TV broadcasters and programmers must embrace a new set of video-delivery techniques to reach consumers today. Online delivery to so many types of consumer devices means that video programmers must produce multiple internet-streaming formats that use different types of security and different ways of inserting ads. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The third quarter saw many parts of the traditional media business in flux. Other developments included the rollout of new device-based content ecosystems, red flags and red ink for traditional consumer electronics makers, and a resurgence of consumer purchases of movies. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
With the launch of Nook Video, Barnes & Noble will begin selling digital movies and TV episodes across devices. The company plans to release Nook Video apps, and the service will be available in the US and UK. Pricing and other details are unclear. Read more at paidContent »
Those who purchase Fox movies like Prometheus on iTunes can now re-download their films on iCloud, thanks to a deal the studio carved with its pay TV partner, HBO, that relaxes digital restrictions of movies while they’re in the pay TV window. Read more at paidContent »
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 »
Eight months after launching, and two months since Walmart started pushing the cloud-based movie locker in its stores, the studio-backed UltraViolet program has signed up 3 million users. Read more at paidContent »
Hulu should require viewers to have a cable subscription, Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes suggested in an investor call following the company’s Q1 2012 earnings report this morning. “We think Hulu authenticating makes sense,” Bewkes said. “We think Hulu is heading in the right direction now.” Read more at paidContent »
In the first quarter of 2012 all eyes were on the screen, both big and small. Apple’s new Retina display pushed video streaming, and broadcast-TV streaming service Aereo’s launch was quickly followed with litigation. These events and more are discussed in a new quarterly report. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
A deal with Dreamworks Animation gives Walmart much-needed animated kids’ flix for its new Disc to Digital while UltraViolet gets a Shrek-sized boost. Read more at paidContent »
DVD sales may not be what they were, but the road to Hollywood riches still goes through Walmart’s Bentonville, Ark. headquarters. Fortunately, to see a demo of the retailer’s new UltraViolet cloud service, we only had to drive to Rosemead, Calif. Read more at paidContent »
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 »
Have a DVD that you want to watch while traveling or otherwise away from home? The latest version of the TV Anytime app will let its users rip and transfer DVDs from their desktops to mobile devices for on-the-go viewing. Read more »
Samsung has rolled out a new line of Blu-ray players that support Ultraviolet, thus joining the ranks of entertainment brands that support t… Read more at paidContent »
Hollywood’s UltraViolet initiative might not have gotten off to a great start. But things are looking up, as it’s added Amazon as a partner, and Samsung Blu-ray players will now let consumers add DVDs they’ve already purchased to their UltraViolet digital rights lockers. Read more »
The new technology allowing consumers who buy entertainment in physical formats to consume it online for no additional cost has gone live an… Read more at paidContent »
How bad are things for Hollywood’s UltraViolet initiative right now? So bad that Warner Bros., the studio behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, is giving away coupon codes for the movie to Apple’s iTunes store to placate unhappy customers. Read more »
The next step in Hollywood’s effort to educate consumers about its UltraViolet digital rights locker came from Warner Bros., which is taking to Twitter with a promoted trend aimed at getting Harry Potter fans excited about streaming the title to their computers and other devices. Read more »
Hollywood’s UltraViolet cloud locker service is finding some new friends in unlikely places: A German blogger reported that he was able to access the site with a coupon code he bought on eBay. The big problem: Codes trade for far less than studios would like. Read more »
Hollywood is finally starting to make good on its promise to allow consumers to buy a movie once and watch it anywhere. But in my latest piece on GigaOM Pro, I argue that UltraViolet does little to combat a visible shift in consumer behavior. Read more »
What do consumers think about UltraViolet, Hollywood’s new attempt to preserve its physical disc business, curtail piracy and sell content without Apple’s help through a digital file locker? Judging from numerous reviews on Amazon.com, it looks like quite a few of them are pretty upset. Read more »
UltraViolet is Hollywood’s first real effort at breaking the Apple stranglehold. The idea is that by implementing a digital rights locker, the studios involved will enable viewers to purchase a piece of content once and watch it on any device. And it’s finally available now. Read more »
Warner Bros. has confirmed its movies won’t disappear from streaming sites when they hit HBO’s pay TV service. The closing of this so-called “HBO window” could go a long way toward making digital ownership of UltraViolet titles more appealing to consumers. Read more »
Through the DECE’s UltraViolet format, Warner Bros. and other studios will begin making movies available for sale this year that can be purchased and watched on a number of different devices. Key to Time Warner’s introduction of these services will be its Flixster social discovery app. Read more »
The DECE has finally completed the backend work needed to roll out services based on its UltraViolet initiative. Now Hollywood needs to spread the word to consumers about what UltraViolet is, how it works and most importantly, why they will want to buy movies again. Read more »
Warner Bros. is buying Flixster, and it plans to turn the site into a VOD service tied to the UltraViolet cloud DRM scheme. Part of the deal is also the movie reviews site Rotten Tomatoes. The studio promises that Rotten Tomatoes will continue to be independent. Read more »
Consumers are becoming less interested in owning content, and are moving to more convenient, on-demand, video solutions. Now, when trying to make home entertainment decisions, consumers are turning to Netflix instead of DVD, Redbox and even pirated copies of films online, according to Google search data. Read more »
Online video rentals are far outpacing the sale of digital movies online, which is bad news for studios hoping that digital distribution might make up for an anemic DVD market. Can the introduction of the DECE’s digital rights locker change consumer behavior? Read more »
DRM has a new name, and that name is “UltraViolet.” The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem today announced the name for its “Buy Once, Play Anywhere” digital content framework, along with a consumer website in which consumers will be able to manage all their content and devices. Read more »
