Online Video: Digital Content NewFronts Mark Potential Shift in Marketing

  • The Digital Content NewFronts have featured Web platforms pitching their original content in addition to marketers that are ready to invest in online video and digital ads.
  • AOL, Google (YouTube), Hulu, Microsoft, Vevo and Yahoo were among those that held major events at the NewFronts. It’s not yet clear how much of the $70 billion brands spend on TV advertising will be diverted, but online video is already being perceived as a powerful marketing tool.
  • The NewFronts (or new upfronts) were originally conceived as a way “to beat a drum for change,” explains Mark Beeching, chief creative and strategy officer at Digitas, but “now, it’s servicing a need.”
  • “To woo Madison Avenue, the participants in the NewFronts are playing up similarities between television shows and digital content, particularly online video,” reports The New York Times. “There have been numerous announcements of new original programming, emulating the series format of TV; branded entertainment, in which products are woven into plot lines; and alliances with famous names.”
  • Ross B. Levinsohn, executive VP for global media at Yahoo, described the NewFronts as “a watershed moment” that he expects will be followed by new trends in online video content and a subsequent shift of ad dollars.

LG Launches Cloud Storage Service: Syncs PCs, Smart TVs and Phones

  • In the wake of cloud storage offerings from HTC, Apple, Amazon, Walmart and most recently Google, LG has announced its new LG Cloud, which offers 5GB of free space and syncing between PCs, Smart TVs and Android phones.
  • It is expected that storage up to 50GB will be offered, although pricing has not been announced.
  • “To send a file to the LG Cloud you can use the website, a downloadable client for Windows computers, or via a dedicated Android application,” reports Digital Trends. “The app is free to download from the Android Market, but needs either Android 2.2, 2.3 or 4.0 installed. LG adds that an iPhone and iPad app is in the works, too.”
  • The PC client includes Folder Sync for duplicating files in the cloud to be shared with other devices. Auto syncing is also available with the Android app for use with photos taken by smartphones.
  • “Videos uploaded to the cloud can be streamed to your TV or phone, including HD, 2D and 3D content, and all files are converted on-the-fly to match your device,” indicates the post.

Television Apps for Tablets on the Rise, but Industry Remains Unsure

  • In response to consumers who have been quick to embrace the tablet PC, there is a push to make the television experience more like the tablet experience. We’re seeing rapid development of apps from video providers, cable channels and broadcast networks.
  • “While still in its early stages, the idea has taken off among tech-loving consumers, and companies are trying to satisfy them,” reports The New York Times.
  • “Already, apps for Hulu Plus, Netflix and Wal-Mart’s Vudu streaming service, among others, are built into Internet-enabled televisions,” explains the article. “Devices like Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and the streaming video player Roku let viewers watch apps that mimic channels. New sets by Samsung and others come with built-in apps loaded with television shows, movies and sports.”
  • However, how these apps will impact the TV experience is not yet known.
  • “The question that hasn’t yet been answered is whether television viewing will consist of a single app that mimics the pay TV bundle or a series of different apps that together form a content experience,” suggests Jon Miller, chief digital officer at News Corp.
  • “A model built around TV apps, however, could let viewers use favorite apps on the screen on an á la carte basis, thus bypassing cable subscriptions and all the extraneous channels they don’t watch,” adds the article. “And therein lies the tension that has the television industry delicately assessing how to balance the current system with an Internet-based future that some feel is inevitable.”
  • Regardless, development of TV apps is expected to increase. “I’ve told my bosses, ‘This is beachfront real estate. Buy in now,’” says Lisa Hsia, executive VP of digital media at NBCUniversal’s Bravo channel.

Should Google Super-High-Speed Internet Service Worry Hollywood?

  • Hollywood studios are reportedly concerned that Google’s development of a super-high-speed Internet service in Kansas City may encourage users to illegally download content.
  • Google has strung more than 100 miles of cable in Kansas and Missouri with plans to connect homes in the next few months. Meanwhile, its test network in Palo Alto has been providing download speeds of 922Mbps and upload speeds of 883Mbps.
  • “The search giant has said it hopes to spur innovation among cable companies and Internet service providers by demonstrating what’s possible with Internet speeds 100 times faster than the U.S. average,” reports Businessweek. “The project could also foreshadow dramatic changes for Hollywood, both because of the specter of piracy and Google’s possible experiments with new ways to distribute content legally.”
  • “Google Fiber will definitely be a disruptive force. The studios know that if we stick our heads in the sand, we will fail, pure and simple,” said Mitch Singer, chief digital strategy officer for Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Mobile Video: Local TV Broadcasters Continue to Battle Streaming Services

  • Consumers are increasingly turning to mobile devices to watch video, which is creating opportunities for content providers.
  • However, fear of forfeiting retransmission fees or running into copyright problems has prevented most local TV stations from leveraging the technology.
  • As a result, companies such as FilmOn, Ivi and Aereo have emerged, causing TV networks to seek legal action.
  • “That doesn’t mean broadcasters are ignoring the demand for their content on mobile; they’re just taking another route,” reports Variety. “The solution is much more of a technical feat: Delivery of dedicated mobile TV signals to portable devices specially equipped with receivers. That includes news, sports, traffic, weather and emergency alerts. Some 120 stations are transmitting mobile digital TV signals, according to the Open Mobile Video Coalition.”
  • Aereo believes its streaming of New York stations via thumbnail-sized antennas for capturing broadcast signals is a legal option, but the issue of violating copyright law has been raised. In Portland, Skitter is streaming channels to Roku boxes, “with an eye to offering them via mobile apps,” indicates the article. “Skitter is believed to be on more solid footing because it has obtained retrans licenses from broadcasters to stream their signals.”

StumbleUpon Drives More Website Traffic than any Other Social Network

  • Discovery service StumbleUpon passed the 25 million user milestone last week, gaining approximately one million users per month since reaching 20 million users in October 2011.
  • StumbleUpon was purchased by eBay in 2007 and then became independent again two years later. It has nearly quadrupled its user base in the last three years.
  • “For all intents and purposes this is a new company since the spin out from eBay,” explains Marc Leibowitz, StumbleUpon VP of business development and marketing. “Virtually all of the 120 employees we have today have joined since then [when there were about 30 employees].”
  • Although its numbers pale in comparison to those of Facebook and Twitter, at its current growth rate StumbleUpon is poised to become a mainstream social network.
  • “The recommendation engine, by one StatCounter study’s measure, is already responsible for referring more traffic to websites than any other social network in the U.S. It has more than 75,000 advertisers,” reports Mashable. “And its users are active — according to Leibowitz, on average they spend about seven hours every month hitting the Stumble button.”

NHK and Panasonic Unveil 145-inch Ultra HD Plasma with 34 Million Pixels

  • NHK (the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation), working in conjunction with Panasonic, has developed a 145-inch Ultra High Definition plasma display — or Super Hi-Vision TV as NHK calls it.
  • Digital Trends reports that the set is innovative for two reasons: “First, the television is among the few of its kind that does not a require backlight like most televisions do today. Second, to avoid emitting flickering images on its 4,320 x 7,680 pixel screen, it employs a novel drive system that stabilizes its 34 million pixels.”
  • “Even when viewed from 1.6 meters away, this Ultra High Definition display makes you feel as if you’re looking at a real screen,” claims Panasonic CTO Hideo Toyoda. “It doesn’t use 3D technology, but the picture is so realistic, you feel truly immersed in the scene.”
  • The 16:9 TV delivers images at 60fps, while the pixel pitch is 0.417mm horizontal and 0.417mm vertical. The article suggests the image “rivals IMAX theaters in detail.”
  • Last year, NHK unveiled an 85-inch LCD display in conjunction with Sharp. Unfortunately, both sets are prototypes and are not expected to be available anytime soon.
  • “Roger Mosey, the BBC’s Director of the 2012 London Olympic Games coverage, who is responsible for testing three Super-High Vision 50-feet high screens, revealed that the Sharp 85-inch screens will not be made available until at least 2022,” explains Digital Trends.
  • The post includes a 2-minute video demo of the 145-inch Ultra High Definition display.

DirecTV Updates its Android App for Streaming TV Shows and Movies

  • DirecTV has updated its Android app to offer streaming movies and TV shows on smartphones and tablets.
  • “Similar to the DirecTV ‘Everywhere’ iPad application currently in beta, DirecTV subscribers can access selected programming from Cinemax, Encore, HBO, the Sony Movie Channel and Starz assuming that these premium network subscriptions are bundled into their monthly package,” reports Digital Trends.
  • “While users could already stream content from HBO and Cinemax in the respective HBO GO and MAX GO Android applications, this allows DirecTV subscribers to browse through all premium content in a single app,” explains the post.
  • The app is available on the Google Play store for Gingerbread, Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich operating systems. Subscribers can also stream pay-per-view movies and manage recordings on their home DVRs.
  • “Subscribers can stream content over Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G connections, but Android owners without an unlimited data plan should be wary of data caps when watching streaming video,” warns the post.
  • The app includes a discovery tool for checking out content others are viewing and the ability to pick up where a video stops (for example, watch a movie or show on your morning commute, stop it and close the app, and continue watching where you left off at a later time).
  • An updated iPad app is slated for release in the next three to four months.

New Philips PicoPix 2480 Features MP4 Player and Built-In Speaker

  • Philips new PicoPix 2480 projector is capable of projecting images up to 120 inches, according to the manufacturer.
  • The $480 compact projector uses light-emitting diodes and has an integrated MP4 player and built-in speaker. The device is ideal for use with laptops, smartphones, cameras and tablets.
  • “Compact enough to fit in a small bag, the PicoPix 2480 has USB, HDMI, VGA, component and composite connectivity, an SD/SDHC slot and 2GB of internal memory,” reports Pocket-lint.
  • “With two hours battery life you might want to have a power source nearby if you’re projecting a feature-length film, for example, but for boring — we mean showing — your friends and family your holiday snaps blown up, it should do the job,” adds the post.
  • According to Philips, the PicoPix 2480 uses LED tech for 854 x 480 resolution and 1000:1 contrast ratio at its maximum projection of 120 inches.

Researcher Claims Affordable Ultrabooks Will Not Challenge MacBook Air

  • Market research firm IHS iSuppli predicts that ultrabooks priced in the $700 range will not directly compete with Apple’s MacBook Air, since they will have smaller displays and hard-disk drives instead of solid-state drives.
  • Higher-priced ultrabooks will feature touch screens and Intel’s Ivy Bridge processors later this year, but so will the MacBook Air, notes IHS iSuppli.
  • “More compromises will come in display, storage and memory. Cheap ultrabook screens will stay stuck at 1366 x 768, compared to the 13-inch MacBook Air’s 1440 x 900,” reports ReadWriteWeb. “Perhaps most significantly, storage will likely be handled by a conventional 2.5-inch hard drive instead of the pricier solid-state drives that make using a high-end ultrabook such a fast, seamless experience. Memory capacity will also be less: 2GB versus 4GB in higher-end systems.”
  • In order to make a profit on a $700 ultrabook, manufacturers need to get the cost of materials and production down to $500 per unit. As a result, some may seem no different than a low-end laptop.
  • “An ultrabook in a plastic enclosure just looks like a thin laptop, as opposed to an entirely new product,” says Kevin Keller, senior principal analyst for iSuppli.
  • “The real question, perhaps, is not whether PC makers can come up with $700 ultrabooks to appeal to cheapskates, but how much they’ll have to charge for upcoming high-end Windows 8 ultrabooks that really can take on the MacBook Air,” comments the article.

Still in the Picture: Digital Camera Sales Defy Impact of Smartphones

  • Despite predictions that cameras will be made obsolete by smartphones, Japanese manufacturers report that they shipped nearly three times as many cameras in January as they did during the same period in 2003.
  • “For several years, it has been predicted that smartphone adoption would cut into digital camera sales,” said Prashant Malaviya, associate professor of marketing at Georgetown University. “In fact, the exact opposite has happened.”
  • “Surveys by NPD In-Stat last November show that while more than a quarter of all American photos were taken by a smartphone, more people were buying cameras with detachable lenses or cameras with optical zooms of 10x or more,” notes Reuters.
  • The quality of images and the development of mirrorless cameras are among the strengths of the camera industry. However, point-and-shoot cameras are vulnerable to recent improvements in smartphone cameras.
  • NPD In-Stat senior digital imaging analyst Liz Cutting also notes that people generally don’t trust phones or point-and-shoots for important personal images and family photographs.
  • “It’s part of who you are, showing the kind of brand of camera you have,” she says. “But it’s also trusting the quality of that memory because that’s how you remember your life.”
  • “Camera photography is certainly not dead,” Cutting adds. “We’re just seeing a skewing towards what the smartphone can’t deliver. People are recognizing that and are going for a higher end camera.”

Zune Replacement: Microsoft to Unveil Cross-Platform Xbox Music Service

  • Microsoft plans to introduce a streaming music service at the E3 Gaming Expo in June, which is expected to be a replacement for Zune.
  • The Xbox-branded product, code-named “Woodstock,” will reportedly work across a range of platforms, including Android and iOS devices as well as the new Windows 8 system.
  • “Previously described as ‘Spotify-like,’ the service won’t require any browser plugins and is said to integrate deeply with Facebook, allowing friends to build group playlists and share tracks,” notes The Verge.
  • “Microsoft’s service will also include a ‘scan and match’ feature, similar to iTunes Match, which will let users find songs from their current library within the platform,” reports CNET.
  • A launch date and pricing has yet to be reported.

Sony to Launch Cloud-Based Music Service to Compete with iTunes

  • Sony has announced plans to introduce its cloud-based Music Unlimited service this year, featuring a catalog of 15 million songs.
  • “Music content could be a key factor to revive Sony,” said Takashi Watanabe, an analyst at Goldman Sachs Group in Tokyo.“The time is over where an electronics company can excel just because it has a good device. You have to have a very good platform to capture your clients within your system.”
  • Content from Sony’s own music units includes songs from artists such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Bruce Springsteen. The catalog offerings also include tracks from Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group.
  • Apple’s iTunes currently offers approximately 20 million titles, while Spotify offers more than 16 million songs.
  • “Music Unlimited lets users stream songs via Web-connected Bravia televisions, some Walkman models, PlayStation game players, personal computers and Android-based mobile phones. The service was expanded to the PlayStation Vita in March after being enabled on Sony Tablets and other Android-based tablets in October,” according to Bloomberg.

LinkedIn Heads in a New Social Direction with Launch of iPad App

  • LinkedIn launched its much-anticipated iPad app on Wednesday. “Redesigned from the ground up, the tablet version looks nothing like the LinkedIn website; it’s more akin to a social news aggregator,” comments Mashable.
  • The professional social network’s 150 million users can now use the Flipboard-influenced design to access three options: updates, profile and inbox.
  • While profile and inbox are self-explanatory, updates will include stories shared by friends and details regarding friends changing jobs.
  • Additionally, the app provides info from a user’s Google Calendar or Exchange calendar.
  • “More than 22 percent of LinkedIn traffic comes from mobile devices; a year ago, that figure was 8 percent,” reports Mashable.

Digital NewFront Updates: Katie Couric to Host ABC News Show on Yahoo

  • Yahoo! and VEVO presented Digital Content NewFront events yesterday in New York City, each announcing original programming scheduled for the coming year.
  • Katie Couric will host her own ABC News show on Yahoo! called “Katie’s Take,” a weekly online-only series debuting May 1 that will have its own page dedicated to the program. This will be one of several shows on Yahoo! that will be offered to ad buyers to get them to spend TV ad dollars on digital. The launch sponsor will be Nestle’s Poland Spring Natural Water.
  • Yahoo! also announced: “Electric City,” an animated sci-fi series produced by Tom Hanks; “Cybergeddon,” a feature length film to be released in segments, written and directed by Anthony Zuiker;  a talk show hosted by Jeff Goldblum and produced by Yahoo! Studios; “Stunt Nation,” a weekly five-minute show; and “KaBOOM!” a three-minute show featuring “ridiculously fun objects getting blown to smithereens.”
  • Primarily known for music videos, VEVO announced six new series, including: a singing competition program, a scripted musical comedy series, a dating show, a comedy series about album covers, a show that searches the country for talented female musicians, and a show detailing the music culture of specific cities.