Marc Policani's Digital Media Blog: Digital Content Delivery

High-Definition Video Could Choke Internet

Mon, 15 May 2006 15:11:36 GMT

Will today's infrastructure support tommorrow's High-Definition Video? Peter Svensson, a Technology Writer for the Associated Press writes:

Most home Internet use is in brief bursts — an e-mail here, a Web page there. If people start watching streaming video like they watch TV — for hours at a time — that puts a strain on the Internet that it wasn't designed for, ISPs say, and beefing up the Internet's capacity to prevent that will be expensive.
To offset that cost, ISPs want to start charging content providers to ensure delivery of large video files, for example.
Internet activists and consumer groups are vehemently against those plans, saying they amount to tilting the Internet's level playing field, one of the things that encourages innovation. They want legislation to guarantee a "neutral" Internet, but prospects appear slim.
At the heart of the debate is a key question: How much would it really cost the Internet carriers to provide a couple of hours of prime-time TV over their networks every day?
The carriers are playing their cards fairly close to their chest, but there are ways to get close to an answer.
One data point: As a rough estimate, an always-on, 1 megabit-per-second tap into the Internet backbone in downtown Atlanta, bought wholesale, costs an ISP $10 to $20 a month, according to the research firm TeleGeography Inc. An ISP's business is carrying data from that tap to the customer.
One megabit per second doesn't sound like that much, but ISPs spread that bandwidth out over their subscribers. Analysts estimate that ISPs sell around 30 times more bandwidth to their end users than they can connect simultaneously to the Internet (the figure probably varies widely from provider to provider).

More...

Warner Bros. to Sell Movies Over BitTorrent

Tue, 09 May 2006 16:51:19 GMT

Found this one on Slashdot this morning, martinmarv writes:

The BBC is reporting that Warner Bros. is to sell movies over BitTorrent. Disappointingly, the pricing is set to be about the same as the DVD, even though the download will only become available at the same time as the DVD release, and can only play on one machine. In distributing films via download, Warner will join the ranks of MovieLink and CinemaNow. Perhaps they should wait to see how their $1.50 experiment works out first?." From the article: "Other Hollywood studios are now likely to launch similar services. They believe movie fans will prefer to pay a reasonable price for a legal downloaded movie rather than risk illegally swapping a computer file that could contain viruses or be a poor quality copy of a film.

One of our families favorite DVD's is a copy of the 1980's version of Flash Gordon, the film is 26 years old but the kids adore it. As a consumer, I really dont care what format my video comes in as long as the quality is good and I have the ability to play it now, five years from now, and in the case above 26 years from now.

Revised Netflix Settlement Approved

Thu, 04 May 2006 04:44:57 GMT

Nate Mook for BetaNews writes:

A revised class-action settlement involving online DVD rental service Netflix has been approved six months after an original settlement was proposed. Netflix had been sued for promising "one day delivery" and "unlimited" rentals after it disclosed it delayed DVDs to frequent renters.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Thomas Mellon Jr. had taken issue with a number of points in the initial settlement, including a payout of $2.5 million to lawyers involved in the case. The FTC voiced its opposition in January saying, "the settlement would serve more as a promotional vehicle for Netflix."

Netflix users will now receive a one-month service level upgrade free of charge. This means that Netflix users subscribed to the 3 DVDs at-a-time program will be upgraded to 4 DVDs at-a-time for one month. Former subscribers can also apply to receive one month of free service.

Lawyers for both sides had originally crafted the proposal to allow Netflix to automatically bill customers after the free month. That option has been stricken from the new settlement, and the two primary lawyers in the case, Adam Gutride and Seth Safier, will now only receive $1.3 million.

ABC broadcasting Lost, Desperate Housewives, Alias and Commander in Chief for free online

Tue, 02 May 2006 15:34:59 GMT

I posted about this two weeks ago but Disney is now streaming some of ABC's lineup for free online. Users can now visit ABC.com to watch free commercial sponsored episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives, Alias or Commander in Chief from what appears to be a beta version of the site.

The site is designed for broadband users and the resolution is decent enough to watch your favorite television shows from your desk, although the video is displayed as an embedded flash video from within a web page, users are unable to switch to full screen mode (i.e. low resolution HTPC's not yet supported). Video is displayed from within the page as mediocre and stretched mediocre mode and it looks like there is something wrong with either the source files or the encodes as there are pink and green artifacts throughout each of the videos.

Viewing is interrupted by commercials pop-ups which users must click through in order to proceed through the rest of the content, unfortunately video content doesn’t always resume on its own.

ABC decided to go with Flash encodes so skipping from one part of the video to another is fairly fast but you will have to install Macromedia Flash Player 8 to view the content (I disabled Flash a long time ago when online advertisers started abusing the technology).

Overall, I think its great that Disney is investing in online video content distribution; but I'd much rather watch OTA HD content on my MCE box.

EFF: New Legislation Will Kill MP3 Net Radio

Fri, 28 Apr 2006 15:49:29 GMT

While not appearing to affect DRM protected streams, Ed Oswald has posted an interesting article up on BetaNews.com about how new legislation may end up killing MP3 net radio. In the article he writes:

"The Electronic Frontier Foundation warned that proposed legislation now making its way through the Senate might put an end to music webcasts that use MP3 or other non-protected streaming formats. Services like Live365, Shoutcast, and smaller radio stations would be affected, and may be forced to use DRM technogy.

It would also mean an end to the streaming radio stations in iTunes as well. The iTunes stations also use DRM-less formats, the EFF said.

Senators Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and majority leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. Introduced the provision as part of a larger bill Wednesday aimed at ensuring that copyright holders are compensated as satellite radio allows its users to save programming.

"I believe our laws must strike the proper balance between fostering new businesses and technology and protecting the property rights of the artists whose music is being played," Feinstein said at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the issue Wednesday.

Called the PERFORM Act, short for the "Platform Equality and Remedies for Rights Holders in Music Act of 2006," the bill would force satellite providers to compensate the record industry for songs saved on receivers. Industry executives say such a law is necessary so that there are no loopholes in regulations governing downloadable music."

Real Granted Streaming Media Patent

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 21:15:34 GMT

I wondered when this would get pushed through, BetaNews reports:

RealNetworks said Monday that it had been awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office surrounding its media technology. The patent covers methods used when consumers click on links to stream content from Web browsers and media players, the company said.
Called "click-to-stream," the technology patented covers how streaming media is allowed to play before the entire file is downloaded to the computer. The patent specifically references media that is initiated from a Web browser, multimedia advertising, and network-enabled software media players.
The patent is backdated to November 1994, four months before the first version of RealAudio was released. RealNetworks will add the patent to its Helix Community program, an offering by the company that licenses out key Real technologies.

Currently, Real holds over 35 patents relating to multimedia streaming, with applications for about 100 more. The Helix program currently counts some 50 companies as licensees, including phone manufacturers Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson, as well as Novell, Red Hat, and Sun.
"This fundamental new patent recognizes our breakthrough innovation, and provides Real with an exciting opportunity to expand the Helix Community's role as the centerpiece of the digital media marketplace," RealNetworks chairman and CEO Rob Glaser said. | more...

Intel Unveils vPro Business Branding

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 21:14:17 GMT

Intel on Monday introduced a new brand for business PCs dubbed vPro, which serves as a chip platform much like Intel's Centrino for mobile computers and Viiv for entertainment systems. vPro brings to the table the second generation of Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) and built-in virtualization.

AMT is designed to ease management of workstations for businesses, offering the ability to diagnose and repair PCs, even if the operating system has crashed or hardware has failed. Administrators could also use AMT to isolate systems infected with spyware or viruses.

Intel's Virtualization Technology (VT) allows software to create multiple virtual machines within a single PC. The company claims this will boost security by allowing for a "tamper-resistant service environment" for specific tasks. Symantec has partnered with Intel to build security solutions that run separately from the operating system.

“This technology significantly advances desktop PCs and will quite simply offer businesses security and manageability like never before – all on one of the most powerful and energy-efficient PCs in the market," said Intel vice president William A. Swope in prepared remarks. | more...

New Technology May Force TV Ad Viewing

Thu, 20 Apr 2006 20:56:36 GMT

I found this depressing little gem on Yahoo! News this afternoon. May Wong for the Associated Press writes:

In this era of easy ad skipping with TiVo-like video recorders, could television viewers one day be forced to watch commercials with a system that prevents channel switching?
Yes, according to Royal Philips Electronics. A patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office says researchers of the Netherland-based consumer electronics company have created a technology that could let broadcasters freeze a channel during a commercial, so viewers wouldn't be able to avoid it.
The pending patent, published on March 30, says the feature would be implemented on a program-by-program basis. Devices that could carry the technology would be a television or a set-top-box.
Philips acknowledged, however, that the anti-channel changing technology might not sit well with consumers and suggested in its patent filing that consumers be allowed to avoid the feature if they paid broadcasters a fee.
On Wednesday, company officials issued a statement that noted the technology also enables the opposite: allowing viewers to watch television without advertising. The intention was never to force viewers to watch ads against their will, the company said of the technology.
"We developed a system where the viewer can choose, at the beginning of a movie, to either watch the movie without ads, or watch the movie with ads," the company stated. "It is up to the viewer to take this decision, and up to the broadcaster to offer the various services."
The company also said it had no plans to use the technology in any of its products.
Philips wanted to provide the technology and seek the patent only as part of the broader developments within the industry, Philips spokesman Andre Manning said."

States seek levies on digital-media downloads

Fri, 14 Apr 2006 14:27:47 GMT

Declan McCullagh and Anne Broache from CNET News.com write:

State legislatures and tax officials, eager to find new ways to boost government spending and curb budget shortfalls, are eyeing the burgeoning market for digital downloads as a potentially lucrative source of revenue.

A CNET News.com analysis shows that 15 states and the District of Columbia now tax downloads of music, movies and electronic books. Some high-tax states such as California do not levy the same charge on iTunes downloads, but that could soon change.

"More states are beginning to tax downloaded products," said Steve Krantz of the Council on State Taxation, which represents companies that do business in many states. "Some are doing it through specific legislation. Others are doing it through the interpretation of previous law."
This means that more Americans will be obligated to pay more every April 15 because of a concept known as the use tax. If your home state taxes digital downloads, those levies are generally collected either when purchases are made or on tax day, depending on the location of the Internet retailer.
One reason that music and movie downloads have largely escaped the notice of tax collectors is that, until recently, the market was relatively small. But the dizzying success of iTunes and such rivals as Yahoo Music Unlimited and eMusic.com has exposed a rich vein of untapped revenue. Hollywood studios raised the stakes even higher this month by announcing plans to sell movies over the Internet that buyers can keep."

ABC to offer full versions of shows online

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 21:36:52 GMT

ArsTechnica reports that Disney Co. plans to make its more popular programming on ABC and other channels available for free anytime on the web as of April 30th 2006:

As TV audiences have shrunk over the past few years, networks have begun scrambling for ways to keep their programming in front of as many eyeballs as possible. The latest move comes from ABC, which will make a number of its most popular programs available online at no cost. Beginning April 30, a redesigned ABC.com website will allow web surfers to watch full episodes of programs such as Lost, Desperate Housewives, and others starting the morning after they air on ABC. In addition, programming from other Disney-owned networks will be made available online over the next couple of months. The first will by Soapnet, which will begin programming on April 17, followed by the Disney Channel in June, and ABC Family at an unspecified point in the future.
All programs will be shown in their entirety, including commercials which cannot be avoided. That's a smart move on ABC's part, as it ensures that advertisers will get another shot at hawking their wares to an audience that might otherwise change channels during commercial breaks or fast-forward through them if recorded. Aside from being unable to avoid commercials, watching the programs will be similar to watching timeshifted content in that viewers will be able to pause, fast forward, and rewind.

Brooks Barnes for the Wall Street Journal Online writes:

On April 30, ABC will unveil a revamped Web site that will include a "theater" where people with broadband connections can watch free episodes of "Desperate Housewives," "Lost" and other hit shows on their computers. Episodes will be available the morning after they air and will be archived so people can eventually view a whole season. A Disney Channel version with five shows will start in June, and an ABC Family version is also planned. Disney's Soapnet cable channel will start offering programs free on its Web site, Soapnetic, on April 17.

Netflix sues Blockbuster

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 23:11:00 GMT

Online DVD rental service Netflix Inc. on Tuesday accused Blockbuster Inc. of illegally copying its ideas in a patent infringement lawsuit challenging the video store chain’s recent Internet expansion.

The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, focuses largely on the online wish lists that prioritize the DVD desires of about 5.4 million people who subscribe to either Netflix or Blockbuster’s Internet service.

Netflix also believes its patents cover perhaps its most popular feature — the option of renting a DVD for an unlimited time without incurring late fees. | source...

YouTube Adds 10-Minute Video Limit

Sun, 02 Apr 2006 15:58:12 GMT

Popular viral video site YouTube.com earlier this week made some moves to ensure that copyrighted material was not making it on to its site. Effective immediately, the length of videos would be limited to ten minutes or less. In an analysis by the company, it said a majority of those longer videos were copyrighted. | More...

Digital cinema may not be ready to roll

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 18:27:31 GMT

After years of haggling, Hollywood's movie studios and theater owners agreed in 2005 to replace old film projectors with new digital systems, but some say the equipment is not ready for use.

The battle involves potentially billions of dollars, pits industry players against each other, and will be a major topic next week at ShoWest, a key industry event in Las Vegas where the studios, theater owners and equipment vendors gather.

New digital cinema projection systems are expected to bring clearer images and three-dimensional movies to audiences, as well as new revenue opportunities to theater owners who can use them to screen live sports, concerts and teleconferences.

Many in the movie industry hope digital cinema will help revive theater attendance, which fell 9 percent in 2005 in the United States.

The studios stand to save about $1 billion a year in print distribution costs because they will be shipping digital movies via computer hard drives, satellite and broadband cable, versus old celluloid canisters. [ more... ]

Amazon Plans Music Service To Rival iPod

Thu, 16 Feb 2006 16:05:40 GMT

In recent years, Amazon.com Inc. Chief Executive Jeff Bezos has explained his company's deliberately paced approach to the digital-music business by saying he wants to avoid simply imitating the dominant player in the field, Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes Music Store.

Now Amazon, the world's No. 1 online retailer, is in advanced talks with the four global music companies about a digital-music service with a range of features designed to set it apart. Among them: Amazon-branded portable music players, designed and built for the retailer, and a subscription service that would deeply discount and preload those devices with songs, not unlike mobile phones that are included with subscription plans as part of the deal.

Music executives privately welcome Amazon's plans, which they see as one of the only credible challenges to Apple's hegemony in both digital music and portable players. Now the question is whether Amazon's massive customer base is enough to offset a long delay in entering the online music business.

The service could be launched as soon as this summer, according to people familiar with the matter. Amazon declined to discuss the service, and hasn't finalized deals to license content from major music companies: Vivendi Universal SA's Universal Music Group; Sony BMG, a joint venture of Sony Corp. and Bertelsmann AG; Warner Music Group Corp.; and EMI Group PLC.

The move is crucial for the Seattle-based retailer's long-term strategy. Despite offering a vast array of products from gourmet coffee to garden hoses, Amazon depended on physical media like CDs, DVDs and books for 70% of its 2005 sales. To maintain its dominant position, Amazon will need to hang on to consumers as they migrate to digital delivery of those products.

Sony BMG CD Technologies Settlement

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 19:20:43 GMT

A web site has been set up to provide Sony customers with information about a proposed class action settlement involving Sony Entertainment, Inc., SunnComm International Inc, and First 4 Internet, Ltd.

To view a list of CDs included in the Settlement, click on the following link.

If you returned the CD already, pray that you have a copy of the receipt laying arround. The proposed settlement "supposedly" involves persons who bought, received or used SONY BMG CD's with either XCP or MediaMax software, unfortunatly the online claim form assumes that there is a 1:1:1 relationship between an infected CD, the owner of that CD, and the number of computers that the content was played on (I have three roommates, five PC's no return receipt for any of the infected CD's were played on any of our computers, and no idea who is responsible). If anyone knows how to get arround this obstical please let me know using the comment link below.

If you have installed XCP software or MediaMax software on your computer, you will need to uninstall the software or download an important security update as part of the claim process.

If you have played a CD on your computer that contains either XCP or MediaMax 5.0 content protection software, you should update or uninstall the software to reduce your risk of security vulnerabilities.

The Summary Notice and other documents explain the settlement, the benefits it provides, and the options that you have, including how to submit a Claim Form. Claim Forms are due by December 31, 2006. If you would like to submit a Claim Form online, please click here.

You may obtain further information about this Settlement by clicking on the appropriate link(s) at this website. For more detailed information, please click on the Notice to Class Members.

To submit your claim in hard copy by U.S. mail, click here.

Church Uses Digital Video In Satellite Expansion

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 18:53:47 GMT

Mars Hill Church began less than 10 years ago as a 12-person Bible study. Today, the congregation has grown to approximately 4,500 and counting.

The lack of seating at Mars Hill's Ballard location hasn't pushed the stop button on expansion of the church, especially now that pastors have opted to push play.

Utilizing technology -- in the form of a sermon recorded on video -- to reach the masses, Mars Hill Church has expanded into Shoreline. A first service, packed with 450 people (200 more than expected), was held on Sunday, Jan. 22, at CRISTA Ministries' Schirmer Auditorium, and services since then have also been crowded.

"It is about expanding our proclamation of the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ," said pastor Steve Tompkins about the use of a video sermon. "It is a unique, innovative way to do that very thing."

A recording of an 8:30 a.m. Sunday sermon at the Ballard location (the first of six), given by the church's preaching pastor, Mark Driscoll, is physically transported to Shoreline. The video is then aired at the Shoreline auditorium where the rest of worship is similar to what the former Ballard attendees have grown accustom: pastors are present for prayer and leadership and a live worship band plays music.

"Shoreline is about the beginning of expanding out into some of the suburbs where we are starting to draw people who are driving," Tompkins said.

The decision to broadcast the sermon will not save the church money, nor is it intended to unite the congregation, Tompkins said, but is simply about spreading the gospel. [ more... ]

TV rivals talk broadband

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 15:30:20 GMT

DirecTV Group confirmed it's in discussions with rival EchoStar Communications to create a wireless high-speed Internet service.

DirecTV Chief Executive Chase Carey told Reuters in an interview that the company has held discussions with Douglas County-based EchoStar and a number of other companies, but no decisions have been made. EchoStar spokesman Marc Lumpkin declined to comment.

"If something involved EchoStar, there are benefits (to) it. . . . There would be greater scales to distribution," Carey told Reuters. But "there are complexities in additional partners."

Speculation about such an alliance has circulated since Rupert Murdoch, chairman of DirecTV controlling shareholder News Corp., told investors in early January that the company may spend $1 billion to build a new broadband network. That would give the satellite-TV providers a way to counter cable rivals' bundle of video, high-speed Internet and phone service. [ more... ]

Songbird, the "open source iTunes killer," flies today

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 17:52:57 GMT

A team led by ex-Winamp-er Rob Lord today released a preview edition of Songbird, a desktop media player that offers an open source alternative to services like Apple's iTunes and the Windows Media Player. Instead of connecting to one locked store full of DRMmed goods, it can connect to any and all available music (and video) on the internet.

Code brains behind the project include people who helped build Winamp, Muse, Yahoo's "Y! Music Engine" media player, and developers from Mozilla Foundation. Initial release is for Windows only, with editions for other OSes to follow in the coming weeks.

Built on the same platform as Firefox, Songbird acts like a specialized web browser for music. It sees the online world through MP3-colored glasses -- it looks at an archive of public domain sound files or a music store's catalog, and displays available media for you. [ more... ]

Microsoft to Pay RealNetworks $761 Mln in Settlement

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 20:54:08 GMT

Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software maker, agreed to pay RealNetworks Inc. $761 million in a settlement that removes the last major antitrust lawsuit brought by a Microsoft competitor.

RealNetworks shares surged as much as 48 percent after Microsoft said it will pay $460 million in cash and provide services worth $301 million to promote RealNetworks' Rhapsody online music service and digital games, the companies said today.

The agreement silences one of the most vocal critics of Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft, which has agreed to pay more than $4 billion to settle antitrust cases. RealNetworks's Rhapsody site will be featured on MSN's home page, giving both companies more ammunition to compete with companies including Apple Computer Inc., operator of iTunes. | more...

New cellphone has iTunes built in

Thu, 08 Sep 2005 16:07:57 GMT

NewScientist.com | The first cellphone to double-up as an iPod music player went on sale in the US on Wednesday. It was unveiled by Apple at a last-minute, invitation-only press conference in San Francisco.

The ROKR, pronounced “rocker”, looks like a normal silver cellphone, weighs just over 1 gram and stores 100 songs and audio-files on a minuscule, removable flash memory card. Files stored using the iTunes music software can be downloaded from a PC by plugging the phone into its USB port.

The idea, a joint venture between phone maker Motorola, Apple and US phone service provider Cingular Wireless, is to merge two popular portable devices – the cellphone and the iPod – into one, while adding the capability to listen to music while texting, instant messaging, playing games or web surfing.

“Fusing iTunes with your always-with-you mobile phone, the ROKR represents the ultimate convergence of mobile communications and music,” says Ed Zander, chairman and CEO of Motorola.

Apple has also released the ultra-slender, flash-memory-based iPod Nano, an MP3 player slimmer than a pencil and capable of storing up to 1000 songs or 25,000 photos. With 2 gigabyte or 4 GB memory options, it is touted as a replacement for the iPod Mini, which comes with either a 4 GB or 6 GB memory, but has a hard drive rather than flash memory.

Comcast Hooks up with Sprint

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 20:01:26 GMT

The two carriers link their voice networks but deny suggestions that any further deals are in the offing.

Comcast, the largest cable operator in the United States, moved a step closer to being the first major carrier in the country to provide data, voice, video, and wireless services—the so-called quadruple play.

Red Herring said two weeks ago that while Comcast had emerged as a potential buyer of T-Mobile, the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the U.S., the company was actually engaged in active negotiations with Sprint about an overall alliance that could extend to a wireless arrangement.

Those talks bore fruit on Thursday when the two companies announced an arrangement in which Sprint, a leading provider of both wireless and wireline services, would provide connectivity between Comcast’s VoIP network and the facilities of traditional telephone service providers.

The announcement did not address wireless services, but it speaks to the growing chumminess between the two companies. | Source: Red Herring

Shuttle Launch Sets Streaming Record

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 19:55:43 GMT

Nearly 433,000 people tuned in to watch the Space Shuttle Discovery roar into space Tuesday morning, in an event that smashed a streaming video record set by AOL earlier this month. 335,000 people simultaneously watched via Yahoo in Windows Media, while Akamai served up the other streams in Real Video format.

AOL jumped into the record books on July 2 when Live 8 concerts were streamed to over 175,000 people simultaneously. The shuttle launch more than doubled those numbers, and quadrupled NASA's prior record of 118,000 streams for the Deep Impact mission. | Source: BetaNews

AOL to Offer Legal MP3 Downloads

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 19:54:17 GMT

AOL said on Thursday it would offer free music downloads through AOLMusic.com that would carry tunes from popular mainstream artists - without digital rights management. The songs would come in the traditional MP3 format without restrictions, meaning the user would be able to do with the track as they pleased.

The selections will change each month, and AOL told BetaNews that 16 artists would be featured at launch. The number of tracks would vary, AOL said, based on agreements between the company and record labels.

While other MP3-based music stores have surfaced in recent months, none have provided mainstream artists due to resistance from the record industry. AOL's offering would be the first legal MP3-based download catalog.

AOL previously offered downloadable tracks in WMA format, but those were restricted by DRM and could not be played on Apple's ubiquitous iPod audio player.

Some of the first artists to be featured include Tommy Lee, Bright Eyes, The Veronicas, Interpol, Dwight Yokum, Hawthorne Heights, Tegan and Sara, The Shins, and Deep Dish.

AOLMusic.com receives about 25.9 million visitors per month. | Source: BetaNews

Napster launches radio song sales

Thu, 28 Jul 2005 18:37:21 GMT

Napster launches radio song sales

'XM + Napster' is set to launch in the fourth quarter of 2005

Online music service Napster has joined forces with satellite pay-radio station XM to enable its subscribers to buy the music they hear.

The deal is intended to take advantage of next-generation MP3 players which also receive satellite radio stations.

The XM/MP3 digital music players will let users bookmark songs they hear on the radio for future purchase online.

Analysts have long said satellite radio stations would converge with music players and other portable devices. | Source: BBC News

Hollywood Plots End of Film Reels

Thu, 28 Jul 2005 15:41:15 GMT

Representatives of Hollywood's top movie studios say they have agreed on technical specifications that will make it easier to distribute and display movies digitally.

Digital Cinema Initiatives, the industry consortium created in 2002 to unite studios, theater owners and tech manufacturers in planning the shift to digital, released version 1.0 of its requirements and specifications for digital cinema Wednesday.

The document represents three years of testing, planning and debate that united the studios, which are more accustomed to competing with each other than collaborating.

The motivation behind that unity, as with many things in Hollywood, is money.

Studios spent more than $631 million in 2003 on film prints for the North American market alone, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. Subtracting reels from that equation could reduce total distribution costs by as much as 90 percent, according to U.K. digital cinema analyst Patrick von Sychowski. Add in costs for overseas distribution and exhibition, and the move from prints to digital files could mean an eventual annual savings of up to $900 million. | Source: Wired News

Comcast to Boost Cable Internet Speeds

Wed, 13 Jul 2005 17:15:23 GMT

"Saying it will be "twice as fast as DSL," Comcast on Tuesday announced that it would increase the speed of its cable Internet service to 6Mbps and 8Mbps starting this month in certain locations. Comcast expects nearly its entire coverage area to be upgraded by the end of the summer." | Source: BetaNews

AOL, XM to Expand Live Music Content

Wed, 13 Jul 2005 17:12:26 GMT

"AOL, XM Satellite Radio and AEG, a worldwide sports and entertainment presenter, have formed a joint entertainment venture with Kevin Wall, who most recently served as the executive producer of Live 8. The venture, to be called Network Live, will produce live programming for both the AOL Music service and XM." | Source: BetaNews

Netflix to Offer Movie Downloads?

Wed, 13 Jul 2005 16:50:33 GMT

"A technical glitch exposed what could possibly be a new download service from online DVD rental service Netflix. The glitch has appeared on some users' account information pages under a section for a "Netflix Player" with the option to register a player and name the "box."" | Source: BetaNews

CBS News Announces New Net Strategy

Wed, 13 Jul 2005 16:47:41 GMT

"CBS on Tuesday announced a new strategy for its news department to make the Internet a critical part of its news operation. Company executives announced that CBS would turn its Web site, CBSNews.com, and its news operation in general into a 24-hour on-demand news service, providing broadband video and a blog, as well as launching a new 24-hour online only news network.

The setup will be very similar to ABC News Now, which ABC launched in 2003. The ABC News Now service offers a subscription-based 24-hour news network online and on cable; however, AOL users and digital cable subscribers are able to watch content for free." | Source: BetaNews

iTunes Nears 500 Million Downloads

Thu, 07 Jul 2005 15:52:26 GMT

"Apple on Tuesday launched a new contest to celebrate the success of iTunes as the service approaches its 500 millionth download. The Cupertino company will be offering prizes such as free song downloads, free iPods and even a three person trip to see the band Coldplay with backstage passes.

To celebrate the milestone, the company has placed a counter on its front page, which stood at over 481,600,000 as of mid-afternoon Tuesday. Every 100,000th downloader will receive an iPod mini of their choice as well as a 50-song credit for the iTunes Music store.

The grand prize winner -- the person who downloads the 500 millionth song -- will receive 10 iPods of their choice. Also, that person will receive a gift card good for 10,000 free songs, as well as gift cards of ten songs a piece to go with each of the iPods.

As an added measure, Apple has thrown in front-row tickets for Coldplay with backstage passes as well." | Source: BetaNews

Intel Invests in Online Film Distribution

Thu, 07 Jul 2005 15:48:24 GMT

"Intel announced that it is investing in a company called ClickStar with the intent to create a distribution system for films over the Internet before they are released to home video. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

ClickStar was formed by actor Morgan Freeman, most commonly known for his roles in movies such as "The Shawshank Redemption," and producer Lori McCreary, with financial backing from Intel. Freeman and McCreary formed ClickStar's parent company, Revelations Entertainment, in 1996.

"ClickStar addresses the growing worldwide consumer demand for digital content - especially filmed entertainment," Freeman said. "Our goal is to deliver first-run premium entertainment to film fans around the world and to make film easier to buy than to pirate."

Former Sony Pictures exec Nizar Allibhoy will head the new company, and he will be charged with convincing a reluctant industry to embrace the Internet as a form of movie distribution. The industry fears that if it offers newer movies, they will be quickly pirated and DVD rentals could fall. " | Source: Betanews

Walt Disney Internet Group launches mobile phone service

Thu, 07 Jul 2005 15:24:43 GMT

"The Walt Disney Internet Group and Sprint have announced an agreement through which Disney will create a national U.S. wireless phone service specifically designed for families. The service, called Disney Mobile, will use the Sprint Nationwide PCS Network and is slated to launch next year.

Disney Mobile plans to offer wireless voice service, exclusive handsets and a package of features and applications including a range of entertainment content for the family.

"Disney Mobile will combine Disney's heritage of quality and unparalleled brand equity in the family market with Sprint's leadership in wireless voice and data services to create an engaging and easy-to-use mobile experience," said Steve Wadsworth, president, WDIG. "This enhanced mobile service offering will ensure Disney's place as a leader in the family mobile market, one of the fastest growing segments of the mobile industry. We'll be in investment mode for the next several years, but expect that over the long run this initiative will generate solid financial returns for the company."" | Source: Geekzone

iTunes More Popular Than Most P2P Sites

Wed, 08 Jun 2005 01:39:21 GMT

bonch writes "A study by NPD Group shows that iTunes ranks #2 in popularity of music downloads, rivaling services like Limewire, Kazaa, and iMesh. The #1 service was still WinMX, but NPD believes this proves to the music industry that legal downloads can work, and that iTunes provides an economically viable alternative." From the article: "According to NPD, about 4 percent of Internet-enabled households in the nation used a paid music download store in March."

Plugin For Winamp Allows Downloading From iPod

Wed, 25 May 2005 16:46:15 GMT

slicenglide writes "A newly released plugin for Winamp allows you to copy music from your iPod to your computer. Wired has picked up the story and includes a link to the WinAmp plugin page where you can grab yourself a copy. "

BBC Trial of TV Show Download Service

Tue, 17 May 2005 16:17:18 GMT

Little Hamster writes "Five thousand households with broadband access has been selected for a trial of the BBC's new interactive Media Player. The trial will run from September to December, and users can 'time shift' and download selected BBC TV shows, radio programmes, regional programming and feature films. After seven days, the content will be automatically deleted from the user's computers. BBC will use this trial to iron out any outstanding rights issues and resolve teething difficulties with the technology ahead of a full launch next year." The BBC Press Office has a release about this as well. [ more... ]

iTunes/iPod integration with the PS3?

Mon, 16 May 2005 15:39:16 GMT

File this under “rumour mill,” but there’s talk of Apple and Sony getting buddy buddy enough to work together on support for iTunes and iPod integration with the Sony PS3. Still, it’s not all that far-fetched considering we’ve heard Sony talking trash about some sort of iTunes Movie Store in the past, beyond the already rampant speculation by analysts. Plus, Apple seems to be clearly moving iTunes and the iTunes Music Store into a conduit for video with its latest iTunes 4.8 update. You know, maybe Kunitake Ando showed up at the latest Stevenote just to get some fashion advice on keynote attire, but everyone’s been expecting some sort of Apple-Sony partnership to come out of it and right now, all roads do seem to be leading to iTunes. | Source: Engadget.com

Which Online Music Service is Best?

Fri, 06 May 2005 15:26:53 GMT

ExtremeTech has posted a nice side by side review of nine of big name online music services.

"Now it's time for a side-by-side comparison of the nine services we looked at for this piece. Click on the image below to see the table in all its glory..." [ more... ]

DirecTV's 1st MPEG4 Satellite Launch Successful

Wed, 27 Apr 2005 14:22:49 GMT

tivoKlr writes "Looks like the 1st Spaceway satellite to provide "1500 channels of HD" has made it successfully into space. MPEG4 compression and local HD channels, something that the cable company can't offer in my area." Unfortunately the new satellite obsoletes the HD Tivo, and there's no word on when there will be a new one. [ more... ]

First 500 Terabytes Transmitted via LHCGlobal Grid

Mon, 25 Apr 2005 20:20:07 GMT

neutron_p writes "When the LHC Computer Grid starts operating in 2007, it will be the most data-intensive physics instrument on the planet. Today eight major computing centers successfully completed a challenge to sustain a continuous data flow of 600 megabytes per second on average for 10 days from CERN in Geneva, Switzerland to seven sites in Europe and the US. The total amount of data transmitted during this challenge -- 500 terabytes -- would take about 250 years to download using a typical 512 kilobit per second household broadband connection."

Streaming Audio 10 Years Old

Mon, 25 Apr 2005 14:27:12 GMT

SlimySlimy writes,"This month, streaming audio turns 10. Though first introduced by Real, streaming multimedia is so commonplace today it's hard to believe that it didn't even exist 10 years ago. In line with one of their previous press releases, RealNetworks has released a mysterious website and letter from CEO Rob Glaser celebrating 10 years of Internet streaming audio, as well as announcing a yet-to-be-revealed 'revolution' in digital media. 'On April 26, we are changing the rules of the Internet again, and digital music will never be the same.' Here is their press release from 1995 (when they were still Progressive Networks) announcing the first streaming Internet multimedia."

Ciprico Does RAID 6 for Digital Media

Mon, 25 Apr 2005 14:26:01 GMT

In a recent Press Release, Ciprico Inc. (NASDAQ:CPCI), has announced their plans to introduce the first RAID-6 storage solution for the digital media industry.

Global ePoint to Introduce Multi-Channel Mobile Digital Video Technology for Homeland Security at Department of Defense

Mon, 25 Apr 2005 14:19:55 GMT

Global ePoint's enhanced "Trooper" model Mobile Video Surveillance System, being introduced by the company's Digital Video Technology Group, will be installed in a command center vehicle and demonstrated in conjunction with revolutionary color night vision video cameras developed by CANVS Corporation.

"As a result of the initial success of the Ranger 350i Mobile Video Surveillance System, we launched an intensive year-long follow-up research and development program to incorporate certain new and emerging technologies in a significantly advanced Mobile Video Surveillance System that allows broader applications," said Toresa Lou, Global ePoint's CEO. "We are committed to maintaining the Digital Video Technology Group's role as industry leaders and look forward to the introduction of the new Trooper system and its integration into Homeland Security solutions."

New Trooper technology includes every aspect of the successful Ranger model, with numerous proprietary cutting-edge enhancements. Technologies for computing, networking and compression have been dramatically expanded. The new Trooper model is a lightweight portable device offering up to eight channels of simultaneous audio and video recording and "real time" transmitting and playback. Designed for multiple camera installations and applications, Trooper provides state-of-the-art wireless, hands-free digital video technology with the ability to view events in "real time" and to remotely control transmission from any mobile position to any other location or documentary archive. [ more... ]

Streaming Media Consortium Announces Downloading Spec

Mon, 25 Apr 2005 14:13:12 GMT

The Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA) made publicly available the final version of its next generation specification, ISMA 2.0. The specification incorporates advanced codec technology for audio and video applications, Internet protocols for streaming and file formats for storage. [ more... ]

Sun Announces Vertical Group to Target Hollywood Demands

Mon, 25 Apr 2005 14:12:27 GMT

Sun Announces Vertical Group to Target Hollywood DemandsSun Microsystems, Inc. has announced a new vertical group that will create technology solutions to meet Hollywood's demand for reliable, fast, and open technology. Sun is already delivering the Digital Asset Management Reference Architecture, video management, and storage products to companies like Home Box Office (HBO), WGBH and Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM). [ more... ]

Verizon Logs In To Movielink

Fri, 22 Apr 2005 15:02:51 GMT

"Movielink is partnering with Verizon Online to offer a co-branded version of its movie download service to Verizon broadband subscribers.

Verizon DSL and FiOS Internet Service customers can buy and download movies from a full library of titles plus a special selection of hit films that will be available for 99¢ or less.

Just as with Movielink users, Verizon subscribers will be able to download movies and store them on their hard drive for 30 days. After hitting play, users have 24 hours to watch the movie." [ more... ]

High Definition QuickTime Video Now Free At Endorphin.com

Tue, 19 Apr 2005 14:31:28 GMT

Vern Seward writes, "Vern Seward Endorphin.com is now offering its cache of beautifully shot, high definition videos in a new magazine style format, free of charge. Endorphin.com is a video magazine that offers news stories and articled in high-quality, QuickTime video, and the new format brings these videos to viewers for free for the first time.

According to the Endorphin.com president Bob Franco, the Web site's new magazine style is intended to be easier to use, giving sponsors more exposure in the process. That increased exposure, and the accompanying increase in advertising revenue, has allowed the company to publish its content for free." [ more... ]