-
Sorenson Releases Squeeze Server 1.5 With Full Adaptive Bit Rate Support
Sorenson has released Squeeze Server 1.5, an enterprise transcoding solution. The key new feature is support for Adobe Dynamic Streaming and
Microsoft Smooth Streaming, in addition to Apple HTTP Adaptive Streaming which was already supported. As a result Squeeze Server 1.5 can now optimize for all three of the primary adaptive bit rate streaming platforms.
Categories: Encoding
Topics: Sorenson
-
Liberty Global to Use thePlatform for Video Delivery and TV Everywhere
Liberty Global, the largest international cable operator, with over 17 million subscribers in 14 countries, has chosen thePlatform's mpx system to power its online video delivery and TV Everywhere initiatives. Liberty plans to phase in services in select regions before expanding globally. The move underscores how video delivery to multiple devices is becoming an imperative for pay-TV operators around the world as consumers continue to adopt new viewing behaviors.
Categories: Cable TV Operators, International, Technology
Topics: Liberty Global, thePlatform
-
Microsoft Licenses "Taste and Mood" Video Discovery Technology From Jinni
Jinni, whose "taste and mood" video discovery technology allows viewers to get personalized TV and movie recommendations, has announced a license
deal with Microsoft. Though Microsoft didn't disclose how specifically it would use Jinni, the company has been broadening its Xbox gaming platform for video entertainment, so it would fit well there. Jinni could also be integrated across Microsoft's online and mobile properties and in different devices like the Zune.
Categories: Technology, Video Search
-
Thought Equity Motion Acquires Panvidea To Streamline Video Delivery
Cloud-based video platform Thought Equity Motion has acquired Panvidea, bringing together two complimentary companies that are focused on streamlining digital video management, work flow and delivery. Thought Equity's CEO/founder Kevin Schaff and Panvidea's CEO/co-founder Chris Cali (who will become VP, Platform Technologies) briefed me on the deal.
The big picture here is that as digital delivery to multiple devices gains steam, the back-end processes of getting high value content quickly, securely and cost-effectively to the right places becomes critical. Distributing via tape with lots of manual steps involved isn't acceptable any longer. Kevin sees Panvidea's platform, which manages the full spectrum of video preparation (ingest, storage, customization, transcoding and delivery to multiple platforms/devices), as complimenting Thought Equity's platform which is focused on master file and archive management. Combining the capabilities is intended to give content providers a full end-to-end solution.
Categories: Deals & Financings, Technology
Topics: Panvidea, Thought Equity Motion
-
Amazon Planning to Give Away Its Instant Videos With the New Kindle Tablet? Uh Oh.
Catching up on my reading last night, I noticed toward the end of the first hands-on review I've seen about Amazon's forthcoming Kindle tablet
something that could be very disruptive. According to the writer (so this is opinion, not fact), to support the Kindle tablet, Amazon plans to give buyers a free subscription to Amazon Prime.
Of course, since last February Amazon Prime subscribers also gain access to Amazon's growing streaming Instant Videos catalog. So this would mean that Kindle tablet buyers would be getting lots of great video (and more to come) for no charge and presumably no ads either. If Amazon were to begin giving away high-value content as a marketing tactic supporting its devices, it could fundamentally change the game for everyone.
Categories: Aggregators, Devices
-
Startup Veedios Bridges Video to Connected Devices
Connected devices that enable viewing of online-delivered video on TVs are proliferating. As this new addressable universe of viewers expands, content
providers naturally want to deliver to it. This is especially true for content providers who haven't gained valuable distribution agreements with pay-TV providers, and therefore have been shut out of the living room to date.
The problem is that each connected device manufacturer has its own publishing environment and approval process. That's where startup Veedios comes in. Veedios has developed a tool that allows it to publish native apps to 5 different platforms today (boxee, Roku, Popbox, Plex and Yahoo Connected TV, which includes Samsung, Sony, Vizio, Toshiba and LG), with more coming soon including iOS and Android.
Categories: Devices, Indie Video, Technology
Topics: Veedios
-
Synacor and Grab Networks Partner to Increase TV Everywhere Content
Synacor, which provides technology that powers over 40 pay-TV operators' online portals and TV Everywhere initiatives, has partnered with Grab Networks, a syndicator of online video with over 200 different video publishers. With the deal, Synacor's customers will be able to augment their content lineups from Grab's verticals such as Food and Drink, Home and Family, Travel, Health and Relationships. In addition to being available online, Grab's content is also compatible with mobile devices running iOS and Android.
Categories: Cable TV Operators, Partnerships, Technology
Topics: Grab Networks, Synacor
-
Inside Starz's Netflix Quandary
Here's a thought experiment: Imagine you're running a major cable TV network and your fastest-growing distributor (and largest, by number of subscribers) offers to license your content for approximately $300 million each year, a sum that is about 10 times the amount it has been paying under the current deal struck less than 3 years ago. The new deal would have a very material impact on your P&L as your company's operating income last year was about $400 million. Seems like a pretty tough offer to turn down, right?
However, there are certain catches. First, this distributor is considered a disruptive competitor by all of your other long-time distributors (who collectively paid you about $1.3 billion last year). If you proceed with this new deal, you're concerned that these other distributors may retaliate by paying you less when they renew their deals in the future. Second, this distributor wants a degree of exclusivity that limits your ability to make incremental deals with companies it deems as competitive. Third, key suppliers of your content have escalation clauses that entitle them to incremental payments if you proceed with this new deal, which would in turn erode your margins. And last, but not least, the manner in which this distributor wants to compensate you would alter the way you are positioned in the market - from a "premium" to a "basic" channel - consequently risking a perception that your content will be irreparably devalued by consumers and other distributors.
Got all that? If so, then you grasp the quandary that Starz's executive team found itself in as it evaluated a huge license renewal offer from Netflix. Last Thursday Starz announced its decision, choosing to rebuff Netflix's rich offer, at least for now. But as the math below shows, combined with what I've learned from individuals familiar with Starz's economics, Netflix's putative $300 million/year offer was far more than Starz could generate otherwise, making its decision to walk away all the more difficult.
Categories: Aggregators, Cable Networks
VideoNuze Posts
Connect with VideoNuze
Exclusive News Roundup
- The Cable Business Is In Flux. Altice USA’s CEO Thinks There’s a Path Forward The Hollywood Reporter
- Max to Get ‘More Assertive’ in Blocking Password-Sharing Users Later This Year, WBD Exec Says Variety
- Creators Are Building Their Own Supersized Studio System As Hollywood Cuts Back The Hollywood Reporter
- Netflix Overhauls Its Home Screen for the First Time in 12 Years NY Times
- Netflix debuts its generative AI-powered search tool TechCrunch
- Comcast's cable spinoff to be named Versant, picked to emphasize corporate versatility CNBC
