LG Unveiling Smart TV Upgrader At CES (http://www.informationweek.com/news/infrastructure/WAN_file_services/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228900202&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All)

Device will turn regular televisions into Internet-enabled sets with access to premium online content, shows, Web sites, and LG apps.

By Esther Shein, InformationWeek
Dec. 30, 2010

Transforming a traditional TV into a smart TV will be made possible with a Smart TV Upgrader LG Electronics will be unveiling next week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the company said Thursday.
The 11-inch ST600 will give owners of regular TVs access to all of LG's Internet-enabled smart TV functions, including premium online content, Smart Share, and LG Apps. Users will also be able to find shows, movies, language classes, and games, and access sites including Netflix, YouTube, Vudu, and Pandora Internet radio, as well as run Yahoo TV widgets.

"The market for smart TVs is set to take off this year, and the ST600 offers a perfect entry point," said Havis Kwon, president and CEO of LG Home Entertainment Co., in a statement. "With the LG Smart TV Upgrader, we're taking the excitement and convenience of smart TV and adding in LG's trademark ease of use because we see a significant audience who are interested, but not interested enough to buy a whole new TV."

The device comes with a BCM7615 processor, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) connectivity to transfer content from compatible PCs; 384 MB of RAM; 1 GB of flash storage; a Web browser; finger-touch RCU input device; and USB. It also has an LG add-on architecture.

The Seoul-based consumer electronics maker did not release pricing for the ST600 but said it would be "an affordable price," and that it would be available in the second quarter of 2011.

The product will compete against devices and services including Roku, TiVo, Boxee Box, Seagate, and Western Digital.

LG has been on a product-launch tear in advance of CES. Earlier this week the company announced it will roll out the largest LCD TV ever to hit the market. The company also said it will release the first dual-core smartphone next month in Korea.

http://i.cmpnet.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/542/LG-SMART-TV-UPGRADER_full.jpg

Intel Chip Design Gives Hollywood Studios Security for Movie Downloads (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-03/intel-chip-design-gives-hollywood-studios-security-for-movie-downloads.html)

Intel Corp., aiming to alleviate Hollywood’s concerns about piracy, is building security into a new chip design that would let Warner Bros. and other studios sell high-definition movies online for viewing on computers.

The chipmaker will announce the Intel Insider feature this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, said Tom Kilroy, the head of sales at the Santa Clara, California-based company. Warner Bros. will use the technology as part of a plan to make more than 300 titles available in February.

The feature is designed to prevent illegal copying of high- definition films, providing the assurance studios need to make more movies available on the Internet, Kilroy said. For Intel, the technology gives consumers another reason to upgrade their computers, and may help the company maintain its edge over rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

“Online distribution is where all of the growth is,” Kilroy said. “This is a major breakthrough.”

Computer users will be able to watch movies with the highest-available resolution, 1080p, he said. It also will work with services such as Best Buy Co.’s CinemaNow. Intel is talking with other studios to get them on board, Kilroy said.

Intel developed the technology by adapting security features designed for business computers. By building those features into semiconductors, they are harder to thwart than software-only protections, he said.

WiDi Upgrade

Intel also will introduce a higher definition of its so- called WiDi technology, which allows laptop users to beam whatever is on their computer screen to a nearby television, Kilroy said.

The movie feature is part of Intel’s latest processor design, called Sandy Bridge, which will debut at the show. The design features built-in graphics for the first time, stepping up competition with developers of add-in graphics cards. Intel gets more than 90 percent of its revenue from computer chips.

Microsoft prepares Windows TV platform for the living room (http://www.myce.com/news/microsoft-prepares-windows-tv-platform-for-the-living-room-38486/)
Rumors have been swirling for over a month about Microsoft entering the streaming internet television market with their own product to rival offerings from Apple, Google, and others. There’s no doubt that the software giant has the ability to launch a quality web TV product, but can they be the first to deliver one that rivals cable and satellite?The Seattle Times CES 2011 preview report this week indicated that Microsoft will give a preview of their connected TV plans at the show this week right along with their rivals.

Red Netflix Button coming to remotes... (http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20027130-264.html)

Netflix will become more prominent and easier to use with the arrival of a button this spring on remote controls that connects directly to the company's widely used video-streaming service.

A big, red button with the company name will appear on multiple remote controls for Blu-ray players, TVs, and set-top boxes, the company announced today just before the Consumer Electronics Show gets under way in Las Vegas.

The announced partners are notable, though it's not immediately clear yet how broadly the button will propagate through product lines.

Netflix said its buttons will appear on remote controls for "certain new Blu-ray disc players from a variety of companies including Best Buy's in-house Dynex brand, Haier, Memorex, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, and Toshiba. Sharp, Sony, and Toshiba also will place the Netflix one-click button on remote controls for select new Internet-connected TVs. Remote controls for the Boxee, Iomega, and Roku set-top boxes also will feature the Netflix one-click remote."

VUDU Brings 3D Into The Living Room (http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/05/3d-movies-via-vudu-coming-next-week/)

VUDU first to stream 3D Movies directly on connected HDTVs, Blu-ray Players and Entertainment Systems from FUNAI Electronics, LG Electronics, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Philips, PlayStationÒ3, Samsung Electronics America, Inc, Toshiba, and VIZIO and devices supporting Boxee Media Software

Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Las Vegas, NV, January 5, 2011 – VUDU, a leader in digital entertainment, will begin delivering instant streaming of 3D movies next week to select 3D-capable HD televisions (HDTVs) and Blu-ray Disc Players (BDPs). Manufacturers that will support 3D streaming from VUDU include FUNAI (Magnavox, Sylvania), LG Electronics, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Philips, Samsung Electronics America, Inc., Toshiba, and VIZIO, as well as to the PlayStationÒ3 entertainment system and Boxee Media Software. As these manufacturers rollout their select 2011 models over the course of the year, VUDU users will have access to a growing library of 3D content on an expanding array of devices.

By adding 3D movies to its industry-leading cinematic streaming experience that already includes instant HD and HDX 1080p and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 Surround Sound, VUDU raises the bar on home entertainment yet again.

Devices that will feature VUDU 3D movie streaming include but are not limited to the following models. Please note that Blu-ray players, STBs and entertainment systems must be connected to a 3D enabled TV to view 3D content:

· FUNAI (Magnavox and Sylvania) HDTVs and Blu-ray Players
· LG HDTVs and Blu-ray Players
· Mitsubishi HDTVs and Blu-ray Players
· Philips HDTVs and Blu-ray Players
· Select 2010 and 2011 Samsung HDTVs, Blu-ray Players and Blu-ray Home Theater Systems with Samsung Apps
· Sony PlayStationÒ3
· Toshiba HDTVs and Blu-ray Players
· VIZIO VIA HDTVs and Blu-ray Players
· Boxee Box by D-Link and Iomega TV with Boxee

"We are proud to be a leader in the delivery of 3D movies," said Edward Lichty, General Manager of VUDU. "Our launch of 3D today is another example of our commitment to deliver the best home entertainment experience available anywhere. There is no better, easier way to get 3D movies at home than through the VUDU Service."

"The biggest obstacle for the 3D market in the home in the past was the lack of 3D content, where buyers just weren't interested in a feature they couldn't use," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst for Enderle Group. "VUDU delivering 3D streaming content directly addresses this challenge and allows consumers who want to enjoy a major advance in home televisions."

VUDU's 3D title selection will be automatically available on any device that is enabled for VUDU 3D, with no additional software to download. 3D titles will be available at all three resolutions – SD (480p), HD (720p) and HDX (1080p) – and the minimum bandwidth requirements for 3D viewing are the same as for 2D.

The VUDU Streaming Movie Service provides customers with access to the world's largest catalog of more than 4,000 on-demand HD movies, and features movies in VUDU's HDX format, the best quality streaming video format with 1080p HD video and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound available to consumers today. Movies are available to rent or own without monthly fees or a subscription. The service offers the newest Hollywood releases the same day they are available on DVD and months before they are available on subscription service.

Cisco Joins Race to Combine TV, Web Video (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703808704576062133962041852.html)

Cisco Systems Inc. is entering the race to combine Internet video and conventional television, people familiar with the matter said, aiming to help cable operators fend off emerging rivals like Apple Inc. and Google Inc.

The networking giant is expected to unveil an effort Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that includes a set-top box combining elements of online video services with live, on-demand and recorded television programming, these people said.

Consumers won't be able to buy the Cisco boxes directly, as they do other devices already available from companies like Roku Inc. and Apple, which allow users to access the Web from their TVs but don't offer a cable connection. Rather, Cisco will sell its hybrid boxes to cable operators who, in turn, will lease them to subscribers, the people said. Cable operators will be able to customize the software interface and decide on pricing for the boxes.

A Cisco spokeswoman suggested the company's announcement Wednesday would go beyond new set-top boxes. "Our announcement is not [about] one thing," she said, but declined to elaborate.

Cisco's hybrid box is designed to help cable operators, who are major customers, maintain their dominance in the living room against the growing field of competitors seeking to deliver premium video online and through Internet-connected TVs and other hardware.

Cisco already produces set-top boxes that run on traditional cable technology as well as units that incorporate so-called Internet Protocol, or IP, technology. But while the IP set-top boxes Cisco currently sells to cable operators allow users to access some Web-based applications, they don't offer consumers broad access to online video.
...

Comcast's iPad, Android apps to get live TV, on-demand shows (http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/01/comcasts-ipad-android-apps-to-get-live-tv-on-demand-shows.ars)

iPad and Android tablet users will soon be able to watch 3,000 hours of on-demand content from Comcast, including numerous TV shows and movies. Additionally, Comcast customers will be able to stream live news and TV shows to their devices later this year, the cable giant announced Wednesday.

The on-demand functionality will come to Comcast's Xfinity TV app on the iPad first—"in the coming weeks," according to Comcast—and Android-powered tablets later this year. Comcast subscribers will be able to access a plethora of content anywhere they can get an Internet connection, and the company says this is just the beginning; "thousands" of additional programming options will become available in the coming weeks as well.

"Live streaming and the play now feature on our Xfinity TV app are two important pieces of our strategy to deliver any content to any device, any time," Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said in a statement.

Comcast kicked off its efforts to take premium content online in 2009 when it started testing its On Demand Online service. Those who already pay for Comcast service could be the first to stream content from HBO and Cinemax—not to mention many newly released movies—to their computers, but only if they already paid extra to subscribe to those channels.

That will still be the case with Comcast's iPad app and the forthcoming Android app—without a subscription to Comcast's services, the apps aren't all that useful. If you do subscribe, though, you can use the app as a remote to change channels, browse through listings, and even program a Comcast DVR. With the addition of on-demand services and eventually live streaming, the apps will become even more useful to those with tablets.

Is Netflix the Next Coinstar?

Coinstar (CSTR) Crashes as Investors Question the Company’s Future (http://www.investorguide.com/article/7566/coinstar-cstr-crashes-as-investors-question-the-companys-future/)

Shares of Coinstar (CSTR: Charts, News, Offers), the parent company of video rental company Redbox, crashed last Friday

continued...


Movie rental kiosks more popular than retail stores (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2011/01/movie-rental-kiosks-more-popular-than-retail-stores/1)

According to a new study from the NPD Group, the marketshare for standalone movie rental kiosks surpassed that of traditional retail store rentals in the U.S. last year.

In other words, we weren't the only ones spending more time with the Redbox next to the 7-11 rather than the local Blockbuster.

Subscription rental services like Netflix still represent the lion's share of video rentals — 41% in the third quarter of 2010 — but NPD notes that kiosk rentals are now in second place at 31%, just ahead of in-store rentals at 27%.

continued...

Via The Los Angeles Times

For Hollywood, it was a tough 2010 (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-media-econ-20110118,0,2086702.story?page=2)

Sales of DVDs, CDs, video games and theater tickets all declined in 2010. And swift changes in technology will make it difficult for Hollywood to capture pre-recession levels of revenue.

To paraphrase Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert, "Hollywood, we have a problem."

The industry that was supposed to be immune to economic downturns looks like it's going to have some re-entry problems as the economy begins to recover.

Broad swaths of the entertainment business declined in 2010. DVD sales were off 13%. Music CD purchases plummeted 19%. Video game sales as well as concert and theater attendance also fell. Even the turnout for America's favorite pastimes — baseball and NASCAR — was down. And swift changes in technology will make it difficult for Hollywood to capture pre-recession levels of revenue.

So much for the value of escapism.
Save on daily L.A. Times deals powered by Groupon.


But perhaps most ominously, last summer the pay-television industry suffered an unprecedented net loss — for the first time — of customers, a yellow warning light that consumers may no longer regard cable TV as a must-have utility on par with electricity and phone service.

Cable and satellite subscriptions, DVD sales and video rentals long have been the profit pillars that supported Hollywood. Although media executives continue to boast "content is king," recently released year-end data suggest entertainment companies are vulnerable to the same disruptive forces that imperiled the music and newspaper industries.

"The studios and the content companies have become increasingly aware of the problem, but they seem collectively paralyzed about what to do about it," said Craig Moffett, an analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.

2010 now looks to be a watershed year in the confluence of two powerful trends.

The first of those forces, technology, is enabling people to get entertainment in cheaper and easier ways.

And the second, the anemic economy, is widening the gulf between the haves and the have-nots, making it tougher for some consumers to justify paying for cable or tossing a new DVD into the shopping cart.

"Right now it is a tale of two cities," Moffett said. "On the high end, people can't go up-market fast enough," he said, referring to affluent consumers who are buying the latest in mobile phones, portable tablets, or Internet-connected TV sets. "Then you have this other half of the country that is being largely ignored in this discussion."

The "other half" encompasses the lower 40% of American earners, who, after paying for food, housing and transportation, are left with just $100 a month to pay for healthcare, clothing, phone service — and entertainment, Moffett said.

One of them, Rebekah Atkinson, a Biola University graduate, found herself making necessary sacrifices after losing her job two years ago. She disconnected her mobile phone and sliced her food budget to make ends meet. The 30-year-old La Jolla resident ultimately found a job that paid 60% of her previous paycheck. A year later, her husband lost his job, precipitating another round of household cuts.

"The cable bills were starting to come up higher and higher. Before we knew it, we were paying $200 a month on the cable package," Atkinson said. "That's a car payment for some people. It had to go."

The most profound shift among consumers has been toward renting movies and away from buying them, which has enormous financial consequences for Hollywood.

Thanks to the proliferation of Redbox kiosks, which offer $1-a-night movie rentals, cost-conscious consumers have an inexpensive alternative to buying the DVD for $19.99 — representing a significant blow in revenue to the studios. Blu-ray high-definition discs were expected to pick up the slack, but consumers have been slow to embrace the more expensive format.

High-speed broadband access, now available to two-thirds of all homes, is also helping to cap the onetime home video gusher.

Services such as Netflix Inc. are able to pump a carousel of movies instantly into the home via the Internet for only $8 a month. The popularity of the company's streaming service has skyrocketed: 66% of Netflix's 17 million subscribers use it, eliminating the need to receive DVDs in the mail through Netflix's trademark red envelopes or to run out to the corner video store.

Studio revenue from home video rentals amounted to less than $1.7 billion in each of the last two years, compared with $2.97 billion in 2001 — more than a billion-dollar drop in less than a decade, according to market researcher Screen Digest.

"Studios get a double negative whammy from rental's strength," said Tom Adams, principal media analyst for Screen Digest. "Transactions are growing, but consumer spending is not, because they're getting 'em cheaper."

Meanwhile, theater attendance last year was off nearly 5% compared with 2009, as exhibitors charged more for movies in 3-D.

It's not difficult to see why movie viewers are staying home.

"There's no popcorn, no babysitter, no expensive soda. You just sit on the couch," said Michael Nathanson, media analyst with Nomura Securities International Inc.

But the sour economy and high unemployment, with 14 million people out of work, account for only part of the problem. Some analysts think the explosion of Internet-connected TVs and portable devices is leading to permanent shifts in consumer behavior — at least among a certain segment.



Affluent buyers appear more than willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for sexy new gadgets that alter the way they access entertainment. Apple Inc. sold 7.5 million iPads within the first six months of their introduction — even before the holiday stampede. The tablet, which retails for $500 or more and can be used as a portable flat-screen TV, is on track to become the fastest-growing consumer product in history, according to Bernstein Research.

Tablets provide a measure of comfort for media companies because the appeal of these devices hinges on the ability to conveniently check sports scores, read news stories, play games and watch TV shows and movies. Executives see the trend as evidence that it's not consumers' appetite for entertainment that is diminishing, only how they receive it.

But consumers have proved that although they are willing to shell out for gadgets, they view content as cheap filler and are less willing to pay to own it. Because video is seemingly ubiquitous, consumers no longer feel they need to own a DVD or digital downloaded file to watch a movie or TV show.

Some analysts believe that Hollywood, with its history of antipathy toward new technologies, only exacerbated its troubles.

Hulu, owned by News Corp., NBC Universal and Walt Disney Co., encouraged people to watch TV shows for free online. The service, which was intended to combat piracy, appears to have fueled a shift to online video viewing.

"From 2009 to 2010, we saw a 53% increase in online video consumption by broadband users — which is a pretty substantial increase," said Colin Dixon, a senior partner in researcher Diffusion Group.

But there hasn't been a corresponding increase in revenue from online viewing.

Now, media companies are trying to develop business models to take advantage of the popularity of Internet video but also protect their established, and lucrative, businesses.

Companies are experimenting with new approaches that seek to make universal access to content a selling point. Media giant Time Warner is experimenting with a system called TV Everywhere that enables HBO subscribers to watch HBO's shows online, and Comcast Corp., the company taking over NBC Universal, has a similar plan called Xfinity. Both are in the early phase and it's not known whether they will succeed.

Nomura's Nathanson said that history has shown that consumers will pay for entertainment. But he cautioned that media executives should adjust their pricing to reflect the fact that not everyone can afford $35 Blu-ray discs, $60 video games and $100-a-month cable bills.

In the past, technological changes have been met with fear, bordering on hysteria, by Hollywood — as when the late Motion Picture Assn. of America head Jack Valenti famously predicted in the early 1980s that the video cassette recorder represented to the film industry what "the Boston strangler is to the woman home alone."

Yet each time, such advances have created new, more lucrative businesses for Hollywood, as was the case with VHS and its successor, DVD.

For now, it's unclear whether the Internet and the flotilla of connected devices will lift — or sink — the industry.

"The jury is still out on whether there is a digital model that can replicate the profitability of the old linear model," Bernstein's Moffett said. "Nobody has cracked the code for online profitability."

Via CNET

HBO: Netflix must charge more to use our content (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20028722-17.html)

Don't hold your breath for the arrival of "The Sopranos" or "Entourage" on Netflix's streaming service.

Citing a "high-placed Time Warner executive," The Hollywood Reporter reported late last week that the only way for Time Warner-owned HBO to offer its content on Netflix's service is if the rental company charges customers $20 per month, rather than the $7.99 it currently charges streaming-only users. At such a price, The Hollywood Reporter's source claims, Netflix would get a "meaningful amount of HBO content."

Jeff Cusson, HBO senior vice president of corporate affairs, stopped short of discussing a price point that would make the channel offer its programming to Netflix. He told The Hollywood Reporter that "HBO believes in content exclusivity, especially for high-value content." He made it clear that the company "has no intention of making its content available for streaming on Netflix."

This isn't the first time HBO has said it doesn't want to work with Netflix. Over the summer, HBO Co-President Eric Kessler told Bloomberg that customers would need to "pay a premium" for HBO content and that maintaining exclusivity was important.

To some Netflix customers, this may be disappointing. Currently, several TV networks, including NBC, Fox, and ABC, deliver a decent selection of titles via Netflix. Some of the more popular shows from the past few years, including "Lost" and "Family Guy," are available on Netflix.

But as Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos pointed out to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO's programming is "very expensive to produce." Moreover, the channel survives on monthly subscription fees from customers in order to create all that content. Offering it on Netflix and letting consumers pay a nominal fee to access it whenever they want might not make financial sense for the company.

But that hasn't stopped HBO from streaming programming itself. Last year, the company launched HBO Go, a free service for current HBO subscribers that streams movies, television shows, and other programming.

Amazon to Acquire LOVEFiLM International Limited (http://corporate.blog.lovefilm.com/a-press-releases/amazon-to-acquire-lovefilm-international-limited.html)

LUXEMBOURG & LONDON – January 20, 2010 – Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire the remaining shares in LOVEFiLM International Limited (www.lovefilm.com). LOVEFiLM is a leading European subscription entertainment service which combines the benefits of online DVD and games rental-by-post as well as streaming films and TV shows instantly over the internet to PCs, internet enabled TVs and Playstation®3. LOVEFiLM operates today in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Amazon already has a significant minority shareholding in LOVEFiLM and does not itself operate any similar business in Europe.

“LOVEFiLM has been innovating on behalf of movie rental customers across Europe for many years and with the advent of the LOVEFiLM player, they are further delighting customers by streaming digital movies for their immediate enjoyment,” said Greg Greeley, Amazon’s Vice President of European Retail. “LOVEFiLM and Amazon have enjoyed a strong working relationship since LOVEFiLM acquired Amazon Europe’s DVD rental business in 2008, and we look forward to a productive and innovative future.”

“The deal is a winner for the members who love LOVEFiLM because of its value, choice, convenience and innovation in home entertainment,” said Simon Calver, Chief Executive of LOVEFiLM International. “With Amazon’s unequivocal support we can significantly enhance our members’ experience across Europe.”

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2011.

Sony's Qriocity video-on-demand services goes live in Europe (http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/24/sonys-qriocity-video-on-demand-services-goes-live-in-the-uk/)

I have yet to order a movie from this cause all there trailers play in 2 channel audio. Does anyone know if you get 5.1 surround with Qriocity?

Web Video Rivalry Sparks U.S. Probe (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703752404576178833590548792.html)

The Justice Department is investigating whether a group representing some top technology firms is unfairly trying to smother a free rival technology for delivering online video that is backed by Google Inc., according to people familiar with the matter.

Much the way firms battled in the 1980s over VHS and Betamax video formats, tech rivals are fighting over the technology used to deliver and display Web video. Currently, video-streaming services like Netflix Inc. and Google's YouTube pay patent royalties, as do makers of Blu-ray disc players and other hardware.

These firms pay royalties to an organization called MPEG LA, which is the target of the formal antitrust probe, the people familiar with the matter said. MPEG LA has amassed pools of patents covering widely used video formats and collects royalties for its members, which include Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp.

Antitrust enforcers are investigating whether MPEG LA, or its members, are trying to cripple an alternative format called VP8 that Google released last year—by creating legal uncertainty over whether users might violate patents by employing that technology, these people added.

The probe, which pits Google and open-source software advocates against some technology giants like Apple, could help determine whether anyone will own rights over the creation and broadcast of online video in the next major Web programming language, called HTML 5.

At stake is "who is going to have competitive clout in the world after television," said Eben Moglen, a Columbia University professor who supports free and open software.

The California State Attorney General's office is also investigating the matter, according to people familiar with the matter.

MPEG LA didn't confirm or deny it is under investigation. But the group says it isn't acting to kill a competitor. It said it's simply offering a service for patent holders and is agnostic about which video format prevails.

"We are effectively a convenience store" for licensing patents, said Larry Horn, MPEG LA's chief executive. "We have no dog in that fight."

Representatives of both law enforcement agencies as well as Apple and Google declined to comment. Microsoft didn't respond to a request for comment.

MPEG LA, which was formed in the late 1990s,manages the licensing of more than 1,700 patents used in a high-definition video encoding standard known as H.264. The Justice Department is concerned the group's actions may stifle competition to that dominant format, the people familiar with the matter said.

Google has been offering an alternative. The Silicon Valley giant last year paid $125 million to buy a company that developed the video-compression format called VP8. Google later released it as a royalty-free standard under an open license that enables software developers to use it any way they wish.

At present, no patent royalties are charged for using Google's VP8 format. But MPEG LA has questioned that status, and last month issued a call for companies to submit patents they believe may be infringed by VP8. "I can tell you: VP8 is not patent-free," Mr. Horn said. "It's simply nonsense."

For some people in the tech industry, the issue is less about cost and more about competition and control over technologies at the heart of the Internet. "How could it come to pass that it's illegal to compete?" asked Monty Montgomery, who runs a free software foundation, XIPH.org, and supports VP8. "That's when everybody's antitrust bells should be going off."

The threat of future lawsuits has helped persuade some companies to forsake VP8. Apple's chief executive, Steve Jobs, explained in an email to the Free Software Foundation last year that a patent pool was assembled to "go after" a previous open-source format.

"All video codecs are covered by patents," Mr. Jobs wrote. "Unfortunately, just because something is open-source, it doesn't mean or guarantee that it doesn't infringe on others patents."



Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703752404576178833590548792.html#ixzz1FeWXH6 Ab

Canadian Netflix tweak creates quality choices, less data usage (http://www.myce.com/news/canadian-netflix-tweak-creates-quality-choices-less-data-usage-42229/)

AT&T to Cap Data Usage May 2, 2011 (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/digital-evolution/att-cap-data-usage-may-2-23620)

As expected, AT&T will soon impose limits on the amount of broadband data — notably movies and TV shows — subscribers can download from the Internet on a monthly basis without paying additional fees.

AT&T's residential DSL plans will have a usage allowance of 150 gigabytes (GB) per month, while residential U-verse plans will have a usage allowance of 250GB per month.

The caps amount to about 100 hours per month of TV programming for DSL users and 200 hours for U-verse. The caps would limit users to 20 movie downloads in standard definition (25 for U-verse) and 10 (13 for U-verse) in high definition.

YouTube is Going LIVE (http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=29943)

Youtube today announced the initial roll out of YouTube Live, which will integrate live streaming capabilities and discovery tools directly into the YouTube platform for the first time.

This begins with a new YouTube Live browse page (www.youtube.com/live), where users can always find live events happening on YouTube and add events to their calendar.

Today, Toutube will also start gradually rolling out a live streaming beta platform, which will allow certain YouTube partners with accounts in good standing to stream live content on YouTube.

"The goal is to provide thousands of partners with the capability to live stream from their channels in the months ahead. In order to ensure a great live stream viewing experience, we'll roll this offering out incrementally over time," Youtube said.

AT&T to Cap Data Usage May 2, 2011 (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/digital-evolution/att-cap-data-usage-may-2-23620)


This pisses me off so much. What can we do to fight the providers from doing this. I have comcast and have a 250gb limit. It sucks.

AT&T to Cap Data Usage May 2, 2011 (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/digital-evolution/att-cap-data-usage-may-2-23620)

Hmmm...I like the part that said:

The telco said it is capping non-business customers after it experienced a “dramatic increase” in the amount of data downloaded by select households. Indeed, AT&T said an increasing minority (just 2%) of its subscriber base was utilizing 20% of its total network. It said these frequent users could utilize the equivalent data of 19 standard-use households.

I guess streaming is NOT the future. :rolleyes:

Western Digital Players get CinemaNow (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/digital-evolution/western-digital-players-get-cinemanow-23636)


Western Digital’s WD TV Live Hub ($200) and WD TV Live Plus ($130) media players now have CinemaNow via a firmware update. The upgrade gives owners access to more than 10,000 TV shows and films.

The update also offers new Netflix functionality, allowing Netflix subscribers to search for movies directly from their TV, so a PC no longer is necessary to add movies to the queue. The update also offers support for Dolby Digital Plus audio.

“The addition of these new premium content services addresses an increased customer demand for a further expanded offering of best-in-class entertainment,” the company said in a statement. “WD TV users can enjoy a high-definition movie watching experience without ever leaving home.”

The WD TV players also include Internet-based content from YouTube, Facebook, Blockbuster On Demand, Pandora, TuneIn Radio and Accuweather.

Western Digital Players get CinemaNow (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/digital-evolution/western-digital-players-get-cinemanow-23636)



How does cinema now compares with vudu hdx and Netflix?

How does cinema now compares with vudu hdx and Netflix?http://www.cinemanow.com/How_It_Works_buy.aspx?grpID=1001

Ultraviolet promo video here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn2uprypgfE

Looks like it is from NAB 2011.

UltraViolet FAQ - From Jim Taylor, Chief Technologist at Rovi (formerly Sonic), and the guy who wrote DVD Demystified and the DVD FAQ.

UltraViolet Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers) (http://uvdemystified.com/uvfaq.html)

Examples:

[1.5] How much does UltraViolet cost?

It's free to set up an UltraViolet account. Retailers set their own prices for movies and other content.

You get at least three free downloads and unlimited streams per movie for one year after you buy it. After that there may be a charge for additional downloads or streams.


[1.9] What business models does UltraViolet support?
At launch UltraViolet provides only electronic sell-through (EST). In other words, you can buy movies but you can't yet rent them. DECE plans to add more business models in future versions.


[1.9.1] Does UltraViolet support rental?

Not yet. However, it's possible for retailers and streaming services that support rental to add UltraViolet buying, download, and streaming to their existing interfaces.

[1.4] What are the disadvantages of UltraViolet?

It's not launched yet (as of March 2011)
The initial version does not support rentals or subscriptions
It's not (yet) supported by all major companies (notable exceptions are Apple, Disney, and Amazon)
There's no guarantee that you will be able to stream all the movies in your locker from every streaming services
Cost to participating companies (license fees and usage fees)

http://uvdemystified.com/uvfaq.html#1.4

Multiuser rental streams, family plans coming to Netflix?
http://www.myce.com/news/multiuser-rental-streams-family-plans-coming-to-netflix-43421/

What do you guys think of "home premiere"? http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118034714

Epix Coming Soon to a Connected Device Near You (http://gigaom.com/video/epix-connected-devices/)

Now things are getting interesting. Epix – the premium cable network that launched with an online, on-demand video component — is making that service available through a number of new mobile and connected devices. This follows a trend of pay TV operators and cable networks taking their online offerings direct to consumers on as many devices as possible.

Epix was one of the first cable networks to offer authenticated access to an on-demand streaming library. In a sense, it embraced TV Everywhere before TV Everywhere even had a name. Now it’s taking the logical next step in that TV Everywhere concept, by making its online service available on a wide variety of tablets, connected TVs and Blu-ray players and broadband set-top boxes.

The cable network — formed as a joint partnership between Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM and carrying films from all those studio — announced it will have apps for download on more than 100 different devices, including the Blackberry PlayBook, connected TVs and Blu-ray players from Samsung, Google TV devices, Roku broadband set-top boxes and Android tablets from Motorola, HTC and LG. And while an iPad app won’t be available at launch, a spokesperson says that one has been submitted and is awaiting approval from the Apple App Store.

The first distributor to take advantage of the service will be Verizon, which will give authenticated access for the service to FiOS customers who subscribe to the network. That will make more than 3,000 Epix on-demand film titles available to subscribers that have logged in to the service through any of the new apps. Other distributors are likely to soon follow, as the network is also available to Dish Network, Cox, Charter and Mediacom subscribers, among others.

Of course, the new apps aren’t the only way to get Epix content online and on new devices: The company struck a deal last year to make its streaming library available to Netflix subscribers. And Netflix’s streaming subscription service is available on more than 250 connected devices, including connected TVs and Blu-ray players from most big consumer electronics manufacturers, iOS and Windows Phone 7 mobile devices and all the major gaming consoles. But Epix no doubt wants its own brand front and center, so rolling out its own apps is a smart move for the network.

Epix isn’t alone in building apps for connected devices: HBO is expected to launch its streaming iPad and Android apps on May 2, and ESPN has a live streaming app available in some markets as well. In addition, a number of pay TV operators have either already come to market or will soon roll out mobile and TV apps of their own. Comcast has already rolled out its Xfinity TV app, with access to on-demand content from a number of cable networks. Meanwhile, Time Warner Cable and Cablevision are taking a different tack by introducing iPad apps that make linear streams of cable content available to subscribers.

HBO Go iPad App Gets 1 Million Downloads in First Week (http://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/Editorial/Featured-Articles/HBO-Go-iPad-App-Gets-1-Million-Downloads-in-First-Week-75415.aspx)

HBO Go represents the premium TV service's launch into the realm of TV Everywhere, and subscribers are flocking to get access on the iPad, iPhone, and other devices

How popular is HBO? Within the first ten days of its availability, the HBO Go iPad and iPhone app was downloaded one million times.

During his Streaming Media East keynote, HBO co-president Eric Kessler emphasized the fact that HBO is no longer just about television.

"We've evolved the HBO tag line from 'It's not just television, it's HBO' to simply "It's HBO" in recognition of all the options that customers have to consume content," said Kessler.

HBO Go is HBO's entry into the new world of TV Everywhere—the concept of providing consumers with access to the entertainment they want to watch on any device, with little or no incremental cost.

"Each month our customers vote on our service with their pocketbook," said Kessler. "HBO Go is portable, free, exclusive, and provides subscribers a tie-in to their pay TV subscription."

Video of Kessler's keynote is below.

Netflix Comes to Android (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/netflix/netflix-comes-android-23941)

Netflix now is available for Android smartphones, and users without a Netflix subscription can get a free, one-month trial by downloading the application, Google announced May 12.

“The long wait has ended and you can finally fire up the entire catalog of ‘Dr. Who’ and eat away at all of your productivity for the day,” wrote Andrew Kameka, managing editor of Google’s official Android blog.

The Netflix application is not supported by every Android-based device, and currently is limited to the HTC Incredible, Nexus One, EVO 4G, G2 and Samsung Nexus S.

Roma De, a member of Netflix’s product team, said the limited availability of Netflix streaming on Android devices is due to the lack of standardized streaming playback feature on the platform.

“In the absence of standardization, we have to test each individual handset and launch only on those that can support playback,” De wrote in a post. “We anticipate that many of these technical challenges will be resolved in the coming months and that we will be able to provide a Netflix application that will work on a large majority of Android phones.”

Netflix, Miramax Ink Streaming Deal (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/netflix/netflix-miramax-ink-streaming-deal-23955)

Netflix May 16 said it signed a multi-year distribution deal with Miramax that will allow its 23 million subscribers to stream hundreds of Miramax titles beginning next month.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"Existing relationships with management and a shared affinity for these great films make this an important deal for both companies and for our members, who will enjoy instantly watching movies from one of the truly great film libraries for many years to come,” said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer with Netflix.

The Netflix library gains a variety of films which collectively have 284 Academy Award nominations, across 83 films, with 68 wins, including the Best Picture winners The English Patient and Shakespeare in Love. Iconic titles such as Bad Santa, Chasing Amy, Cinema Paradiso, Clerks, Cold Mountain, From Dusk Till Dawn, Good Will Hunting, Kill Bill" Volumes I and II, Muriel's Wedding, The Piano, Pulp Fiction, Reindeer Games and many of the Halloween, Scary Movie, Scream and Spy Kids movies will be available over time.

Many of Miramax's 700 titles have been available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc to Netflix members for years.

“From day one, we've been very clear about the importance of digital and our desire to respond to the significant pent-up demand for our films -- delivering to consumers whenever and wherever they want,” said Mike Lang, CEO of Miramax. “This agreement is an important first step in our digital strategy. Netflix has always been a trailblazer, with a tremendous track record of innovation and quality customer service.”

Indeed, since its acquisition last year by an investor group from The Walt Disney Co., Miramax has aggressively inked North American and European distribution deals for its catalog.

Last month, Lionsgate took retail control (including transactional VOD and electronic sellthrough) of about 550 titles beginning March 15 with The Switch and Scream, Scream 2 and Scream 3 March 29 — the latter three coincided with the Scream 4 theatrical release April 15 by The Weinstein Co.

Separately, Miramax signed similar retail deals with a Canadian distributor and Echo Bridge Entertainment -- the latter including about 250 lesser known catalog titles.

Miramax also has a distribution deal with former owners Bob and Harvey Weinstein that includes home entertainment distribution of planned sequels of such films as Clerks, From Dusk Till Dawn, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Copland, Shall We Dance, Swingers and The Amityville Horror, among others, by The Weinstein Co.

“Our goal at Miramax is to work with the right partners to fully maximize every asset in our extraordinary film catalog across all platforms,” Lang said at the time.

Netflix, Miramax Ink Streaming Deal (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/netflix/netflix-miramax-ink-streaming-deal-23955)



@Mikemorel what are your thought of "Home Premiere" as explained in my link a couple posts below.

There is a pretty good recent video overview/comparison of the various streaming options here (http://www.hackingnetflix.com/2011/05/dan-rayburn-compares-top-netflix-streaming-devices.html).

@Mikemorel what are your thought of "Home Premiere" as explained in my link a couple posts below.IMO, at $30 per view it seems more of an experiment, a test, than a mass market product. Perhaps they are testing new DRM/content protection.

Doubling down on DRM (http://concurrentmedia.com/2011/04/19/doubling-down-on-drm/)

Sources: Apple trying to woo Hollywood to iCloud (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/31/tech/cnettechnews/main20067678.shtml)

(CNET) In the past several weeks, Apple executives have stepped up their attempts to convince some of the major Hollywood film studios to issue licenses that would enable Apple to store its customers' movies on the company's servers, two sources close to the negotiations told CNET. Apple began discussing a cloud service with the studios over a year ago.


An Apple spokesman declined to comment.

Apple announced today that next Monday, the start of the company's Worldwide Developers Conference, it will unveil the iCloud, a long-anticipated service that will enable users store and access their digital media from Apple's servers via Web-connected devices. The cloud is the term used to describe when consumers rely on third parties instead of their own PCs for computing tasks and this is where digital entertainment is supposedly headed. CNET reported that Apple has licensing deals with three of the top four record labels and is closing in on reaching an agreement with the fourth, as well as the large music publishers.

Apple is expected to help take cloud services out of the world of high-tech enthusiasts, the so-called early adopters, and introduce them to the mainstream.

The talks between Apple and the studios are ongoing but Apple has run into several problems, including one that could prevent it from offering flicks from at least three of the big film studios, the sources said.

Exclusive window
The so-called HBO window or HBO blackout, as it is known in the film industry, refers to an exclusive distribution relationship that the cable network has with three of the top six film studios: Warner Bros. Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and NBC Universal.

When a movie from one of the participating studios is aired on HBO, the cable network's electronic-distribution rights require other outlets to halt sales or distribution of the title. Conceivably, this would prevent cloud services from streaming movies to customers during the blackout period.

Telling consumers that if they buy a cloud movie they won't have access to it during certain periods would be a tough sell.

But there's a difference between selling a movie during HBO's exclusive window and storing a copy of a film that was bought outside of the window and giving the owner access. That's what Time Warner, parent company of HBO and Warner Bros., is trying to hash out right now, the sources said. Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes has made numerous favorable comments about the cloud-media concept, especially about Ultraviolet (UV).

Ultraviolet is the name given to a set of technology standards that the film industry hopes will make way for cloud video services and help create a new home video format and a successor to the DVD. UV is supposed to debut some time this summer. Bewkes has praised UV's concept multiple times.

"If the industry executes it right," Bewkes said, "[UltraViolet] should dramatically boost the appeal of owning movies."

So if Bewkes is a believer what is the holdup? Film industry sources say that there's nothing to worry about, that a deal with Time Warner to relax the HBO window will get done. But can something be completed before June 6?

Whether it can or not, Apple could still roll something out with the other three studios that are without HBO blackout agreements: Disney, Paramount Pictures, and Sony Pictures.

There's some precedence for this. Last September, when Apple announced it had overhauled Apple TV, the company began offering 99-cent rentals of TV shows from Disney's ABC and Fox. And speaking of Apple TV, how would that and say, the Multi-Pass system work with iCloud?

Apple introduced the "Multi-Pass" for TV show content back in 2006 as a way for buyers to pre-purchase a month's worth of content at a discount compared to the $1.99 per episode standard. And for serial content, such as entire TV seasons, Apple offers a Season Pass program where users can buy an entire season, even if episodes haven't yet aired. Once they do, new episodes are automatically downloaded to a user's iTunes library, and the user can opt to get an e-mail notification that the content is available.

I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Financial Times:

Hollywood turns to streaming (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8350da3c-8d3c-11e0-bf23-00144feab49a.html#axzz1OFydLAx7)

By Matthew Garrahan in Los Angeles and David Gelles in New York

Beleaguered Hollywood studio executives have had a tough time of late. DVD sales, a cherished revenue stream, are drying up and consumer interest in 3D films, which had been touted as the saviour of the industry, seems to be on the wane, with audiences put off by high ticket prices.

But help could be at hand. Companies competing to control the distribution of film and television programming are splashing the cash in Hollywood, hoping that content will drive adoption of new services.

Netflix, the DVD subscription and online streaming service, has led the pack, striking a host of content deals with US broadcast networks, cable companies and movie studios. Hulu, a smaller Netflix competitor owned by News Corp, Walt Disney and NBC Universal took a step forward of its own this week when it signed its biggest movie deal to date with Miramax, the company that owns hits such as Pulp Fiction and Shakespeare in Love.

Walmart, which owns the Vudu streaming service, and Amazon, which has its own film subscription service, are also in the market for content, as are Sony, which offers movies to download to its PlayStation device, and Microsoft, which streams movies to its Xbox console.

Now another lucrative buyer of film rights is poised to enter the fray with a streaming service. Apple offers movies to buy or rent from its iTunes store but is working on a streaming service that would form part of its iCloud online entertainment initiative, which is set to be unveiled next week by chief executive Steve Jobs.

Apple already has deals with three big record labels, and is close to a deal with a fourth, Universal Music. But it has had less luck in Hollywood, where existing contracts between three studios – Warner Brothers, Universal and Fox – and HBO, the pay-television company owned by Time Warner, have thwarted its progress.

HBO pays hundreds of millions of dollars to the three studios each year for the right to screen their movies in its pay-TV release window. The deals give HBO the digital streaming rights to those movies: it recently launched its own streaming service, HBO GO, which gives HBO subscribers the option to screen the hundreds of movies that have aired on the channel whenever they like, on mobile devices such as the iPad.

“Apple hasn’t been able to get the iCloud movie service off the ground yet because Warner, Fox and Universal are tied up with HBO,” a studio executive familiar with the situation says. Each of the HBO deals contain complex provisions whereby some films can be made available for streaming for limited periods.

“The movies would be available [to a subscription streaming service] at some point but would then go dark again,” added the studio executive. “It would be a sporadic service and it wouldn’t work ... Apple wants a complete service.”

However, it is unclear whether Apple wants to launch a streaming subscription service that would be a competitor to Netflix – allowing users to view as much content as they want – or a streaming service that allows customers to pay per transaction.

“If Apple goes into the subscription business they will have the same [windowing] constraints as Netflix and Hulu,” Mike Lang, chief executive of Miramax, told the Financial Times. “If it’s a service that allows you to buy or rent movies there will be fewer constraints.”

Even without an iCloud movie service, a growing number of distributors are lining up to license Hollywood content. While Netflix has struck the most deals, its rivals are becoming more aggressive. “Each studio would love to have bidders other than Netflix, and all will encourage Hulu to participate,” said Michael Pachter, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities.

Cable operators are also investing in their on-demand services in a bid to give viewers access to a range of content that beats online competitors such as Netflix. Comcast, the biggest US cable operator, last month said that customers have watched more than 20bn on-demand programmes since the service launched in 2003.

Comcast, Time Warner Cable and other cable operators are also developing iPad applications that allow customers to watch on demand programming.

Reed Hastings, Netflix’s chief executive, acknowledged the emergence of new rivals at the D technology conference this week outside Los Angeles. “We’re getting some competition,” he said. Sooner or later, he may find that Apple has become a competitor too.

Disney to Bow Streaming Website (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/streaming/disney-bow-streaming-website-24132)

The Walt Disney Co. is revamping its namesake website (Disney.com) to include access to proprietary video games and movies via subscription video-on-demand (SVOD), transactional VOD, ad-supported and micropayments such as PayPal, CEO Bob Iger told a technology conference.

Speaking June 2 at the D9 Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Iger reiterated his long-standing commitment to digital distribution and embracing evolving technologies in home entertainment.

He said the Disney site over the next year would undergo “elements of a re-launch” designed to reflect the digital landscape and increasing consumer acceptance of it.

“We have a unique opportunity as Disney because it really is the only true global entertainment brand,” Iger said. “People go to Disney because they know its brand. We believe we have an opportunity to go with our content directly to the consumer.”

Without giving specifics, Iger is undoubtedly attempting to piggyback on growing consumer acceptance of Netflix streaming, content downloads via Apple iTunes, and transactional VOD on cable, among other venues.

Disney-owned ABC TV was an early supplier of content to iTunes. Disney during the dotcom era invested heavily in a content portal called Go.com, which like other studios’ forays into Internet-based distribution at the time (i.e. Warner’s Entertaindom.com spearheaded by upstart executive Kevin Tsujihara), was doomed to failure due to lack of required broadband connectivity in U.S. homes and the rising popularity of the DVD.

Indeed, Disney would end up cutting hundreds of employees and writing off $800 million on the Go.com venture.

Today, Iger maintains being platform agnostic, preferring to offer Disney content across the widest possible distribution channels. He is just as motivated to offer Disney content to Netflix and rental kiosks, as he is to license content to smartphones and tablet computers.

“Whatever platforms emerge, we are looking at as having the same potential that home video had for the movie business,” he said, “which means there are entirely new opportunities to monetize our capital investments in content and do so in ways that work for distributors, for consumers and for creators.”

LA Times:

Verimatrix gives studios another reason to offer movies earlier to homes (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/06/verimatrix-gives-studios-another-reason-to-offer-movies-to-homes-earlier.html)

Verimatrix is a member of DECE (Ultraviolet).

Yes you can still use the 'Old' NetFlix interface, at least with a web browser...http://www.myce.com/news/netflix-stands-by-new-user-interface-though-a-workaround-exists-46786/

Report: Hulu Up For Sale (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/hulu/report-hulu-up-for-sale-24290)
22 Jun, 2011

Scuttlebutt suggests the repurposed TV content website has upped ad revenue at the expense of owners’ other distribution channels

Hulu, the popular website for ad-supported and subscription-based repurposed TV programming, has reportedly put itself up for sale.

The site, which is co-owned by The Walt Disney Co., News Corp. and NBC Universal, hired investment banks Morgan Stanley and Guggenheim Partners to assist with a possible sale, according to the Los Angeles Times, which broke the story.

Ultraviolet Launches Licensing Program Leading to Digital Locker in the Cloud (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ultraviolet-launches-licensing-program-leading-210354)

The move is the first step in introducing a new digital rights management system, coming in the fall.

The studio consortium Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem has launched a licensing program for its Ultraviolet initiative, which will ultimately permit consumers to buy their digital content once then watch it anytime on any supported device, app or service.

Ultraviolet is essentially a cloud-based, digital-rights management system that will create an online virtual library for each consumer. The licensing program is an important first step in bringing Ultraviolet to the market, since it will allow content owners, as well as technology and service providers, to start to implement Ultraviolet support in their content, services and consumer devices.

DECE anticipates that consumers in the United States will be able to purchase select movies and TV shows with UltraViolet rights beginning this fall. Following the U.S. launch -- which will likely include a push during the holiday season -- DECE plans to then introduce the service to the U.K. and Canada.

Stakeholders are betting that Ultraviolet could have a big impact on the home entertainment industry, because studios are now facing a situation where online content rental is on the rise while content ownership is on the decline.

“We've done a lot consumer research focus groups,” Mitch Singer, president of DECE and CTO at Sony Pictures Entertainment, told The Hollywood Reporter. “Consumers are not telling us they don't want to (own content), but that they don't want to collect it because they are not sure it will play on the devices they buy in the future. So they are staying out of the market in this walled garden because they don't want to be locked in. They want freedom and they want choice. We are directly addressing the dissatisfaction consumers told use about.”

Mark Teitell, general manager of UltraViolet, said, “Consumers are looking for a better value proposition to own and collect digital movies and TV shows -- a proposition that provides downloads, streaming and physical copy viewing options which are accessible on multiple platforms.”

Becoming an UltraViolet licensee will enable companies to implement technical specs; market content, services and products with the UltraViolet name and logo; and make use of a centralized digital rights locker system for consumers' management of their UltraViolet proofs-of-purchase. Licensing is available for companies to participate through one or more of five defined roles: Content provider, retailer, streaming service provider, app/device maker, and download infrastructure/services provider.

While DECE membership is not required to license UltraViolet, DECE currently has more than 70 member companies, including most of the Hollywood studios and manufacturers. They include Fox, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros., BSkyB, Adobe, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Netflix, Samsung and Vudu.

As Ultraviolet takes this next step toward become a reality, two industry heavyweights, Apple and Disney, remain conspicuously absent from the DECE consortium. Singer and Teitell have expressed confidence that UltraViolet content will be able to be accessed on Apple devices, though at this stage there is currently no indication of iTunes support.

Initial UltraViolet licensees are now integrating with and beta testing the digital rights locker system, which will be a shared cloud. Neustar, a network and digital media interconnectivity provider, was selected by DECE to build and operate the UltraViolet infrastructure.

DECE recognizes that online security is an industry-wide problem, but in addition to its security initiatives, Teitell said that Ultraviolet limits the personal information stored in the cloud to items such as email, password and devices. It doesn't store credit card information, he said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-21/apple-said-to-consider-making-an-offer-for-hulu-online-television-service.html

Bloomberg 'reports' that Apple may be considering Hulu ... I'm taking it with a grain of salt, til there's more substantive info, but the article mentions how some of the other companies are positioning themselves, so ... worth a read.

Hollywood Reporter:

Hollywood's First Digital Christmas to Cause Pain (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywoods-first-digital-christmas-cause-217414)

In the new weekly magazine, The Hollywood Reporter looks at studios bracing for the shift from DVDs to cheaper movies in the cloud as they fight to own their digital future.

Disney distribution president Bob Chapek calls it the "digital Trojan horse." He's referring to "combo packs," which are how most big movies will be sold on home video this holiday season. Blu-ray Discs will come with a digital file that buyers can register on one of two new services: UltraViolet and Disney's All Access Keychest. These free accounts will exist on cloud-based computer servers available anytime, anywhere, on any enabled device.

The move, say studio insiders, is the most serious effort yet to wean consumers away from the DVD, which has dominated home entertainment for nearly 15 years. "The evolution from a physical disc-based business to a digitally based business is inevitable," says Chapek. "I think the only debate is the period of time over which that will happen."

The big question is: How much pain will the transition inflict on Hollywood? Studios already are enduring wrenching change as DVD sales dwindle faster than digital revenue rises. A year ago, Sony eliminated about 450 positions, mostly in home entertainment, while in recent months Disney dropped close to 200 jobs, Warner Bros. cut 50, Fox trimmed 22, and Lionsgate laid off 10.

Windfalls from DVD sales powered explosive Hollywood growth during the 2000s, but the industry has realized -- as difficult as it might be -- that it must turn its back on the dying format if it aims to compete in a digital world. "This is very disruptive to studios," admits Mitch Singer, president of Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) and Sony's chief technology officer. "But it's better we disrupt ourselves than allow a third party to disrupt us for their financial gain."

The studios see DVDs phasing out slowly but believe Blu-ray will remain part of the mix because it still offers the best picture on big-screen TVs and can deliver 3D images. Blu-ray sales (movies, TV shows, games) were up nearly 10 percent in 2010 over 2009, according to the industry-backed Digital Entertainment Group.

Still, the message this holiday season will be that cloud-based movies are safer and more convenient -- no more damaged discs or hard-drive crashes. Most people will get the digital copy along with a Blu-ray Disc at a price suggested to be about $35, though that will be heavily discounted by retailers. (A DVD typically sells for about $5 less than a Blu-ray copy.) Digital files alone should sell for about $15 to be competitive with iTunes.

Jim Noonan, senior vp worldwide strategic promotions and communications at Warner Bros., uses the hit drama The Blind Side to illustrate the pitch: "You bought it and you've been meaning to watch it, but you haven't been able to find the two hours to set aside. Now, all of a sudden, you are at a two-hour layover in Dallas where there's Wi-Fi in the airport. Because you have access to a digital copy on your laptop, enjoy the movie right there at the airport. That changes the whole proposition of the value of ownership."

But some doubt whether consumers trained to value physical discs will be willing to switch to the cloud. "There's something to be said for just taking the DVD out of the little holder and slipping it immediately into your player, as compared to waiting for the cloud to show up, logging in, watching the bar on your screen or whatever," says Wall Street analyst Harold Vogel.

Aside from accessibility and ease of use, the burning issue for consumers is fear of a format war. That's why more than 70 studios, manufacturers and retailers have created DECE, which is about to launch the industry-wide UltraViolet format.

But the message will be mixed because Disney has a competing system, Disney All-Access, which includes a "Keychest" digital storage locker in the cloud. Disney insists its service will complement UltraViolet. "It's not our goal to create a format war," Disney CEO Robert Iger has said.

However, at least initially, buyers of UltraViolet system movies from Warner Bros., Universal, Sony and others won't be able to store Disney movies in the same account.

Disney believes its proprietary technology is simpler and easier for consumers to use. "They are creating a format for 70 companies that have to agree on usage rules, digital rights, management rules," says Chapek. "They create interoperability by creating a format. We do it by a handshake in the cloud between platforms and devices."

Retailers are bracing for the shift, expecting to sell fewer DVD players and discs. But many believe the momentum behind cloud-based movies will cause a boom in sales of digital files, as well as flat-screen TVs, tablet computers and other devices.

"Cloud locker storage -- whether it's UltraViolet, Amazon, wherever adoption goes -- is going to be incredibly popular," predicts DEG executive director Amy Jo Smith. "For the first time, you will be able to move content around to a variety of devices and platforms. I think as we move into 2012 and 2013, we will really see this take off."

That's what the studios will be selling this Christmas, as the DVD begins its ride into the sunset.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2011/07/digxmas_a.jpg

Warner to Bow UltraViolet Digital Locker With ‘Green Lantern’ and ‘Horrible Bosses’ Disc Releases (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/warner/warner-bow-ultraviolet-digital-locker-with-green-lantern-and-horrible-bosses-disc-releases-24)

Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes appears to be warming to Netflix but declined to comment on if a content deal is forthcoming

Warner Bros. will launch its first home entertainment discs to include cloud-based digital locker UltraViolet with the fourth-quarter releases of Green Lantern and Horrible Bosses.

In an Aug. 3 analyst call, Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes said the majority of home entertainment releases thereafter would include UltraViolet functionality. The virtual locker automatically gives buyers a digital copy of a new home entertainment acquisition that can be accessed on myriad compatible consumer electronics devices.

UltraViolet, along with Disney’s KeyChest platform, is projected to reinvigorate home entertainment content sales.

Bewkes believes the recent acquisition of movie recommendation service Flixster will help sell UltraViolet. He said an updated version of the platform this week will be “deeply integrated” with UltraViolet.

“We believe this could fundamentally change how people manage and watch their movie collection,” Bewkes said. “And it could significantly improve the value proposition of digital ownership.”

Green Lantern Blu-ray and DVD Debuts October 14th (http://www.movieweb.com/news/green-lantern-blu-ray-and-dvd-debuts-october-14th)

UltraViolet

UltraViolet is a groundbreaking new way for consumers to collect and enjoy their favorite movies and TV shows at home and on-the-go, across a wide range of devices, including computers, tablets and smartphones.

The UltraViolet Digital Copy includes a Standard Definition Digital Copy of the 2D theatrical version of the film. Special features are not included. Consumers must enter redemption code by October 14, 2013 to redeem offer. Digital Copy now includes streaming and 3 downloads. If the offer is redeemed prior to the deadline, delivery of streaming and downloads will be available at no additional charge for 3 years from date of redemption. Not compatible with all devices. Compatible devices subject to change. See packaging for restrictions and details.

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Netflix Secures Streaming Deal With DreamWorks (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/26/business/media/netflix-secures-streaming-deal-with-dreamworks.html?_r=1)

Netflix Secures Streaming Deal With DreamWorks
By BROOKS BARNES and BRIAN STELTER
Published: September 25, 2011
LOS ANGELES — DreamWorks Animation, the company behind successful movie franchises like “Madagascar” and “Shrek,” said it had completed a deal to pump its films and television specials through Netflix, replacing a less lucrative pact with HBO.The Netflix accord, which analysts estimate is worth $30 million per picture to DreamWorks over an unspecified period of years, is billed by the companies as the first time a major Hollywood supplier has chosen Web streaming over pay television.

It is also a bet by Jeffrey Katzenberg, the animation studio’s chief executive, that consumers in the near future will not distinguish between the two. “We are really starting to see a long-term road map of where the industry is headed,” Mr. Katzenberg said in an interview. “This is a game-changing deal.”

Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer, added: “You’re seeing power moving back into the hands of content creators. When a company like DreamWorks ends a long-running pay TV deal — when a new buyer in the space steps up — that’s a really interesting landscape shift.”

The DreamWorks contract comes as Netflix is trying to navigate a dense thicket of challenges. Competition from the likes of Apple, Amazon and Vudu, a streaming service owned by Wal-Mart, is increasingly fierce; Dish Network, which plucked Blockbuster out of bankruptcy earlier this year, on Friday announced a Blockbuster-branded streaming and DVD-by-mail service.

As a “tidal wave” of Netflix competitors enter, said Michael Nathanson, a media analyst for Nomura, “in the short term it will probably be good for the price of content,” because more bidders mean that media companies can charge more for the rights to stream movies like “Avatar” and shows like “Modern Family.”

More important, “in the long term it may accelerate changes in consumer behaviors,” Mr. Nathanson said, as more people choose to watch more video online.

Access to movies and TV shows is what matters most to Netflix, and Hollywood, after helping to build up the company with generous deals, is starting to play hardball. Next February, Netflix is expected to lose the right to stream films from Walt Disney Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment, as a result of a failed renegotiation with the premium cable channel Starz.

But Netflix’s biggest challenge at the moment is self-inflicted. This summer, in an attempt to raise cash to license more streaming content, the company increased the price for its combination Internet streaming and DVD service, angering customers. On Sept. 18 it abruptly said it would split up the two services, frustrating fans of both.

About one million of its 25 million customers in the United States are believed to have dropped the service in this quarter. The company has lost half of its value — about $8 billion worth — over the last two months.

Mr. Katzenberg said he was confident about the direction Netflix was heading, calling the company’s decision to split streaming and DVD “a very tough and very strategic call that will ultimately prove to be the right one for long-term success.”

“Could it have been handled better? Absolutely,” he added. “But there are always bumps when you’re looking around a corner.”

Netflix will begin streaming DreamWorks films starting in 2013. The studio plans three releases that year: “The Croods,” a prehistoric comedy; “Turbo,” about a garden snail; and “Peabody & Sherman,” an adaptation of “Rocky and Bullwinkle” characters. Titles from the DreamWorks library, including “Kung Fu Panda” and “Antz,” will become available over time, the companies said.

The so-called pay TV window is one of the entertainment industry’s most important business tools. In the past, HBO has paid steep licensing fees of about $20 million per picture for exclusive rights a few months after films arrive on DVD. But Netflix — capitalizing on a consumer shift to streaming content on computers, tablets and Internet-connected televisions — has been making similar deals, albeit mostly with smaller suppliers.

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With the DreamWorks deal, Netflix will be able to offer customers exclusive access to a pipeline of films that are reliably some of the year’s biggest box office successes. The opportunity to bolster its children’s and family offerings was another reason Netflix pursued a DreamWorks deal so aggressively. Netflix will also gain streaming rights to DreamWorks television specials.
“This is one of the few family entertainment brands that matter,” Mr. Sarandos said. “It’s also a signal to people that we are in no way moving away from movies. Our programming is just reflecting more and more what people want.”

For DreamWorks Animation, which has experienced a sharp erosion in its stock price over the last few months, the deal with Netflix comes with one major perk. HBO requires its studio partners to suspend digital sales of movies during its exclusive window, but Netflix will allow DreamWorks to keep selling digital downloads.

What does the loss of DreamWorks mean for HBO? Anything that increases the marketplace clout of Netflix is damaging, but the premium television service will most likely not miss it much. HBO’s studio partners are increasingly making animated films and HBO recently brought in Summit Entertainment, the studio behind the “Twilight” films, as a new partner. HBO notably allowed DreamWorks out of its contract two years early.

Meanwhile, Netflix keeps adding television content. Last week, Netflix announced a renewed content deal with Discovery, the owner of channels like TLC and Animal Planet, that will result in streams of old episodes of “Say Yes to the Dress,” “River Monsters” and others. What is more important, Netflix is soon going to make the source network of shows clearer; people who turn on “River Monsters” will know it is an Animal Planet show.

Signaling support for Netflix, John Weiser, president of domestic distribution for Sony Pictures Television, called it an “important player and a great customer,” and said the two companies were “actively discussing producing original programming together.”

Netflix is already spending $100 million to create a series called “House of Cards" and acquiring the American rights to overseas properties.

Updates to the Ultraviolet FAQ:

Recent changes: (http://uvdemystified.com/uvfaq.html#updates)

•2011-09-30: Many updates. New sections:
[1.1.3] When will UltraViolet be available?
[3.3.2] What's a DRM and why does it matter?
[4.6] I'm a small video producer. How do I get my video titles into UltraViolet?

[1.1.3] When will UltraViolet be available?

UltraViolet launches in two phases, the first in the fall of 2011 and the second planned for early 2012.

The first phase provides the full account and digital library system, but focuses on streaming access. The second phase adds download services for UltraViolet players, and will launch when UltraViolet players become available in the market. UltraViolet rights purchased in phase 1 will automatically extend to downloads in phase 2.

Ultraviolet is waking up.

http://www.uvvu.com/

Technical specs are here...

http://www.uvvu.com/uv-for-business.php

Well if the extremely buggy Flash Player (made by http://www.jcplayer.com/) that is on their site to push the Ultra Violet product is any indication, all I can say is Oh My.....

I will never purchase any media that relies on any external servers to confirm my usage rights. The moment company hosting DRM servers is out of business all your purchases are gone. Anyone remembers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIVX_%28Digital_Video_Express%29? And I think it also happened a couple more times but I can't recall company name.

Web usage-based billing on its way
Article here (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/30/BU7A1M6257.DTL).

The days of watching movies on the cheap via the Web may soon be over.

Time Warner Cable and U.S. pay-TV companies, weighing how to profit from surging Internet demand spurred by Netflix and Hulu, are on the verge of instituting new fees on Web-access customers who use the most data.

Who didn't expect that?

Even though it's slower, if the usage charge catches on, do you think it might drive more people to DSL?

I have a 20 meg comcast service at home. I spent a few weeks at my parents, who have 5 meg DSL. The only time I noticed a big difference was when downloading large files. Things like Netflix seemed to be of equal quality.

Even though it's slower, if the usage charge catches on, do you think it might drive more people to DSL?What makes you think DSL is immune from usage-based billing?

What makes you think DSL is immune from usage-based billing?

I guess I've just never heard it discussed by telco companies. For some reason I was under the impression that bandwidth wasn't as big of a problem. I could be wrong.

I guess I've just never heard it discussed by telco companies. For some reason I was under the impression that bandwidth wasn't as big of a problem. I could be wrong.Then you may want to read this (http://www.hackingnetflix.com/2011/03/att-to-cap-dsl-u-verse-bandwidth.html).

Netflix bows out of studios' UltraViolet group (http://ces.cnet.com/8301-33363_1-57355230/netflix-bows-out-of-studios-ultraviolet-group/)

Netflix is out of the consortium that created UltraViolet, the technology platform designed to make digital movies accessible to any device or service.
(Credit: Greg Sandoval/CNET)

Sources told CNET that the highest-ranking executive representing Netflix within Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE), a group of more than 70 companies connected to the film industry, recently did not renew his membership. Current members include Hollywood studios, software and hardware makers, film distributors, and retailers.

Wonder if this is because: UltraViolet Garners Support from Samsung and Amazon. (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/digital-evolution/ultraviolet-garners-support-samsung-and-amazon-26090)

Netflix bows out of studios' UltraViolet group (http://ces.cnet.com/8301-33363_1-57355230/netflix-bows-out-of-studios-ultraviolet-group/)



Wonder if this is because: UltraViolet Garners Support from Samsung and Amazon. (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/digital-evolution/ultraviolet-garners-support-samsung-and-amazon-26090)

I think it's because the studios want to focus on SALES of movies via electronic sell-through and not rentals or subscriptions, those things may come at a future date, though....With DVD sales declining, they want to do something to pump up sales of films.....

So now I'll be able to register my DVD and Blu-ray collection and stream my movies from the Cloud? What a colossal waste of internet bandwidth! It's one thing to stream movies you've ripped on your own LAN but to go to the outside for something you have sitting on your shelf at home is so redundant it boggles the mind. Or I am missing something here?

Be careful where you roam...
http://www.myce.com/news/canadian-man-pays-over-1000-to-stream-a-handful-of-movies-over-netflix-58507/

Be careful where you roam...
http://www.myce.com/news/canadian-man-pays-over-1000-to-stream-a-handful-of-movies-over-netflix-58507/

If people would be proactive and check with their service provider before going on vacation it would avoid issues. I've always done this especially when going into Canada. So I know exactly what I will be charged .

Of course the first thing I've always done when i get a new cell phone is to turn off roaming. it's been extremely rare for me to need it over the last eighteen years that i've been using cell phones.

Just a quick heads up: woot I having a woot off right now and offering a Roku XD for $50

New Copyright Alert System to Target File-Sharing Users
16 Apr, 2012 By: Chris Tribbey

Starting July 1 the Center for Copyright Information (CCI) will oversee a program that has the nation’s largest Internet Service Providers (ISPs) implementing measures aimed at discouraging illegal file sharing.

CCI will oversee the Copyright Alert system, a graduated response system that has ISPs warning Internet users who participate in illegal file sharing. CCI was created in September 2011 by five major ISPs, the six major studios of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the Independent Film & Television Alliance, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and The American Association of Independent Music. Comcast, AT&T, Cablevision, Verizon and Time Warner Cable are the ISPs signed on to the program.

Article here (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/piracy/new-copyright-alert-system-target-file-sharing-users-26979).

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