Tech companies of all sizes are urging the Federal Communications Commission to enforce net neutrality by reclassifying the Internet as Title II. This reclassification would mean that Internet providers would have to abide by the same laws as public utilities and there would be no Internet “fast lanes.” Representatives from Kickstarter, Spotify, Vimeo and others met with the FCC to discuss the issue last week. Netflix also submitted a filing to the FCC about the proposed net neutrality laws. Continue reading Tech Companies Argue the Internet Should Be a Public Utility

Qplay, the video streaming device and app startup launched by TiVo co-founders Mike Ramsay and Jim Barton, will close for business this Friday. The San Jose, California-based company was founded in August 2012 and its $49 Qplay adapter was introduced in February. The startup’s iPad app provided access to free online video sites — such as Vimeo, Yahoo and YouTube — and curated clips based on user preferences. It did not, however, provide access to subscription services. Continue reading Qplay Video Service Shutters Just Six Months After its Launch

Parks Associates predicts that more than 25 percent of U.S. households will have a streaming media player by 2015. Worldwide sales for streaming media players are expected to reach nearly 50 million by 2017. According to “The Evolving Market For Streaming Media Devices” report, Roku accounted for 46 percent of streaming players purchased in the U.S. last year, and Apple accounted for 26 percent. While Roku leads the U.S. market, Apple holds the worldwide lead. Continue reading Report Predicts Continued Growth of Streaming Media Players

Netflix, Crackle and Funny or Die all received nominations for the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards yesterday. Netflix earned an impressive 31 nominations, with “House of Cards” and “Orange Is the New Black” both nominated in the best drama and comedy series categories, respectively. Crackle was nominated for Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” and the Zach Galifianakis interview with President Obama on “Between Two Ferns” earned Funny or Die a nomination. Continue reading Digital Networks Earn Record Number of Emmy Nominations

Prompted by TV and advertising clients, Nielsen plans to launch its mobile ratings this fall. However, the company says that factoring mobile phones and tablets into TV measurement will roll out slowly based on relatively low adoption and the common practice of time-shifting. According to Nielsen, live TV viewing has remained constant over the last three years, while time-shifting has increased 30 percent — something to consider since most mobile viewing takes place outside of the same-day ratings window. Continue reading Nielsen to Roll Out Mobile Ratings This Fall, Slowly at First

According to a Piper Jaffray report, Netflix remains ahead of Amazon’s Prime Instant Video in terms of licensing content, offering more top 50 movies and top 75 TV shows in recent years. Amazon has been heavily investing in exclusives and original content to increase its offerings. Meanwhile, Hulu delivers almost three times the number of top-rated shows as Netflix. Of the top 75 TV series from the 2013-2014 season, Hulu Plus has 57 percent, Netflix offers 20 percent and Amazon 9 percent. Continue reading SVOD: Analysis Looks at Race Between Amazon, Hulu, Netflix

An estimated 160 million phones sold this year will feature 4K video-capable cameras, while only two percent of TVs shipped to North America will have 4K screens. These cameras will be available on high-end models, including the Samsung Galaxy S5, the Sony Xperia Z2 and the LG G Pro 2. Meanwhile, cable, satellite and telecommunications companies are unlikely to move to Ultra HD for a few years as they wait for more TVs to show up in American homes. Continue reading Increasing Number of Smartphones Are Capable of 4K Video

YouTube recently started pointing at Internet service providers when it comes to problems with video playback. When a YouTube video experiences buffer or playback issues, a message that reads “Experiencing interruptions?” now appears under the video. Clicking “Find out why” takes users to a new Google page that lists video playback quality for ISPs of different countries. Last month, Netflix posted alerts blaming a crowded Verizon network when customers experienced grainy video. Continue reading YouTube Takes Cue from Netflix, Blames ISPs for Slow Video

Netflix recently open-sourced one of its management tools designed to work with machines through Amazon’s cloud. Security Monkey is the latest open-source tool in a line of software known as the “Simian Army,” that was developed to help run Netflix’s massive online service. For companies using Amazon’s cloud computing services, Security Monkey can monitor configuration changes across several Amazon accounts and ensure that those changes avoid common security problems. Continue reading Netflix Releases its Security Monkey as an Open-Source Tool

Netflix is poised to significantly expand its international subscriber base, according to research from Goldman Sachs. The company is expected to add six new markets this year, followed by four new markets annually. Its total of 11.7 million paid international subscribers, reported at the end of the first quarter, is projected to grow to 62 million by the end of 2017. Since mobile is considered a platform for potential growth, Goldman expects a shift in viewing among toddlers and children. Continue reading New Report Predicts Massive International Growth for Netflix

The Supreme Court ruled against Aereo in a case brought by TV networks, citing violation of copyright laws. Aereo, which provided an Internet-based alternative to cable by capturing broadcast signals on tiny antennas and transmitting them to subscribers, has since suspended its operations. Meanwhile, rivals such as Simple.TV and Mohu are moving in, and hope to avoid the ruling by selling over-the-air antennas to their subscribers along with hardware to access streaming services. Continue reading Aereo Competitors Moving In Following Supreme Court Ruling

ETC’s Phil Lelyveld recently moderated a media panel on the “Ultra High Def Revolution.” Presented by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at CBS Studios, panelists included Oscar- and Emmy-winning DP Dave Stump of the ASC, Sony Pictures Television’s Phil Squyres, and award-winning DPs and lighting experts Bradford Lipson and Greg Gardiner. Vendors demonstrating UHD solutions included Advantage Video Systems, AJA Video Systems, Blackmagic Design and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Continue reading Panel: Film and TV Production Experts Discuss UHD Revolution

Netflix’s head of original content, Cindy Holland, recently spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about emerging trends in entertainment media and some of her company’s ambitions. Topics included Netflix viewer habits, development and pilot plans, working with content creators, and the straight-to-series strategy. Holland, a 12-year veteran of Netflix, oversees a growing portion of the company’s $3 billion programming budget. Most recently, she has been tasked with developing original series. Continue reading Netflix Exec Talks Viewer Habits, Development Plans and More

California-based Rovi is developing technology that will turn cable TV guides from endless grids to a more-personalized recommendation service. Its version of the TV guide tracks viewer habits to make recommendations based on what the viewer has watched before, at what time, and even in what room. It searches through the live line-up, on-demand content, and Netflix to make recommendations. Users can also search for movies and shows using voice commands. Continue reading Rovi Tech Personalizes Cable Guide with Recommendations

Earlier this year, we reported the launch of Qplay from TiVo co-founders Mike Ramsay and Jim Barton. The service allows users to create personalized video streams called “Qs” from various online sources. The startup also offers a $49 TV adapter for those who want to watch their video streams on their television. A new version of Qplay’s iPad app now adds the ability to cast videos to Google’s Chromecast streaming stick, which could eliminate the need for Qplay’s streaming player. Continue reading Qplay Changes Direction, Brings its Video App to Chromecast