Cloud-based storage and cross-device syncing of media content are two of the most competitive areas in consumer IT. Apple, Google and Amazon see cloud-based media services both as a way to increase attachment to their platforms and a means to extend and amplify their broader strategic goals. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Wal-Mart is looking to use its leverage in Hollywood to accelerate the movie industry’s move to cloud-based storage and digital commerce. In the process, it could steal a march on other providers of cloud-based media lockers like Apple, Google and Amazon, whose platforms to date are ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The television business is on the cusp of the biggest technological upheaval since the introduction of cable TV. The addition of Internet connectivity to living room devices will enable new functionality around programming services, program discovery, social networking, ad targeting and measurement — aspects of the TV viewing experience that have remained largely unchanged for decades. These trends have the potential to become the foundation for new economic models around how viewers pay for video service and how program creation is financed. In this report, we examine the leading contenders’ strategic positioning, relative strengths and weaknesses, and provide the early line on their odds of success. Companies mentioned include Google, Apple, Boxee, Roku, Vudu, Samsung, Microsoft and Sony. To see a full list of companies and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
While Redbox confirmed that it would have a digital video offering in 2011, and said it would do so with a partner, it had little to say about the specifics of what such a plan would look like. Here’s who we think that partner might be. Read more »
The film adaptation of the popular book Freakonomics will be hitting movie theaters on Oct. 1, but anxious viewers can watch it now if they want, with rentals of the Freakonomics film available for just $9.99 on Apple’s iTunes, Amazon Video On Demand, and cable VOD. Read more »
Job postings on Amazon.com suggest the online retailer may be looking to update the look and feel of its Video On Demand service. With an opening for a senior user experience designer, as well as multiple software development engineers, the service could get a refresh soon. Read more »
Amazon is promoting its Video on Demand streaming service with Twitter, offering $10 discounts to users who start following its @AmazonVideo account. The discount can be applied to streaming shows from NBC, Fox, USA and SyFy, including House, The Office, 30 Rock and Battlestar Galactica. Read more »
Online television guide The Futon Critic, launched in January 1997, is one of the web’s most reliable resources for information on broadcast and cable programming. But their coverage of the TV industry is about to take on a new digital edge. Beginning this summer, The Futon […] Read more »
Sonic Solutions is growing the amount of on-demand TV content it will have available through its Roxio CinemaNow service, striking a deal with Warner Bros. Digital Distribution that will allow it to sell TV shows the day after they air on TV. Episodes will be sold […] Read more »
YouTube is in talks with content providers to add a pay-per view element to its business, which would allow partners to charge end users to view some premium content on the online video site, say “multiple sources.” Read more »
