Xbox 360 Leads The Way To Engaged TV
Interactive TV, a phrase still used but painful to hear, grates like the name of an old girlfriend, conjuring up hopes long since unfulfille… Read more at paidContent »
Verizon’s Xbox Live rollout lacks broadcast content
Verizon is taking a big step toward making its FiOS TV service available through connected devices, with the launch of a new app for Microsoft’s Xbox Live next month. But the new app will be missing a lot of the most popular networks and shows. Read more »
Black Friday Roundup: Strong Start, But Will Sales Hold?
Despite warnings from groups like the OECD that Europe and the U.S. are heading into recession, the flurry of online and mobile activity tha… Read more at paidContent »
How Come 'Modern Warfare 3' Is The Most Hated Game On The Web?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has attracted near-universal critical acclaim. It is a slick, well-constructed and generously proportioned in… Read more at paidContent »
SyncTV: building TV apps for almost every device
There are a ton of development frameworks for creating apps on various connected TVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles, set-top boxes, tablets, smartphones and the like, which is more than most publishers can reasonably be expected to develop for. Enter SyncTV, which hopes to solve that issue. Read more »
No HBO Go for Roku users on Comcast or DirecTV
Roku scored a huge coup with its release of the HBO Go app. But not everyone who subscribes to the network will have access to it. In fact, the two biggest pay TV operators in the U.S., Comcast and DirecTV, have decided not to support it. Read more »
Is Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 5 Arriving Next Year?
Rockstar has officially announced Grand Theft Auto V. The latest title in the multimillion-selling crime adventure series has no official re… Read more at paidContent »
Microsoft earnings: All eyes on Skype
Just how will Microsoft make money off Skype? It’s too early to say since the deal closed just last week, said Microsoft CFO Peter Klein. But he gave some broad-brush hints about plans for the VoIP fan favorite on Microsoft’s first-quarter earnings call Thursday night. Read more »
Microsoft Earnings On Target As PC Business Still Stagnant
The PC business is not the most dynamic place to be these days, but fortunately for Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) it has a growing presence in the… Read more at paidContent »
The Morning Lowdown 10-06-11
» Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) Co-Founder And Chairman Steve Jobs Has Died (paidContent)
» Three Years Later, Microsoft (NSDQ:… Read more at paidContent »
Microsoft Shifts Strategies To Expand Xbox Live TV, Go Global
After years of effort and speculation, Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) has pieced together nearly 40 broadcast services from around the world to boos… Read more at paidContent »
The Morning Lowdown 09-30-11
» Facebook Pushes Back Against ‘Super-Cookie’ Charges (paidContent)
» Is Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) Really Shaking In Its Sho… Read more at paidContent »
Documentary Streamer SnagFilms Adds Drama, Wider Mobile Distribution
Indie documentary video streaming service SnagFilms making good on some of the changes it proposed earlier this year, when it raised $10 mil… Read more at paidContent »
Microsoft, Intel chart separate paths in the post-PC era
Microsoft and Intel unveiled initiatives Tuesday that show how the Wintel partners are trying to separately navigate a new post-PC world. Microsoft unveiled Windows 8, which will work on ARM-based tablets and computers while Intel announced a partnership with Google to optimize its chips for Android. Read more »
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The connected planet: Smartphones aren’t the only player
The number of connected devices is steadily on the rise, but it’s not smartphones or computers that will lead us to the 50 billion connected devices expected by the year 2020. Rather, the Internet of Things — numerous smart objects that speak to the web and ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
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Connected Consumer Q2: Digital music meets the cloud; e-book growth explodes
The second quarter of 2011 was a fast-paced one for the connected consumer segment, with every sector of the digital media landscape — music, e-books, online video and gaming — experiencing significant events and changes. Media consumption, purchase and management continued its shift towards the cloud, ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Should Microsoft introduce a disc-less 360?
Microsoft just released its Q2 results, and it’s clear the 360 has gone from being a drag on financials to contributing in a positive way. But one surefire way to expand the market further is by making the 360 available at the $99 price point. Read more »
Microsoft’s big gaming gamble is finally paying off
Despite its commercial appeal, the Xbox gaming console has historically been notoriously unprofitable for Microsoft. But according to the company’s latest earnings report, Microsoft’s gaming division has finally started to earn its keep. Has the tide finally turned for the gaming console market? Read more »
Can Microsoft become the next big subscription VOD player?
Microsoft could be rolling out a new subscription video service later this year, pitting it against services like Netflix and Hulu Plus, as Microsoft seeks to grab more revenues from Xbox subscribers. But it will need to be available on other devices, too. Read more »
Where to watch E3 2011 live online
How will the Wii2 look like? Is Microsoft going to introduce a cable-like TV subscription service? And how will Sony make up for its long PSN outage? All these questions will be answered at this week’s E3, and you can watch it all live online. Read more »
5 Key Takeaways From the Microsoft-Skype Press Conference
Microsoft officially announced it’s paying $8.5 billion for Skype today. At a press conference in San Francisco this morning, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Skype CEO Tony Bates gave more details about how they see the companies working together. Read more »
Hulu Plus Now Available on Microsoft’s Xbox Live
Hulu Plus is drastically expanding availability, now opening up to millions of Xbox game console owners. Thanks to its rollout on Microsoft’s Xbox Live platform and access to its install base, Hulu Plus could see a big boost in adoption. Read more »
Can An HD Wii 2 Turn Around Nintendo’s Video Fortunes?
An EA executive hinted to reporters that Nintendo is working on the next generation of its Wii game console, which will offer HD video. However, Xbox 360 and PS3 already offer a wide variety of HD content sources. So what can Nintendo do to compete? Read more »
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Connected Consumer 2011: Rise of the Virtual Video Operator
Blame cord cutting, at least in part, for the drop in cable subscriber numbers in 2010. Looking towards 2011, we expect this trend could gather further steam thanks to bundled subscription offerings from players like Microsoft and Apple. We also expect a new iteration of the ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Microsoft Exec: No Xbox App Store Coming Soon
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 seems like it would be a developer’s dream, with a huge install base and an audience interested in watching video services. But Microsoft has no plans to open the platform to outside developers, preferring a curated approach to adding services on the console. Read more »
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Could Microsoft Still Rule The Living Room?
When it comes to looking at Microsoft’s long journey to become a key player in the digital home, most of the digerati remain skeptics. But recently the company has been swinging a hot bat, with its Xbox 360 and a legitimate holiday hit in the ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Kinect Video: Parents Can Finally Win at Xbox Games!
Already selling 1 million units in 10 days, Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect controller is a hit. I can see why; it’s intuitive, fun, and it finally gives parents like me a chance to beat the kids in a video game, even if I look stupid doing it. Read more »
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The Future of TV Can Bet on “Apps Everywhere”
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 »
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Report: The Connected TV Marketplace
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 »
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Sony vs. Microsoft: Whose Mobile Gaming Strategy Will be Better?
Many signs suggest Sony will soon launch a Playstation Portable Phone. It’s a move that invites comparison to Microsoft’s plan of integrating Xbox Live with Windows Phone 7, a far more software-centric method of attack than Sony’s hardware-focused strategy. Which has a better shot at ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Windows Phone 7: Take Your Games on the Go
Microsoft is getting Windows Phone 7 ready for release for the holiday season, and is making good on promises to bring Xbox Live integration to the smartphone platform. Xbox Live players will find quite a few games on Windows Phone 7 at launch, including popular titles. Read more »
Vid Biz: Suprnova Dead, Xbox TV, Netflix Delay Working
Today on the Net: Canada’s Telus uses Microsoft’s Xbox as an IPTV set-top box, Time Warner’s CEO likes the effect that the Netflix rental window is having on DVD sales and Suprnova.org won’t serve torrents any more. Read more »
Vid Biz: Netflix Canada, FLO TV Sale, YouTube Play
Today on the net: Qualcomm wants to sell FLO TV, Canada’s Netflix users will have a hard time with bandwidth caps, 7-Eleven’s branded web show gets two million views in three weeks, YouTube has selected the jury for its Play award and more. Read more »
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ESPN Leads the Way Over the Top, But Will Others Follow?
When Microsoft announced that ESPN would make live and on-demand video available through its Xbox Live service, the news had strong implications for mass adoption of cable services being delivered ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Hulu Plus Coming to iPad, Xbox & Playstation Next Week?
Hulu’s paid subscription service has been in the works for months, and the site is reportedly ready to roll it out to a limited number of users next week. Part of the $9.95 offering could be an iPad app as well as support for game consoles. Read more »
E3: Xbox Live Gets Exclusive ESPN Partnership, Video Chat
Microsoft today announced an exclusive partnership with ESPN at their E3 media presentation. Via Xbox Live, over 3,500 live sporting events in the first year will be available, many in HD. In addition, Xbox’s controller-free Kinect system will enable video chatting for Live users. Read more »
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Google TV: Overview and Strategic Analysis
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 »
Is Steve Ballmer Really the Best Choice to Run Microsoft’s Consumer Business?
J. Allard and Robbie Bach — instrumental in the successes of Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Division — are both leaving. For now, Steve Ballmer will have more direct control over this group, which might not be the best move in the long term for Microsoft. Read more »
Coming Soon to Your Xbox: A TV Channel?
Xbox users could soon have another reason to cancel cable: former News Corp. President Peter Chernin is reportedly in talks with Microsoft to create an Xbox-only TV network, according to Bloomberg. The channel would feature exclusive programming, as well as reruns of TV network shows. Microsoft […] Read more »
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NewNet Winners and Losers of 2009
As the year winds to a close, GigaOM Pro’s crack team of contributors takes a look back at what went right, what went wrong, and for whom in the world of the NewNet. ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
