Archives for December 2008

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December 31, 2008

Hulu to Live-Stream NYE in Times Square

Hulu will carry its second-ever live stream on Wednesday night — that of the famous New Year’s Eve outdoor ball-dropping party in New York City’s Times Square.

[via NewTeeVee]

Make:Television

MakeTelevisionlogo.gif Make: debuting this weekend is the DIY series for a new generation. It celebrates Makers – the inventors, artists, geeks and just plain everyday folks who mix new and old technology to create new-fangled marvels.

The series encourages everyone to invent, revent, recycle, upcycle, and act up. Based on the popular Make: magazine, each half-hour episode inspires millions to think, create, and, well, make.

[via Gizmodo]


Happy Holidays from The Obama Family

I missed this for Xmas. Obama family Holiday greeting spotted on Mrs.O.

Israeli Defense Forces Launch YouTube Channel

In an effort to combat skewed media reports on the current fighting in Gaza, the Israeli Defense Forces launched a YouTube channel.

The IDF has video of airstrikes on smuggling tunnels and rocket launch sites, the movement of humanitarian aid into Gaza, the deployment of IDF tanks to the Gaza region, and other such videos. Eight videos total have been uploaded over the post 24 hours.

[via The Weekly Standard]

Update: According to The Sydney Morning Herald, YouTube censors have removed several videos showing footage of air strikes and other attacks on Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip which were posted by the Israel Defense Forces on its new YouTube channel. There was no immediate response from YouTube to an inquiry from AFP about whether videos had been removed and, if so, the explanation for the move.

December 30, 2008

AP Exclusive: Kennedy Talks Senate Seat

In her first sit-down interview since expressing interest in a U.S. Senate seat, Caroline Kennedy says she will have to work twice as hard if appointed to the seat representing New York, despite her famous name.

More Online Than TV Viewing

computerplustv.gif Consumers now spend more time with online media online than they do watching television, say researchers at the Yankee Group. Of course, since they appear to be multitasking, the level of engagement would seem to be dropping as well. IPTV reports.

quotemarksright.jpgIn fact, 56 percent of television viewers are online, browsing the Web or sending e-mail while "watching" television, Yankee Group researchers say.

Professionally-produced content remains the constant across digital platforms ranging from television, Internet video, mobile video to portable video. Users are consuming in more personalized ways, but most of what they consume consists of movies, clips of television shows, movie trailers and music videos.quotesmarksleft.jpg

December 29, 2008

YouTube, Hulu Still Growing, Nielsen Says

YouTube delivered nearly 5.6 billion streams to nearly 85 million unique visitors in November, up from 5 billion streams served to about 83 million visitors in October.

Fox Interactive Media, dominated by MySpace, held onto the No. 2 ranking for online videos, delivering 244 million streams to 20 million unique visitors in November, about on par with October’s haul.

The third most-popular site, Hulu, served up about 221 million streams to about 7.5 million unique visitors last month, an increase from 206 million videos in October watched by 9 million unique visitors.

[via TVWeek]

December 28, 2008

Lennon stars in One Laptop Per Child Commercial


quotemarksright.jpgFormer Beatle John Lennon is featuring in a charity's TV advertisement in the US, 28 years after his death. [via the BBC]

The singer has been brought back to life using digital technology for the
One Laptop Per Child initiative.

The charity aims to deliver tough, solar-powered computers to the world's poorest children.

... Ono has given her approval for the commercial, which will air on spots donated by broadcasters, and has also been placed on YouTube.quotesmarksleft.jpg

December 26, 2008

i.TV application for the iPhone released with new updates

i.tvcellphoneapp.gif The i.TV unveiled a new application for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The users can use this application to remotely program their DVR, view their favorite television shows and variety of videos from their iPhone and now they can even purchase a movie ticket through this application. mobiletor reports.

quotemarksright.jpgThe i.TV application will now offer the users to view full length of television shows, movie trailers, YouTube videos and other videos too.

The i.TV application for the iPhone is available in US and Canada at the App Store for free.quotesmarksleft.jpg

i.tvcellphoneappfullscreeen.gif

Nintendo Wii to Have Video On Demand

mario-ron-jeremy.jpg

According to Gizmodo, Nintendo will start offering video in their Wii console soon.

quotemarksright.jpgNintendo and Dentsu shall use the environment surrounding the Wii so that living rooms with Wii-ready TVs would become more of a fun area for communication among families and friends.

The two companies will develop original programming for the Wii, which will be available through the Internet both for free and for a fee. They also expect to expand their offering to other countries after the Japan introduction.quotesmarksleft.jpg

December 22, 2008

Bagtv - a TV in a handbag

main-image3.jpg

Spotted on The Red Ferret, BagTV, a TV in a handbag.

The first in a range of new products, is a beautifully crafted ladies hand-bag, which comes in a range of cool colours, leathers, and fabrics, integrated with a high quality 7in TVscreen combining, DVD, and Mpeg player.

Other TV / Video Bags;

-- A black leather TV-Purse

-- Louis Vuiton Video Bag

December 21, 2008

Anti-piracy plan to make ISPs liable for illegal downloads

A radical plan to tackle internet piracy, which would make broadband providers legally liable for music and films downloaded from unlicensed websites by their customers, is being considered by the British government. The Guardian reports.

quotemarksright.jpgIn exchange, internet service providers (ISPs) would receive a small payment for every film or music track downloaded legally by their customers, which could make them millions of pounds in additional revenue. quotesmarksleft.jpg

Obama takes the direct approach to informing the public

President-elect Barack Obama says that he wants to make his administration more responsive to the American people. To that end, his aides are introducing a host of YouTube and other efforts aimed at bypassing the media and communicating directly with voters. ... It's not clear yet if Obama will ever take to YouTube to take questions on his timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.

[via the IHT]

Assembly approves Sarkozy plan for French television

Sarkozy-404_683977c.jpg Early in the New Year, advertising will begin to disappear from public television in France, the start of a major shakeup ordered by President Nicolas Ask that critics say will give him virtual control of the airwaves. IHT reports.

quotemarksright.jpgThe plan to pull ads from the country's four public channels, approved by the National Assembly on Wednesday night, also allows Sarkozy to select the chief of the French public broadcasting company, France Télévisions - alarming critics who say the project sends France back decades to the days when television was the tool of the presidency.

"The ultimate goal is nothing more than to put public television on a leash to prepare for the 2012 presidential elections," said Didier Mathus, a Socialist lawmaker who led a campaign against the legislation.

The plan will be enacted even though the Senate has not yet taken up the measure. It is expected to do so early next year. The plan calls for the gradual removal of all advertising from public broadcasting, beginning on Jan. 5 with prime time and overnight programming. The government will guarantee financing of €450 million, or $640 million, a year over the next three years to replace lost ad revenue.quotesmarksleft.jpg

Read full article.

Talks break down; Warner Music pulls videos from YouTube

Negotiations between Warner Music Group and YouTube over renewing the licensing agreement for the record label's music videos broke down Friday, reports cnet news. Early Saturday, Warner, the third largest record label, removed videos from the Google-owned video site.

The impasse comes at a time when all four major labels, including Universal Music Group, Sony Music, and EMI, are renegotiating their licensing deals with YouTube.

December 19, 2008

Movie studio launches iPhone app to promote new film "The Spirit"

thespiritiphoneapp.gif Lionsgate and digital media company Big Stage Entertainment have launched an iPhone app to promote the movie.

Users can upload their photo, shake the iPhone and star in scenes from the film.

According to MediaWeek, "marketing of the app is viral through social networks. Big Stage sent a newsletter item out to "tens of thousands of its members, who visit the site to create avatars and such."

Finally, Al Jazeera English blankets U.S.

aljazeer_en.gif Thanks to a new live-streaming program, it is now possible to watch Al Jazeera English on your computer.

[via TV Barn]

Study: Young people watch less TV

A new survey has found that "millennials," the generation of ages 14-25, watch just 10.5 hours of TV a week. That's compared to 19.2 hours a week for baby boomers.

[The Hollywood Reporter via TV Tattle]

BBC iPlayer now available on Mac

_45305363_iplayss.jpg The BBC has created a version of the iPlayer that works with both Mac and Linux computers, reports BBC News.

quotemarksright.jpgThe two systems, which have been able to stream BBC programmes via the iPlayer for a year, will now be able to handle downloads.

The iPlayer is the BBC's online media player that lets viewers stream programmes for up to seven days after broadcast or download and watch them for up to 30 days.quotesmarksleft.jpg


BBC launches iPlayer for children

bbc-iplayer_1204096c.jpg The BBC has launched a version of its massively popular iPlayer service specifically designed for children, reports The Telegraph.

quotemarksright.jpgThe "child-friendly" service is aimed at youngsters aged six to 12 - and there are plans for even younger children to take part in the service with their parents.

... Through the CBBC website, children can access iPlayer, and view for a week after broadcast, a selection of programmes in an area sectioned off from other channel programming. In addition, some programmes will be available for up to 13 weeks as "series catch-ups". quotesmarksleft.jpg

Hulu Growing Fast, But YouTube's Still Far Out in Front

hulu-logo.jpg Hulu is reaching farther into the mainstream with explosive growth in views in October, according to the latest video viewing figures from Nielsen Online, reports TV Week.

quotemarksright.jpgThe site rocketed in October, delivering 206 million streams of video, up from 142 million in September. The number of unique visitors rose to 9 million in October, up from 6.3 million in September.

Overall, YouTube continues to be the biggest dog on the block, drawing nearly 83 million unique visitors watching 5 billion streams in October, compared with 82 million unique visitors watching a little more than 5 billion streams in September.

Fox Interactive, led by MySpace, was the second most visited video site in October, attracting 18 million unique visitors to 244 million streams, about on par with the month before.quotesmarksleft.jpg

Universal Music seeing 'tens of millions' from YouTube

YouTube's traffic machine may finally be turning into a cash machine, reports cnet news.

quotemarksright.jpgUniversal is starting to see some significant cash from its deal with the video-sharing site for two reasons: first, YouTube's recent efforts to find a business model are working. The other is that music, by far the strongest single segment on YouTube, has always been a major draw.

Doug Morris, Universal's CEO, has led the industry to set up videos as a revenue stream. Since 2005, Universal has gone from making zero dollars on music videos to nearly $100 million."

"(YouTube) is not like radio, where it's just promotional," said Caraeff, who heads up Universal's digital group. "It's a revenue stream, a commercial business. It's growing tremendously. It's up almost 80 percent for us year-over-year in the U.S. in terms of our revenue from this category."quotesmarksleft.jpg

Joost Just Gives Up On P2P Altogether

As YouTube and then Hulu got comfortable with Flash as the delivery method for video, Joost adapted, giving users the option of an all-Flash site in September over P2P. On Wednesday, they announced they're discontinuing the software application altogether.

[via The Wasington Post]

December 18, 2008

Ads on YouTube have higher impact than on TV

YouTube users are 1.5 times more attentive and engaged in advertising than TV viewers, according to research conducted in partnership with General Motors Europe, Motorola, media agency MindShare and the Online Testing Exchange.

quotemarksright.jpgThe research used eye tracking and biometric data to reveal the brand impact of advertising on YouTube. It found recall and attribution for an ad viewed was up to 14% higher than watching the same ad on TV. Viewing a silent ad on YouTube in addition to a normal TV ad also improved ad recall and attribution.quotesmarksleft.jpg

Read full article.

Web Video Users Are Day Clickers

According to MediaWeek, there’s more evidence to support the theory that daytime is the Internet’s prime time, at least when it comes to video, based on a new report issued by Nielsen Online.

quotemarksright.jpgDuring the traditional work week—i.e. Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.--65 percent of online video viewers streamed at least one piece of content in October, versus 51 percent of viewers who did so on weekends from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., according to Nielsen Online’s October VideoCensus report.

That heavy concentration of at-work viewers is likely bolstered by the fact that 96 percent of those folks have access to broadband connections, found Nielsen.quotesmarksleft.jpg

Read full article.

December 17, 2008

An iPhone app called Television. Indeed

big_icon_11696.png The name says it all...this app lets you watch TV. Watch 50 shows from 30 channels on demand. Its not live TV, but the best pre-recorded content from the USA, UK, France and Germany. Get the latest news, sports and entertainment on your iPhone. Television allows you to watch TV whenever and wherever you like, with the touch of a finger. No need to download the content first, like iTunes, but watch instantly, on-demand via WiFi.

Includes 20 English language channels, such as CNN, NBC, CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, VH1 and many more. British TV from the BBC, ITV and SKY. Australian, French and German channels are also included. Weve picked the best available content from around the web and put it in an easy to use iPhone app.

With daily updated content, Television keeps you informed when on the go.

December 16, 2008

Directors demand film piracy ban

Kenneth Branagh and Richard Curtis are among the directors and producers who have signed a letter demanding action be taken on illegal file sharing. The BBC reports.

quotemarksright.jpgPublished in the Times, the letter says TV and film-makers are "very concerned" that their work is being "undermined".

They want the government to force internet providers to stop customers from downloading films and TV shows.

"We are very concerned that the successes of the creative industries in the UK are being undermined by the illegal online file-sharing of film and TV content," the group of more than 100 signatories said. quotesmarksleft.jpg

The CSI Effect

csi-gil-grissom.jpg

quotemarksright.jpgAn interesting read from Neatorama on the "CSI effect" in courtrooms. Excerpts:

The "CSI effect" occurs primarily inside the courtroom. Its first incarnation was referred to as the Perry Mason effect, based on the popular fictional defense attorney's trademark ability to clear his client by coercing the guilty party into confessing on the witness stand. During Mason's TV heyday, from the 1950s to the '80s, many prosecutors complained that juries were hesitant to convict defendants without that "Perry Mason moment" of a confession on the stand - which in real life is very, very rare.

After Perry Mason went off the air, a new kind of law enforcement program appeared: the scientific police procedural. Along with shows such as NCIS, Diagnosis: Murder, and Bones, CSI focuses on forensic evidence and lab work as the primary means of catching killers.

... The main problem caused by the CSI effect: Juries now expect conclusive forensic evidence. According to Staff Sergeant Peter Abi-Rashed, a homicide detective from Hamilton, Ontario, "Juries are asking, 'Can we convict without DNA evidence?' Of course they can. It's called good, old-fashioned police work and overwhelming circumstantial evidence." In the worst-case scenarios, guilty people may be set free because a jury wasn't impressed with evidence that - as recently as the 1990s - would have led to a conviction.

In fact, many forensic experts find themselves on the stand explaining to a jury why they don't have scientific evidence. Some lawyers have even started asking potential jurors if they watch CSI. If so, they may have to be reeducated.quotesmarksleft.jpg

Read full article.

All smiles as web shows come of age

lonelygirl15big.jpg With cameos by the likes of Jeff Goldblum and the directing bite of David Lynch, Hollywood know-how is helping the best web series win audiences to rival mainstream TV shows. The Guardian reports.

quotemarksright.jpgTwo and a half years since LonelyGirl15 first appeared, web series are the hottest new format in Hollywood. No longer amateurish or user-generated in feel, the latest crop of webisodes are slick productions. Many boast celebrity involvement.

... Already the most successful web series can attract audiences of more than a million. Plus, it's never been easier for a show to reach its audience - posted on video sharing sites such as YouTube and social-networking sites such as MySpace and Bebo (a particular boon for independent producers who don't have access to traditional means of distribution).quotesmarksleft.jpg

December 15, 2008

Bush shoe-throwing goes viral

President Bush's shoe-dodging in Iraq this weekend is torching YouTube, garnering eight of the top 20 most-watched videos today.

[via The Washington Post]


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