It’s no secret that I’m critical of the BBC’s decision to buy into Microsoft’s DRM solution for its recently launched Internet TV catch-up service, iPlayer. In a post titled ‘BBC’s iPlayer and the Windows DRM monopoly‘, I expressed my bemusement that, after four years of R&D and three million pounds of funding, the corporation needed to outsource its DRM solution in the first place. However, I never went as far as to accuse the BBC of being corrupt, which is precisely what The Free Software Foundation (FSF) has done, alleging that the public service broadcaster’s management is too close to Microsoft. Continue reading »
Has the BBC been "corrupted" by Microsoft?
August 3rd, 2007 | Posted in Net TV | 
5 Comments
Is the Internet the fifth major TV network?
August 2nd, 2007 | Posted in Net TV | 16 Comments
First there were three: CBS, NBC, ABC. And three became four with the addition of Fox. Now it’s time to officially recognize a fifth major television network in the U.S.: the Internet.
The Internet is nothing new to television, or television to the Internet. A lot is happening here, and lately the Internet just feels like a fifth network. I’m excited to “tune in” to an Internet “channel” like MySpace or YouTube to catch the season finales of shows like “LonelyGirl15” and “Prom Queen”, just like I was anxious to see what happened in the network finales of “Lost” and “Heroes.” I’ve even caught myself during the day wondering, “What’s on the Internet tonight?”
Tomorrow it will be “LonelyGirl15.”
The “LonelyGirl15” season finale will be shown exclusively on MySpace, and it will be a unique culmination of the series to date. Twelve episodes will be released, one an hour, beginning at 8 a.m. Pacific, a sure way to generate buzz and drive traffic to MySpaceTV. Continue reading »
Amazon in your living room: today and in the future
August 2nd, 2007 | Posted in Audio, Net TV, Other | 8 Comments
The digital living room market is fiercly competitive and extremely lucrative. On the one hand there are devices like the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, TiVo, and Apple TV, not to mention TVs, DVD players, and countless other bits of hardware. On the other hand there is content; the music, movies, games, and television shows that make the living room the entertainment hub of the typical home. Then of course there is the marketplace that bridges the gap between the two.
When it comes to the digital living room, Microsoft, Sony, Apple, and a handful of others seem to garner the majority of headlines. However, there’s another company that deserves a closer look. Amazon could also become a powerful player in the battle for the digital living room. Yes the company sells furniture, but Amazon also has an impressive list of digital living room-related assets. Let’s look at some of these and how they work together. Continue reading »
Sony PS3 may include DVR capabilities
August 1st, 2007 | Posted in Other | 3 Comments
Sony finally has my attention.
As a casual gamer, I’ve not been all that interested in the Sony PlayStation 3 despite my gadget thirst. I have a PS2 and use it occasionally. I own a few Nintendos, and use those every now and then. I’m not hardcore enough to buy into Microsoft’s Xbox 360, even as an entertainment or media center, and I can’t find a Wii in stock.
But when I saw that Sony might include “DVR capabilities” in the PS3 — boing! — that caught my attention big time. Finally, at least potentially, there is an entertainment console that fits in my living room: as a gaming console, as a device to browse the Internet on a large-screen TV, as a next-generation player for Blu-Ray DVDs, and as a DVR so my wife can record the shows she likes, when she wants to watch them.
"My Damn Channel" launches
August 1st, 2007 | Posted in Net TV | 1 Comment
Launched yesterday, “My Damn Channel” is the latest online video venture that puts professionally produced content at its heart, rather than the user-generated affair found on sites like YouTube. The creation of former MTV and CBS Radio executive, Rob Barnett, the new venture appears to take its inspiration from the buzz created by the Will Ferrell video “The Landlord,” which helped launch Ferrell’s own site, FunnyorDie.com.
“My Damn Channel”currently features original productions by comedian Harry Shearer (“This is Spinal Tap”) who makes his debut as an all-singing Dick Cheney; music producer Don Was; indie filmmaker David Wain (“Wet Hot American Summer,” “The Ten”); and Andy Milonakis (“The Andy Milonakis Show,” MTV). Continue reading »
Google gets half of what it seeks for wireless auction
July 31st, 2007 | Posted in Comms, Mobile | 1 Comment
Now what will Google do?
The Federal Communications Commission voted today to approve rules governing an auction of 700MHz wireless spectrum that could alter the U.S. wireless industry’s competitive landscape. The commission voted to give consumers more choice and freedom with their cell phones and wireless devices. The “open access” provision will allow customers to use whatever phone and software they want on one-third of the network to be auctioned.
Now that the rules are finalized, possible bidders in the auction include Verizon, AT&T, Vodafone, and maybe a new player, Google.
eMusic to partner with AT&T mobile
July 31st, 2007 | Posted in Audio, Mobile | 1 Comment
The New York Times reports that eMusic has signed a deal with AT&T to sell ‘over-the-air’ music downloads to the telco’s millions of mobile phone users. eMusic is the second largest provider of paid-for music downloads (iTunes is number one) and specializes in selling tracks from independent record labels, DRM-free. The company also pioneered a subscription-based service where users pay a monthly fee which entitles them to a certain number of downloads, which they then get to keep, even if they cancel their subscription.
Under the deal, AT&T mobile customers will be able to purchase tracks as a bundle, starting at $7.49 for five tracks, which is significantly more expensive than the regular version of eMusic’s service, whereby users get 30 tracks for a monthly fee of $9.99. The increase in price is being justified based on the additional cost of sending tracks directly to a user’s mobile phone, as apposed to “side-loading” via a PC. Continue reading »
CBS, Nielsen betting on gaming's future
July 30th, 2007 | Posted in Other | 3 Comments
These days nearly anything can be turned into compelling television, depending on your point of view. The Food Network makes cake-baking downright suspenseful.
But never before, at least in the United States, has a major (non-cable) television network broadcasted a video game tournament as a sporting event. CBS, home of The Masters and March Madness, did so this past Sunday when it aired edited play from the World Series of Video Games tournament, which was recorded last month in Louisville, Ky.
Coincidentally, Nielsen Media Research, the TV ratings folks, launched last week Nielsen GamePlay Metrics, the first service of its kind to electronically track video game console usage and games played on PCs.
Something is going on here.
Poll: Email addiction — where do you check your email?
July 30th, 2007 | Posted in Comms, Mobile, Other | 3 Comments
I don’t have a “crackberry” problem, as I don’t own a Blackberry. But I do check my email from bed, sometimes in the middle of the night — and I’m not alone. According to a survey carried out by AOL, email “addiction” is on the rise, with 40% of respondents admitting to checking their email while in bed. 53% say they check when in the bathroom; 37% are checking email while they drive; and 12% admit to checking email in church. Perhaps, more alarmingly, 15% of those surveyed, proclaimed themselves as email addicts.
Overall, mobile email usage has doubled since 2004.
Sound familiar? Just out of curiosity, we’d like to know if you’ve checked your email in one of these places? 🙂
[poll=6]
Report: 57% of U.S. adult Internet users watch video online
July 30th, 2007 | Posted in Net TV | 4 Comments
According to a study carried out by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 57% of U.S. adults online have used the Internet to watch video, with 19% doing so on any typical day. And, perhaps predictably, the percentage increases as we move further down the age range.
More interestingly, over half of those that had accessed online video said that they share links to the videos they find with others — evidence of the viral opportunities offered by Internet TV — with young adults being the most active sharers of online video. Two in three (67%) video viewers ages 18-29 send others links to videos they find online, compared with just half of video viewers ages 30 and older. Continue reading »