Video

CBS Launches TV.com iPhone App

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CBS may have recently lost out on Hulu content, but they’re pressing forward with their re-imagined TV.com initiative. And, yesterday, they introduced a free TV.com iPhone app.

What caught my eye in the press release was the mention of “full episodes” – So I immediately rushed out to the parking lot, where I have AT&T reception, to download the software. While many CBS properties are represented (CBS, Showtime, CNET), the “full episodes” are few and far between… other than plenty of original Star Trek installments. In fact, I couldn’t figure out how to filter specifically for the good stuff. As it turns out, “full episodes” are broken up into multiple video clips. Which bugged me at first, but now I see the wisdom in it – should you lose your connection, you won’t have to scrub through 50 minutes of content to find your spot. Speaking of connections, CBS says the video streaming will work over EDGE, 3G, or WiFi. TV.com doesn’t seem as snappy as the Joost app, but I’m hopeful of seeing more mainstream, current content going forward.

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Night Of The Living DivX

6892943_490ef7667f_mThe last couple of years may have felt like a bad dream to most investors, but for DivX shareholders it’s been nothing short of a nightmare. They don’t hand out Oscars for businesses, but if they did DivX would have won hands down for best horror flick.

When the company first went public, expectations were high. YouTube had just been sold for $1.6 billion, DivX was demonstrating 75% gains in their high margin core licensing business, and their unique business model looked like it offered a very strong moat from competitors like Apple and Microsoft.

At one point DivX’s market cap exceeded $750 million, today it barely closed above $150 million. Over $600 million dollars in capitalization wiped out by one misstep after another. Admitedly, the tough economic environment can be partially blamed for DivX collapse, but the sad truth is that much of the value destruction could have been avoided.

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Get Your OS X Hulu Fix via Plex

When one door closes, bust through a window? OS X users still seeking a Hulu fix after the Boxee run-in should download the new version of Plex. Both Boxee and Plex share the same XBMC (Xbox Media Center) DNA. However, as a community project, Plex will continue to have more freedom in what they can … Read more

Digital Media Bytes: Last100 Edition

A periodic roundup of relevant news… from our friends at Last100: Hulu blocks Boxee, could Firefox, IE and Safari be next? Its only crime is that Boxee has made it more convenient to view television content on a PC connected to a TV. Oh the irony. Technically speaking Boxee might just be a web browser … Read more

A Streaming-Only Netflix Plan in the Works?

I’m a subscriber to Netflix’s one-out-at-a-time, unlimited plan ($8.99/month) to keep costs down, yet still receive a physical DVD every week and have unlimited access to the Netflix online video streaming. Some who use the Roku or Xbox 360 might wonder why there isn’t a streaming-only plan for a little less money. According to an … Read more

Cable’s New Approach to Placeshifting

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Although we’ve seen some minor attempts by cable operators to let subscribers place-shift their TV programs – witness Comcast’s Any Room initiative – for the most part cable TV customers are stuck watching their shows in one place. Today several news outlets are reporting that the big cable companies have a plan in the works to change that. Time Warner Cable and Comcast are both looking to make their content available online to existing subscribers. The service would theoretically replicate Slingbox functionality, except without the extra box.

I have extremely mixed feelings about what Comcast and TWC are trying to do. As a consumer, this doesn’t do much for me. So much TV is already available on the Internet, I don’t feel like I’m missing much. On the other hand, it makes sense for cablecos to start aggregating content online. They need a presence on the Web, and as long as consumers are using up their bandwidth to watch TV online, the cable companies may as well be getting some of the revenue. In other words, what’s the downside?

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Hulu Drops The Hammer

I sort of figured this day would come… Based on my perception of the licensing/royalty complexities and content providers fear that a current web video catalog piped to the television competes with live broadcasts. Hulu has shown their true colors – spawned of big media and beholden to big media. And Boxee has become a … Read more