Posts Tagged ‘Streaming Video’
Viacom Pulling "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" From Hulu [Hulu]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on March 3rd, 2010
Tragedy! The New York Times is reporting that Viacom is going to pull "The Daily Show," "The Colbert Report," and other Comedy Central properties off of Hulu next week. The reason, as always: money. The bigger question: who's next?
Apparently Viacom realized the importance of "The Daily Show" to Hulu—it's consistently one of the site's most popular programs and is clearly in sync with the Hulu demographc—and wanted outsized compensation, possibly including upfront payment.
You'll still be able to watch rebroadcasts of John Stewart and Stephen Colbert on TheDailyShow.com and ColbertNation.com. But the larger point seems to be that if you're not one of Hulu's major network stakeholders, sharing your content on the site may not be financially viable. That doesn't immediately impact many popular shows outside of Viacom's cadre, but if Hulu wants to be a big tent for online video, they're going to need the participation of third-party content providers. Of which there are plenty, including BBC America, WB, and a whole lot of niche content providers with passionate fan bases.
Maybe Hulu's inevitable pay model will be a solution that helps spread the wealth a little better. But if they lose many more shows by then, it may not even matter. [NY Times]
Hulu to stream reality show internationally, incessantly
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 18th, 2009
Continue reading Hulu to stream reality show internationally, incessantly
Hulu to stream reality show internationally, incessantly originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Paramount to Launch Video Clip Service Modeled on Ringtones [Streaming Video]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 15th, 2009
Paramount is set to launch a new online video service called Paramount Clips that will deliver short movie clips of your choice for a fee, sort of like ringtones. Will it save the movie industry? Probably not!
With DVD sales lagging, Paramount is testing out this new service, first with business clients and later with consumers, that allows you to search for a line of dialogue, scene, genre, location or actor and get the specific clip you want. That clip comes with a variable fee, depending on the value of the movie in question (so, The Godfather would be pretty expensive) as well as the length of the clip. It's really designed more for companies who want to use a quick clip in, say, an ad campaign—good, because it doesn't really make sense for the consumer. The service should launch Tuesday, and prices are as yet undisclosed. [New York Times]
WDTV Live Firmware Update Bricking Units? [Unconfirmed]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on December 6th, 2009
Western Digital support forums are filled with comments on the latest WDTV Live firmware update, few of them good. Many users are reporting that firmwares from 1.0.11 up are giving them trouble, at least, and in many cases outright bricking their hardware. If you've got one, hold off on updating for a while. Check out the source links for more info. [WD Community, WDTVHD.com. Thanks William.]
Yeah, TV Executives Are Terrified of Streaming Video [Blockquote]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on December 4th, 2009
The above quote comes from Anne Sweeney, president of the Disney-ABC Television Group, whose daughter insisted her dorm room did not need a TV thanks to Hulu and other streaming sites. It’s the sound of panic setting in.
And she has good reason to be scared that an entire generation doesn’t find a television to be an essential household item. People are flocking to the web to watch streaming shows, but the networks still aren’t making any money off these views. Hulu, the largest streaming site, is getting over 40 million visitors a month who are viewing 5 billion minutes of shows and clips. And that number is only going up, while TV viewership is going down.
These content creators need to figure out a way to monetize this phenomenon, and fast. Because the genie is out of the bottle, and there’s no putting him back in. [NY Times]
Roku Channel Store Opens, Hulu Is a No-Show [Roku]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on November 23rd, 2009
When Roku released their new HD-XR box, they mentioned that big new features would be launched in the coming weeks via software update. Now the Roku Channel Store is finally here, but it's awfully short on excitement.
The Roku Channel Store is an open platform for delivering content to Roku boxes beyond the already-integrated Netflix, MLB.tv and Amazon channels. We all had high hopes for full-length streaming video, and rumors pointed to Hulu, but alas, it is not to be. The first ten "channels" were released today, and Hulu is not among them. The list:
Pandora, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, Flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox and MobileTribe.
The Channel Store itself seems pretty open-ended, with a freely available SDK so developers can add to the Store's selection—and we hope they do, because these offerings are pretty meager at the moment. The Roku Channel Store is a free and automatic upgrade starting today, and works on all Roku devices, but there aren't any killer apps here (and neither Pandora nor Flickr is really a barn-burner at this point—at this point, every gadget I own, including my alarm clock, does that stuff). Here's hoping for some serious development efforts. Press release is below. [Roku]
Roku Launches Open Platform for Delivery of Content to the TV; Announces First 10 New Channels
Pandora, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, Flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox and MobileTribe all now available on the Roku player
Silicon Valley, Calif. – November 23, 2009 – Roku, Inc., maker of the popular and award-winning family of Roku players, announced today the Roku Channel Store and the first 10 free channels for Roku customers to enjoy on their TVs. From internet radio to video podcasts, professional web content to photo sharing and personal videos, the Roku Channel Store provides an open platform for delivering quality content to the TV. New channels now available for customers to add today to their Roku experience via the Roku Channel Store include: Pandora, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, Flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox and MobileTribe. For the complete list of channels and specific channel descriptions and features, please go to http://www.roku.com/roku-channel-store.
These first 10 channels are just the beginning for Roku. Many other developers are working on Roku Channels now, and Roku expects additional developers to adopt the Roku platform over time. New channels will appear in the Roku Channel Store automatically as they become available.
The Roku Channel Store represents an opportunity for content owners and publishers to reach an already large and growing audience of Roku customers. By creating an open platform for delivery to the television over the Internet, Roku has leveled the playing field for content owners.
"The Roku Channel Store turns the Roku player into the world's first open platform designed specifically for the TV," Anthony Wood, founder and CEO of Roku, Inc said. "Now content producers and distributors – from single person shops to billion dollar corporations – can deliver their content directly to consumers without having to go exclusively through cable operators, satellite networks or TV affiliates."
To create a channel for the Roku Channel Store, a developer creates an application using Roku's free software developer kit. This SDK is available free upon request by emailing partners@roku.com.
All Roku players, including the Roku SD, Roku HD and Roku HD-XR models, are compatible with the Roku Channel Store. The new channels are in addition to the existing Roku channels already available: Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) Video On Demand and MLB.TV.
Pricing and availability
The Roku Channel Store will be delivered as an automatic and free upgrade to all existing Roku customers over the course of the next two weeks. New customers will automatically be upgraded when they first install their Roku player. To browse and use the Roku Channel Store, customers will be prompted to create a Roku account. Existing customers who do not want to wait for their Roku player to update automatically can manually update their Roku player immediately. Detailed instructions can be found under the Roku Channel Store tab at http://www.roku.com/support/faqs.
First introduced in May 2008, and updated regularly with free software updates, the Roku player family provides the easiest, most affordable and reliable way for hundreds of thousands of Roku customers to watch their favorite movies, TV shows and sporting events instantly on their TV. All three Roku players are available immediately at http://www.roku.com starting at $79.99 and include free shipping for a limited time.
About Roku, Inc.
Roku is a market leader in innovative applications for digital media, opening up a new world of entertainment to the TV. Through its work in both software and hardware, the company develops and sells consumer products that give customers the ability to take charge over their entertainment choices, combining high-value content and immediate access to that content at a low price. Its products include: The family of Roku players and the SoundBridge Internet radio line. Roku is privately held and based in Saratoga, Calif. For more information on the company and its products, visit: http://www.roku.com.
YouTube Shuts Down API Access, Leaves Set-Top Boxes High and Dry (UPDATED) [YouTube]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on November 20th, 2009
There are two ways for a device to access YouTube: either through the regular web interface, i.e. Flash, or for cleaner integration, through its back end APIs. As of December, Google is shutting off the tap. UPDATED
The news comes from the COO of Syabas, the company that makes the Popcorn Hour set-top box. Up until now they'd had a "loose agreement" with the 'Tube: They could stream video from YouTube for free, but YouTube could change the terms of the deal whenever they want. Which they did!:
YouTube has always retained the right to change its terms of service in the future should it ever wish to do so. As a result of Google's decision, Syabas is no longer allowed to access YouTube through its APIs. To be clear, Syabas is not being singled out. With the exception of a few strategic partners Google has chosen to work with, the company has informed Syabas they are asking all over-the-top device makers that are currently connecting to YouTube content through its APIs to take down the service.
To quote every set-top box manufacturer in the world, probably: "shit." YouTube access had become the kind of thing you take for granted in a connected box or Blu-ray player, and it was nice to have. Now, it'll be limited to sanctioned devices like the PS3, Wii, TiVo, officially supported Blu-ray players, etc—backed by the kinds of companies who have the clout to pressure Google, or the money to pay them—leaving everyone else to search for some kind of hacky workaround, the last of which got them in this bind in the first place.
I understand that Google wants to squeeze some ad revenue out of YouTube, and that letting anyone and everyone access raw, ad-free through the backend probably isn't the best business plan, but this isn't Hulu—it's not like they have many powerful content providers to appease, just a bunch of teenagers with webcams. Unauthorized set-top box folks, whoever you are: watch your free video cornucopia dissolve on December 2nd.
UPDATE: YouTube's statement:
Since July of 2008, YouTube's Terms of Service has restricted implementations for televisions based on our APIs. YouTube has been in active discussions with various developers on how best to implement YouTube on set top boxes and TVs. There are several companies, however, that have deployed solutions, like video scraping technology, to circumvent the rules and violate YouTube's Terms of Service. Companies that have negotiated agreements to use our APIs, like TiVo, Sony, Panasonic and Sony's PS3 are not impacted.
So, companies like Syabas have been in violation of YouTube's terms of service for some time now, and knew this was going to happen. The question remains, though: Why haven't they just "complied", and gotten a deal like TiVo or Sony? Does it cost anything? Is YouTube selective? Does it just take a while? [Syabas via Engadget via Lifehacker]
BBC redoubles its Wii efforts with dedicated iPlayer channel
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on November 14th, 2009
[Via BBC News, thanks Lenny]
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment
BBC redoubles its Wii efforts with dedicated iPlayer channel originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsWhat Netflix On the PS3 Actually Looks Like [NetFlix]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on November 6th, 2009
The tale of Netflix on the PS3 is sad: It's just now shipping after sitting pretty on the Xbox for more than a year, and to add insult to injury, it comes on a disc. Thankfully, it's slick.
The interface is technically new in that it's visually catered to the PS3, but it should look familiar to anyone who's used Netflix on a Blu-ray player or connected TV in the past. This means it's pretty basic: so far as I can tell there are just "Instant Queue" and "Recently Watched" tabs, with none of the additional—though admittedly kind of useless—category views Xbox users are used to, and video navigation is unchanged, with the same visual timeline taking care of FF and RW funtions. One thing Xbox users aren't used to, though, is not having to pay for the privilege: Netflix-subscribed PS3 owners can just order a free disc and be done with it; Xbox owner need to have a paid Live subscription as well. (Ballmer's gotta eat!)
In any case, the experience is smooth from start to finish, with a fast-loading interface and the same near-instant streaming you get on any other platform. It's just a shame you need a disc—until this is part of the PS3 firmware, it'll feel more like a hack than a new feature. [Engadget]
How a Paid Hulu Would Work [Hulu]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on October 23rd, 2009
AllThingsD's Peter Kafka is busy dousing concerns that recent statements by News Corp's Chase Carey—that "It's time to start getting paid for broadcast content online"—mean that Hulu is going to die, dead. He makes a good point:
Hulu, the joint venture between News Corp.'s Fox, GE's NBC Universal and Disney's ABC, doesn't plan on charging people to watch the stuff it's currently airing on the site–a mix of first-run shows from broadcast TV, a limited number of cable TV shows and a smattering of movies. But Hulu is trying to figure out how to create some kind of premium offering where you'll pay for stuff that isn't on the site right now.
This jibes with Carey's adjacent reassurance that "not all content on Hulu would be behind a pay wall," which hints at the addition of some kind of subscription or pay-per-view system, that could conceivably leave current offerings untouched. This is a plausible possibility, but far from sure: Kafka's sources says Hulu doesn't actually have a plan yet, so anything is possible.
Plan or no plan, telling everyone what they aren't going to do would do Hulu good—vague threats of fees for "broadcast content" are just terrifying everyone. [AllThingsD]
