Smartphone owners used apps to watch an average of 6.9 minutes of video content each day on their phones in August, according to NPD DisplaySearch.
The figure represents an 86 percent jump from the previous year, but still trails other activities such as gaming and social networking.
“We expect usage to increase in step with 4G networks and devices, better form factors (larger screens), and more compelling apps,” NPD’s Linda Barrabee wrote in a blog post.
NPD DisplaySearch also points out that the diagonal size of displays for multiple devices continues to increase, with the exception of mobile PCs. The research firm predicts a 38 percent increase in mobile phone screen size between 2010-2013.
“Average sizes are expected to fall from 13.6-inches to 12.2-inches between 2010 and 2013 in the mobile PC segment, and if Microsoft’s new Windows 8 OS makes the splash in tablets the company seems to be hoping it will with the Surface and third-party offerings, that number could go even lower as 10-inch devices flood the market,” reports TechCrunch.
It looks like the pricing for Microsoft’s upcoming Windows RT Surface tablet will start at $500 — with a TouchCover keyboard case available for an additional $100.
“The pricing and specifications of the new Surface tablets were briefly revealed at Microsoft’s online store today on a page that was quickly pulled,” reported Digital Trends on Tuesday.
“The 32GB version of the ARM-based Surface tablet running Windows RT (a version of Windows 8) will set you back $500,” notes the post. “The 64GB version with the black TouchCover keyboard case will set you back $700.”
The TypeCover keyboard will reportedly be offered for $130, while the $100 TouchCovers will be available in a range of colors. The new tablets are expected to go on sale immediately following the scheduled Windows 8 event on October 25.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft has ordered 3-5 million Surface tablets for the fourth quarter. “That’s reportedly on a par with the numbers Amazon and Google ordered of the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 respectively, but way below the 10 million iPad minis that Apple has supposedly ordered,” notes Digital Trends.
Samsung has unveiled its new lineup of Windows 8-powered desktops, laptops and what is being called “Smart PCs” (essentially laptop-tablet hybrids).
The ATIV Smart PCs run from the 500T model ($650 without the detachable keyboard) to the $1,200 Pro 700T. “Samsung did not reveal any tablets running Windows RT, but we expect that might come later this year and cost less than the ATIV Smart PC 500T,” reports VentureBeat.
“The Smart PC is a new category driven by innovation and UI, with Windows 8 as the linchpin,” explains Tim Baxter, head of Samsung America consumer electronics.
“Tablets and smartphones are ushering in a new era of computing mobility,” he told reporters. “New categories will arise as a result of this.”
Samsung’s new $450-$1,400 laptops include the 13- and 15-inch Series 9 Premium Ultrabook, 15-inch Series 7 Notebook, 13.3-inch Series 5 Ultra Touch (with touch screen) and Series 3 Notebook. The Series 5 and Series 7 all-in-ones range from 21.5- to 27-inches.
The post includes a breakdown of all the announced offerings and an accompanying photo gallery.
Samsung has signed a deal with Spotify that will allow direct music streaming from Samsung TVs for consumers with premium subscription memberships.
“The deal will give Samsung a new way to promote its televisions; Spotify, meanwhile, hopes the arrangement offers a new incentive for consumers to pay for its subscription service rather than use its advertising-backed, free-of-charge offering,” reports the Wall Street Journal.
The partnership comes as numerous tech companies are entering the growing music-streaming market.
“Digital-music sales, including both streaming and downloads, are expected to soon overtake sales of physical CDs as the main source of revenue for music labels and publishers,” explains WSJ.
Transitioning customers to pay for the subscription service may become more important to Spotify since its ad sales growth is reportedly slowing.
Samsung E-series sets will include a software application that enables streaming via Spotify. The application will first be available to owners of Samsung TVs in the UK, France, Germany and Scandinavia. The company plans to expand the service to its Blu-ray players and home theater systems by the end of 2012.
“Last year Samsung launched its own music service, called Samsung Music Hub, but analysts say the deal with Spotify may signal that Samsung may now realizes how hard it is to ink music streaming deals with record labels,” notes the article.
Twentieth Century Fox will release the 2004 Will Smith sci-fi film “I, Robot” next week on Blu-ray 3D.
The release will make history as the first title to be remastered in 3D exclusively for the home market. The studio indicates additional library titles will be converted for Blu-ray re-release in 3D.
“Using the new JVC Kenwood 2D3D workstation — technology that was developed in collaboration with Fox and first previewed in public last winter at the Hollywood Post Alliance Technology Retreat — Fox is in the process of converting a ‘handful’ of additional titles, though the studio declined to name them,” writes Carolyn Giardina for The Hollywood Reporter.
Launching a successful 3D market for the home will require additional content, but the cost of 3D conversion can average $30,000-$100,000 per minute, according to some estimates.
“While Fox isn’t commenting on the cost for using the new JVC technology, Ian Harvey, senior VP, advanced technology at Fox, indicated that it is less than other techniques and services that Fox has explored,” reports Giardina.
However, Harvey is not promoting the conversion technology for new productions. “They should still shoot new films in 3D,” he suggests. “There are still issues on any conversion. It is not like ‘Avatar.’”
Acer has unveiled a portion of its Windows 8 line-up with two all-in-one PCs and a pair of monitors featuring 1080p touchscreen displays.
The company announced its 27-inch 7600U and 23-inch 5600U high-end desktop computers, both with 1080p displays that include a tilt mechanism for reclining at an 80-degree angle.
“They also boost a super-thin design that is no more than 1.4 inches thick,” reports Digital Trends. “A 10-point capacitive touch screen is available on select models.”
The 7600U will include a Core i5-3210M processor, 8GB of RAM, Nvidia GT 640M GPU and Blu-ray drive. The 5600U will have similar offerings, minus the discrete graphics solution and Blu-ray drive. Both include HDMI, USB 3.0, Bluetooth and 802.11 a/b/g/n.
“Pricing for the 5600U starts at $1,149 with a touchscreen or $999 without,” notes the post. “The premium 7600U starts at $1,899 and will only be available with a touchscreen.” The 5600U will be available for the Windows 8 launch, while the 7600U will debut in late November.
For those solely interested in a touchscreen display, Acer will release two displays with 1080p resolution and 10-point capacitive touch panel with IPS technology. Additional features include built-in speakers, USB 3.0 ports, VGA, DVI and HDMI.
“Pricing on the 23-inch T232HL starts at $499 while the 27-inch T272HL starts at $699,” explains the post. “These prices could prove very competitive if image quality is on par with other IPS monitors.”
Sling Media has released two new devices that stream 1080p HD content to TVs, PCs, tablets and smartphones. The new devices are the first from the company in four years.
Both provide HD streaming. The $300 Slingbox 500 features HDMI connections and dual-band Wi-Fi, while the $180 350 model is more compact and has simplified the set-up process.
“The 500 adds a rough first go of a promising new feature called SlingProjector which makes it possible to stream content, such as photos, from your mobile devices or computers back to the TV,” reports CNN.
“The company is also updating the companion software, SlingPlayer, and temporarily dropping its price from $30 to $15 for iOS, Android and Windows Phone apps,” adds the article.
CNN notes one limitation: The TV can only be controlled by one person at a time, “so if you’re trying to stream ‘True Blood’ from a hotel in New York while your husband and kids are watching ‘SpongeBob’ at home in California, their channel will change.”
The social TV market and second screen viewing is poised for double-digit growth in the next five years, suggests a report by research firm MarketsandMarkets.
Social TV is expected to grow from $151.14 billion in 2012 to $256.44 billion by 2017.
“Broadcasters are developing and enriching social TV integration; they are targeting the tune-in customer, engagement and their loyalty to boost the rating and they are also discovering the social TV challenge,” notes the report.
Europe currently leads the charge in social TV revenue. The report calculates $55.48 billion will be taken in this year, growing to $77.74 billion in five years.
Social TV startups are drawing investments from established media and tech companies. Additionally, the market is seeing increased connections between broadcasters and social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
“Social is truly emerging as a coalition of television and social media, wherein newer formats are being developed to enhance viewer engagement and encourage paid transactions,” adds the report. “Many media and tech companies such as Hearst, Time Warner, BSkyB, and Google are backing several social TV startups, with huge investments.”
Oscar-nominated film director David Fincher is using Kickstarter to fund his newest film project. He’s been working with VFX house Blur Studio to develop a comic book adaptation of “The Goon.”
“After becoming frustrated with their search for backing, Fincher and team have decided to take to the crowd funding website to ask for money to develop their animated take on the film,” reports Slate.
“They’re not asking for the millions it would take to fund the whole project, but they are asking for $400,000 to develop what animators call a ‘story reel’ to help sell the feature film.”
“Mobsters. Zombies. Killer robots. Demon priests. Sound like your typical animated film? Didn’t think so… now let’s get it made!” reads the Kickstarter page, which indicates $127,079 has already been raised.
The team jokes about producing an adaptation that is “loud, violent, and offensive to your grandma” — an approach that Slate suggests has been the problem in raising traditional funding.
Those who pledge money will receive “goodie-bag-style” souvenirs, including original art, t-shirts and/or access to the film’s production blog.
“Fincher isn’t the first high-profile filmmaker to turn to Kickstarter,” notes the article. “Back in July, writer-director Charlie Kaufman turned to Kickstarter to fund his animated debut ‘Anomalisa,’ raising a record-breaking $400,000 toward an original $200,000 goal.”
Microsoft is taking another stab at digital music with a new service that runs on Windows-powered PCs, tablets and the Xbox game console. The Xbox Music service will offer unlimited streaming of about 18 million songs in the U.S. (30 million globally), although Microsoft could limit usage in the future.
“The service is part of a broad set of bets Microsoft is making this fall to help regain ground it has lost to competitors, especially Apple and Google,” reports The New York Times.
“In addition to Windows 8, a major new version of its flagship operating system that will start shipping October 26, the company is close to releasing a new version of its Windows Phone operating system for mobile phones and its first Microsoft-designed computer, a tablet device called Surface.”
As part of this wider initiative, Microsoft will package Xbox Music software with Windows 8 — which could raise “antitrust concerns about Microsoft’s use of Windows to gain toeholds in new markets,” notes the article.
Xbox Music incorporates elements of other services such as iTunes, Spotify and Pandora. There are radio stations built around similar-sounding music, an option to purchase songs and another option to listen free from a computer, but with audio and visual advertisements.
“Like Spotify, Xbox Music offers a $10-a-month ad-free service that includes many other features, like the ability to listen to music on smartphones and the Xbox 360 game console,” explains NYT.
Also launching in late October “is Microsoft’s Smartglass app that lets you move music from Windows computers, tablets and phones to the Xbox 360 to see on the TV and hear on a home stereo,” adds USA Today in a related report. “The tablet then offers a second screen experience with artist information, art, photos, lyrics and related artists. Microsoft plans to develop music apps for iOS and Android devices, too.”
Hulu co-owners Comcast, Disney and News Corp. have acquired Providence Equity Partners’ 10 percent share in the joint venture video site for a reported $200 million. The deal has been six months in the making.
If the reported sale price is accurate, Hulu would be valued at about $2 billion.
“With the official exit of Providence Equity, there is wide speculation over the future of Hulu, its existing licensing agreements, and its ability to maintain exclusivity over premium content,” reports MediaPost.
The sale also raises speculation that CEO Jason Kilar may cash out his shares (worth almost $100 million) and exit the company, as first reported by Variety over the summer.
“Thanks to Kilar’s vision and leadership, the service has grown from a single website serving up last night’s episode of ‘The Simpsons’ to a service featuring content from more than 400 partners as well as original series from filmmakers Richard Linklater, Morgan Spurlock, and Kevin Smith,” notes Fast Company in a related article. “Revenue soared 60 percent last year, to $420 million, and is on pace to exceed $600 million this year.”
Hulu Plus has more than 2 million paying subscribers (at $7.99/month) who can view the Hulu library on mobile phones, game consoles, tablets and Apple TV.
Media analyst Bill Desowitz says that Digital Domain was a significant presence at last week’s VES Summit in Marina del Rey.
“Co-founder and former CEO Scott Ross implored the industry to get behind a trade association and stand up to the studios,” writes Desowitz, “while new CEO Ed Ulbrich discussed the reboot of DD 3.0, which he said was more like 1.0 so far.”
“The business is much too warm and cuddly,” noted Ross, suggesting the studios need to get tougher with directors and VFX companies should negotiate for better compensation. He does not believe now is the time for unionization, although he is not against the idea.
“Ulbrich said the recent bankruptcy and sale to Beijing Galloping and Horse and India’s Reliance has been a wild ride,” adds Desowitz. “They paired up like ‘Survivor’ and now DD has the capitalization to continue as a thriving VFX studio.”
Digital Domain may eventually open a facility in China. “We need to send people over there to help close the [talent] gap,” said Ulbrich. “Going to India allows us to mature in LA by scaling up with larger projects. India is part of the future of the VFX business.”
Desowitz explains that VES emphasized the intersection between creative and business concerns — with an additional focus on how social media is having an impact on decisions. He moderated a panel — “Is Television VFX the Future of Feature Film VFX?” — that addressed being productive with limited resources and leveraging globalization and virtual production.
“Meanwhile, Mary Ann Hughes, VP, Film and Television Production Planning, The Walt Disney Co., suggested that there are no standalone VFX incentives in California (indeed few in the U.S.) and that the problem with convincing legislators to create them is that they insist on proof that production would stay locally even with the incentives.”
Japanese cellphone and Internet company Softbank Corp. has been in talks regarding a substantial ownership stake in struggling U.S. wireless carrier Sprint Nextel Corp., the third largest cellphone company in the U.S.
“A deal would offer a multibillion-dollar lifeline that could help Sprint finance future mergers of its own and better compete with its much bigger and richer rivals,” reports the Wall Street Journal.
People familiar with the negotiations suggests Softbank is looking to purchase 70 percent of Sprint. The news sent Sprint shares on Thursday to their highest level since 2008.
Sprint has struggled since its merger with Nextel in 2005 and large investments including a costly network upgrade and its $15.5 billion commitment to carry the iPhone. (However, the iPhone deal has recently helped the company compete with contract customers.)
“There are a number of potential hurdles to a deal, including winning over Sprint’s shareholders and resolving a complex relationship between Sprint and partner Clearwire Corp.,” notes WSJ. “If the deal happens, however, it could transform a market where just two companies, Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc., have the bulk of the customers and profits.”
The deal is expected to exceed $12.8 billion, although Softbank isn’t looking to buy Sprint outright. “Instead, the U.S. company is likely to get a multibillion-dollar cash infusion by selling new shares to Softbank, which would then seek to buy more stock in the market at a premium to the current price,” explains the article.
This would provide Sprint with financial relief immediately, potentially lead to network improvements or acquisitions, while allowing Softbank to “gain control of Sprint for a lower price than if it bought the company outright.”
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings will vacate his seat on Microsoft’s board of directors next month. Microsoft announced yesterday that Hastings has decided to not seek re-election at the company’s 2012 annual meeting of shareholders.
Hastings is currently the lead independent director on Microsoft’s Board. After he steps down, Microsoft will appoint his replacement.
“I’ve decided to reduce the number of boards I serve on, so that I can focus on Netflix and on my education work,” explained Hastings in a statement.
He also serves on the board of directors at Facebook, Netflix and some educational nonprofits.
“It makes sense for Hastings to focus on Netflix: The company has lost 80 percent of its value since last summer, when it unveiled a price hike and a plan, since abandoned to separate its online video-streaming and DVD rental businesses,” reports Business Insider.
Norton by Symantec has announced a new service designed to protect consumers when they connect to the Web using a public Wi-Fi network.
The new Norton Hotspot Privacy essentially creates a virtual private network for the user while on a Wi-Fi network, providing more control over what is shared online.
“The service provides a secure and private connection that shouldn’t be able to be seen by ‘eavesdropping software.’ The user’s Wi-Fi session should therefore be invisible, encrypting the user’s connection and everything related (i.e. usernames, passwords, etc.),” reports ZDNet.
“The inspiration behind Hotspot Privacy comes from the sheer amount of unprotected Wi-Fi hotspots available and just how vulnerable those networks are to cyber threats,” notes the post.
Available for Mac and PCs, Norton Hotspot Privacy supports unlimited bandwidth on up to five devices for $49.99/year, $19.99/month and $2.99/day.
