Technology360

In Sony's Stumble, the Ghost of Betamax

Ken Belson writes:  "... But movies are only one front in the format war. In throwing its weight behind Toshiba, Microsoft has expanded the fight into the computer and game industries. Later this year, Microsoft will start selling an external drive for its Xbox game that will play HD-DVD discs, countering Sony's effort to turn PlayStation into a high-definition DVD player by adding Blu-ray technology. Microsoft and its ally Intel have also convinced Hewlett-Packard to consider making HD-DVD drives for computers. This would give Toshiba an answer to Dell, which remains committed to the Blu-ray format. ..."  Link:  New York Times.  This is the best overview of the Blu-ray/HD-DVD format war that I've found.  --Dennis

Choices Expand for Watching TV on Your PC

Kevin J. Delaney and Bobby White write:  "... Based on consumer surveys, Points North Group estimates that 50% of Internet users watch video online, with 9% of users watching full-length movies downloaded from the Internet and 8% watching current TV shows at least occasionally. ... ¶ One reason for the explosion of offerings is that more than half of U.S. Internet users now has broadband Internet access at home, making video downloads speedier.  In addition, TV and film studios are getting over fears that selling video online would hurt their revenue from DVDs and other distribution channels and are at least interested in experimenting with such offerings. ..."  This is from p. D1  in the 2/22/2006 Wall Street Journal.  Online access requires a paid subscription.  Good overview; worth running down a copy.  --Dennis

Pinnacle USB DTT tuner/EPG/PVR

I don't normally post about hardware releases.  There are many other weblogs that do a very good job of that.  However, this is too cool.  Avid's Pinnacle division will next month offer a combined DTT tuner, EPG and PVR -- oh, and Teletext -- for the European market for only £50 (no, it's not built for the US DTV standard).  The remarkable thing is that its PCTV USB Stick built into a USB thumb drive and comes with a small remote control.  You can see somewhat better pictures at Engadget, Pocket-lint and TechDigest.  --Dennis

Internet Radio Should Brace for Terrestrial's HD Push

Ken Dardis writes:  "... Internet radio stations need to be concerned with the degree to which HD Radio is propagating online. Nearly all of the new HD formats are being put on the internet, and nearly all of the stations I've listened to emulate the style of radio that independent online stations are offering: all music, no commercials, and void of any personalities or positioning statements. ..."  Link:  Audio Graphics.

Radio Industry Showing Signs Of Doubt About HD

Ken Dardis writes:  "The doubts about whether HD Radio is going to be successful have risen from many people over the last six months, but none of them were sitting in the headquarters of the large radio groups. We now have confirmation that questions about HD's potential are starting to penetrate the radio industry's ivory towers. ..."  Link:  Audio Graphics.

Satellite not competitive to public radio

"Public radio can't blame competition from satellite radio for its recent audience slump, according to the latest installment of the Radio Research Consortium's Audience 2010 study (PDF). ..."  Link:  Current.

Also see, New Technologies And Old Practices Don't Mix, by consultant John Sutton.  Link:  RadioSutton.  --Dennis

Net video explosion triggers traffic jam worries

John Borland writes:  "... The amount of video online is skyrocketing, whether it's "Lost" episodes or movie trailer mash-ups. The phenomenon is putting new stress on ISP networks, which are seeing the demands on their bandwidth burgeon.  ¶  Now a new wave of companies--some newcomers, some with faces--are stepping up to play the role of traffic cop, arguing that they have ways to manage this surge in video traffic and keep networks healthy. ...¶... Already, according to network infrastructure company CacheLogic, more than 60 percent of Internet traffic is being taken up by peer-to-peer swaps, and about 60 percent of those swaps involve video content. Add to that the growing amount of legitimate content from companies such as Apple Computer, MovieLink and Google Video, and the scale of consumers' demand for video begins to emerge. ..."  Link:  CNET News.com.

TV catches the Net video bug

Stefanie Olsen writes: 

... But now TV producers are turning the tables, creating new shows around video clips culled from the Web. 

Bravo TV is among the pioneers of the genre. This week, it began airing a new half-hour series called "Outrageous and Contagious: Viral Video," a show featuring the most popular video shorts circulating the Net, including parodies of the gay-cowboy movie "Brokeback Mountain" and clips of President George Bush's many verbal faux pas. It could be likened to a digital-age version of the old bloopers TV shows. ...

Link:  CNET News.com.

2006 PBNMC, part 8 - first day impressions

Notes for the Thursday, 2/23, sessions from Gens Johnson, who works for me as director of media integration:

What I learned today.

Biggest idea:
In this new world: Browse/discover is being replaced by search/find.  This means that we are likely to loose the serendipity of useful, but unplanned, encounters with news or content of value.  (such as what happens as you thumb through a newspaper or magazine, dictionary or encyclopedia, browse the shelves of a library or bookstore, or channel surf).  Therefore I conclude:  1. search options and a database and metadata that enables such are even more important.  And 2. there might be a special role for public broadcasting in preserving a browse/discover space.

Other big ideas:
"Motion media" includes both video and games.

What is legitimate news? see newsmind

Ubiquitous media e.g. video in an elevator, one piece timed for a trip to the 4th floor, another timed for a trip to the 8th, or video displayed above the urinal, or video transmitted within the grocery store on the same wi-fi used for inventory systems, or Starbucks as an IP video "broadcaster" at every Starbucks coffee shop.

Reassuring idea:
New technology (particularly IP TV) is more empowerment than a threat to public broadcasting.  It is definitely a threat to commercial broadcasting, turning the advertiser supported model out.  But public broadcasting is in a great position, already relying on subscription (aka pledge) for support, and already being trusted as a curator of quality content. 

Biggest unresolved headache: copyright

DirecTV to Enter VOD … Twice

Linda Moss writes:  "DirecTV Inc. is preparing to launch two types of video-on-demand services: one that will be broadcast via satellite and one that will be delivered via high-speed-Internet connections.  ¶  The satellite service, available sometime 'over the next few months,' will deliver a limited set of top movies to the hard drives of DirecTV customers with digital-video recorders. Customers would pick a movie off the shelf, in effect, and pay for it at that time. The on-demand offering would also include TV shows from NBC Universal and FX, as well as other content providers. ..."  Link:  Multichannel News.

See also DirecTV to launch video-on-demand service.  Link:  MSN Money.  --Dennis