Comcast Getting into the IPTV Game

10/31/2006 - 01:17 AM >> Convergence, Death of TV, Tech Trends

Looks like Comcast is dipping their toe in the IPTV waters:

Don’t be afraid. It’s only the future.

On Halloween, something called FearNet is set to make its debut, offering scary movies and other horror programming on demand.

The video service will be available through not just a digital cable channel, but also online at FearNet.com and via mobile phones, suggesting a prototype for what TV networks will be in the years to come, if not sooner.

It’s a niche service set up to offer viewers its programming completely on the terms of their choosing--how, when and wherever they want it.

Starting with niche programming sounds like a great idea but is there enough of an audience to justify the new infrastructure?

Are they really that afraid that putting popular content will cannabilize their current viewership?

Comments (0)

Is it the Union’s Fault?

10/30/2006 - 10:50 AM >> Death of TV, Hack the Planet, Tech & Society

The always insightful Jeff Jarvis makes a jab at the massive Union-related expenses at TV networks:

We are about to see an implosion of the expensive and outmoded infrastructure of media: the presses and trucks of news, the production priesthood of TV, the money that goes to everything but the information and creativity that really matter. This is good news.

On the way to one of three meetings I happened to have this week with people who are starting new, lightweight networks — because the internet lets them — I walked by a location shoot for a TV show. We see them all the time, we jaded New Yorkers, and so we’re never amazed. But what does not cease to amaze me is all the stuff it takes — or they think it takes — to shoot a show: trucks filled with lights and cables and plugs, handcarts filled just with the director’s chairs with stars names on the back, bins overflowing even with wooden boxes with the Paramount logo on the side, assistant directors running around trying to act more important than the snotty gophers they are, catering trucks with expensive caterers: expense everywhere.

While not explicitly indicting the unions, the comment stream becomes an interesting collection of anti-union sentiment. But is Jeff missing the point here? Big trucks might look intimidating but not everything looks good when shot handheld on a PD-150.

Comments (0)

Where’s the Money?

10/27/2006 - 12:29 PM >> Broadband, Convergence, Death of TV

Are you old enough to remember Where’s the Beef? Now say it again but replace Beef with Money:

In 2007, U.S. advertisers will spend $5 million on online video ads. By 2011, the amount spent is expected to grow 160 percent to $1.3 billion. While spending on text ads will continue to represent a greater part of the total online advertising market, the segment is expected to grow at a slower rate—45 percent—over the same period, according to the Jupiter forecast.

Let’s ignore for the fact that their math is wrong (magazine writers aren’t exactly noted for their arithmetic). With all the buzz around online video lately you’d think that there was piles of cash just sitting around for the taking. $5 million? That’s it? There are a lot of new companies that are going to be out of business soon. The entire market in five years will be less than the entire amount Google spent on YouTube.

Comments (1)

Why Upload Only the Bad TV Shows?

10/24/2006 - 03:56 PM >> Convergence, Death of TV, Tech Trends

Marshall Kirkpatrick over at TechCrunch laments rather than welcomes Fox’s announced plan to put episodes of the O.C. on Myspace:

In some ways then, this is just a little toe being put in the water and the TV strategy remains the same it’s always been. We’ll know the web is being taken seriously as a platform when shows in high demand are put online and kept online.

Marshall is probably giving way too much credit to Fox. They probably have no idea what to do with the goldmine that is Myspace and therefore make only “toe-dipping” excursions into that large scary wormhole we call the internets. Fortunately for us, there are still plenty of illegitimate places to get the latest episodes of shows we’d never admit to enjoying in public.

Comments (0)

More Concessions to Local TV Affiliates?

10/18/2006 - 12:10 AM >> Convergence, Death of TV, Future Formats

An interesting approach:

Local news video from 16 CBS-owned television stations will be available on online portal Yahoo Inc., the companies said on Monday.

Splitting the ad revenue with Yahoo may cut profits but gives local TV affiliates a way to feel that they are not being given the cold shoulder. How long will CBS use a middleman before hosting the local stations themselves? Presumably those affiliates will want to see some profits from the online ads to make up for the lost audience share.

Comments (0)

Biggest Con Ever?

10/09/2006 - 04:49 PM >> Copyfight, Death of TV, Future Formats

An anonymous commenter over at TechCrunch summarizes some of our feelings about Google’s purchase of YouTube today:

seriously, is this the biggest con of all time? 1.65 biiiillion, for huge bandwidth bills, a lot of users who understand the word “free”, and a solid application that converts various video formats to flash? 1.65 billion for a flash conversion utility?

Unfortunately the commenter left out the saddest part which is the multitudes of copyright holders who held back from suing because YouTube didn’t have deep pockets. Let the games begin!

On the other hand, we should point out that the sale was paid for entirely with Google stock, so the funny money made the deal seem a lot larger than it might have been with cold hard cash.

Comments (0)

Skype Founders’ Venice Project Revealed

10/06/2006 - 02:55 PM >> Convergence, Death of TV, Future Formats

"The Venice Project” is the super-secret startup by the founders of Kazaa and Skype which aims to really kill your television:

While the software turns your PC screen into something that looks a lot like your TV, the capabilities go far beyond anything you’ll experience in your den. Jiggle your computer mouse, and a variety of tools appear along the edges of the screen, even as the video continues to play. At the bottom of the screen, there are controls like those on a DVD player, including stop, pause, and fast-forward, as well as a search window to find new videos. An image on the left includes a menu of preset channels. And on the right, there’s a set of interactive tools that let you share video playlists with friends or family. An image at the top of the screen identifies the channel and the name of the clip you’re watching. All of the images can be expanded by clicking on them with a mouse.

Comments (0)