In a new twist to cord cutting, the trend in which consumers cancel their cable subscriptions in favor of Internet video, surveys indicate that hundreds of thousands of Americans canceled their home Internet service last year. As consumers leverage the growth of free Wi-Fi hot spots and fast new wireless networks via their smartphones and tablets, some are cutting their home Internet cord more so than their pay TV cord. Continue reading Cord Cutters Canceling Internet Service More Than Pay TV

Within 24 hours of Sunday’s revival of “Arrested Development,” episodes had reportedly been downloaded more than 100,000 times by file sharers looking to watch season 4 without paying. Copies were made available on various torrent sites shortly after Netflix released all 15 episodes. While the numbers do not compare to downloads of popular shows such as HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and AMC’s “Mad Men,” they still represent a potential issue for Netflix. Continue reading File Sharers Download New Episodes of Arrested Development

Netflix is launching its much anticipated reboot of Fox comedy “Arrested Development” on Sunday. According to social analytics firm NetBase, the show has already generated more than 170,000 social mentions since April 26 (a month before its return), essentially tripling the early social buzz of Netflix series “House of Cards.” However, it’s worth noting that “Arrested Development” has the benefit of being a critically acclaimed show and cult favorite with a rabid fan base. Continue reading Netflix: Arrested Development Return Generates Social Buzz

Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix, has met with some criticism for not playing by traditional media development and distribution rules, but has remained unapologetic as Netflix has emerged as one of the most attractive buyers of original programming. In an interview for the May 31 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine, Sarandos discusses the future of online streaming and his disdain for the existing TV model. Continue reading THR Interview: Ted Sarandos Discusses the Future of Netflix

The number of potential bidders for Hulu grew late last week when it was reported that Time Warner Cable and DirecTV are both interested in the six-year-old online video site. Other firms that have expressed interest in Hulu include Guggenheim Partners, Yahoo and Peter Chernin’s investment group. The video site — jointly owned by Comcast, Disney and News Corp. — has reportedly been considering a range of strategic options, including a sale. Continue reading Pay TV Operators Time Warner Cable and DirecTV Eye Hulu

As new TV Everywhere initiatives and looming Hulu bids continue to draw media attention, video-on-demand is quietly gaining traction. Despite what The New York Times describes as “past missteps by cable and satellite providers,” an increasing number of TV episodes and movies are becoming available through VOD systems and viewers are taking note. Some cable providers and TV networks recognize a viable future for the time-shifting technology. Continue reading Time-Shifting: Video-On-Demand Continues to Gain Traction

According to the Leichtman Research Group, pay TV experienced a disappointing first quarter for 2013. Cable companies lost an estimated 263,735 subscribers, which may have been the result of an increase in cord-cutting. While satellite TV providers and phone companies offering television gained some subscribers, the numbers were lower than in previous first quarters. Further losses are anticipated for Q2. Continue reading Cord-Cutting: U.S. Pay TV Providers Lose Subscribers in Q1

The World Wide Web Consortium published a working draft last week for Encrypted Media Extensions (EME), which is a proposed framework that enables delivery of DRM-protected media content via browsers without using plugins such as Flash or Silverlight. While the announcement has met with sharp criticism from groups including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Free Software Foundation, Ars Technica suggests the framework will help keep the Web relevant. Continue reading Will Proposed DRM Framework Keep the Web Relevant?

ABC will upgrade its app for iPhones and iPads this week with a “live” button that will allow viewers in the New York and Philadelphia areas to live-stream local ABC programming. The live stream, which will also be offered via ABC-owned stations in six other cities this summer, will be made available only to cable and satellite subscribers. ABC is in talks with 200 affiliates to offer “live” in their markets as well. Continue reading ABC App to Offer Live Streams of TV Shows for Subscribers

As the upfronts roll out this week in New York City, television networks are facing new challenges: prime time ratings for major broadcasters have been dropping, ad spending is increasingly turning to cable, original programming from the likes of Amazon and Netflix are creating more competition, government regulators are seeking changes to spectrum allocation, and startups like Aereo may impact the subscription revenue of stations. Continue reading TV Networks Face Unprecedented Challenges in Digital Era

During a Q3 earnings call Wednesday, News Corp. COO Chase Carey discussed how Fox has experienced significant growth in home video due to digital downloads. Carey cited digital rentals and downloads via sites such as iTunes and Amazon as the primary contributing factor. He also suggested that in a few years “Hulu will look a bit different than it does today,” in order to compete with Netflix. Continue reading Exec Credits Digital Downloads for Fox Home Video Growth

BitTorrent announced the BitTorrent Bundle earlier this week, a new format that provides access to free content in addition to a gateway to other material. It offers content creators a new means of distributing and monetizing their work outside the confines of traditional methods. BitTorrent continues its efforts to transform the file-sharing software into a legitimate platform for movies and music. Continue reading BitTorrent Bundle Provides New Options for Content Creators

Adobe’s flagship Creative Suite has evolved into Adobe Creative Cloud, with new features and a switch to a subscription-only model. Instead of individual Adobe apps being available for a flat rate, users will pay a monthly subscription to access all the products. Last year, the company introduced its Creative Cloud subscription service, through which users could access one product each month for $29.99 or all the products within Creative Suite 6 for $49.99. More than 500,000 premium members signed up in the first nine months, on top of 2 million free members. Continue reading Adobe Intros Subscription-Only Model with Creative Cloud

Mozilla and rendering firm OTOY have developed a new codec that is designed to stream cloud-stored apps, video content and more directly to browsers. The JavaScript-based system opens up possibilities of running native PC apps on any connected device, purchasing and protecting content without DRM, and embracing HTML5 rather than relying on proprietary or legacy plug-ins. The creators also see it as a means of combating piracy.

Continue reading Will ORBX Codec Turn the Web into Platform for All Apps?

In a study conducted by NPD Group with over 4,000 participants, only 47 percent of home entertainment devices, such as Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, smart TVs and streaming media devices are connected to the Internet. Results of the study also determined that 40 percent of connected televisions are used to watch Netflix content, with other video sites such as YouTube following at 17 percent, and Hulu at 11 percent. Continue reading Majority of Entertainment Hardware Not Actually Connected