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Tom Hanks Hits the Web with New Talk Show
Online video continues to attract more mainstream Hollywood talent and the latest is Tom Hanks, whose company Playtone, this week launched "The Three Minute Talk Show" hosted by comedian Barry Sobel. I watched the the first couple episodes and was impressed (an you have to love the little 3-minute countdown icon in the lower right corner). It's a little manic, but the fast pace holds the viewer's attention. Hanks appeared on the first episode and actor Bryan Cranston on the second. The show is part of Lexus' LStudio, so presumably there won't be any additional advertising. As connected devices proliferate, this is the kind of high-quality content that will play well for couch potatoes.
Categories: Indie Video
Topics: Lexus, LStudio, Tom Hanks
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TiVo Links Up With Charter
TiVo scored a big deal this week, as Charter Communications, the fourth-largest U.S. cable operator, announced that it would be offering TiVo's interface and its
latest Premiere boxes to its subscribers. Because TiVo has integrations with lots of online video sources (including Netflix, Amazon, etc.), the deal is significant because it blends the traditional cable experience with the new over-the-top competitors. The deal also suggests what I pointed out in my review of Cisco's "Videoscape " - that beyond the very largest pay-TV operators, partnerships are going to be the way to go for them to deliver competitive experiences. For TiVo, the Charter win follows recent deals with both DirecTV and Cox. No doubt more will follow. Categories: Cable TV Operators, Devices
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Skype 5.0 for Mac Launches With Slick Group Video Calling
Yesterday Skype took the beta label off its 5.0 version for Mac users, which it originally began testing last Nov. 5.0 sports the ultra-cool group video calling feature that Skype unveiled at CES a few weeks ago. Group video calling allows up to 10 Skype users (though Skype itself recommends no more than 5) to watch each other while talking. Skype had earlier released a neat video (below) of various ways group calling can be used. The only bad news is that group video calling requires subscribing to the "Premium" package for $9/mo, or buying a day pass for $5.
Categories: Communications
Topics: Skype
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VideoNuze Report Podcast #85 - Jan. 28, 2011
Daisy Whitney and I are back this week for the 85th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for January 28, 2011.
In today's podcast, Daisy and I talk about the key highlights of my on-stage interview with Netflix's content chief Ted Sarandos at NATPE in Miami earlier this week. The interview has received wide media coverage (e.g. Paid Content, B&C, CNET, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Variety, Home Media). Daisy and I discuss a number of intriguing things that Ted said.
(Note: the interview with Ted was on Tuesday morning, and we recorded this podcast on Wednesday, before Netflix reported its huge Q4 '10 later in the day. Also, NATPE recorded the interview and I'll post it as soon as I have it.)
Click here to listen to the podcast (12 minutes, 59 seconds)
Click here for previous podcasts
The VideoNuze Report is available in iTunes...subscribe today!Categories: Aggregators, Podcasts
Topics: Netflix, Podcast, Ted Sarandos
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Join Mark Cuban, Avner Ronen, Paul Sagan and Me for a Great Panel at MIT Next Thursday
If you're going to be in the Boston area next week, then please join Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks owner and head of HDNet), Avner Ronen (CEO/founder of boxee), Paul Sagan (CEO, Akamai) and me for a panel at the
MIT Enterprise Forum on Thursday, Feb 3rd. The panel is moderated by Woody Benson, partner at Prism VentureWorks, who will do a 45-minute fireside chat with Mark prior to the panel.
The panel promises to be a freewheeling discussion of all the issues related to online video's invasion into the living room: who are the winners and losers? how will business models change? how likely is cord-cutting? And what is the timing for all of this change to play out? Needless to say it's a pretty dynamic group of panelists, so there will be no shortage of opinions exchanged and differences aired. For example, Mark and I recently had a spirited email debate over whether broadcast TV networks should allow Google TV and others to display their programs. I've written a couple of times that they should (here and here), while Mark has written (in his characteristically subtle way!) it's "probably one of the dumbest concepts ever."
Learn more and register here.Categories: Events
Topics: MIT Enterprise Forum
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Netflix Tops 20 Million Subscribers; Adds Over 3 Million For First Time In a Single Quarter
It's official; Netflix has hit the milestone of 20 million subscribers, though just barely. Netflix added 3.08 million subscribers in Q4 '10, beating the high end of its guidance of 2,767,000 subscribers by about 10.9% to end 2010 with 20.01
million subs. It's the first time Netflix has added more than 3 million subscribers in a quarter; for the year it added over 7.7 million subs. To put the 3.08 million in perspective, it is more than 4 times the amount of subs added just 2 years ago in Q4 '08.
Netflix is very bullish on Q1 '11, providing domestic guidance of between 21.9 million and 22.8 million subscribers, which means a slight beat of the high end would mean a second consecutive quarter of 3 million additions. Netflix is also offering international guidance for the first time, of between 750K and 900K subscribers, which is all Canada. Netflix pointed to 3 ways it is achieving a virtuous cycle of subscriber growth: more content, more word-of-mouth and more R&D to improve the UI. More to come.Categories: Aggregators
Topics: Netflix
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Will Netflix Report 20 Million Subscribers Later Today?
Netflix will report its Q4 and full year 2010 earnings later today. There's no question that the results will come in very strong given the momentum the company had going into the holiday quarter. But one interesting question is whether Netflix will surpass the 20 million subscriber mark for the first time. While the number holds no other particular value than it being large and round, it would still be a significant milestone and also make Netflix the second largest video subscription company, by subscriber count, in the U.S. behind only Comcast (who it will pass at some point in the 1st half of 2011).
For its part Netflix is forecasting to have ended Q4 with between 19 million and 19.7 million subscribers. That would represent an increase over Q3's 16,933,000 of between 2,067,000 to 2,767,000 subscriber additions. To hit the 20 million number, Netflix would have to gain 3,067,000 subscribers, or about 10.8% more than the high end of its guidance. One way to gauge the likelihood of this happening is to look at the company's recent actual subscriber additions vs. its guidance. Per the chart below, in 2 of the last 3 quarters, the company has in fact beaten the high end of its forecast, in Q1 '10 (by 10.9%) and in Q3 '10 (by 13.7%). It's also worth noting that Q4 '09's sub gain of 1,159,000 was more than double its Q3 '09 addition of 510,000. While I wouldn't expect a Q4 '10 to Q3 '10 ratio like that, if it were to happen then Netflix would be far above 3 million in Q4.
Categories: Aggregators
Topics: Netflix
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thePlatform and Adobe Partner For Secure Flash Video Delivery
Premium content providers seeking to securely publish video using Flash will get a hand from thePlatform and Adobe, which are announcing a new partnership. Under the deal, customers of thePlatform's mpx video
management system who use Adobe's Flash Access software for content protection will be able to use it via an integrated workflow. Flash Access also provides HTTP dynamic streaming (adaptive bit rate) and monetization options like VOD, subscription, EST and rental.
Another aspect of the collaboration focuses on Android-powered mobile devices. Users of these devices accessing content delivered via thePlatform will have their video player using Flash optimized for their device. thePlatform's customers can also use Adobe's OSMF (Open Source Media Framework) and thePlatform's "Feeds Service" so that video can be delivered in multiple playback circumstances. Lastly, thePlatform's mpx console used Flash Builder 4 and has an AIR client so that file uploads are more efficient.
Categories: Technology
Topics: Adobe, Flash, thePlatform
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