-
WSJ Live App Makes An Impressive Debut
The Wall Street Journal has unveiled "WSJ Live," a free app for the iPad and various connected devices. I downloaded it and spent some time with it on my iPad, and can report that it's quite impressive and a welcome addition to the small group of high-quality video-centric iPad apps (e.g. HBO GO, Netflix, ABC, TV.com, etc.).
One thing in particular that's very clever about the app is how it mixes live streams with on-demand choices. In its press release, the WSJ said that WSJ Live provides up to four hours of live programming each business day, which includes seven half-hour shows. These shows are augmented with tons of on-demand videos, each of which has a thumbnail image along with a time and date-stamp and its run time. The result is that it feels like there's a lot of choice at WSJ Live, which is easy to navigate by scrolling the thumbnails, using a text strip at the bottom with category headings or popping up a daily program guide. Users can also easily jump to most popular and most recently viewed categories.
Categories: Devices, Newspapers
Topics: Wall Street Journal, WSJ Live
-
So Far Fox is Alone Among Networks With Authenticated Pay-TV Window
With the fall TV season upon us, Fox is alone among broadcast networks in deciding to create an 8-day authentication window for pay-TV subscribers. In fact, NBC appears to be taking the opposite posture, announcing last Friday
that its iPad app would now include all the same episodes that it makes available online (and I've confirmed they'll all be available in the iPad next day as well). CBS hasn't announced any plans to change its distribution through its web site or TV.com. And despite some vague signals to the contrary by Disney CEO Bob Iger, ABC, which has been the leader among broadcast networks in embracing online/mobile distribution, hasn't announced any changes either.
Categories: Broadcasters
Topics: ABC, CBS, Comcast, FOX, NBC
-
Ooyala Gets Social With Facebook Integration
Online video platform Ooyala is announcing Ooyala Social this morning, including a deep integration with Facebook that enhances the popular social network's opportunity to become a meaningful video distribution platform by leveraging "social graph" information. The first content provider to use some components of Ooyala Social is film studio Miramax, which several weeks ago began offering 20 movies for rental on Facebook through its Miramax eXperience app. Ooyala CEO Jay Fulcher gave me a rundown of Ooyala Social last week and group marketing manager Nick Edwards walked me through the how Miramax is using Ooyala Social so far.
Categories: Social Media, Technology
Topics: Facebook, Ooyala Social
-
KIT Digital Releases New Platform With Features for Social and Connected Devices
Technology provider KIT Digital released the newest generation of its KIT Video Platform today. There are two editions, KIT Cloud, positioned as an
online video platform for content providers seeking a turnkey solution, and KIT Cosmos, which is targeted for pay-TV and over-the-top video providers who want to deliver a full multi-screen experience to subscribers. KIT is also announcing new social TV features and a "Connected Device Framework." Alex Blum, KIT's COO and Gannon Hall, its EVP, Global Marketing, recently brought me up to speed on the news.
Categories: Technology
Topics: KIT Digital
-
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
VideoNuze Posts
Connect with VideoNuze
Exclusive News Roundup
- Roku Drives Up Revenue 15%, Turns in Surprise Profit in Solid Q2 Earnings Beat Variety
- Australia widens teen social media ban to YouTube, scraps exemption Reuters
- YouTube tells creators they can drop more F-bombs The Verge
- YouTube pulls ahead of ITV as second-most watched UK channel Financial Times
- WBD reveals new names for cable networks business, film studio The Desk
- 33% of US Internet Households Subscribe to a Direct-to-Consumer Sports Streaming Service TV Tech
