to 34 demographic, and as much as a 20 percent decline for men 18 to 24. Men 18 to 34 had a 24 share vs. 34 share the year before. Nielsen suggested the decline may be due to young men's playing video games, watching DVDs or using the Internet. The decline appears to be easing up, with TV usage amongst the men 18 to 34 demographic dropping just 7 percent in late October vs. a year.
11/8/2003 10:33:00 PM Young Male Viewer Flight to Internet, Video Games Stabilizing [Television Week]
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Nokia launches TV phone [MSNBC]
Nokia has launched a new mobile phone model that allows users to watch television. Nokia is targeting “media-obsessed consumers” who want to watch and interact with TV and access the Internet from any location. The new 7700 media device also features a video camera, an FM radio which can show simultaneous pictures, a calendar and email.
11/8/2003 10:32:13 PM Nokia launches TV phone [MSNBC]
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Movielink Teams with Lycos for Co-branded Site [Reuters]
Online film download service Movielink is launching a Web site with Internet portal service Lycos in the first co-branding deal Movielink has made in order to widen its customer base. The new site will allow Lycos users to access films from nearly every major Hollywood movie studio. The Movieline service is owned by five of Hollywood's major movie studios -- Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. -- and offers Disney films.
11/8/2003 10:29:17 PM Movielink Teams with Lycos for Co-branded Site [Reuters]
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Time Warner Subscribers Snap Up Its DVRs [Newsday.com]
Time Warner Cable has begun offering digital video recorders to its 1.2 million subscribers in New York City. The boxes allow TV viewers to instantly pause, rewind and fast-forward any current programs while watching them and to record up to 40 hours of current and upcoming shows on a computer hard drive. The PVR boxes cost subscribers $8.95 per month, with no up-front charge, compared with $4.95 per month for digital set-top boxes without the DVR functions. The competing TiVo costs an initial $199 for a box that records up to 40 hours and $299 for one that records up to 80 hours, plus $12.95 per month for service. ith 3 million subscribers in the NY metro area, Cablevision has been reluctant to offer DVRs, worried that DVRs might reduce the appeal of the company's video-on-demand.
11/8/2003 10:27:56 PM Time Warner Subscribers Snap Up Its DVRs [Newsday.com]
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PlayStation Cam Sells a Million [BBC News]
Sony has sold more than a million copies of its EyeToy camera since it went on sale in Europe in mid-2003. The device is a small camera that plugs into a USB port on the front of the PlayStation and sits on the TV, watching players' body movements (instead of using handset) to control the activities that happen on the screen. The EyeToy comes with 12 games, including living room football, do-it-yourself kung fu, and robot boxing. Other games include the calorie-counting dance title "Groove." The EyeToy was released in North America in November and will be released in Japan this January.
11/8/2003 10:27:08 PM PlayStation Cam Sells a Million [BBC News]
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Firms to Allow Betting on Video Games [AP Technology]
Two companies are betting video game fans will put their money where their mouse is — YouPlayGames and Ultimate Arena — by allowing gamers to wager real money while fighting friends and strangers in first-person-shooter games like "Return to Castle Wolfenstein," "Counter-Strike," and "Unreal Tournament." Ultimate Arena claims to have 20,000 active players; YouPlayGames has had 18,000 subscribers join since it launched in April.
11/8/2003 10:26:24 PM Firms to Allow Betting on Video Games [AP Technology]
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Sony Reveals Crossover Game Console [BBC]
Sony announced it will start selling its crossover PlayStation game console, the PSX, in Japan later this year. The PSX will combine a 160Gb hard disk, DVD recorder and a satellite TV tuner into one box with a PlayStation2 game engine. It can record more than 200 hours of TV, play DVDs, and digitally record and play music.
10/7/2003 9:35:52 PM Sony Reveals Crossover Game Console [BBC]
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Internet File Traders Tune to TV [Reuters]
Web sites like Suprnova.org are doing for TV downloads what Napster did for digital music files. You can find last night's episode of "American Idol," the entire collection of "The Simpsons," and old favorites like "Battlestar Galactica." TV shows have long been available on file trading networks like Kazaa, but can take many hours or even days to download, with the longest wait times for the most popular programs. A new "file swarming" technology called BitTorrent optimizes the process. BitTorrent downloads a TV show to your computer in fragments. Fragments are simultaneously transferred to other users seeking to download the same show, allowing the most popular files to download the fastest. A one-hour show usually takes least two hours to download over a broadband connection. Sites such as TV Torrents provide an index of links to TV shows. Other sites focus on a specific show, such as Alias. Once a TV show has been downloaded to a computer, BitTorrent users watch it on their PC or burn it to disc and watch it on a DVD player.
9/29/2003 10:49:55 PM Internet File Traders Tune to TV [Reuters]
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PVRs to Erode $5.5 Billion in TV Spot Advertising by 2006 [Internet.com]
The Yankee Group reports that television commercials may become the casualty of personal video recorder (PVR) penetration, though the not until mid-to-late 2005 when more than 10 million subscribe to the digital technology. By 2007, one-fifth of all U.S. homes are expected to have the ability to fast-forward TV commercials. The report forecasts that $5.5 billion in revenue — or 11 percent of TV ad budgets — will be lost by 2006 when more than 19 million U.S. homes own a PVR device. In-Stat/MDR expects worldwide unit shipments to increase from 1.5 million in 2002 to over 11 million in 2005, with North America accounting for 80 percent through 2003 then dropping to 55 percent in 2007 as European demand accelerates. DVD player/PVR combo unit devices will reach 2.5 million worldwide shipments by 2005. Jupiter Research found that just 2 percent of U.S. homes had PVRs in 2002, while the UK had 1 percent, and Germany and France both registered 0 percent. The Yankee Group found that 97 percent of TiVo users recommend the product to their friends. In-Stat/MDR found that 83 percent of PVR owners were either extremely or very satisfied with their PVR service.
9/28/2003 11:25:31 PM PVRs to Erode $5.5 Billion in TV Spot Advertising by 2006 [Internet.com]
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Consumer Video Streaming Market to Hit $4.5 Billion [Internet.com]
A recent study by the Online Publishers Association (OPA) found that U.S. consumers spent $748 million on online content during the first half of 2003, a 23% increase over the same period in 2002. Younger broadband-using Internet surfers represent the majority of online content spending. Broadband is expected to continue being a key driver of paid content. In the first quarter of 2003, 59% of online content buyers had broadband access. 30 million households currently have access to high-speed Internet, with 130 million expected by the end of 2007. In-Stat/MDR forecasts that the market for consumer online subscription video streaming services will grow from $991 million in 2003 to $4.5 billion during 2007. Asia is predicted to represent the largest market in 2007, accounting for $1.2 billion.
9/28/2003 11:23:46 PM Consumer Video Streaming Market to Hit $4.5 Billion [Internet.com]
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Advertisers Look to Product Placement as PVR Threat Looms [CNN]
A recent study by the Yankee Group forecasts that PVR use will rise from less than 1 million owners (4 percent of households) today to more than 20 percent by 2007. That could cost TV networks $5.5 billion annually within four years, more than 10 percent of the $50 billion spent on commercials today. Advertisers and programmers are responding to the threat of PVR ad-skipping with product placements and integrated media campaigns. NBC this year aired “The Restaurant” (produced by “Survivor” creator Mark Burnett), but paid no licensing fee. Instead, the producers took a larger-than-usual cut of the ad sales. Sponsor American Express bought ad spots, and also paid to weave its products into each episode. PVR adoption is rising quickly as cable and satellite systems install PVR technology and TiVo is bundled with a broad range of consumer devices.
9/28/2003 11:22:31 PM Advertisers Look to Product Placement as PVR Threat Looms [CNN]
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Cablevision to Launch HiDef Satellite Service VOOM [Cable World]
Offering 39 HDTV channels, Cablevision plans to launch it's VOOM direct broadcast satellite service on October 1. Retailing at $749, the package includes hardware, and an HDTV antenna for local channel hidef broadcasts. Monthly subscription fees range from $14.90 for a combination of HD channels and standard-def channels to $39.90 for a bundle of 21 VOOM-exclusive HD channels. Standard HD channels include HBO HD, HDNet Movies, HDNet Sports, Showtime HD and Discovery HD Theater. Exclusives include the first HD music channel; a fashion, home design and travel channel; an art/architecture and cultural channel; a mood channel; an animation channel; a collectibles channel, a news channel, several movie channels; and two sports channels. Cablevision has teamed with Sears for the launch, with Sears showcasing VOOM as its HD feed. Using spot-beam technology, Cablevision's satellites can reach 76 of the top 100 DMAs and 67 of the remaining 110, leaving much of the Northwest and swaths of the West and Southwest with no coverage. The VOOM set-top box is expected to include DVR capability next year.
9/22/2003 2:36:31 AM Cablevision to Launch HiDef Satellite Service VOOM [Cable World]
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Using the Internet to Drive Viewership [TV Week]
Local market TV stations are increasingly relying on their websites to drive ratings. Stations are seeking to maximize broadband delivery with multimedia presentations, streaming video, slide shows, audio feeds -- beginning to break news on the website rather than waiting for the next broadcast. Hearst-Argyle-owned NBC station WESH-TV in Orlando, Fla partnered with the Orlando Sentinel newspaper to launch local weather site Orlandoweather.com, now registering 1.2 million page views per month. Manship Media-owned ABC affiliate WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge, La., partnered with sister newspaper The Advocate to develop large-scale convergence projects linking the site, the station and the paper. Belo-owned ABC affiliate WFAA-TV in Dallas, Tx., partnered with sister newspaper The Dallas Morning News to share resources, including traffic and weather coverage on dallasnews.com and wfaa.com. In August, wfaa.com generated 10.5 million page views and dallasnews.com counted 40 million.
9/17/2003 12:43:49 AM Using the Internet to Drive Viewership [TV Week]
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Most Teens Playing One Hour of Video Games Each Week [Reuters]
According to a new Gallup poll, 62 percent of teenagers play games at least one hour a week, while 25 percent play six or more hours per week. Of teenagers aged 13 to 17, 71 percent of boys have played "Grand Theft Auto," along with 34 percent of girls. "Grand Theft Auto 3" was the best-selling video game of 2001, and "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" topped the charts in 2002. Both games carry "Mature" ratings and are not intended for persons under age 17.
9/17/2003 12:24:48 AM Most Teens Playing One Hour of Video Games Each Week [Reuters]
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Worldwide Broadband Adoption Grows 72 Percent [News.com]
A recent study by the International Telecommunication Union found that the number of broadband subscribers worldwide grew 72 percent in 2002, to 62 million. South Korea leads the world in penetration, with 21 percent of its population subscribing to a broadband service, and 94 percent of all Internet users using broadband. The impetus for growth has been greater speed to handle online games and to download digital media. A study by market research firm Strategy Analytics said consumers are turning to broadband because it's cheaper than paying for two phone lines.
9/17/2003 12:01:17 AM Worldwide Broadband Adoption Grows 72 Percent [News.com]
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Star Wars Galaxies Hits 275,000 Registered Players [GameInfoWire]
LucasArts announced that Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided has surpassed 275,000 registered users. Released on June 26, 2003, An Empire Divided has become the second largest massively-multiplayer online (MMO) game in the U.S., and is the fastest growing MMO role-playing game (RPG) to date.
9/10/2003 1:31:09 AM Star Wars Galaxies Hits 275,000 Registered Players [GameInfoWire]
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Worldwide Cable Modem Subs to Double By 2007 [In-Stat/MDR]
In-Stat/MDR reports that worldwide cable modem subscribers reached 27 million in mid-2003, and is expected to hit 34 million by the end of the year. By 2007 there will be 68 million worldwide cable modem subscribers. North America has the most cable modem subscribers with over 14.6 million, and DSL accounting for 6.8 million U.S. subscribers at the end of the first quarter of 2003. The Pew Internet & American Life Project reports that in March 2003, 67 percent of broadband users connected using cable modems (up from 63 percent in March 2002) — while DSL was down to 28 percent of the broadband market, from 34 percent in 2002. The Asia-Pacific region had 6.6 million cable modem subscriptions, followed by Europe with 3.7 million. According to In-Stat/MDR, cable TV operators are expected to collect $15 billion in cable modem service revenues, from $11 billion in 2002.
9/10/2003 1:22:01 AM Worldwide Cable Modem Subs to Double By 2007 [In-Stat/MDR]
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Movielink Updates Service, Plans New Ad Campaign [Reuters]
Movielink announced it has upgraded its Web site software with new features to make its service faster and more convenient to use. New software lets users view movies as they are downloaded, beginning within two to 10 minutes of starting a download. It will also let customers rent a movie multiple times within a 30-day period without having to download again. The company is planning to target college students and travelers in its upcoming print and in-store promotional campaign. According to Movielink executives, the site is adding new customers at a rate of 10 to 20 percent a month, predominantly male and between 25 and 49 years old. Movielink is a venture of MGM, Paramount, Warner Bros, Sony Pictures and Universal Pictures.
9/10/2003 1:21:05 AM Movielink Updates Service, Plans New Ad Campaign [Reuters]
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Home Networking to Reach 27 Percent of US Homes
A recent study by Jupiter Research forecast home networking will penetrate 27 percent of US households by 2008, creating 31 million networked households. Most home networks will be wireless after 2004. In-Stat/MDR forecasts the global home networking market will grow to $5.3 billion in 2007 from $1.8 billion in 2002.
9/10/2003 1:16:36 AM Home Networking to Reach 27 Percent of US Homes
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Kazaa Retuning Promises Faster Downloads [News.com]
A new version of the Kazaa file sharing software is being published by a Luxembourg-based company, offering an advertising-free experience priced at $29.95. The new software, Kazaa Plus, allows users to schedule searches that run every 30 minutes for a 24-hour period, yielding up to 9,000 results. Faster downloads will pull from up to 40 sources at one time, up from only eight in the free version of the software. The update includes enhanced virus protection and customer e-mail support.
9/1/2003 6:31:39 PM Kazaa Retuning Promises Faster Downloads [News.com]
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Gamers Growing Up [Internet.com]
A new survey by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) found the average age of video game players rose from 28 in 2000 to 29 in 2002. Women over age of 18 now make up 26% of the gaming population, with boys aged 6-to-17 representing 21% and girls aged 6-to-17 accounting for 12% of all gamers. Males over the age of 18 represent 38% of gamers. 41% of the gaming population had total household incomes above $50,000 per year. Sales of entertainment software in the US accounted for $6.9 billion in 2002. 41% of all Americans will purchase a computer or video game in 2003.
9/1/2003 5:51:12 PM Gamers Growing Up [Internet.com]
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Satellite Slams Cable [Motley Fool]
A new study found that the average American household spends $49.62 a month for cable, with satellite costs averaging $48.93. Since 1998 the cost of satellite has increased 8%, while cable service has increased 41%. In the same period cable's market share has fallen from 68% to 60% of households, while satellite's has risen from 7% to 17%.
8/23/2003 12:52:04 AM Satellite Slams Cable [Motley Fool]
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Nokia Buys Sega Games Unit [CNN Money]
Nokia agreed to acquire Sega's multiplayer online games business , assets of Sega.com Inc. including Sega's Network Application Package, or SNAP, a computer server technology designed to form the core of networked game play. Taking on Nintendo's Gameboy, Nokia will use SNAP for connecting multiple gamers on its N-Gage phone/game deck combo device to be released in October. The device will let players compete wirelessly over GSM cell phone networks and via short-range Bluetooth networking. Nokia will use SNAP in its first multiplayer N-Gage game "Pathway to Glory." Nokia will continue licensing SNAP to products such as Sony's PlayStation 2.
8/20/2003 9:26:02 AM Nokia Buys Sega Games Unit [CNN Money]
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Microsoft Bringing Xbox Live to the PC [GamesIndustry.biz]
Microsoft announced plans to bring its Xbox Live online console gaming service to PC's with "Live Web," a website that will let players see which games their friends are playing, view stats and scoreboards and download content. Live Web marks the introduction of XSN Sports, which will initially give players access to rankings, game stats and scoreboards for NFL Fever 2004 (August release) and will likely track results in Ghost Recon: Island Thunder (October release).
8/19/2003 10:42:19 PM Microsoft Bringing Xbox Live to the PC [GamesIndustry.biz]
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Movielink and BellSouth Launch Co-Branded Movie Rental Service [PRNewswire]
Movielink and BellSouth are creating a customized version of Movielink's movie rental service for BellSouth's broadband Internet customers. Using BellSouth's website, the company's FastAccess DSL customers can rent and download movies through Movielink for between $2.95 and $4.99 for a 24-hour viewing period.
8/19/2003 10:38:00 PM Movielink and BellSouth Launch Co-Branded Movie Rental Service [PRNewswire]
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Microsoft to Upgrade Xbox Live Online Video Game Service [Forbes]
Microsoft announced it is upgrading its Xbox Live online video game service. The "Xbox Dashboard" will include a list of the player's friends who are also online, as well as the ability to start a voice chat that does not require subscribers to actually be playing a game. The Xbox's voice communication features and the new game-independent voice chat were amongst users' most-requested features. Microsoft this fall plans to make some of its games would be "Live Aware," allowing players to sign in to the Live service and notify players when their friends come online on games that may have no online game play capabilities.
8/17/2003 12:29:28 AM Microsoft to Upgrade Xbox Live Online Video Game Service [Forbes]
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