VideoNuze Posts

I’m pleased to present the 483rd edition of the VideoNuze podcast, with my weekly partner Colin Dixon of nScreenMedia.

Colin was attending IBC show in Amsterdam and on this week’s podcast, he shares his key takeaways from the show related to multiple CDN management, data, artificial intelligence and machine learning for business optimization. Colin also touches on a few emerging technology solutions he saw that could have a big impact on the industry’s future.  

Listen in to learn more!

 
Click here to listen to the podcast (22 minutes, 8 seconds)

Click here for previous podcasts

Click here to add the podcast feed to your RSS reader.

The VideoNuze podcast is also available in iTunes...subscribe today!

Yesterday Comcast made a smart move by converting its Xfinity Flex service to free for its broadband-only subscribers, eliminating the $5 per month charge that was in place since its launch this past March.

Colin and I discussed Flex on our podcast back then, and while we both liked its overall value, we found the $5 per month fee to be a head-scratcher. Paying the equivalent of $60 per year for a streaming device with 10K mostly older content titles seemed limiting as other companies were competing aggressively on price and streaming sticks could easily be bought for $30 or less.

continue reading

NBCUniversal’s SVOD service will be known as “Peacock” and will launch in April with over 15,000 hours of content. As expected, classic shows like “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” will be exclusively on Peacock, along with “30 Rock,” “Cheers,” “Frasier,” “Will and Grace” and numerous others.

Peacock will be available both ad-supported and ad-free, though NBCUniversal didn’t announce any pricing just yet (Peacock will be included at no charge for Xfinity subscribers). SVOD pricing has been under pressure since Disney announced initial Disney+ pricing at $6.99/month, with Apple TV+ following at $4.99/month. HBOMax is likely to be at the high end around $14.99/month.

continue reading

I’m pleased to present the 482nd edition of the VideoNuze podcast, with my weekly partner Colin Dixon of nScreenMedia.

First up this week Colin and I assess the prospects for Apple TV+, now that we know the full details of pricing, promotion, devices and content. I really like how Apple TV+ is being bundled for free for a year for Apple device buyers as an easy on ramp to give the service a try. Colin agrees, but cautions that absent Android support, Apple TV+ remains mainly an effort to bolster the Apple ecosystem, not close to a full competitor to other SVOD services.

Colin then shares key data from TiVo’s latest Video Trends report, which finds the video market’s competition continuing to intensify. Free, ad-supported services like Pluto TV and Tubi are growing strongly, TV networks’ sites are slipping and surprisingly, virtual MVPDs appear to be losing some viewership.  

Listen in to learn more!

 
Click here to listen to the podcast (22 minutes, 37 seconds)

Click here for previous podcasts

Click here to add the podcast feed to your RSS reader.

The VideoNuze podcast is also available in iTunes...subscribe today!

Apple finally revealed details of its Apple TV+ SVOD service and by all accounts it looks poised to get off to a fast start when it launches on November 1st. Positives include 9 original shows from A-list talent, low pricing of $4.99 per month, 1 week trial period, ad-free viewing, binge-watching (albeit limited to 3 episodes per show to start), account sharing for 6 family members and downloading.

But the biggest tailwind Apple TV+ will enjoy is that it will be bundled for a free year for buyers of new or Apple-refurbished iPhones, iPads, iPod touches, Apple TVs and Macs who activate Apple TV+ within 3 months of their purchase. That means millions of viewers will become exposed to Apple TV+ at no cost, especially during the all-important holiday season. There is virtually no upfront friction since the Apple TV app is pre-installed on all these devices, including Macs running the latest macOS.

continue reading

I’m pleased to present the 481st edition of the VideoNuze podcast, with my weekly partner Colin Dixon of nScreenMedia.

On this week’s podcast we explore research from Hub Entertainment which found viewers are now almost equally split between using pay-TV and an online source as their default way to watch TV. It’s a meaningful change from just a year ago and is still further evidence of how much viewers’ behaviors are changing.

Still more change is coming soon as Disney+ comes to market, and we discuss new UBS research which found the service already has very high levels of awareness and intended interest. As Disney+ audience builds this could also impact the incumbents’ status as the default.

Listen in to learn more!

 
Click here to listen to the podcast (18 minutes, 43 seconds)

Click here for previous podcasts

Click here to add the podcast feed to your RSS reader.

The VideoNuze podcast is also available in iTunes...subscribe today!

Startup Eluvio has an ambitious vision for next-gen video delivery that would enable content providers to bypass using traditional content delivery networks (CDNs). Eluvio has launched a software platform called Eluvio Content Fabric, which would stream live, linear, on-demand or hybrid video from a content provider’s single source file, eliminating the need for pre-generating and storing multiple files.

Michelle Munson, CEO and co-founder of Eluvio, explained that this more efficient approach would both improve the economics of video delivery and also create dynamic new content experiences. Lower delivery costs would result from reduced need for transcoding, cloud storage and aggregation.

continue reading

Audiences are fragmenting their viewing more than ever, which is in turn creating more choices for video ad buyers to allocate their budgets. But with these choices has come increasing complexity for how to maximize return on investment and especially which technology platforms to partner with.

Late last week Forrester released its “New Wave: Cross-Channel Video Advertising Platforms” report for Q3, 2019, a really valuable analysis of 13 different technology platforms powering advertisers’ campaigns across a variety of video channels (including traditional TV, addressable linear, streaming, connected TV and online video). Video ad buyers across the spectrum would find the report useful both for assessing the 13 different companies covered and also as a review of all the capabilities needed to optimize video advertising going forward.

continue reading