Zatz Not Funny!

Did Lost Just Jump The Shark?

What the heck is up with Lost? Honestly, I think I’m about done. I’ve lost interest in getting answers to their mysteries… the bits they’ve revealed aren’t so mysterious (or compelling) anyway and they’ve killed some of my favorite characters such Ana Lucia and Ecko (not to mention we’ve barely seen any Locke recently).

The first season was absolutely amazing, some of the best television ever — I guess it’s no surprise they couldn’t keep that level of quality (and my interest) going forever. There are two lessons here: 1. Mysteries and horror are better left off screen. What we don’t know is more scary, more perplexing, and thus more engaging. 2. Movies have a distinct beginning, middle, and end (which I prefer)… whereas television shows drag on collecting advertising dollars as long as possible (which I don’t prefer).

Stop reading NOW if you haven’t watched the most recent episode…

Blockbuster To Acquire Movielink

According to the Wall Street Journal (via non-subscription sites), Blockbuster is in “advanced talks” to pick up Movlielink for under $50 million. Movielink, of course, is an online movie download service (using Microsoft’s video format and content protection, like rival CinemaNow). They were a pioneer in this space (long before iTunes and Netflix showed up) and were actually created by the studios, which most folks either don’t know or seem to have forgotten:

Movielink is owned by a joint venture of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Studios and Warner Bros.

The purchase strikes me as a positive move for both companies… assuming they can pull it off. Movielink gets an audience (they’re pretty much unknown outside my geeky circle) and Blockbuster gets an immediate online download presence to compete with Netflix.

Time Warner Faces Inferior DVR Legislative Action

Forrester recently did a survey where they asked consumers an open ended question about how they felt towards their DVR and 20% of the respondents used the word love to describe their relationship with the gadget.

When a consumer electronic device can generate this type of an emotional response, it’s safe to assume that for better or worse, the technology is going to have an impact. On a positive note, Forrester’s study revealed that this passion translates into DVR owners churning less and being more likely to pay for premium services.

less than 2% of people who owned DVRs have stopped using them. While today’s DVR owners are demographically mainstream, they are off the charts in their adoption of premium TV services and home electronics. Nearly half of them have a home network, which is four times the penetration of a typical online household.

Media Extender Day, Part 4: TiVo

We can’t have a media extender conversation here at ZNF without mentioning existing TiVo boxes. Though, at this point, it’s really a tale of two cities: Series2 and Series3 units. Networked Series2 units offer multi-room viewing (MRV), allowing the transfer and playback of recorded shows from one TiVo to another within the house. While we’ve … Read more

Media Extender Day, Part 3: SlingCatcher

Apple and Sony aren’t the only ones with media extenders launching in the $200 – $300 range later this year. My employer (Sling Media) will release the SlingCatcher in the second half of 2007. Our initial features will be the ability receive a Slingbox video feed on a television (without any sort of computer in … Read more

Media Extender Day, Part 2: Sony IVL

This summer, Sony intends to release a $300 “Internet Video Link” accessory for most of their new Bravia sets (which seems limiting). They promise a variety of content (including HD) from their own audio and video properties, as well as AOL and Yahoo. Though, no word yet on media pricing. In addition to commercial content, … Read more

Media Extender Day, Part 1: Apple TV

Perhaps you heard: Apple TV has been delayed until at least mid-March. Frankly, I don’t find this very newsworthy… So why bother posting? Because CNN, USA Today, and other mainstream news outlets disagree. In my industry (I love that I can say that now) these sort of setbacks are routine. However, Apple preannouncing products and … Read more

Comcast’s Big Foot(print)

Shot of giant clothespin in front of Comcast’s current HQ location. Photo courtesy of Nemahziz’s Flickr photostream – CC License With all the excitement around Internet video, some may be tempted to ignore signs of growth among traditional cable operators. Recent earnings reports would set you straight, but if you’re not big on scanning IR … Read more