In a world of multiple platforms, anyone starting a studio today needs to think beyond the 100+ year old model. “A key part of these [traditional] studios is that they are very siloed,” explained Evan Bregman of digital studio Electus. “Consumers want to consume wherever and whenever, so whether you’re a distributor or a content creator, you have to understand the nuances of the platforms. It’s not a TV show or a Web show… it’s a business.” Continue reading Lines Blur Between Traditional and New Media Across Platforms

Cisco’s Videoscape TV platform has been selected by NBC Olympics, a division of the NBC Sports Group, to provide multi-screen delivery services for the streaming of live and cloud-enabled on-demand content for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, February 6-23. Videoscape will support transcoding and content management using Cisco hardware and cloud-based software solutions. This marks the eighth time NBC has collaborated with Cisco on Olympics coverage. Continue reading NBC Joins Forces with Cisco for Winter Olympics Streaming

Thought leaders are looking beyond smartphones in anticipation of smart cities and smart nations. The Internet of Things — or what Cisco Chairman and CEO John Chambers refers to as the Internet of Everything (IoE) — presents a $19 trillion revenue opportunity. “Think of the change the Internet brought into our lives, and imagine that 5- to 10-fold over the next decade,” Chambers shared in a Tuesday keynote address at the Venetian during CES. Continue reading Cisco CEO John Chambers Heralds Trillion Dollar IoE Boom

Online movie ticketing destination Fandango announced that its service will be embedded on Samsung Internet-connected TVs and directly available via the Samsung Smart Hub. NBCUniversal-owned Fandango has been accessible on smart TVs, but has required a download. The Samsung deal will make Fandango directly available. Although Fandango is known primarily as a ticketing service, it will essentially power the Trailers section of the Smart Hub’s Movies & TV section. Continue reading Fandango to Offer Trailers, Ticketing via Samsung Smart TVs

“Content without strategy is a home movie,” said David Tochterman, head of digital media for Innovative Artists, a bi-coastal talent agency. “And all of us on this panel are investing our time not just in good content, but the strategy to make it successful.” The panel he was referring to was a Digital Hollywood focus on how today’s multitude of media platforms has significantly changed the content game — from development and production to marketing and distribution. Continue reading Digital Hollywood: Content Strategies for Multiple Platforms

The race to 4K will dominate the headlines at the 2014 International CES but the increasing interconnection of devices is hoped to be the next wave of dramatic change. While largely a marketing moniker to crystallize the ubiquity and significance of the eventual “Webbing” of all things, this also is a useful starting point to hone our expectations and look for the likely game changing categories that will emerge in this space and influence the media and technology industries. Continue reading CES 2014: Trouble and Opportunity via the Internet of Things

In anticipation of the upcoming 2014 International CES, January 6-10, the ETC@USC will have a team of more than a dozen writers, reporters and support staff onsite in Las Vegas to provide comprehensive coverage throughout the show on emerging products and trends in the consumer electronic space that are relevant to ETC member companies, and to the entertainment industry as a whole. ETCentric will publish articles, updates via social media, and video content throughout the show. Continue reading CES 2014: ETC Coverage Begins with Preview Series, Key Trends

Darcy Antonellis, president and chief technology officer of Warner Bros. Entertainment, will leave her post to become CEO of Vubiquity in January. Virginia-based Vubiquity, formerly Avail-TVN, is a global provider of multiplatform video services. Antonellis, winner of three technical Emmys, has been with Warner Bros. for 15 years, and has held her current position since 2008. She will replace Ramu Potarazu, who stepped down as CEO in March. Continue reading Darcy Antonellis Named CEO of Vubiquity, Exits Warner Bros.

Yahoo announced it has acquired SkyPhrase, a four-person startup that develops natural language processing technology. SkyPhrase will join the Yahoo Labs team in New York and will help with Yahoo’s efforts in content delivery for mobile users, who are becoming more accustomed to devices that respond to conversational queries. SkyPhrase’s NLP technology is expected to be used for fantasy sports and other areas that rely on queries involving complex data sets. Continue reading Yahoo Picks Up Natural Language Processing Startup SkyPhrase

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos revealed some significant plans for the company on “60 Minutes” this week. In the not-too-distant future, Amazon plans to offer drone delivery service for its smaller packages headed for customers close to its distribution centers. Bezos expects packages weighing less than five pounds to be deliverable to addresses within a 10-mile radius by small helicopter-like devices. Amazon is calling the service “Prime Air.” Continue reading Jeff Bezos Reveals Amazon’s Plans for Drone Delivery Service

HBO announced that it is now offering a limited selection of past seasons of its original programs via the Google Play digital storefront, providing fans with access to shows on their Android-based smartphones and tablets as well as Google’s Chromecast streaming adapter for televisions. The network is currently offering individual seasons of seven shows, with plans to add more titles and seasons in the coming weeks. HBO says the gradual rollout is part of a larger marketing strategy to “create more sustained awareness.” Continue reading HBO Offers Past Seasons of its Shows on Google Play Store

Netflix is building its own customized server boxes to deal with the massive volume of streaming content to millions of users. But the company is also considering new “off the shelf” technologies that could be less costly and more efficient. Netflix is working with hardware companies such as Western Digital to develop new technologies and design methods to improve performance and deal with the massive data traffic that Netflix experiences. Continue reading How Netflix Decides on Building or Buying for Infrastructure

Earlier this week, we reported that Amazon may be expanding its AmazonFresh service to the New York City area. Amazon has more than 209 million active users that purchase all type of products, from TVs to pet food, and the company has expanded its services and processing centers in order to build loyalty and become a single source for all shopping needs. Its strategy has led to a growing customer base and significant increases in sales. Continue reading Retail: Amazon Pursues Cheaper Goods and Faster Shipping

Amazon may be launching AmazonFresh, its same-day grocery and local product delivery service, into the New York City area. AmazonFresh is currently available in Los Angeles and Seattle. This potential move may be a first step toward extending same-day delivery and leveraging the company’s extensive distribution network for future expansion. But as the company grows its reach, brick-and-mortar retailers are challenging Amazon on prices, offering the same or even lower rates. Continue reading Amazon May Expand Same Day as Competitors Lower Prices

Earlier this week, we reported that for more than a year Facebook has been quietly working on a service called Reader that could essentially become a newspaper for mobile devices. As Google retires its RSS news reader on Monday, Facebook Reader could become an opportunity for the social giant to increase engagement and create a viable ad channel. However, there is a question regarding whether Facebook can offer a mobile app that competes with existing readers. Continue reading Will a Facebook News Reader Fill the Void Left by Google?