Media

New Microsoft IPTV Service?

Long Zheng has uncovered a Microsoft trademark application Down Under: Computer software for delivery of broadcast-quality video and television programming over broadband, cable, satellite and wireless networks; computer software for providing video-on-demand services; downloadable films and TV programs provided via video-on-demand; computer software for transmitting personal photos, video and music over broadband, cable, satellite and … Read more

No One Likes Apple TV?

TUAW reports that refurbished Apple TV units have shown up online for $249 (list price is $299). While the Apple Store routinely offers refurb items, this seems pretty quick… though perhaps it’s just my perception. $299 to stream iTunes and podcasts to a television isn’t very economical — perhaps folks are realizing that and getting … Read more

Are Paid Internet Video Downloads Doomed?

Forrester Research recently came out with a bold claim that paid internet video downloads have no future. The report claims that paid downloads will give way to ad-supported models.This claim waivers on one major issue: will quality internet video only be a mainly ad-supported business? And the answer is most definitely no.

The reason is mainly tied in with DVD sales and the fact that content owners will not want to switch to a questionable ad supported business when they have a lucrative DVD sales. However, they will be prepared to offer paid video downloads in addition to selling DVDs. Mike Wolf of ABIResearch is also thinking along the same lines.

This is something we can clearly see happening today with a variety of paid movie download sites such as Amazon Unbox, and a lack of legitimate free streaming TV episodes and movies.

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Who Has the Best HD?

Comcast published the results of a study earlier this month claiming that viewers preferred Comcast HD signals to HD transmissions from Dish Network and DirecTV. The study was conducted by Frank M. Magid Associates with oversight by Accenture and the law firm Loeb & Loeb. Now DirecTV is suing Comcast for claiming better quality HDTV … Read more

Digital Media Bytes

A periodic roundup of relevant news… from our other blogs. The “Upfrontâ€? DVR Battle And Other Advertising Skirmishes: Connected Home 2 Go Web TV Tourist Guide Takes You Around Philadelphia: Web TV Hub Motorola’s New Phones: Connected Home 2 Go GuideWorks, Your Regularly Scheduled Programming: Connected Home 2 Go

Web IM Adds Video Content

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Web IM client Meebo has launched a group chat feature that includes video from a variety of sources including NBC and MTV. While officially endorsed and deployed web video isn’t new (though expanding rapidly), the idea of building community chat rooms around the content in this way is novel.

Preexisting “Meebo Rooms” specific to content can be joined. Folks also have the option of creating their own chat rooms where they can share a variety of media, such as YouTube and Google vids, via the embedded player. Additionally, Meebo will be embedding custom branded chat rooms into some of their content provider web sites.

After TechCrunch broke the news, Meebo’s marketing dude set up a group chat… He was a good sport in responding to my public quizzing, and here’s some of the info I uncovered: Video is clips only, not full length shows. The format is Flash (FLV), meaning this is cross-browser and cross-platform. Ads will be shown in the media window during “lulls” on Meebo’s site, but will not be present on partner sites.

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ABC Online in HD

Anyone else worried about what online HD streaming from ABC is going to do to Internet connection speeds? Multichannel News reports that ABC is claiming to be the first major TV programmer to stream HDTV online. The network will start its HD test in July with content (full episodes?) from Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, … Read more