South Korean Cabbies Watch TV While Driving

Switched has reported on a crazy BBC story about a South Korean judge who ruled in favor of a taxi driver watching TV in his cab. I remember an even more horrifying story that came out last year, about French truck drivers who apparently beat the boredom of their long-haul trips by putting their feet up on the dashboard and watching videos or playing computer games. To take their eyes off the road, they devised, get this, a technique for "driving by ear". permalink (November 5th, 2009)

Spider 3 pre-loaded on Sony Ericsson phone for South Korea

Sony Ericsson is calling on a superhero to help it enter the tough South Korean market. On Tuesday the company launched its brand with a version of the Xperia X1 cell phone that comes with the full Spiderman 3 movie loaded onto every handset. [via The Industry Standard] permalink (March 10th, 2009)

South Koreans want their sub-TV

In South Korea, subway riders are becoming addicted to free TV on their cellphones. But declining ad revenue and mounting debt may force cellular operators to pull the plug. The LA Times reports.

Reeling from declining ad revenue and mounting debt from providing the expensive service at no additional cost to subscribers, South Korean cellular operators may soon cancel subway TV coverage that has yet to turn a profit. Losing underground TV reception may not seem like much to consumers in the U.S., where many are still struggling with cellular dead zones and where a switch to full above-ground digital TV service may leave millions staring at useless analog sets. But for many South Koreans, subway TV has become a familiar part of their daily routines. Phone companies in this digitally crazed nation in 2005 were the first to launch mobile TV that could be tuned in on phones just about anywhere -- even in the subway tunnels deep beneath Seoul and other cities. Today, nearly 10 million cellular users are watching soap operas, sports and sitcoms on a special frequency dedicated to portable viewing -- enjoying it all on larger digital-quality screens and high-tech handsets to improve reception. In Seoul, for example, companies offer eight video and 10 audio channels on new cellphones. There's also a subscription-based satellite service, but few consumers have shelled out for it. But the proposed changes by cellphone service providers would leave users with only static in the subway, and no TV signal until they hit street level again.

permalink (February 28th, 2009)

US TV series become outdoor entertainment for South Korean youth

According to EARTHtimes.org, US television series have become so popular in South Korea that they have developed into outdoor entertainment among a growing number of tech-savvy young people. Young people are often found hanging around trendy cafes with their laptop computers on their tables. While sipping cafe lattes and nibbling doughnuts or bagels, these people in their 20s and 30s are studying, working, surfing the internet and often watching US TV shows like Sex and the City. It's not unusual for devoted fans of the shows to spend half a day watching their favourite TV dramas at cafes. Tops on the list are CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Lost, Prison Break and Desperate Housewives. ... The reasons for the trend include South Korea's ranking as one of the most connected countries in the world and the quality of the US shows, which appeal to young, tech-savvy South Koreans, who have a reputation for being hard to entertain. "Are you still watching TV in your living room?" is a joke often asked among young people. Television shows instead have become something to enjoy on the move for a growing number of so-called digital nomads." Related: -- TV sets a turn-off for South Korea's youth -- Korea in the Grip of U.S. TV Series Fever -- America lags behind Europe and S Korea in watching TV Online permalink (January 18th, 2008)

South Korea. Way Cleared for IPTV

A special committee of the South Korean National Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill on Internet Protocol Television, clearing the way for the new media service in Korea. IPTV enables viewers to search information for items they see on TV and even buy them without interrupting the program they are watching. [via Digital Chosunilbo] permalink (November 22nd, 2007)

TV sets a turn-off for South Korea's youth

In South Korea, peer-to-peer video services have exploded. Laptops are the gateway to entertainment. Reuters reports. "For a small subscription fee to an Internet service, users can download thousands of movies, including Hollywood films not yet released in South Korea. South Koreans can also receive TV shows such as "American Idol," complete with Korean subtitles, less than 24 hours after airing. User-generated content sites such as "ipop " have clubs where users can pay by the download or pony up monthly subscription fees of about 10,000 won to 20,000 won ($11 to $22) that will let them tap into a huge library of U.S., Japanese, Chinese and Korean TV programming and movies. One of the most popular peer-to-peer clubs, Mansal, has had nearly 50 million visitors. While many are repeaters, the total is still almost equal to the country's population. The clubs make money from subscription fees and advertising. Young professionals with little time to spare and students with an abundance of time to search for material are the main clients for these services -- making cable TV and TV sets obsolete. The clubs often obtain content from Koreans living abroad who upload movies. They also upload TV programming within hours after it airs and translate it. The clubs have helped to make shows such as Prison Break and Ugly Betty hits first among Internet users. Cable companies later picked up local broadcasting rights. South Korea this year stepped up penalties for those who violate copyright laws by downloading pirated material, but that has had almost no effect." Related: -- Mobile TV users surpass 6-millions in Korea -- Korea in the Grip of U.S. TV Series Fever permalink (November 15th, 2007)

YouTube's legal end-run irks Korean officials

Google's advice on sidestepping a South Korean law against anonymous YouTube video postings and comments doesn't seem to be sitting well with some of the country's authorities. Cnet news reports.

Google, citing free-speech concerns, on Monday said it will comply with the Korean law--but by prohibiting uploads and comments rather than by requiring people to verify their identities. And it told people they could work around the constraint by visiting another country's version of the video-sharing site. Now the backlash is beginning to set in, according to one Korean media report.

permalink (April 18th, 2009)

Opinion: Why TV viewers resort to piracy

An interesting opinion piece from The Harvard Crimson on why TV viewers resort to piracy - in the US and around the world.

Internet users outside the United States are absurdly unable to access American television shows through the networks’ websites directly or via Hulu. Left with little choice, they master the murky world of link compilers such as sidereel.com and surfthechannel.com, conduits for illegal videos hosted by such sites as megavideo.com and others. Even in America, distribution of cable shows is so inefficient that domestic viewers resort to piracy. Consumers of television programs often have only one or two price points to choose from if they want a full television season: either free, if they download illegally, or more than $20 if they choose iTunes, DVD, or Blu-ray. There are far more consumers at $0 than at $20, even though consuming at $0 takes on a criminal hue. Those willing to buy at some price in between are completely ignored. Abroad, where a viewer can only consume at $0, the choice is obvious.

Read full article. Related: -- Hollywood whining about illegal streaming again -- Embedded code of US TV series on video sharing sites spreads -- Watching TV Series Online actually does come with a price -- Watching TV Series Online - The price to pay -- US TV series become outdoor entertainment for South Korean youth -- TV sets a turn-off for South Korea's youth -- Korea in the Grip of U.S. TV Series Fever -- America lags behind Europe and S Korea in watching TV Online -- With the rise of laptops, college students begin to deem TVs obsolete -- Seeking options for watching TV online (legally) from Europe -- Who's Killing TV? -- Online TV viewing 'on the rise' -- Threat for Big Media: Guerrilla Video Sites -- Forget YouTube: Go To These Sites If You Want Hard Core Copyright Infringing Content permalink (April 14th, 2009)

Coming to Tiny Screens All Over the Place

Watching TV and movies on cellphones is so common in South Korea, people no longer think twice about it, but so far, mobile video hasn't produced big revenue gains for its providers. Yet South Korea's experience can provide valuable lessons for companies in countries still on the threshold of the mobile-video revolution. Read full article in The Wall Street Journal. permalink (December 8th, 2008)

Internet Video in Korea Eclipses the DVD

Warner Brothers will now start renting moves over the Internet two weeks before they are released on DVDs, making South Korea the first market in the world where movies will appear online before they hit the store shelves. [via Bits] permalink (November 16th, 2008)

Mobile TV Spreading in Europe and to the U.S.

Every day in Switzerland, 40,000 people watch a 100-second television news broadcast on their cellphones. In Italy, a million people pay as much as 19 euros each ($29) a month to watch up to a dozen mobile TV channels. The New York Times reports. "... Japan is the leader in direct mobile television, with 20 million cellphones equipped with TV receivers, followed by South Korea with 8.2 million, according to In-Stat, a research and consulting firm in Scottsdale, Ariz. In-Stat estimated that there were 29.7 million mobile TV viewers worldwide at the end of 2007. That is expected to almost double, to 56.9 million, at the end of 2008, driven by growth in Japan. Italy has been an early leader in Europe, with service beginning in 2006. The largest mobile TV broadcaster on the Continent is 3 Italia, a cellular operator owned by Hutchison Whampoa of Hong Kong, with 800,000 customers, about 10 percent of its total phone clients. The million Italian viewers watch up to a dozen channels." permalink (May 5th, 2008)

CBS gives shows new feel with online clips

Star-News reports on Eyelab, a small division within CBS Corp. - all of its workers under 30 years old - whose job it is to slice and dice the network's programming and distribute it online. "Eyelab produces some 20 to 50 clips each week and gives them to nearly 200 Web sites like AOL, MSN, Juiced, CNet, Bebo and dozens that are part of CBS and its affiliates. The idea is to draw attention to the TV shows, by using a form of entertainment that can be enjoyed independently." "CBS believes strongly most computer users prefer short material to watching a full episode of a television program. People might spend 40 minutes on YouTube, but they're watching two-minute clips", said Quincy Smith, president of CBS Interactive." This is so untrue for viewers outside the US where full length shows are not available either on TV, on the Network websites or Hulu.com. European and Asian viewers watch full length shows - sometimes an entire season in one session - on video sharing sites. Because there is no other choice. When will US networks address the global issue, deal with the Internet? Or Hulu.com could come up with a pay-per-view model. We would gladly pay to watch legally. US TV series have a huge following outside of the US. Related articles: -- US TV series become outdoor entertainment for South Korean youth -- In South Korea, peer-to-peer video services have exploded. Laptops are the gateway to entertainment -- Korea in the Grip of U.S. TV Series Fever -- Seeking options for watching TV online (legally) from Europe permalink (April 8th, 2008)

Korean TV networks demand YouTube tackle illegal uploads

South Korea's three major broadcasters said Friday they have called forYouTube's local unit to tackle unauthorized uploads of their TV programs, reports The Hankyhore. "The demand over intellectual property rights is the first of its kind in South Korea since YouTube, the world's most popular video-sharing Web site owned by Google Inc., launched a Korean-language version of its service in January. South Korean broadcasters, including the state-run Korea Broadcasting System, sent a joint letter of protest to YouTube's subsidiary in Seoul, demanding the company stop allowing uploads of copyrighted video content. "YouTube Korea's service has significantly infringed on the protected contents of the three broadcasters," the broadcasters said in a statement. The broadcasters expect "YouTube to comply with local laws on intellectual property rights," according to the statement. Unless YouTube takes aggressive action against the unauthorized uploads, the broadcasters will take legal measures, the statement said." permalink (March 15th, 2008)

Ex-LG employee arrested for selling plasma secrets

South Korean prosecutors said Thursday that they had arrested and indicted a former LG Electronics employee for illegally providing plasma display technology to a Chinese company. The Associated Press reports. "LG Electronics, one of the world's largest sellers of plasma televisions and panels, said that the suspected industrial espionage could cost it 1.3 trillion won, or $1.4 billion, in lost sales. State prosecutors allege that the employee, identified only by his surname, Jung, gave the technology to COC, a company based in the Chinese province of Sichuan." permalink (March 7th, 2008)

Educational programs lift online television in Asia

For companies selling interactive television over the Internet, soaring demand in Asia for high-quality education for children, as well as demand from people looking to change careers, offers a potentially lucrative market and the chance to lure customers away from cable television and the computer. IHT reports. "South Korea, where children spend hours studying in a gruelling battle to enter the top schools that can guarantee a job at the big conglomerates, is at the vanguard of educational television over the Internet in Asia. South Korean companies, like KT, which plan this year to upgrade their Internet-powered television services to full Internet protocol television, known as IPTV, are spearheading the move. KT says online education for children ranks among the most successful programs on its "MegaTV" system, which also offers after-school tutoring and adult education courses. ... On IPTV, lectures can be repeated at any time and they allow students to take quizzes or pose questions in real time. In China, where history and geography programs are already offered, education is set to become the fastest-growing part of BesTV's business, Lee said, referring to the IPTV unit of Shanghai Media Group. "In traditional TV, it's difficult to find these programs," Lee said, because of inconvenient times and limited slots. He expects overall IPTV users in China to reach two million by the end of 2008 from 600,000 now." permalink (February 27th, 2008)

YouTube Draws Yawns, Google Ire

While YouTube remains popular in the United States and in various international markets, but according to OhMyNews, it has been met with tepid responses from users in South Korea. "The video-sharing site is struggling to compete against homegrown, better-established rivals, while domestic Internet companies are accusing its own government of unfairly coddling Google. According to Rankey.com, a Korean Web traffic-monitoring firm, the English and Korean versions of YouTube drew 382,000 visitors on Jan. 23, 2008, which is when the Korean version of the site was unveiled. However, the initial excitement faded quickly, with daily visitors dropping to 115,000 by Jan. 31. Currently, Pandora TV is the top video-sharing site in Korea, with 997,000 daily visitors. Mncast, Mgoon, Gom TV and Afreeca also boasted bigger audiences than YouTube in Korea." ... Google has been met with some irritation in Korea because of its cushy relationship with the government there. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy signed a contract with Google in 2006, basically handing Google 1.25 billion won (US$1.33 million) over the next two years in exchange for a research and development center based in Korea. " Related: - Koreans Underwhelmed by YouTube's Local Offering permalink (February 6th, 2008)

Japan's Flat-TV makers moving theatre of battle to online war

The battleground in flat-panel televisions appears to be shifting from screen size and image quality to the ability to access online content, with major Japanese firms unveiling plans to launch online video distribution services for TVs a day ahead of Monday's public opening of the International Consumer Electronics Show. Trading Markets reports. "In a rare tie-up between a consumer electronics manufacturer and a TV broadcaster, Sony Corp. has joined with U.S. media company CBS Corp. to begin online distribution this month of CBS TV dramas and sports programming for its Internet LCD TVs. The service, which lets users watch shows of their choice whenever they want, will likely charge fees for some content. Following the release of Internet-capable models of its Bravia LCD TV lineup last year, expanding exclusive content for the models has been an urgent priority for Sony's flat-TV business. On the eve of the International CES, South Koreea's LG Electronics Inc aid it has teamed up with a Silicon Valley firm to begin a service that distributes movies and other video content to TVs over the Net without using personal computers. The "launch date and fees have yet to be determined, according to the South Korean firm." permalink (January 8th, 2008)

EC forms new anti-piracy coalition

The European Commission on Tuesday unveiled a global initiative to fight counterfeiting with an anti-piracy pact with the U.S., Japan and South Korea. The Hollywood Reporter reports from Brussels. "... Dubbed the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, it also aims to keep pace with the changing nature of intellectual property theft as digital storage allows films and music to be copied at ever-faster rates. Officials said the pact will look at the increasing role of the Internet in spreading pirate digital content as governments have struggled to tackle Web sites and peer-to-peer services offering free copyrighted material." Whistling in the dark: Why not simply emulate the way US networks are fighting TV piracy? And offer non-US online viewers pay-per-view or ad supported content. permalink (October 23rd, 2007)

After designer phones, are "TV actor phones" next?

Are designer phones old news? Is Japan starting a new trend with "actor phones"? Are Showtime and CWTV listening? A dripping blood-red Dexter phone for the deranged or for the very fashionable - which would be even more fitting, since text messaging is a big part of this upper East side TV series, "Gossip Girls"- , how about a Serena van der Woodsen' cell phone? XXO. According to Telecoms Korea, "the Japanese management agency for popular Korean actor Bae Yong-jun said Thursday that it plans to put a cell phone featuring Bae on the Japanese market late this year. "Bae became a megastar after playing a leading role in the smash-hit South Korean TV drama series "Winter Sonata," which was first broadcast in Japan in 2003. The phone comes with a variety of ring tones that include Bae's recorded voice saying phrases such as, "I want to talk to you on the phone," or "You've received mail." permalink (October 11th, 2007)

"Sorry, not available from your location"

The networks experimenting with offering their TV shows online is great for US viewers, but it's not helping us here in Europe as we don't have access. After being enticed by NBC's Watch Shows Online Now! logo, clicking on a favorite series bring up the following message. "We're sorry, the the clip you selected isn't available from your location". The message may be worded differently, but the restriction is the same on every network. The only videos we can access are the previews. European viewers are huge fans of US TV series as are South Koreans and Chinese. Many of the video sharing sites link to series coming from Chinese websites like ouou.com and tudou.com (they play in English with Chinese subtitles). In France and Switzerland, we get US series on our networks 6 months to one year after the US, sometimes more. So the temptation to find them online is great and an immensely popular phenomenon. Also nearly half of European Internet users have a high speed broadband connection. Networks should address the issue that in today's Internet world, TV viewers are savvy and know what's hot in the US. By the time our channels broadcast a popular show, we are now no longer watching, we've seen them months ago online. Hopefully the European networks will figure out an economic model (pay per view or advertising), so that in Europe, we too can watch TV online, legally. Here are some experiments going on: In France: -- TF1 will be launching on September 25, on TF1Vision, the latest episodes from the latest season of Heroes, 24 hours after it's US broadcast. It's pay per view video on demand, in streaming and will cost euro 1.99 or $2.80. -- Canal+ offered exclusively on September 12, for free (briefly), the first episode of the first season of Big Love in streaming, to promote the launch of the show. It's no longer online. In the UK -- Viewers who have paid their UK television tax can download a client called iPlayer from the BBC site and then download any program that has run during the previous week and keep it on their computer for 30 days. permalink (September 20th, 2007)

Internet Portals to Be Fined for Obscene Videos

According to Digital Chosunilbo, South Korea is cracking down on porn videos online. "People who post pornographic material on Internet portals such as Naver, Daum and Yahoo, and portals which fail to prevent them are looking at fines of up to W100 million ($11.000). "The Ministry of Information and Communication on Monday is pushing a revision of the Information and Communication Law to “strengthen the social responsibility of Internet portals,” Vice Minister Yoo Young-hwan said." permalink (July 31st, 2007)

Hit-and-run video posted on YouTube gets man fired

According to The Asahi Shimbun, the owner of a car involved in a hit-and-run (considered aminor collision by the police) was fired after footage of the collision was posted on the YouTube. "The video shows a white sedan driving away after swiping the front right side of a car. The video was shot with a camcorder from inside the car that was hit. Clearly displayed is the registration number of the white sedan. After the video was posted, some viewers began posting private information of the car owner. The man's name, age, address as well as the company he worked at, were posted on Internet bulletin boards and blog sites. The man's employer, a car repair and conversion company in Saitama Prefecture, announced on its Web site on June 15 that it had fired him after the company was flooded with phone calls." Other vidoe post stories that aimed to shame. -- Angry man over loud cellphone call becomes hit movie on youtube (Japan) -- "dog-sh..-girl" a test of the Internet's Power to Shame (South Korea) -- Camera phone photo of New York subway employee prompts investigation (USA) permalink (June 26th, 2007)

YouTube Could Launch In Korea

According to Koh Byung-Joon of the Yonhap News Agency “Google . . . is considering launching YouTubee in South Korea during the second half of this year to capitalize on the fast-growing user created content (UCC) market here". [via WebPro News] permalink (June 23rd, 2007)

America lags behind Europe and S Korea in watching TV Online

In a related article on South Korea's grip with US TV series fever, YONHAP News reports that according to a recent poll of 114 college students, forty-four percent of the viewers said they take the episodes off peer-to-peer Web sites, while 48 percent said they watch the dramas on cable TV. "We started adding our own translation scripts to watch American TV series on our computers long before TV adopted them," said one co-runner of an Internet fan club of 150,000 members, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of possible legal complications. "Public TV has belatedly jumped on the bandwagon." Some warn that digital viewership can pose serious legal problems. "It does present a copyright issue, no doubt," said Won Woo-hyun, a mass communications professor at Korea University in Seoul. Early May, the BBC reported that almost half of European broadband users are using their computers to watch television online, with the French being the most enthusiastic in consuming their favourite programs via the web. And yesterday, TBO reported that in the US, only about 4 percent of the people who have an online connection are watching TV shows online. So the US is really lagging behind. Behind Europe and behind Asia. One explanation which I have given before and am sure it's a main reason is that in Europe at least, we get TV series 6 months to a year on our TV channels after their broadcast in the US. So being able to watch as soon as they come out in the US, is a huge attraction. They are usually posted on video sharing sites one to two days later. permalink (May 22nd, 2007)