Many of the biggest stories in the connected consumer space occurred mostly offstage in 2012, from Apple’s new media services to policymakers in Washington. Overall, the past 12 months have laid important groundwork for significant advances in the connected consumer space. The year 2013 should be eventful. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Anecdotal evidence suggests over-the-top video is a booming trend. But it takes technical skill, state-of-the-art broadband connections and the willingness to shell out money for both bandwidth and content subscriptions to fully integrate OTT into a household, much less consider trying to use it to cord cut. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The adoption of tablets, social media and new interfaces and the changing nature of the TV itself mean the digital living room will continue on its path of rapid change, thanks to new ways of creating, viewing, bundling, distributing and selling content. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
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 »
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 outsize growth in online spending this holiday season suggests that e-commerce as a sector of the economy has passed some kind of tipping point and that factors beyond simply convenience and price — both long-standing hallmarks of online shopping — are propelling the e-commerce sector ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
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 »
Fanhattan has integrated with social networks, which will not only provide more interesting content for users to watch but will also allow them to share their interests with friends. Users can now get recommendations from their social graph, including movies and TV shows their friends like. Read more »
Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) recently surged into third place in the movie-download business, barely a year after buying the startup Vudu. Now, the… Read more at paidContent »
If recent news from Twitter, Pandora, Google and Amazon is any indication, it seems that a set of technologies collectively known as HTML5 are finally starting to gain a lot of momentum, and to me, that’s a good thing — especially for the mainstream users. Read more »
Vudu is finally making its streaming VOD store available on the iPad. But while most streaming video services have launched apps on the tablet, Vudu is coming to market with a mobile web experience, in part so that it doesn’t have to share revenues with Apple. Read more »
With an expanded content library and a new key asset acquired to play in the consumer electronics market, Amazon is becoming more aggressive in its pursuit of Netflix. And it couldn’t have happened at a better time, with Netflix approval at all-time lows. Read more »
Vudu’s streaming-video-on-demand service is about to get a big boost, as it’s being integrated with the website of parent company Walmart. That will introduce millions of new “every day low price” shoppers to the joy of online video through the Vudu service. 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 »
Vizio is adding a Vudu button to remote controls for its connected TVs and Blu-ray players. The button provides easier navigation to the service, but it also highlights the struggle publishers face when trying to reach viewers on connected devices where dozens of apps compete. Read more »
Want to watch videos from Netflix or Hulu Plus on your PS3? Well, you’re out of luck: Sony has taken the PlayStation Network offline after suffering a serious security breach last week, and both online video services are closely tied to the game console’s network. Read more »
After a year in which over-the-top video services grabbed most of the media’s attention, some of the online video headlines shifted back to traditional pay-TV providers in the first quarter of 2011. Device manufacturers rolled out new offerings, while cable-TV providers moved to expand their in-home footprint beyond the TV itself. But over-the-top continued to encroach, with Roku adding its first linear channels to the Roku store and Netflix acquiring exclusive rights to high-profile original series House of Cards. Finally, traditional web powers like Google, Yahoo and Apple made moves to reassert their presence in the living room after their early stumbles. Additional companies mentioned in this report include Comcast, Cablevision, Viacom and VUDU. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Vudu has rapidly expanded the number of devices that offer its video on demand service. But the one place you couldn’t find it was in your web browser. That changes today, as full video streaming of all titles will now be available on Vudu.com. Read more »
Apple’s iTunes is #1 when it comes to movie sales and rentals online, but Microsoft’s share is growing quickly due to sales of its Kinect motion controller. While Sony ranks third now, it could soon be overtaken by Walmart’s Vudu if that service continues to grow. Read more »
Today on the Net: Boxee strikes an international VOD deal, Apple TV and iPad users can now install XBMC on their devices and Samsung sees growing demand for its TV apps. Read more »
Boxee Box owners, the wait is over: No, you’re not getting your long-promised Netflix app quite yet. But you will finally be able to rent and purchase major Hollywood movies, in HD and 3D, thanks to the official launch of the Vudu app on Boxee. Read more »
Vudu announced today that it will launch on Sony’s PlayStation 3 game console, giving it access to the PS3′s 30 million users in the U.S. In addition, it’s rolling out a new design that provides an improved user interface and personalized recommendations for Vudu users. Read more »
On Disney’s earnings call yesterday, CEO Bob Iger said the decline in DVD sales is not necessarily due to a down economy, but a shift in how users consume content and entertainment choices available to them. That’s particularly true for titles like Toy Story 3. 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 »
Tomorrow, when Pixar’s Toy Story 3 becomes available on DVD and Blu-ray, any consumer who buys a disc at Walmart will receive a code to download the film to their VUDU-enabled device. According to VUDU, “The future of media has officially arrived, and it is awesome!” Read more »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Google unveiled Google TV at its I/O conference on May 20, promising to revolutionize the TV ecosystem by giving people “the power to experience what they love on TV and on the web on a single screen,” while turning the living room “into a new platform for innovation.”
It’s a promise made by others (including no-less formidable innovators such as Microsoft and Apple) but never delivered on. Much has changed since Microsoft failed with Web TV, however, and even since Apple introduced (and has since largely ignored) its Apple TV. The amount of premium video content available on the Internet has grown exponentially, while faster broadband connections have made delivering high-quality video over IP networks feasible. In this research note, we look at why the time is ripe for Google’s offering to succeed, what it si, and its potential impacts on the TV ecosystem, including users, hardware providers, app stores, content providers, distributors, and competitors (including Apple, Microsoft, and independent IP video platforms). 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 »
Embedded app stores are finding their way onto connected HDTVs, Blu-ray Disc players and set-top boxes, where streaming video apps are likely to predominate. With the number of connected devices expected to grow rapidly over the next five years, cable and satellite providers could again find ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Why Hulu Will—And Should—Charge For Hulu Plus; When Hulu finally announces its subscription plans, it will have a small but critical window of opportunity to explain itself to the market. If it gets the details of the plan right, it will succeed. (paidContent) Vudu Starts Offering […] 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 »
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 »
Web-connected TV: A Distant Dream for App Makers; app developers are staying away from Yahoo’s Connected TV and similar platforms because environment is too restricted, fragmented. (Business Week) A Detailed Look at VUDU’s Streaming Technology, and What It Means to Walmart; optimized encoding and flexible UI […] Read more »
Vudu’s decision to shut down its adult movie section as a result of being acquired by Wal-Mart has adult entertainment companies and fans of X-rated content alike wondering where to turn next. The answer could be Boxee; the video platform already has a number of adult […] Read more »
Channel Five Signs Online Video Deal with CBS; Channel Five has signed a deal with CBS to make its programming available on the U.S. network’s on-demand video web site TV.com. (Guardian.co.uk) Wal-Mart Shutting Down Vudu’s Adult Section; an email has been sent out by Vudu letting […] Read more »
For years, people have gone to Wal-Mart and Best Buy to buy DVDs and Blu-ray discs of their favorite movies, but pretty soon those brick-and-mortar stores will be coming to them, in the form of digital storefronts through HDTVs, Blu-ray players and other connected devices. Wal-Mart’s […] Read more »
Wal-Mart is buying over-the-top video company Vudu, according to a report by the New York Times. Apparently talks are already underway with Hollywood studios and television manufacturers. Here’s what else you need to know. Read more »
It’s been a long time coming, but over-the-top video company Vudu has finally stopped selling its set-top box, according to the NY Times, preferring instead to provide its software and video marketplace to consumer electronics manufacturers. Founded in 2004, Vudu released its first Internet video set-top […] Read more »
