“Television is America’s No. 1 pastime,” reports The New York Times, “with an average of four hours and 39 minutes consumed by every person every day.”
While viewers 35 and older are spending more time in front of the TV, Nielsen reports that younger viewers aged 12 to 34 are watching significantly less as their attention is divided between traditional TV, Internet videos, social networks, mobile phones and video games.
“It has long been predicted that these new media would challenge traditional television viewing, but this is the first significant evidence to emerge in research data,” suggests the article.
Moreover, young people have a greater tendency to watch the same shows on computers and phones. This shift in viewing may have large implications for ad spending that could shift from broadcast to streaming.
To children, watching video on the Web is no different from watching on the TV, whereas older generations tend to treat television separately from their other media.
“According to data for the first nine months of 2011, children spent as much time in front of the television set as they did in 2010, and in some cases spent more,” adds the article. “But the proportion of live viewing is shrinking while time-shifted viewing is expanding.”
Sunday marked the first live stream of the Super Bowl, which drew more than 2.1 million users (according to data provided by Omniture and mDialog).
This sets a record for the most viewers of any single game online, NBC Sports said. Users screened more than 78 million minutes on NBCSports.com and NFL.com.
“The Super Bowl XLVI live stream exceeded our expectations in every way,” said Kevin Monaghan, SVP of business development and managing director digital media at NBC Sports Group. “Increasingly, sports fans are looking to digital coverage as a complementary ‘second screen’ experience, and we delivered on that promise with unprecedented robust coverage.”
Football fans viewed “1,838,812 on demand clips and were heavy users of the feature that allowed them to switch camera angles, with user-generated camera switches totaling 1,835,676,” reports Broadcasting & Cable.
The TV audience also set a new record for the most-watched television program in U.S. history with 111.3 million.
Netflix began airing its first original series this week, “Lilyhammer” with actor/musician Steve Van Zandt portraying a gangster on the run in Norway.
According to Ted Sarandos, Netflix content chief, the investment in original programming “is part of an emerging strategy to keep and win subscribers,” reports TheWrap.
“The more you watch them, the more you love the service,” says Sarandos. “The more [subscribers] we retain, the more you tell your friends about it. Shows like this, when they’re done really well, lead to a lot of watching and a lot of consumer engagement.”
Netflix has released all eight episodes of “Lilyhammer” for instant streaming at once; the second season is in development.
The service is also prepping a second original series, the David Fincher-produced “House of Cards” starring Kevin Spacey.
Additionally, Netflix has exclusive streaming rights to the new fourth season of “Arrested Development,” slated for 2013.
Popular torrent site The Pirate Bay has become less a site that hosts files and more a Google-like guide that links to both pirated and non-pirated content.
TechCrunch reports that “the admins are now moving all of the torrent files off the site and are instead offering magnet links. This is an important distinction that will move the locus of general piracy from a single site to any number of sites, reducing The Pirate Bay’s importance as a source.”
The Pirate Bay has become the “snarky face on the pirate,” both popularizing torrents and making it a target for the authorities, despite the fact that it has become a guide more than a repository.
“The attacks against The Pirate Bay have given it far more popularity than it really deserves and through a combination of excellent branding and nearly non-stop coverage, everyone with an Internet connection knows of that Jolly Roger waving endlessly in the digital winds while the real business of piracy — counterfeiting, fake DVD sales, and fraud — are going on in the shadows,” comments TechCrunch.
“Whichever side you’re on, you have to admit The Pirate Bay asks for nothing and expects nothing in return. We feed the beast that is the pirate underground and, no matter how hard we try or how many times we seize a bunch of Swedish servers, we will never tame it.”
AOL’s Huffington Post announced it plans to create a 100-member newsroom to produce a video-news channel.
The company says it will feature 12 hours of live content, five days a week. The new streaming network is expected to launch later this year.
Plans include a highly interactive site that involves the audience more than we’ve seen in the past, including programs called “Defend Your Comment” and “Write the Headline.”
The news channel will include a live stream of comments posted via Facebook, Twitter and the website. Other AOL entities, such as TechCrunch and its Patch sites, are also expected to contribute content.
“Founding editor Roy Sekoff, who will be leading the network, described the programming as a series of live and interactive clips covering everything from entertainment to politics,” reports SocialTimes.
Apple is reportedly in talks with Canadian TV providers discussing plans to launch its rumored iTV product.
“Partnerships between Apple and pay-TV providers would be both good and bad for consumers,” suggests TIME. “Working with a cable company means getting lots of content, which Apple can then offer through a simple interface, potentially with iPhones, iPads and Siri acting as remote controls.”
“On the downside, cable companies aren’t likely to give up their old business model of making subscribers pay for unwanted bundles of channels,” adds the article.
Apple may need to integrate apps and Web-based content in order to get deals, as opposed to the rumored a la carte alternative.
Some analysts are also suggesting the TV may emphasize user-generated videos created with iPads and iPhones for a YouTube-like model.
In a related story, CNET reports that a recent Best Buy customer survey asks whether consumers would be willing to spend $1,499 for an Apple-branded 42-inch HDTV.
“That’s up three times as much as current 42-inch models; could it be worth the price?” asks the article. “The survey describes a product that’s essentially a 1080p HDTV with iOS built in, including app and iCloud support; a camera and microphone for some kind of user interaction; and integration with other iOS devices, including using an iPad or iPhone as a remote.”
Google is developing a home entertainment system that would stream music wirelessly. The device, which would be available later this year, would be Android-based and controlled using a smartphone or tablet.
Google is seeking to make Android the operating system for the home that will not only control music — but TV, home appliances, lights, heating and other devices. It’s a vision they call “Android@Home.”
“The new Android device, along with Google’s pending purchase of device maker Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., also ups the ante in its ongoing tussle with rival Apple Inc., which also controls both the software and hardware process,” reports the Wall Street Journal.
In related news, Google is nearing launch of a new cloud-based storage service called “Drive.” The service will be free and is expected to begin in weeks or months.
Users can use an app to upload files, photos, and videos which will be available from any Web-connected device. The service may be added to Google Apps.
Facebook is addressing the biggest threat to its IPO: getting revenue from the rapidly expanding — and thus far unprofitable — mobile platform by pushing “featured stories” from sponsors.
These sponsored stories keep users within the Facebook app rather than directing them to an advertiser’s Web page. The solution will hopefully minimize clutter on the mobile screen that often results from display advertising.
“Mobile display ads can be tricky because they create any number of rendering problems among the myriad of different phone browsers on the market and could drive up consumers’ data plan fees — neither are good bases for a marketing relationship,” reports GigaOM.
Facebook is expected to include sponsored posts in the news feeds of its mobile apps in March, prior to its $5 billion IPO.
Nikon has announced the newest addition to its professional DSLR offerings. The D800 features a 36.3 megapixel sensor, high ISO shooting capabilities, high definition video modes and a 51-point autofocus system.
“Where the D800 primarily differs from the D4, at least as far as performance is concerned, is in its 36.3MP, 7360 x 4912 pixel, full-frame CMOS sensor,” reports Ars Technica. “Nikon has chosen to emphasize raw resolution instead of extremely high ISO capabilities. Like the D700, the D800 can go up to 6400 ISO sensitivity, or can be ratcheted up to 25,600 in an extended ‘Hi 2’ mode. The D4, on the other hand, captures 16.2MP, but can shoot at a mind-boggling 204,800 ISO when pushed to its limits.”
Nikon hopes the D800 takes off in movie making and live video broadcasting with its ability to shoot at various resolutions and frame rates, and its audio inputs, monitor output and HDMI control to monitor live while recording.
The D800 comes equipped with a Compact Flash slot as well as an SD card slot, but won’t be compatible with the new XQD cards.
It is set to launch in late March for $2,999.95 — with a special D800E version for studios and scientific applications available in April for $3,299.95.
Disney is considering imposing a 28-day wait before making content available to Redbox and other DVD services, according to CEO Bob Iger.
“We are in discussions to go to the 28-day window — to not sell directly our physical goods to these entities unless they adhere to a 28-day window,” he told analysts on Tuesday.
Other studios — including FOX, Universal and NBCUniversal — already have a 28-day window in place and Warner Bros recently extended its window to 56 days.
“Iger said during the question-and-answer period on a conference call to discuss quarterly earnings that Disney’s studio hadn’t imposed a delay on the likes of Redbox before because ‘it was not seeing any effect from these dollar-rentals on their sell-through business,'” according to The Hollywood Reporter. However, soft DVD sales may now be the result of these services.
“[The studio] decided to take a step in the direction of further protecting the initial window of the sell-through,” Iger said.
Even though desktop computer sales have been down, monitors continue to proliferate as more and more people adopt multiple screens. The New York Times reports that 179 million monitors were sold worldwide last year compared with only 130 million desktop computers.
Monitors are now bigger, cheaper, and slimmer, making the multiscreen approach more accessible and attractive. New communication tools (such as social media) also drive the monitor sales, allowing for improved levels of multitasking.
One study conducted by the University of Utah showed people are more productive with two screens when working on editing tasks. Having more monitors cuts down on the time it takes to toggle between windows, saving users about 10 seconds every five minutes of work.
However, some psychologists argue the opposite, saying productivity declines when you can’t focus on one screen and are constantly scanning multiple views.
Apple will host its first live stream tonight on Apple TV, featuring a free live performance from Paul McCartney promoting his new “Kisses on the Bottom” album.
Could this be a preview for how Apple plans to challenge traditional TV on the Web?
“The company ‘announced’ via a banner on iTunes that the stream would take place at 7pm PST on February 9 both on iTunes (for Mac and PC) as well as the Apple TV — the first livestream of its kind for Apple’s set-top box,” reports Ars Technica. “This isn’t the first time Apple has streamed live (usually music-related) content via iTunes, but it will be the highest-profile and the first available to Apple TV users.”
Ars Technica suggests Apple will be watching its viewer numbers as this event may serve as a test for the company possibly challenging traditional TV delivery methods.
“There has been buzz that Apple might try to launch its own TV subscription service, while others believe Apple is more likely to begin allowing third-parties to create ‘apps’ for the Apple TV that will let them stream their own live content with ads,” according to the post.
According to a recent report from Strata, a provider of ad systems for media buyers and sellers, Facebook continued to dominate the social media advertising sector with 89 percent of advertisers planning to incorporate the social network into their clients’ campaigns.
Facebook is followed by Twitter at 39 percent, YouTube at 36 percent, LinkedIn at 21 percent and Google Plus at 18 percent.
Strata reports that mobile advertising rose 39 percent from Q3 to Q4, with 83 percent of agencies targeting the iPhone.
“Many advertisers are confident that their business and the economy will return to a strong period by midyear. That sentiment, coupled with strong numbers from the political race, provides an overall positive barometer for advertising in 2012,” explained John Shelton, president and CEO of Strata.
In a related story posted by The Next Web, Hitwise reports that Facebook accounted for 1 in every 5 page views during January, adding that the average visit time was 20 minutes.
“The scary part is that as more people start setting up their Timeline on Facebook, the time on site will increase even more…If that trend continues, people will literally spend hours of their time just giving Facebook every piece of data they have on themselves,” suggests TNW.
According to comScore, Amazon’s fourth quarter growth of 35 percent more than doubled the overall e-commerce market growth, which increased 14 percent in Q4.
The comparison is slightly skewed because Amazon’s results include international sales and mobile phone purchases, which comScore doesn’t track. Even so, Wall Street had estimated a 40 percent growth from the 2010 fourth quarter.
AllThingsD posted several notable findings from comScore’s report:
“The fourth quarter represented the ninth consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth, and fifth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth rates.”
“For the entire year 2011, U.S. retail e-commerce spending reached a record $161.5 billion, marking a 13 percent increase from 2010.”
“The categories that grew by at least 18 percent year over year: Digital content and subscriptions, jewelry and watches, consumer electronics, toys and hobbies, and computer software.”
“10 days in Q4 surpassed $1 billion in online spending.”
“52 percent of e-commerce transactions included free shipping, representing an all-time high.”
U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan denied a preliminary injunction requested by EMI which would have shut down ReDigi, a site that “resells” digital music.
The ruling means that this case will go to trial and most likely test the concept of digital reselling that ReDigi claims is protected under the “First Sale” doctrine (the doctrine is typically used for the sale of CDs, vinyl records, DVDs and other physical media).
ReDigi scans a user’s hard drive and deletes the music the individual wants to sell. However, the CEO acknowledges there’s no way to know if the person has a copy on another drive.
EMI asserts that ReDigi must make digital copies of the music, which is unauthorized and a violation of copyright law.
If the court rules that it is legal to resell music, it could lead to the reselling of digital movies as well.
