Industry Archives - Page 104 of 145

NBC’s Cell Phone Show Rentals (Overpriced)

NBC, via MobiTV, intends to offer cell phone television show rentals. Deployment is scheduled for Q2, though Forbes reports no wireless carriers have signed on. I’m obviously not the only one who thinks the model is flawed and the pricing is extreme: For one thing, the shows seem expensive, going for a minimum of $1.99 … Read more

CableCARD PCs Cometh

Looks like we’re getting close now… PC Mag got their hands on a pre-release Dell coupled with two of those ATI CableCARD decoders I spotted at CES (and a Blu-ray drive). Though the article is extensive (we’re talking screens and screens), I didn’t see much on how CableCARD content is protected. The author was able … Read more

FiOS as Dreadnought

Bill Koss has submitted a fascinating if dense post on Verizon FiOS over on SeekingAlpha. The main thrust of is that Verizon’s changing the rules of the broadband game the same way the H.M.S. Dreadnought changed the rules for naval fleets a hundred years ago. Okay, it’s a bit of an obscure reference, but the analogy is pretty apt.

Mr. Koss is arguing one thing that I’ve found lacking in most other discussions of FiOS, namely that Verizon is probably taking the most strategic route to long-term broadband success. Sure the cost of laying fiber is obscene, and the risks are not insignificant. But at the same time Verizon is literally laying the groundwork for a future of nearly infinite broadband demand.

Digital Media Bytes

A periodic roundup of relevant news from our other blogs… The Real Story on VOD: Connected Home 2 Go The FiOS Connection: Connected Home 2 Go TV Advertising – Staples v Office Depot: Digital Connection On Apple TV: Connected Home 2 Go

Moviebeam Acquired By Movie Gallery

Talk about irony… I was drafting a “How To Save Moviebeam” post, when low and behold they’re purchased by Movie Gallery. While an acquisition wasn’t on my list, an expanded retail presence (in video rental stores) won’t hurt — though Best Buy end caps and shelf space in Radio Shack hasn’t seemed to be of much help. The selling price wasn’t disclosed, though Cisco, Disney, and Intel invested $48+ million after the unit was spun off from Disney. Presumably, Movie Gallery sees this as a way to get into digital delivery of content – much like Blockbuster is eyeing Movielink.

I’ve had Moviebeam in the house for about nine or ten months now (review here, YouTube video here), but it’s been sitting under the coffee table collecting dust for at least six of them. The idea to utilize unused broadcast bandwidth to “beam” movies over-the-air seemed clever, but in practice my reception was spotty… even after taping the antenna to the window (which wasn’t so attractive). MovieBeam also requires a telephone line to periodically dial up for billing purposes (pay per movie rental), which doesn’t work so well with the early adopters who might be interested in their product. So the first tip of my original “How To Save Moviebeam” post was to introduce them to the Internet and suggest they leverage the provided Ethernet jack.

BrightCove Adds Editing Features

David Berlind reported last week on BrightCove‘s new, not-yet-released AfterMix application, but I haven’t seen much else in the way of coverage. According to Berlind, Aftermix has two important new features: it lets consumers “record video directly to the Web” and, like Jumpcut, it adds video editing capabilities. (Photo below is also from Berlind’s blog) … Read more

Barenaked and DRM-Free

According to TechCrunch, Amie Street has licensed Nettwerk’s catalog. First to launch will be the new Barenaked Ladies album. Amie Street provides DRM-free MP3s with an escalating pricing scheme: Tracks are initially free and increase in price in relation to download numbers, capped at 98 cents a pop. I wonder what Dale Dietrich’s take is? … Read more

Amazon Unbox on TiVo is LIVE

Megazone dropped me a note that Amazon Unbox on TiVo has been enabled. I immediately registered and ordered A Scanner Darkly ($3.99) through Amazon’s web site – video to be shipped direct to my Series3 via the Internet. Within just a minute or two the download began…

If you register on Amazon to link your TiVo box(es) before April 30th, you’ll receive a $15 video credit. So we’ll find out pretty quickly (and for free) if the size of the library and if the video quality (SD) are both sufficient.