Amazon unveiled two new Prime plans on its website, introducing a video-only option for monthly subscribers. The new offering could ramp up the competition between its video service and Netflix. The first new plan costs $8.99 per month to stream TV shows and movies through a video-only version of Prime, while the second runs $10.99 per month for all Prime benefits, including video and music streaming, free two-day shipping on Amazon purchases, and more. Amazon hopes to reach consumers that have been reluctant to pay $99 up front for an annual Prime membership. Continue reading Amazon Offers New Monthly Subs, No Annual Commitment

Apple has decided it will no longer support or update its QuickTime software for Windows PCs. The company recently posted instructions online for uninstalling the popular multimedia player. Windows PC users should note that keeping QuickTime on their computers could pose a risk since there will be no more security updates (two new security holes were discovered by researchers at Trend Micro just last week). Apple offers an alternative to QuickTime via iTunes for playing back video and audio files. Additionally, Microsoft has its own media player. Continue reading Windows Users are Encouraged to Uninstall Apple QuickTime

“Being There – Virtual Reality News and Documentaries” was the title of a panel on VR journalism at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. Panelists included senior journalists from Sky, RYOT, Condition One, and USA Today Network, as well as one of Google’s lead VR evangelists. Lessons learned include the importance of proximity (e.g. close-ups), making sure that everyone on the team has experience with the key steps in the workflow so they understand the process and can fill in for others, and the need to experiment and fail. The panelists hope that post-production tools improve soon so a greater portion of their time can be spent planning and shooting stories. Continue reading NAB Panel Addresses Impact of VR on News, Documentaries

European officials have charged Google with violating competition rules by favoring Android over rival mobile software. Europe’s competition chief Margrethe Vestager accused the tech giant of unfairly promoting its own mobile search and Chrome browser with phone makers. “We believe that Google’s behavior denies consumers a wider choice of mobile apps and services and stands in the way of innovation by other players,” said Vestager. From Brussels, the European Commission issued a release stating that Google has “abused its dominant position by imposing restrictions on Android device manufacturers and mobile network operators.” Continue reading European Officials Accuse Google of Breaking Antitrust Rules

YouTube has begun supporting 360-degree live streaming video and spatial audio. Google has supported 360-degree video since last year and spatial audio in the Cardboard since January via the company’s VR platform. This announcement broadens that support to the main YouTube platform. For YouTube creators, all that’s required is a camera that captures 360 video. From the end-user perspective, there’s no extra technology or headsets required to watch 360-degree live streams. The videos will play on any device, including desktop, tablet, iOS and Android. Continue reading YouTube Supports Live Streaming 360 Video and Spatial Audio

Korean grad students are developing an Environmental Modeling Scanner that takes an interesting approach to detailed scanning of complex and crowded environments. Their hardware/software capture volumetric architectural and décor details and, in post-processing, extract people and any other moving or unwanted elements from the model. The approach creates a model by scanning an environment, the result of which can be combined with other capture sessions. They are demonstrating their solution at the NAB Show’s VR Zone in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Continue reading Researchers Demo Environmental Modeling Scanner at NAB

Digital creative pioneer Mike Nichols, a leader in the transition of television to digital, died suddenly on Friday, April 15 of complications from a health issue. He was 57. It is with great sorrow that we share the sad news of Mike’s passing. The former Disney exec had been a great friend to the ETC over the years and was a creative force behind the development and deployment of ETCentric. We will miss our generous friend and talented colleague. Our thoughts are with the Nichols family and the many industry members Mike worked with over the years. For more on Mike’s impressive contributions to entertainment media, read our full post on ETCentric. Continue reading Mike Nichols, Played Key Role in TV and Online Development

ETC@USC has launched “The Suitcase Bingo Game” app in conjunction with the NAB Cloud Innovation Conference to encourage NAB participants to explore the latest in cloud production solutions. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices. The technologies were used in production of “The Suitcase,” the second short film to be produced through the Entertainment Technology Center and USC’s School of Cinematic Arts to test prove next generation workflow, use of the innovative C4 Framework, metadata, high dynamic range and 360 camera capture. Continue reading ETC Ties Suitcase Bingo Game App to NAB Cloud Conference

Netflix has launched support for high dynamic range streaming content, starting with the first season of “Marco Polo.” Fans of the original series who have HDR-supported TVs will be treated to vibrant visuals, including “much higher brightness levels and a greater range between dark and light,” explains PCWorld. “Subscribers will need Netflix’s 4K Ultra HD plan,” and the company “recommends Internet speeds of at least 25 Mbps per second.” While “Daredevil” will also get HDR in the future, Netflix has yet to announce additional series to do the same. LG, Samsung, Sharp, Sony and Vizio are among the TV manufacturers shipping HDR-supported sets. Continue reading Netflix HDR Video Streaming Looks Great, Requires Bandwidth

The UHD Alliance this week announced a new Ultra HD Premium certification and logo program for UHD Blu-ray players. The logo debuted at January’s CES as an easy way for consumers to identify TVs and Blu-ray titles that conform to the “premium” 4K Ultra HD ecosystem. “The group said 30 4K Ultra HD televisions have been certified under the Ultra HD Premium logo program to date, with more to follow,” reports HD Guru. “The premium logo is reserved for products, content and services that comply with performance metrics for resolution, high dynamic range (HDR), peak luminance, black levels and wide color gamut among others.” Continue reading Trade Group Extends Ultra HD Logo Program to Blu-ray Players

In a 21-page petition, a group comprised of the NAB, America’s Public Television Stations, the Consumer Technology Association and the AWARN Alliance is asking the FCC to authorize use of the new ATSC 3.0 transmission standard — what the collective refers to as “Next Generation TV” — in order to improve delivery of 4K broadcasting, streaming to smartphones and tablets, personalization features and IP-based services. ATSC 3.0 “will create the bedrock for continuing innovation by the television industry for decades to come,” claims the petition. Continue reading ATSC 3.0: NAB Calls on FCC to Authorize Next Generation TV

Washington and Silicon Valley are poised to clash again in the ongoing debate over encryption technology in relation to data privacy, law enforcement and national security. Senate Intelligence Committee chair Richard Burr (Republican, NC) and Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, CA), the panel’s vice chair, have introduced proposed legislation that would require companies to unlock encrypted devices when served a court order. Congress has been working on a balance between security and privacy regarding encryption, especially in the wake of the recent iPhone case. Continue reading Proposed Encryption Bill Faces Opposition from Silicon Valley

Vimeo has partnered with Spotlight Cinema Networks to bring its short-form indie video content to theaters. Each month, 1-3 Vimeo shorts will be featured in Spotlight’s 20-minute preshow before each movie screening. The Spotlight network has over 200 theaters nationwide, including indie and art house chains. “The company works with Angelika Film Center, Laemmle Theatres and Landmark Theatres, among others,” reports TechCrunch. Spotlight “is owned by Mark Cuban, Todd Wagner and Arthouse Marketing Group” and works with indie chains, “specifically those catering to an upscale, 18+ audience.” Continue reading Vimeo Indie Vids Coming to the Silver Screen This Weekend

During Facebook’s F8 developer conference in San Francisco yesterday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the social giant is making its Live API available to developers in an effort to take video streaming via Live beyond smartphones to third-party apps and other devices. “Zuckerberg demonstrated this with a drone flying on stage, streaming video in real time to Facebook Live,” explains Variety. “Of course, integrating Facebook Live should also open up the platform to broadcasters and other professional content producers that don’t want to use a phone to stream their videos.” Early partners testing live streaming of non-mobile video feeds include Ooyala, Grabyo and Mevo. Continue reading Facebook Offers Live Streaming for Broadcast, Drones, More

Atom Tickets has signed partnerships with Regal Entertainment and AMC Entertainment theater chains. The digital movie-ticketing startup’s launch, slated to roll out in June, will cover most of the country as a result of the agreement. Atom’s investors include Lions Gate, Disney and Twentieth Century Fox. The startup “uses a mobile app to help moviegoers organize groups to go to movies together,” explains The Wall Street Journal. “The company is betting that making it easier for friends and family to plan film outings on their phones will boost theater attendance and concession sales, particularly among young people.” Continue reading Digital Ticketing Startup Partners with Major Theater Chains