The video entertainment business is facing disruption as online services such as Netflix, Hulu and YouTube continue to shape media consumption. What if the unavoidable disruption isn’t actually the worst thing for the industry? Some see digital disruption to mean a complete replacement of traditional models, while others see an array of opportunities made possible by expansion of the video business. Continue reading Digital Disruption Could Create New Opportunities for Video

Akamai is aiming to get the second screen experience right. It demonstrated its Hyperconnected Living Room concept at NAB in Las Vegas, showcasing a dual-screen experience that pushes out on-demand movies and other streaming content to a user’s slate right when they would expect to see it. It is a contrast to other such services that tend to lag and provide content later than desired. Continue reading NAB 2013: Akamai Demos Hyperconnected Living Room

Aereo is really stirring the broadcast cable pot these days. In a radical announcement made during NAB in Las Vegas, News Corp. President Chase Carey said the company would consider converting its Fox broadcast network into a pay TV channel in response to the Aereo legal dispute. Broadcasters have taken Aereo to court over its service that basically enables users to rent small antennas to record free-to-air channels. Continue reading NAB 2013: Fox Could Turn to Pay TV if Aereo Ruled Legal

On Tuesday at NAB, Verizon chairman and CEO Lowell McAdam joined a growing contingent of consumers and insiders who believe the answer to combating cord-cutting is for the television industry to allow for a-la-carte cable subscriptions. He thinks it would be an answer to ongoing consumer pressure and says he understands when consumers ask questions such as, “Why should I have to pay for 300 channels?” Continue reading NAB 2013: Verizon CEO Supports A La Carte Programming

According to Ad Age, the Intel Media TV Service has all the components that consumers want. The interface is beautiful, the remote is simple and the cloud-based DVR doesn’t require anyone to hit “record.” Algorithms are built in to learn what users like and recommend new content, it syncs easily with social networks, there is effortless co-viewing with distant friends, it works on mobile devices and more. Continue reading Intel Stands to Reinvent Cable TV with Media TV Service

Broadcasters have been facing legal obstacles in their attempts to have TV startup Aereo shut down. Interestingly, there might be new hope for them in a legal case involving an aptly named company called Aereokiller LLC, which is a copycat company claiming to using similar technology to Aereo, streaming broadcast networks over the Web and possibly threatening Aereo’s future. Continue reading Aereo Future Could be Threatened by Copycat Aereokiller

Among those who do not subscribe to cable, or may not own own television sets or have their own accounts for the variety of streaming services available online, sharing password information for sites like HBO Go, Netflix, Hulu and others is increasingly common. Although data on this trend has yet to be quantified by the likes of Nielsen or comScore — conversations, articles, posts and social media chatter seem to all indicate it is on the rise. Continue reading Are Streaming Sites Missing a Social Viewing Opportunity?

A recent eMarketer survey was conducted to analyze how American Internet users are viewing TV shows. Participants were also asked how they would feel about replacing their televisions with streaming services like Netflix or Hulu. A surprising 80 percent of users said that they would consider the option. The research firm estimates significant growth in the number of viewers consuming digital TV over the Internet within the next four years. Continue reading Increasing Number of Viewers Turning to Streaming TV

What will the future look like, when the generation of children growing up on portable screens ascends into adulthood? The long-term neurological effects are yet unknown, according to Dr. Gary Small, director of the Longevity Center at UCLA. However, what is known: the brain is highly sensitive to screen-based stimuli and spending too much time on devices and less time with people could hinder communication skills. Continue reading The Impact of Electronic Devices on Developing Minds

While 4K Ultra High Definition TV has yet to make it into the living room, the industry is moving forward with new cameras, evolving standards and early television production. Sony Pictures Television, for example, is producing select pilots with digital cinema cameras, while 3Net is forging ahead with its Total D strategy that includes producing versions of programs in both 2D and 3D at multiple resolutions. Initial tests for broadcasting sports in 4K are just around the corner. Continue reading NAB 2013: TV Industry Moves Toward 4K Ultra HD Format

The just-launched Warner Archive Instant is taking a different approach than that of subscription streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Instead of vying to offer viewers the most recent content, it aims to feed the nostalgia within us all, providing a catalog of rare older films and television shows from Warner’s own history, in addition to selections from MGM, RKO, New Line, Lorimar and Allied Artists, all for $9.99 a month. Continue reading Warner Goes Retro with Streaming Archive Instant Service

HitBliss is offering consumers a new way to watch movies and television online — by working for it. The new model allows consumers to watch video ads of their choosing in exchange for earnings that can be used to view programming for free, without interruption. Katherine Boehret of the Wall Street Journal tested the service over the past week and found it to be a refreshing change compared with other video-watching alternatives. Continue reading HitBliss: Earn Free Shows and Movies by Watching Ads First

Apple’s HDTV, which has reportedly been in development for years, is expected to finally debut later this year. While meeting with supply chain sources in China and Taiwan, Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White has gathered information from unnamed sources that suggest Apple will launch its iTV in the second half of 2013. White says innovative new features of the HDTV could make it a game-changer. Continue reading New Report Indicates Apple Will Launch HDTV This Year

Aereo, the Internet service startup backed by Barry Diller that streams TV stations without compensation, has won another battle with broadcasters. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York yesterday upheld a ruling in favor of Aereo, which could set the stage for a full-blown trial. Broadcasters sued the startup last year claiming the service violates copyright law, but a district court judge denied the request for a preliminary injunction. Monday’s 2-1 decision affirms the lower court ruling. Continue reading Aereo Wins Again: Federal Appeals Court Upholds Ruling

HBO’s “Game of Thrones” is the most pirated show on television. How does the cable network feel about that? Not bad, actually. The show’s second season recently experienced record-setting DVD sales for the network, even as it was 2012’s most illegally downloaded show. According to HBO programming president Michael Lombardo, this is viewed as a positive, especially since it doesn’t seem to adversely affect sales. Continue reading Game of Thrones: Most Pirated Show Remains Lucrative