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Tag: content-providers

  • Vista Users Gain As Microsoft Extends Netflix Partnership


    Microsoft Vista users can now stream films from Netflix through the Windows Media Center.

    The development comes after Microsoft announced that it has expanded its partnership with the movie service.

    Vista users can also stream Netflix movies on PCs by going to the Netflix site.

    The arrangement is part of Microsoft’s plans to develop its Media Center as an online video hub.

    Microsoft offers Media Center with the Vista operating system.

    By selecting the new Netflix tab in "TV+Movies" Vista users can start streaming films immediately.

    They will also be able to search and watch programs from Netflix’s online library of 12,000 movies and TV shows.

    Microsoft’s partnership with Netflix began last year when it began offering the movie service’s streaming movies through the Xbox 360 game console.

  • VUDU Partners Brightcove For Ad-Supported STB content


    VUDU has agreed a partnership with online video platform Brightcove that will allow its customers to distribute their content directly to the living room television via VUDU.

    The first feature available in the VUDU Labs area of the VUDU service will be the MyPlay application, which offers current Sony Music videos through Sony Music’s MyPlay Video Network affiliate program.

    Edward Lichty, executive vice president of strategy and content for VUDU, said that for the first time, content owners can make all of their online video available on the television without changing their monetization strategy.

    He said the partnership supports multiple advertising platforms, allowing Brightcove customers to maintain their existing online video monetization strategy and infrastructure while expanding their distribution reach to the television.

    VUDU is the first partner to support Brightcove-powered, ad-supported content distribution on a set-top-box.

    "Through our integration with Brightcove’s online video platform, we are combining the selection and control of the online video experience with the visual richness and lean-back satisfaction of the television experience," he said.

    Chris Johnston, director of technology partnership at Brightcove, said it had been challenging to expand online video distribution beyond websites to the living room.

    "The partnership announced today with VUDU is a significant step forward for media businesses that want to centrally manage distribution and monetization across the Web while also taking advantage of the high-quality TV experience VUDU enables," he said.

    The integration with Brightcove utilizes VUDU’s Rich Internet Applications (RIA) platform to add on-demand video to the VUDU service by enabling ad-supported content.

    RIA enables VUDU to support dynamic ad logic and live ad calls to content owners’ existing advertising platforms.

    Content owners retain complete control over their advertising inventory.

  • Epix Network Offers HD Movie Streaming Service


    Epix plans to offer full-length HD movies over the Internet using a dynamic-streaming feature from Akamai Technologies’ content-distribution network.

    The movie service, created by Viacom, MGM and Lionsgate, previously said it was launching as a broadband-video service in May, followed by the linear cable channel in October.

    Akamai will provide the dynamic-streaming feature through Adobe Flash Media Server 3.5.

    This allows video playback to adapt to the capabilities of users’ computers – adjusting the bit rate of the video stream according to processor speeds and Internet connections.

    Epix chief digital officer, Emil Rensing, said it intends to provide new releases, catalog titles and original content over a variety of platforms, including TV, computers and mobile devices.

    Epix has not announced carriage agreements with pay-TV providers.

    "The Epix model of commercial-free, uninterrupted current Hollywood movies will set a new online content bar," he said.

    "Akamai’s dynamic streaming solution enables us to be one of the first to provide the accessibility, quality and convenience which today’s digital consumers desire."

    Epix’s titles are expected to include The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Cloverfield, Defiance, Drillbit Taylor, The Duchess, How She Move, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Iron Man.

    The service will also have the rights to all 17 remastered James Bond movies, as well as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

    Akamai and Adobe expect the solution to be commercially available before the end of June.

  • Vodafone Plans App Store For 289m Customers


    Vodafone is joining the increasingly busy application store game by launching its own venture in a number of European markets later this year.

    The mobile operator will take a 30 per cent share of all app revenue – mirroring Apple’s App Store.

    Interestingly for developers, Vodafone is to supply a program that allows software to run on any Vodafone device.

    Previously, developers had to configure their apps to each handset – a lengthy process and one that restricted uptake.

    The new program will simplify that and give apps access to the operator’s 289 million customer base.

    Vodafone is to handle the billing for the apps that will be charged directly to a customer’s telephone bill.

    This could be a major advantage for the operator. Earlier this month, Nokia announced that it would have to drop operator billing from its US Ovi Store – a set-back for the venture.

    Vodafone will also provide developers and partners with access to "network capabilities," including location awareness.

    This will allow them to create apps that take into account a user’s current position.

    What is certain is that consumers will soon be spoilt for choice – although there may also be confusion over where to go first for apps.

    Vodafone has, however, said that a user with a Nokia phones on its network can chose which app store they want to use.

    The success of the venture will also hinge on the quality of the apps – and that will be influenced by whether developers feel drawn to Vodafone – and are willing to hand over a 30 per cent share of their revenues.

    The first apps are to roll out at the end of the year in the UK, Italy, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Greece, Portugal and Ireland with more territories added later.

  • Can Blu-Ray Now Be Called Mainstream?


    The drop in the average price of Blu-Ray players is, not surprisingly, fuelling sales of the high-def disks.

    But figures out from NPD show that the effect of cheaper players could finally be giving the format mass market appeal.

    High hardware prices has long been given as a barrier to Blu-Ray technology becoming widely accepted.

    The average price of Blu-ray players dropped nearly 34 per cent over the last year, falling from USD $393 in Q1 2008 to USD $261 in Q1 2009.

    This, according to NPD’s Blu-ray Report, helped Q1 2009 sales of standalone Blu-ray players (not including PS3) to reach more than 400,000 units, marking a 72 per cent increase over Q1 2008.

    Sales totaled USD $107.2 million in the first quarter.

    Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis at NPD, said the rising penetration of high-definition televisions and lower Blu-ray player prices are broadening the format’s market opportunity.

    "Even as options expand for accessing movies digitally, Blu-ray is carrying forward the widespread appeal of DVD into the high-definition marketplace."

    Amidst these positive notes for Blu-Ray, NPD reports that 58 per cent of adults surveyed were still "not very familiar" with Blu-ray.

    Some work still to be done then.

  • PayPal App Introduced To Android


    Making payments just got a little easier for owners of an Android phone with the news that PayPal has introduced its app in the Android Market.

    The e-commerce business says that the app gives users easy access to many of its popular features.

    The eBay subsidiary also stresses that for those worried about security, it uses the same technology and safeguards that they have for the web client.

    Some of the features include:

    • Direct integration with the contact list – Users select a name from contacts to make a payment
    • Recent history – A smartphone can be used to look at transactions over the last couple of months
    • Balance checks – balances in any of the currencies held can be shown

  • Virgin Tests 200Mb Broadband, Plans To Boost HD Channels


    Virgin Media has just begun a broadband customer pilot to test real-world deployment of 200 Mbps speeds – making it the fastest implementation of Docsis 3.0 technology in the world.

    Services offered in Japan and the US currently reach 160 Mbps and 101 Mbps respectively.

    Through the pilot, Virgin Media will be testing applications consumers may be using regularly in the future, including entertainment services using HD and 3D TV and broadband content.

    Virgin said the pilot will be running for at least six months before results are analysed to understand potential consumer usage and to assess the commercial viability of such ultrafast services.

    A significant part of the pilot will also involve assessing related in-home technologies.

    In a separate announcement, the UK digital cable TV operator said it plans to add up to five new HD channels this year to keep pace with growing demand for high-def programming.

    Virgin Media, which just announced first quarter net losses of GBP £154m, said it is in discussions with a number of HD programmers.

    Currently the operator only carries a single linear high definition service, BBC HD, but offers further HD content solely on an on-demand basis.

    It has added 270 hours of HD material to its VOD system.

    Virgin said that 611,900 customers – 17 per cent of its digital TV subscriber base – currently take the V+ high definition PVR. This is up from 521,500 at the end of December.

    The need to beef up its HD content should be a priority.

    Virgin rival, BSkyB, last week announced it added 80,000 net new subs for its Jan-Mar trading and saw HD premium subscribers to its 32-channels of HDTV pass the 1m mark.

    Virgin Media’s total revenue in Q1 2009 was down to GBP £935.7m, compared with GBP £948.5m for the same period a year earlier. Its net loss widened to GBP £154m, from £104m.

    In its first quarter results announcement, Virgin said: "We are working to ensure our TV service stays ahead of changes in consumer behaviour.

    "We expect to increase our High Definition content steadily to complement our existing linear and on-demand line-up.

    "We are currently negotiating with several broadcasters with a view to launching at least five new HD channels in the third quarter of 2009."

  • BSkyB's Revenues Rise As HD Subscribers Double


    It’s taken a while but HDTV seems to have firmly established itself in the UK – underlined by the latest surge in subscriber numbers for BSkyB.

    The satellite broadcaster has seen its HD base leap to more than one million subscribers – up 32 per cent on the previous quarter and more than double the 465,000 who signed up last year.

    The strong uptake of its Sky+ HD service played a big part in increasing BSkyB’s Q3 revenues to GBP £1.4bn – up by 12 per cent compared with Q3 2008.

    Pre-tax profits grew 13 per cent to GBP £63m (USD $93m).

    Sky+ HD subscribers rose by 243,000 in Q3 2009, helped by a cut in the price of the HD set-top boxes from GBP £150 to £49.

    This decision cost the broadcaster around GBP £60m in upront cost but resulted in increased revenues from more expensive subscriptions.

    Average annual revenue per customer rose 7 per cent to GBP £452.

    Jeremy Darroch, BSkyB’s CEO, said the subscriber increase was generated by a growing trend towards HD among customers, alongside its HD box strategy.

  • Zoho Expands Mobile Device Coverage For Business Apps


    Zoho has extended mobile support for its free web applications to all the major smartphone platforms.

    Initially only available for the iPhone and Windows Mobile, Zoho Mobile now supports Android, BlackBerry and Symbian mobile platforms as well.

    It offers six apps geared towards collaborative business productivity:

    • Zoho Mail
    • Zoho Calendar
    • Zoho Writer
    • Zoho Sheet
    • Zoho Show
    • Zoho Creator

    Zoho’s Raju Vegesna said mobility was an important aspect for its on-line applications.

    The company has so far launched 19 different applications — from CRM to Mail, Reports, and Wikis.

    He said all its current and future mobile initiatives will be available under Zoho Mobile as mobile support is expanded to all upcoming applications.

    Zoho is entering an increasingly competitive market, with Google upgrading its apps’ mobile experience.

    Microsoft has also been making noises about providing mobile support for its Office products.

    Zoho is certainly taking the right approach by ensuring that its apps function across all the major mobile platforms.

  • Warner Offers Blu-Ray For HD DVD Trade-in


    More than a year after the high-def format war ended Warner Bros has launched a new HD DVD trade-in program in the US that allows its HD DVD titles to be exchanged for the same film on Blu-ray for a small fee.

    Called Red2Blu, it allows consumers to get the Blu-ray titles for USD $4.9 (USD $9.95 for boxsets), without needing to trade in the actual HD DVD discs, just the cover art (with UPC code) from the red HD DVD cases.

    Shipping costs a flat rate – and hefty – USD $6.95 and the offer extends to a maximum of 25 films per household.

    Warner has all 128 titles available for "upgrade" and return delivery time is between 4-5 weeks.

    Warner is also launching its first Blu-ray Disc customer loyalty program.

    The WarnerBlu Get 5 Get 1 Free scheme enables consumers to receive a free Blu-ray movie for every five featured titles they buy up until 6 April, 2010.

    Among the first eligible titles counting towards the five purchases are Yes, Man, which was released this month, He’s Just Not That Into You and Gran Torino.

    The selection of free Blu-ray movies includes We Are Marshall, Rush Hour 3 and Pan’s Labyrinth.