The Hulu Plus tornado is truly starting to descend upon the connected TV market, inhaling more and more devices — including now the Sony Dash. But does increasing the number of devices it’s available on make the subscription service a threat to the Netflix behemoth? Read more »
The Apple TV doesn’t seem to be getting its due on Amazon’s “Bestsellers in Electronics” list. While the device is clearly selling well, it hasn’t appeared among the top 100 sellers on Amazon’s list. Is the online store joining the battle to upset Cupertino’s efforts? Read more »
TV apps will soon be “everywhere,” according to attendees of a recent GigaOM Bunker event examining the future of the TV market. But how that market will develop, and which TV platforms will win out, is yet to be ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Boxee’s big foray into the world of hardware is set to start shipping November 10, but it sounds like they need a little cash up front. According to AllThingsD, Boxee is currently seeking out another $10-15 million of funding from new and previous investors. Read more »
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 »
Boxee users will soon be able to enjoy Hollywood blockbusters as VOD rentals, thanks to a new VUDU application that is coming to Boxee soon. The Boxee Box will be able to play VUDU’s titles in 1080p, but the desktop client will only get SD versions. Read more »
Boxee CEO Avner Ronen thinks broadcasters like ABC and CBS shouldn’t base their business model on the size of a TV’s screen or on the device that a browser runs on, but on the ad spots displayed and subscription fees paid by Google TV users. Read more »
Boxee is announcing the shipping date for its Boxee Box today: Amazon will start to ship the set-top box on November 10, and other stores will start selling it on November 17. Boxee’s new software version 1.0 will be previewed on the 10th as well. Read more »
Google TV will come with Netflix, Amazon VOD and Pandora. Apple TV on the other hand has Netflix, but instead of Amazon just iTunes, plus Flickr for your photos. Roku has MLB.tv, and Boxee hearts Last.fm. Still confused? Then check out our handy comparison chart. Read more »
I just put in my order for the Boxee Box. With the recently unveiled Apple TV offering little more than Netflix streaming and Google TV trying to play nice with cable subscriptions and DVRs, this one looks like the right choice for my living room. Read more »
Boxee’s Avner Ronen doesn’t like the recently launched new Apple TV, and he thinks that Google’s idea to center its Google TV around a simple search box is not very mainstream-friendly. Check out our interview with Ronen for more thoughts on Boxee’s competition and future. Read more »
Get ready to order your Boxee Box: Amazon.com is accepting pre-orders for the online video set-top-box made by D-Link and Boxee starting today. The devices will ship in November and feature an Intel Atom processor as well as a brand-new version of Boxee’s media center software. Read more »
Boxee is getting ready for HTML5 by swapping out its browser. The next version of Boxee will offer web access via a Webkit, as opposed to the current Gecko browser. This should make it easier to access web apps as well as additional video content. Read more »
The new Apple TV box isn’t the only way to stream digital content to your TV. So that’s why we want to know if you’re finding room for Apple TV in your home entertainment system — or if you’re happy with another solution. Read more »
Apple unveiled its updated TV set-top box today, with new streaming functionality and 99-cent TV rentals from ABC and Fox. This incarnation comes at a lower price point, but before consumers run out and buy one, they should consider the competition: Roku and Boxee. Read more »
Boxee users can now find new movies for streaming just as easily as they’ve been able to explore TV content, thanks to a new movie library that’s part of the latest software update. The movie library offers access to content from Hulu, YouTube and indie partners. Read more »
Boxee users can now download torrents to a remote server and then stream the video files right within the application, thanks to a new Boxee app by Put.io. The remote file sharing service could even be used to set up a cloud-based DVR for Boxee. Read more »
Several significant events set the tone for the digital media ecosystem during in the second quarter. First among these was the release of the iPad, the impact of which went far beyond device uptake; among other things it does not support Adobe Flash, which has impacted the entire chain of web-based video production from content sites re-encoding video to new tools being developed for HTML5-based advertising.
Another principal event in the quarter was the announcement of Google TV, a software platform built on Android 2.1, Google Chrome and Flash 10.1 that will be incorporated into a variety of companion devices including TV sets, Blu-ray players and set-top boxes. The platform offers significant advancements in merging TV and the web experience (although TiVo says it has done just that for years). Sony and Logitech have both announced plans to launch Google TV products in fall 2010.
Also in the second quarter, both YouTube and Hulu refreshed their sites, reflecting the market’s growing maturity. But while YouTube spent the quarter on the defensive in its ongoing legal battle with Viacom over copyright infringement, Hulu was on the offensive, introducing new services and preparing a paid subscription service launch. A paid service would bring new revenue streams to the video site, and would put Hulu in more direction competion with Netflix, which is increasingly shifting toward its streaming video service, away from its former mainstay of DVDs by mail. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The Boxee Box is in production, and will reach stores as early as late October, according to new information from Boxee (see update after the jump). The company’s Chief Product Officer Zach Klein showed off the very first mass-produced unit in a video today. Read more »
FFmpeg released a new version 0.6 with support for Google’s open source WebM video codec this week. FFmpeg is a suite of tools and libraries that is an important backbone of many well-known video players, transcoding applications and even TV platforms like Boxee, VLC and MPlayer. Read more »
Not long ago, digital rights management and copy protection seemed to be on their last legs. But DRM is poised to make a major comeback, and copy restrictions could soon be a bigger of TV viewing than ever. ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The Mac Mini desktop sees a hardware upgrade today, along with a price boost. It’s still the cheapest Mac desktop at $699, but with new Nvidia graphics and HDMI output, might it be your next Apple TV while Boxee and Google sit on the sidelines? Read more »
Boxee is expanding the premium content it has available with a deal that will enable users to purchase feature films. By teaming up with Sonic Solutions, Boxee users could soon have access to a wide range of film titles, including new releases and Hollywood hits. Read more »
Boxee’s set-top box was scheduled to go on sale this month, but the device won’t actually hit stores until November, the company has announced. Boxee CEO Avner Ronen told us that there were delays in the software production schedule, but he didn’t want to point fingers. Read more »
My Damn Channel is launching a custom app for Boxee today, allowing users of the software easy access to MDC’s full library of content — including Wainy Days and You Suck at Photoshop — on TV sets and beyond. Read more »
Google’s launch into the living room could threaten Boxee, Roku and other broadband-connected set-top makers. But Boxee CEO Avner Ronen said that the launch of Google TV could also present an opportunity for the startup, giving it an easier way to connect to consumers. Read more »
With the introduction of Google TV, the search giant could majorly disrupt the online video industry by merging it with existing broadcast TV services. By doing so, Google might render obsolete standalone set-top boxes and DVRs that pipe online video content to the TV. Read more »
For years, companies that wanted to launch pay TV services had to invest heavily to do so. But now the acceptance of IP video services could provide a way to reach a large and growing audience without a huge upfront ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
TV apps — interactive, web-like applications meant to “enhance” the TV viewing experience by supplementing programming content with additional material and activities — are evolving quickly from a novelty feature on some Internet-enabled HDTVs and a few cable systems to a standard capability. Their rise is driven by rapid growth in the number of Internet-connected devices in consumers’ living rooms, growing consumer familiarity with mobile apps and strategic competitive forces that influence video service providers. In this report, we look at the market dynamics, key players, and provide forecasts for the market, including network-connected televisions, embedded app marketplaces, app downloads, paid TV apps, and revenue from the sale of paid apps to consumers, which will grow from $10 million in 2010 to $1.9 billion by 2015. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
It used to let consumers get their online video for free, but now Boxee is one step closer to collecting revenue, as it will enable content partners a range of payment options that they can charge use to charge end users, including pay-per-view or subscription options. Read more »
What can a media company do that wants to put content online, but doesn’t get enough ad dollars in return? Well, new research from In-Stat suggests that one way to monetize over-the-top video is by selling applications for the Apple iPad, Roku Player, Boxee Box or […] Read more »
Boxee scored its second major sports league partnership today, bringing hockey fans live NHL games through an officially sanctioned NHL GameCenter Live app — provided they’re willing to pay $19.95 per month or $79 per year, that is. The NHL app will offer paying Boxee users […] Read more »
Boxee so far has put most of its efforts into helping users to watch Internet video on their TV screens, but it could be expanding those plans to include video watching on the tablets and other mobile devices. To do so, the video startup is looking […] Read more »
The independent film community Openfilm announced today that they would begin a quarterly contest that would give independent filmmakers a $250,000 award package: a $50,000 cash prize and $200,000 financing for a feature film for a total of $1 million given out annually. The site, which […] Read more »
Apple Announces iAd Mobile Advertising Platform; Apple will sell and host the ads, giving 60 percent of ad revenue back to developers. Unlike most mobile ads, which kick users out of the application they’re currently using, iAd keeps users in the same app. (TechCrunch) Juniper Acquires […] Read more »
Boxee users now have direct access to Streamy Award-nominated shows like Anyone But Me and Blue Movies, thanks to an official Koldcast TV app for Boxee that was unveiled today. The app, which was just announced on Boxee’s blog, offers access to all of Koldcast’s programming […] Read more »
UPDATED Well that was fast. If you’ve tried using the Kylo web video browser, which was just launched this morning, you might have noticed something funny while trying to connect to videos from Hulu — that is, that they’re unavailable. Users can connect to the Hulu […] Read more »
Hillcrest Labs has unveiled a new browser application called Kylo that is designed to make it easier for users to navigate web video content on their TV. Like Boxee, Kylo hopes to capitalize on the trend of consumers who are hooking their PCs to their TVs […] Read more »
The Palm Pre feels at times like the Jan Brady of the mobile world — lacking the Marsha-ish confidence and good looks of the iPhone, or the Cindy-like next-big-thing appeal of the Droid. Thus, no one pays it much attention or takes it terribly seriously. But […] Read more »
Kids, stay in school! At least if you’re at NYU’s IPT program, that is, because its students can actually get credits for developing apps for Boxee, as NYU’s Shawn Van Every told the audience of the TV of Tomorrow Show in San Francisco today. The school […] Read more »
