As hotels in the U.S. continue to offer faster Internet connections, an increasing number of guests are more inclined to stream video content via popular services such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu than opt for in-house video-on-demand. As a result, hotels are beginning to experience a significant decline in VOD use. Some have recently cut their adult-themed VOD content, and may eventually do the same with other on-demand offerings. However, this may not be the end of video-on-demand in hotels if providers make their services more competitive. Continue reading Streaming Services Send Hotel Room VOD to Chopping Block

TV technology is getting closer to monitoring and analyzing our facial expressions in order to distinguish between boredom and enthusiasm to better understand our viewing tastes. Software from media startup Affectiva could usher in a new frontier in television viewing, one in which our devices watch our reactions and offer content suggestions or enable brands to provide more targeted ads. If consumers are willing to allow their emotional data to be gathered, movie and TV show recommendations from Netflix, for example, could become more relevant. Continue reading Facial Monitoring Software Could Impact Your TV Experience

Atlanta-based United Parcel Service recently rolled out 100 industrial 3D printers at its hub in Louisville, Kentucky. UPS is testing whether 3D printing centers could impact supply chains and its transportation business — or prove advantageous for a new local production and delivery market. The company is proceeding cautiously; it does not want to see 3D printing cause a similar disruption to how the Internet undercut overnight document deliveries. The project is being run by Atlanta startup CloudDDM with plans to add another 900 printers next year. Continue reading UPS and CloudDDM Experiment with New 3D Printing Service

One year after the disappointing release of its Fire smartphone, Amazon is introducing a line of low-cost devices including a new tablet and smart TV plug-ins. The Seattle-based company debuted seven new products yesterday that are slated for release by this year’s holiday season. Among the announcements: a 7-inch Fire tablet with front- and rear-facing cameras that will run for less than $50, an updated $100 Fire TV set-top box that now supports 4K, and a Fire TV stick with voice-activated wand that turns your TV into a cloud-based personal assistant. Continue reading Amazon Debuts New Tablets and TV Devices to Lure Shoppers

Disney researchers are working on the “Linux Light Bulb,” a protocol that flashes out data using visible light, which could eventually be used to enable the “Internet of Toys.” “The bulbs are designed to work with gadgets and toys that may not need a full Wi-Fi or wireless component and instead will read data from the environment,” explains TechCrunch. “The technology is called Visible Light Communication.” According to researcher Stefan Mangold, who created the technology, “Communication with light enables a true Internet of Things as consumer devices that are equipped with LEDs but not radio links could be transformed into interactive communication nodes.”

Chicago recently extended its 9 percent “amusement” tax — originally intended primarily for live shows and sporting events — to include an array of online services. Now, subscribers to streaming services such as Netflix, Xbox Live and Spotify are fighting back with a lawsuit that contends taxing such digital entertainment should be ruled illegal. The policy challenge in Chicago could prove significant to the larger media industry since its outcome could possibly shape how cities and states could tax parts of the Internet economy in the future. Continue reading Lawsuit Claims Streaming Tax on Digital Entertainment is Illegal

YouTube multichannel network Fullscreen plans to roll out a subscription video service that will feature original and licensed programming including series, documentaries and feature length movies. While pricing and other specifics have yet to be released, the SVOD service is expected to launch in the next few months. “We think there’s an underserved audience out there,” said Fullscreen CEO George Strompolos at Variety’s Entertainment & Technology Summit. “We want to create a premium video environment where the best work can be made by Fullscreen and other studios.” Continue reading Fullscreen Planning SVOD Service to Target Youth Audiences

Cablevision has agreed to an acquisition offer of about $17.7 billion by European telecom giant Altice, which recently struck a $9.1 billion deal for Suddenlink Communications. “The transaction would further realign an industry already in upheaval as cable and telecom companies seek greater scale and negotiating power with content providers,” suggests The New York Times. “But the takeover of Cablevision… could also draw significant concern from regulators, particularly as control of the telecom market shrinks to fewer and fewer players.” Charter Communications has agreed to purchase Time Warner Cable, and AT&T recently completed a $48.5 billion deal for DirecTV.

Sharp announced that it plans to offer an 85-inch Super Hi-Vision 8K display at the end of October for 16,000,000 yen (about $133,034). Designed for professional use, the LV-85001 is a monitor rather than a TV, but includes a tuner. “Coming in at 16 times the resolution of 1080p screens, the 7,680 x 4,320 pixel LCD panel uses Sharp’s IGZO technology,” notes Engadget. “To actually watch any 8K video, you’ll need to plug into all four of its HDMI inputs at once just to have enough bandwidth.” While the delivery of 8K video is likely a few years away, broadcasters can use Sharp’s new display to continue testing the technology.

Snapchat, the social service that bases its model on disappearing messages, updated its app this week to provide the option of making messages reappear. The update also includes new photo lenses and trophies for completing tasks. “Snapchat began letting U.S. users replay three messages for 99 cents, the first time the company has charged for any feature in the free program,” The Wall Street Journal reports. “With more than 100 million users logging on to Snapchat every day, those cents could begin to add up.” The move could also prove beneficial to Apple, since the company typically receives 30 percent of in-app purchases.

Premium cable channel EPIX — a joint venture between Viacom, Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate and MGM — is getting ready to launch a new feature that will provide users with offline viewing capabilities on mobile devices, including Apple’s iPhone and iPad, Android phones and tablets, and Kindle Fire devices. The news follows Amazon’s recent announcement that its Prime members would be able to view Amazon Instant Video content offline. However, the EPIX feature will be included in the channel’s TV Everywhere apps, and will not be available to over-the-top subscribers. Continue reading EPIX is First Cable Network to Allow Offline Video Downloads

Virtual reality has a new first. The “Sleepy Hollow: VR Experience,” created for the Oculus Rift DK2 by Fox and Toronto-based Secret Location, was awarded an Emmy in the Interactive Media category for User Experience and Visual Design. An extension to Fox Television’s hit show, the project debuted at Comic-Con in San Diego. According to Engadget, “Another Emmy was handed to the team behind the ‘AMEX Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience’ app, a 360-degree video based on the singer’s Blank Space music video, which has been viewed over a billion times.”

During its press event ahead of the Tokyo Game Show, Sony announced that it has renamed its Project Morpheus virtual reality headset as PlayStation VR. Sony’s device will compete with the likes of Facebook’s Oculus Rift, Valve-HTC’s Vive headset, and others expected to hit the market in the near future. “The company didn’t say exactly when PlayStation VR would ship, but it said that it would demo a bunch of titles in the Japanese market,” reports VentureBeat. “The hardware will be available to try on the show floor of the TGS, which draws tens of thousands of fans.”

Sony has reportedly been in preliminary talks with companies regarding its Crackle video-streaming service and the possibility of offering skinny bundles of video channels. “The result could be a dramatic expansion of distribution for the advertising-supported service now largely available through Internet-connected TV sets, gaming consoles and other online devices,” suggests TheStreet. Dish Network’s Sling TV and Verizon FiOS are among the services that already offer special packages with a limited numbers of channels. According to comScore, Crackle has 27 million unique users per month.

Analysts seem to agree that the most promising aspect of the recently unveiled fourth-generation Apple TV is its App Store. A wave of compelling apps could easily generate more interest in the device. Plex, for example, which works with Chromecast and Fire TV as a tool for organizing personal media libraries, and has long been sought after by Apple TV users, is planning an app for the new Apple TV. Plex co-founder Scott Olechowski has confirmed plans for a new app as the team awaits the tvOS developer beta. Meanwhile, a tvOS version of the cross-platform VLC media player is also being planned. Continue reading Plex and VLC Streaming Media Apps Are Coming to Apple TV