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5 News Items of Interest for the Week of Aug 9th
Last week I unveiled a new Friday feature on VideoNuze, which is to highlight 5 of the most intriguing news items that I noticed during the week (VideoNuze may have covered them too). The feature is an additional level of curation beyond the "Exclusive News Roundup" that is included in the right column of VideoNuze each day. I recognize that you're busy and therefore may not read VideoNuze each day, so at a minimum the Friday wrap-up will give you an at-a-glance opportunity to catch up, possibly over the weekend. Synopses and implications for each are briefly noted. I welcome your feedback!
After Drought, Hope for Shows Made for Web
Profile of web show Easy to Assemble draws a larger conclusion that independent online video productions are making a comeback and attracting financing. My Damn Channel also raised $4.4 million this week. Expect more of this as universe of connected devices expands creating a level playing field for independents.
Sam's Club to Use Wi-Fi to Push TVs
Big retailer plans Wi-Fi coverage in all its 500 stores, helping shoppers gain hands-on understanding of how connected TVs work. A wise move that will no doubt be widely imitated.
Studios, Cable Closer to Home Movie Deals
Plan for movies to be available on cable or satellite VOD within 30-60 days of theatrical release for a premium fee of $25-$50. Will consumers pay up for immediacy? Studios are open to all ideas for increasing revenues, but this still seems like a stretch idea given huge price premium vs. other options.
Cable Firms Eye Tablet Space
At least 7 pay-TV providers have various plans to move subscription video to tablet devices like the iPad, and those coming based on Android. The efforts are related to TV Everywhere, and while promising, and need to be released soon to keep up with Netflix and others.
Upcoming Apple TV Loses 1080 Playback, Gains Apps and Will be Renamed iTV
Lots of speculation about the next incarnation of the Apple TV device, now rumored to be renamed "iTV." Despite its device prowess, Apple has yet to be heard from in a meaningful way in over-the-top video/TV. If what has been reported about this new product is true, it too is unlikely to be a game-changer for Apple.
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VideoNuze Report Podcast #72 - Aug. 13, 2010
Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 72nd edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for August 13, 2010.
In this week's podcast, Daisy and I dig further into this week's Netflix-Epix deal. In particular, we discuss the deal's possible implications, including what it might be mean to the pay-TV industry (cable/satellite/telco).
As I argued in my post this week, "Netflix-Epix Deal Ratchets Up Importance of TV Everywhere," the cable industry should be taking note of how much closer Netflix is continuing to come to its traditional turf, and use TV Everywhere to aggressively counter it. However, my perception is that TV Everywhere rollouts are lagging, which is to the detriment of the industry. Listen in to learn more.
(Note that in the podcast I say it's not clear whether Netflix is actually getting access to all movies that are available on Epix. I've since clarified that with a Netflix spokesman who told me Netflix will get everything Epix has rights to.)
Click here to listen to the podcast (15 minutes, 42 seconds)
Click here for previous podcasts
The VideoNuze Report is available in iTunes...subscribe today!Categories: Aggregators, Cable Networks, Podcasts
Topics: EPIX, Netflix, Podcast
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Interview With Samsung Director of Content Olivier Manuel
Samsung continued its Samsung Apps branding campaign with the launch of its $500,000 "Free the TV Challenge" contest this week. The contest is aimed
at incenting developers to create killer apps available on connected Samsung Blu-ray players and TVs. As I wrote recently, Samsung has begun promoting its apps with the tagline "Now there's a TV for that," a spin on Apple's, "There's an app for that." To learn more about the contest and Samsung's larger goals, I interviewed Samsung's director of content, Olivier Manuel on Wednesday. An edited transcript follows.
VideoNuze: Why create this contest, and why now?
Olivier Manuel: The reason we're running the contest now is to celebrate the fact that we're opening up our SDK, which means for the first time developers across the U.S. can download it and develop an app for Samsung connected devices. We're excited to see what kinds of new creative ideas we're going to receive from developers.
Categories: Devices
Topics: Free the TV, Samsung
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Cox Embraces Over-the-Top Video In Unique Deal With TiVo
Another day, another head-turning example of how the boundaries between traditional and over-the-top (OTT) online video distribution are blurring. This morning Cox Communications, the 3rd-largest U.S. cable operator, is
announcing that it will integrate its entire VOD library into TiVo's Premiere multi-purpose box, the first time a major cable operator has done so with a retail-only product. Cox will promote and offer free installation for Premiere which, when coupled with a CableCARD, will support Premiere as a full set-top box solution in its markets (Premiere boxes cost $300 or $500). The deal is a significant win for TiVo, which has continued to rollout clever products, but has been challenged to go beyond its traditional retail proposition.
As important, TiVo will continue to make available all of its integrated online
video offerings (e.g. Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, Break, Howcast, CNET, etc.), which means that Cox is enabling online video options to be exposed and promoted side-by-side with its own video offerings. As Jeff Klugman, TiVo's SVP/GM of Products and Revenue explained to me yesterday, TiVo's search function would allow, for example, a user searching for "30 Rock" to see results including Cox VOD listings for the current season and upcoming on-air episodes blended with prior seasons available from Netflix, Amazon or Blockbuster.
Categories: Cable TV Operators, Devices
Topics: Cox, EPIX, Netflix, Starz, TiVo
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IBM is Turning to Video to Make Its Point
While most of VideoNuze's coverage is of online video's impact on the media and entertainment industries, I'm constantly on the lookout for examples of
how video adoption is infiltrating other organizations. Therefore, a new case study about IBM Software Services from Lotus, presented by video platform vzaar, hit my radar. In it, Mark Leaser, Worldwide Offerings Manager, describes how he and others at IBM are increasingly using video for internal sales training and communication, along with external marketing. I caught up with Mark yesterday to learn more.
Categories: Business Apps
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With Its Epix Deal, Netflix Once Again Shows Data is King
Among the many speculations surrounding this week's Netflix-Epix deal is how much Netflix is actually paying. While there have been rumors
suggesting the tab could run as high as $1 billion, nobody except the principals really knows. However, after talking with a Netflix spokesman yesterday, it is likely that whatever Netflix's is paying, it is virtually guaranteed to receive a satisfactory ROI. That's because Netflix has once again mined the extraordinary value of its user data to inform a critical business decision.
Categories: Aggregators, Cable Networks
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Brightcove Partners With Akamai HD Network for Bundled Delivery
Online video platform Brightcove is transitioning its bundled content delivery offering to the Akamai HD network, for which it will now be a value-added reseller. Jeff Whatcott, Brightcove's SVP of Marketing, explained to me last week that the decision was made in reaction to its customers' delivery requirements becoming more complex. Akamai HD's differentiators included improved economics, analytics, mobile delivery and global coverage among others.
Though the deal isn't exclusive, it will involve Brightcove moving over all of its customers who have been using the bundled delivery offering from Limelight, Brightcove's prior delivery partner. Jeff estimates more than 80% of Brightcove's customers take advantage of bundled delivery, though from Brightcove's standpoint, the fees it derives from delivery are small relative to its software and platform fees. Going forward, Brightcove will continue working with Limelight and other CDNs with whom it has relationships.
Categories: CDNs, Partnerships, Technology
Topics: Akamai, Brightcove, Limelight
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Netflix-Epix Deal Ratchets Up Importance of TV Everywhere
Today's Netflix-Epix deal should be setting off alarms in the CEO suites of major cable operators around the country that TV Everywhere must get rolled out ASAP. The Epix deal underscores the extent of Netflix's financial resources and its ambition to gain a bigger chunk both of consumers' entertainment mindshare and their spending.
The first, a shift in mindshare, is already underway. With 15 million subscribers, an expanding streaming library, countless ways to view (e.g. iPad, Xbox, Roku, Blu-ray, etc, etc), a value-packed $9/mo entry tier and a customer-focused brand, Netflix has established a reputation for itself as the cutting edge video leader. In social settings these days, it is practically inevitable that someone will bring up how they're streaming Netflix content to the device of their choosing and how cool it is. Conversely, despite the cable industry's numerous positive digital TV efforts, it is still dogged by lagging customer service, often confusing pricing tiers and suboptimal user experiences.
Categories: Aggregators, Cable TV Operators, Telcos
Topics: Comcast, EPIX, Netflix, Time Warner Cable
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