Amazon extends its paid video service to streaming

NewTeeVee reports that "Amazon has extended its paid video service to streaming, Macs, and compatible Sony BRAVIA devices and televisions.

"Amazon Video On Demand beats iTunes on TV because it has NBC, and it beats Hulu on movies because it has far more of them. Netflix’s movie service, meanwhile, only provides streaming for PCs."

European and other-than-US-connecting-viewers are once again left out in the cold, here's the message I get (from Switzerland) when trying to stream a Dr House episode.

Hulu Launches Fall Lineup, Premieres Before TV Broadcast

Hulu on Tuesday announced that it has launched its Fall Premiere Lineup, which over the next seven weeks, will be the place to find season premieres of Prison Break, Bones, House, Heroes, The Office and 30 Rock.

To build up the hype around new shows or those in their second season, Hulu will also debut the first episode of Knight Rider, Lipstick Jungle, Chuck and Life, one week before they air on broadcast television.

[via TechCrunch]

Top TV series premier schedules

Top TV series premier schedules. Count 1-3 days more for availability on video sharing websites.

Gossip Girl premieres September 1st

Prison Break premieres September 1st

The Shield premieres September 2nd

Heroes premieres September 22nd

Lipstick Jungle premieres September 24th

Criminal Minds premieres September 24th

Ugly Betty premieres September 25th

Grey's Anatomy premieres September 25th

Dexter premieres September 28th

Californication premieres September 28th

Desperate Housewives premieres September 28th

Pushing Daisies premieres October 1st

CSI premieres October 9th

30 Rock premieres October 30

Both Mad Men Season 2 and Weeds Season 4 are back already.

Cable Quietly Introduces On-Demand YouTube Rival

Seeking to compete with the immediacy of the Internet and slow the movement of advertising dollars online, cable operators are using a little-known political channel to offer an alternative to sites such as YouTube. All Headline News reports.

"Elections '08 On Demand is the first product of Conoe Ventures, a project of six cable companies, including Comcast, Time Warner and Cox Communications. The goal is to entice advertisers with better way to guage who is watching and the effectiveness of their promotions."

ReelTime to offer streaming movies from Walt Disney Studios

ReelTime Rentals and Disney have reached an agreement to "provide popular video on demand rentals as they become available from The Walt Disney Studios, including new and classic titles from Walt Disney Pictures, Disney-Pixar, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures and Miramax Films."

[via engadgetHD]

ChannelFlip Launches: UK’s First “Video Magazine For Men”

The Inquisitr reports on the launch of what is claimed to be "the UK’s first “video magazine for men”.

"At launch, ChannelFlip offers over 200 “quirky yet informative” short video programs aimed at “tech savy men.” Content includes coverage of gadgets, technology, gaming and DVD releases. The site has Intel on board as the launch sponsor, and during a trial earlier this year attracted 150,000 viewer a month with over 1 million video views."

Millions watching lectures? Who knew?

TED.com picked up three Webbies on Tuesday night at the a href="http://www.webbyawards.com">2008 Webby Awards ceremony in New York City.

Per TED blog: We're honored to be chosen for these awards -- and even more honored by the fact that so many people are sharing these Ideas Worth Spreading.

Director of TED Media, got 15 words total to thank the academy and our millions of viewers. Her first five-word speech: "Millions watching lectures? Who knew?"

Films With Limited Release Find a Home on the Web

The nonprofit Tribeca Film Institute in New York is joining Amazon.com to create a digital marketplace for films and videos that have been stuck in archives with limited circulation or have been otherwise unavailable through conventional retail and Web outlets.

The service, called Reframe, is expected to become active on Monday through an Internet site, reframecollection.org, the institute’s representatives said.

[via The New York Times]

Tiscali TVs revamped search tool and child remote control

Netimperative reports on a new search tool for Tiscali.tv subscribers, designed to help viewers instantly locate on demand, catch up and broadcast programming.

"Users can look for programs by title as well as by credits, including cast members and even by subject matter, with a simple SMS style text input making entries quick and easy. "

Also interesting, Tiscali TV also claims to have "the first child remote control which will only let them watch tv that's meant for them", called minimote.

Weemote is another such remote found online.

Apple to make major studios’ films available for download

According to the Times Online, "Apple is poised to announce it will start selling films from four major Hollywood studios for download in the UK as part of its iTunes internet service at prices on a par with DVDs. The company intends to unveil agreements with Disney and Paramount."

[via Techmeme]

Bezos: video on demand soon

Amazon.com will be adding a new video on demand and streaming business in the next few weeks said Jeff Bezos. Streams will start instantly and will be sold on an a la carte basis.

[via USA Today]

Warner Brothers To Rent Movies Online Sooner

Warner Brothers will now start making films available for online rental, such as through Apple TV, and on cable pay-per-view systems, the same day that it releases them to DVD.

[via the New York Times Bits Blog]

Hulu.com lets you Cut, Paste and Forward Web Video

The Guardian on some of Hulu.com's wonderful features.

"We all know about cutting and pasting from one document to another. Hulu.com lets you do it with video: select the bit you want from, say, an episode of The Simpsons and email it to a friend, post it to your blog or put it on your Facebook page.

Another surprising tool is the search function. If a particular TV show or a film isn't one of the 400 TV series and 100 movies on the site, it doesn't give a "no results" message. Instead, it looks across the entire web to find legitimate (ie, non-pirated) video, and offers links to it - even if it sends users away from Hulu. So if someone searches for Desperate Housewives, a link will appear to abc.com - a rival network.

Another great thing about Hulu.com is that they are considering moving beyond the US market. According to Jason Kilar, CEO of Hulu: "We very much have ambitions to be a global site but we want to walk before we run," he says. "We would be very hesitant about launching in a territory without stellar content. In the US we took our time to make sure we had great content. We don't think that a service is built to last unless it is worthy of remark. And that will be our mantra."

Hollywood studios tout entertainment service--for 2009

News.com reports that a joint venture featuring heavyweight Hollywood studios is looking to fall 2009 to launch a premium television channel and video-on-demand service that will offer feature films and original television series.

"The unnamed venture, and the unnamed channel it will produce, has the backing of Viacom and its Paramount Pictures unit; MGM Studios; and Lionsgate.

It will offer new films released in theaters after January 1, 2008 for some studios and after January 1, 2009 for others.

In addition, the venture will feature new, original television series."

NBC to send on-demand TV to Europe

According to Digital Spy, shows such as Heroes may be available before they are broadcast for an extra cost under NBC Universal plans to launch a global video-on-demand service.

"The production company is agreeing distribution deals in up to ten European and Asian countries for the TV Box service. In some markets, the content will be part of existing subscription packages."

New music video Web site features major label artists

A company backed by investors including Will Smith and major record labels has launched a new Web site offering 10,000 free, high-definition music videos. Associated Press reports.

"Universal Music Group announced Wednesday that it has joined EMI and Sony BMG in backing Santa Monica-based PluggedIn.

The Web site features music videos from artists such as Gwen Stefani, Green Day, Coldplay and Norah Jones and is powered by a new media player that supports full-screen high-definition video".

I Don't Want My Web TV

Internet TV startup Joost, backed by CBS, was supposed to be as big as YouTube. Instead, it's in danger of being squeezed out as the networks scramble for a billion-dollar payday.

"This market changed so much in a year," Mike Volpi Joost C.E.O says. "It went from 'No one thought it was feasible' to 'Everyone is doing it.' "

[via Portfolio.com]

Big Sister is Watching

According to Russia Today, a brothel in Prague is putting on a very different kind of sex show. Working girls are offering their services for free, but only if the men are prepared to perform on camera for a reality TV show.

"Big Sister is a spin-off of the popular reality TV program Big Brother. Here, men can get sex for free as long as they let their exploits be filmed and broadcast online. Voyeuristic subscribers then pay to watch, making Big Sister a profitable enterprise.

... Every move in the place is recorded on cameras mounted anywhere from the bathroom to the bedpost. And with the live internet broadcasting any ordinary man, if he wishes, can get his 15 minutes of fame."

Bush's War

The FRONTLINE documentary "Bush'sWar" is coming Monday and Tuesday, March 24 & 25 to PBS. Produced by Michael Kirk and culled from one of the richest archives in broadcast journalism -- more than 40 FRONTLINE reports -- the 4.5 hour-documentary and its companion web site combine to deliver a unique tv/web experience: the full epic saga of Bush's War unfolds on air and online from 9/11 to the present.

FRONTLINE will integrate and embed in its video player an array of related interviews, background material and video that can be viewed with just a click.

In addition, more than 100 video clips of key moments and events in the Iraq war will be the centerpiece of an annotated master chronology which FRONTLINE will publish on the "Bush's War" site.

[via e-mail press release]

Locking in Viewers to Watch the Commercials

Looking to strike a blow against the proliferation of digital video recorders, the ABC network, its affiliated broadcast stations, and Cox Communications’ cable systems are establishing an on-demand video service that would allow viewers to watch ABC shows like “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives” any time they choose.

The catch: It uses a new technology that disables the viewers’ ability to fast-forward through commercials.

[The New York Times via NewTeeVee]

Smile, you're on a bar Webcam

Bar Webcams are a growing phenomenon in cities like Boston, Denver, Chicago, San Diego, Minneapolis, and even tourist spots like Key West. News.com reports.

"Webcams have been around for a long time. One of the most famous was JenniCam in the late '90s--the girl who broadcast her every move inside a dorm room via the Web.

Today, with a Webcam installed in a bar or restaurant,potential customers can call up the live video stream online or by mobile phone so they can survey the crowd before venturing out.

People who want a quiet night can scout for a bar with a mellow scene, and those who want a lively night can look for the crowds. (Webcam bar promoters say it's typically a 50-50 split between the two camps.)

... For promoters, the online traffic equals money. Relatively new services like Barmigo and Barseenlive sell flat-rate subscriptions to the bars for licensing the Webcams and promoting their sites, and other upstarts like Baroptic.com are seeking to sell advertisements to liquor companies like Coors and Bacardi to run against those video streams.

Regarding privacy, bar promoters say the live video typically isn't a clear picture, doesn't include audio, and isn't recorded, so it's not archived. "In terms of legality, if you're in a public place, I can take your picture," said Jesse Newsome, founder and head of "hiring and firing" at Barmigo, based in Phoenix, Ariz.

NewsClipper rings All The News Video from Around the Web to One Place

Onar Vikingstad, a 27-year-old Norwegian Web developer with a day job at Apple, has created NewsClipper a site that brings together news video clips from the Websites of ABC, BBC, CBS, CNN, ESPN, Fox News, NBC, and MSNBC. He explains on TechCrunch:

What I wanted to create with NewsClipper was a site that consolidates all news clips from the major TV news networks in one location. No more having to run around to different carefully managed and controlled individual websites. Basically it lets you view the latest news clips from the major TV networks in one location, without having to go to their slow sites overloaded with ads.

European archives release vintage films online

In April, a Europe-wide video-on-demand platform called European Film Treasures will bring together content from 37 film archives and cinematheques across the continent. And the good news for film buffs is that it's free. Reuters reports.

Each partner archive will propose films, and a jury of historic film specialists will decide which to include on the VoD site based on criteria such as historical interest and artistic quality. Footage will be accessible for streaming only, not download, but the site may in the future extend to associated DVD sales.

European Film Treasures is hoping to tap into a chunk of the huge audience for free on-line video sites like YouTube and Bebo.

Films will be available in their original language with translation where needed into English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

The site is expected to launch with about 100 titles, but the aim is to include as many as 500 films once fully loaded. Lobster is coming up with original music to accompany silent films.

The only major national archive that decided not to be represented was from Belgium. "

Yahoo offers tech tidbits in new online show

Yahoo Inc. has premiered an online technology show today that covers Silicon Valley business, including its own saga involving Microsoft Corp.'s takeover bid, one of the biggest technology stories in years.

The show, "Tech Ticker," illustrates that life goes on at the Sunnyvale Web portal despite ample uncertainty about the company's future.

... The idea is to capitalize on the growing appetite for online video with a show that focuses on the business side of the technology industry, a niche that Yahoo managers said has little competition."

[via The San Francisco Chronicle]

Time Warner to Make All its TV Shows On Demand?

Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes thinks all TV programs from Time Warner's networks should be made available on-demand, both on the TV set and on the Internet.

"For some time I've had the strong belief that all linear supported networks should make their content on demand and on television sets, not only on broadband. We think this should cement the long term prospects of this business."

[IP Democracy via NewTeeVee]

Norwegian broadcaster puts popular show online as no-DRM torrent

NRK, the Norwegian state broadcaster, just made one of their most popular TV shows, “Nordkalotten 365", available for free through bittorrent, without any DRM or restrictions. boingboing reports.

So far the experiment has been a huge success. After one day roughly 8000 people have downloaded the torrent file.

NRK will keep on with experiments like these and try to make more content available through this technology in addition to the more traditional channels of streaming, podcasts and DVD sales."

In Europe, Apple Faces Hurdles to iTunes Movie Rentals

After introducing an online film rental business for American consumers last week, the chief executive of Apple, Steve Jobs, said he expected that the service would be expanded into international markets later this year. The New York Times reports.

"But trying to establish a European version of the iTunes movie rental service, which allows users to stream films or television shows to their computers or televisions, will not be easy.

Apple will have to confront legal and regulatory hurdles, copyright challenges, scheduling conflicts and technological issues, reminders that the European media landscape remains a patchwork of individual countries, rather than the single market that the European Commission envisions."

Reuters to Offer Videos to Web Publishers

According to Beet.tv, Reuters is set to offer thousands of video clips to publishers.

Some 13,000 clips Reuters-produced videos, with 125 new clips added daily, will be available to Web publishers who license the videos for 30-day use. The videos will be both edited pieces and unedited, natural sound segments.

The scope of the content is breaking news, human interest, sports and entertainment news with reporting from Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas.

Details of this program are expected to be released later today."

HBO Tests New Online-Video Service

According to The Wall Street Journal, Time Warner Inc.'s HBO is testing a new online-video service that would let its subscribers watch the pay-cable network's shows on their computers -- or download them to watch on the road.

"HBO is starting a trial of the service, called HBO Broadband, in Green Bay, Wis., the network says, and could roll it out more widely later this year. The service would only be offered through cable providers to HBO subscribers, with either an additional or bundled fee, like HBO's video-on-demand service."

Is Joost headed for the deadpool?

From a commenter on the NewTeeVee — who claims to be an insider at Joost — says that things are not going well: “The mood is very bad inside the company, money is running out fast, the cash burn is of course way way too high, and so there is a lot of nervousness. Honestly, I think they are dead.”

[via Mathewingram.com]

BT Vision offers US shows

BT Vision is to offer more than 650 episodes of US TV shows including Ugly Betty, Lost and Scrubs in a deal with Disney-ABC International Television.

Customers will be able either to rent the shows on a pay-per-view basis or get unlimited access through subscription packages.

[via Broadcast Now]

Apple Launches Online Movie Rental Service

Earlier this week, Netflix announced that its subscribers now have a free online streaming service. Today, Apple confirmed rumors of a new online movie rental service available online through iTunes along with an upgraded Apple TV device. International Business Times reports.

"Speaking to a packed crowd at this year's Macworld Expo in San Francisco, Apple Chief Steve Jobs announced the service. It launches today on iTunes and should have more than 1,000 films by the end of February, he said. Users can expect to rent the films 30 days after the DVD is released.

Movies will be priced at $3.99 for new releases and $2.99 for 'library' titles, with the price in both cases going up by $1 if the films are ordered in better-than-DVD high definition quality.

Users get 30 days to watch it on their computers, iPods or iPhones. Once users starts watching, however, they have 24 hours to see the whole film."

Facebook: The Entire “60 Minutes” Segment

For those who missed it, here is the entire video of the piece CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Facebook last night, thanks to All Things Digital.

[via Techmeme]

Apple signs film deal with Fox studio

Apple has signed News Corp’s 20th Century Fox studio to a new online video-on-demand service in a deal that could change the way people pay for online film content. The FT reports.

The agreement will allow consumers to rent the latest Fox DVD releases by downloading a digital copy from Apple’s iTunes platform for a limited time, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Walt Disney is the only Hollywood studio selling its new releases on iTunes but these are available to buy rather than rent.

MTVN: More than 1.2B Video Streams

MTV Networks Music Group said Thursday that it delivered more than 1.2 billion video streams from MTV.com, VH1.com and CMT.com in 2007, up 30% from 2006.

The top 30 most-streamed videos across MTV.com, VH1.com and CMT.com were:

1.. Gimme More (Live), Britney Spears, BMG

2. Girlfriend, Avril Lavigne, BMG

3. Umbrella, Rihanna, Universal

....

[via Broadcastng&Cable]

TiVo adds on demand videos from Music Choice

TiVo today announced the immediate availability of Music Choice on broadband-connected TiVo DVRs. Gadgetell reports.

"The thousands of music videos in their catalog along with their original programming will be available through the TiVoCast service. The service will launch with nearly 1,000 video titles and is expected to grow rapidly."

Xbox to offer VoD service

Microsoft will allow gamers in the UK to buy films through its Xbox 360 console from next Tuesday, as the console moves to compete directly with everything from television to online download stores.

[via The Guardian]

NBC agrees to 'next day' episode service on Netflix

Netflix has sealed a deal with NBC Universal to begin offering online episodes of hit series "Heroes," the day after they air on television.

Under the pact, Netflix subscribers will also be able to view past episodes of other NBC series, including "30 Rock," "Friday Night Lights" and "The Office," via rented DVD or on Netflix's website.

[Variety via TV Tattle]

TV rivals form on-demand service

The BBC, ITV and Channel 4 are to launch a joint on-demand service, which will bring together hundreds of hours of television program in one place. The BBC reports.

"The service is set to go live in 2008 and will offer viewers access to current shows - like Ugly Betty and archive material.

... The BBC's iPlayer, ITV's catch-up service and Channel 4's 4oD will continue to exist along the new online "aggregator", which will provide a complement to the established providers.

Programing from all three broadcasters will be available for free download, streaming, rental and purchase via the internet, with expansion on to other platforms planned. "

The knives are out for Hulu.com

Today Hulu, the new-media creation of two old-media rivals, NBC and Fox, will begin privately testing its new service with select users at hulu.com. It will also begin sending its videos to the sites of five distribution partners, Microsoft, AOL, MySpace, Yahoo and Comcast. The New York Times reports.

"Hulu is presenting select episodes of some 90 television shows, including new and old programs from NBC (“The Office,” “The A-Team”), Fox (“24” and “The Simpsons”) and an assortment of smaller broadcasters like USA Networks

All the shows are viewable inside a Web browser and festooned with advertisements.

... Critics have questioned whether NBC and Fox are truly motivated to make Hulu succeed. Both networks make many of the same programs freely available on their own Web sites.

In addition, Fox sells ad-free, downloadable versions of its programs on Apple’s iTunes. NBC pulled its material off iTunes earlier this fall, citing Apple’s reluctance to let content creators set their own price and now sells shows on Amazon.com’s Unbox service.

NBC recently removed its content from YouTube to make way for the Hulu introduction. Hulu “is really the centerpiece of what we’re trying to evolve to digitally,” said Jeff Zucker, president and chief executive of NBC Universal."

VOD to the rescue for television

Finally, the article I have been waiting for that addresses the European issue. By Steve Brennan for The Hollywood Reporter

"To combat foreign piracy and to attract younger audiences abroad who, like their American counterparts, want their shows whenever and wherever, Hollywood studios are increasingly focusing on VOD, like the recent trial by French network TF1 who is offering video on demand pay-per-view episodes of Heroes (French viewers only).

"Such deals with foreign broadcast partners may not only create a new revenue stream but also keep their traditional output and volume deals with those broadcasters from taking a hit. The trend promises to be front and center in Cannes at MIPCOM, which begins Monday.

... One of the first to raise the red flag to fan-based piracy was Marion Edwards, president of international television at 20th Century Fox, who revealed that this season's premiere of Prison Break was on the Internet within 11 minutes of its broadcast.

"A year and a half ago at the NATPE, we saw a demonstration that revealed that 24' was up on the Internet almost simultaneously with its U.S. broadcast, and that is a big challenge for us all," she said. "The difference today is the proliferation of the problem. That's why you are seeing so many VOD deals being done, and that's why broadcasters want free on-demand catch-up. If we do nothing and just throw our hands up, our business will be gone," she warned.

"In the past, international broadcasters have had the luxury of deciding when they want to put shows on, and it could be six months or a year after the U.S. premiere," said Jeffrey Schlesinger, president of Warner Bros. International Television Distribution. "That window has changed, and the current situation is not unsimilar to that of features, where the solution was to release day-and-date or close to the U.S. release date.

That could mean with broadcast (that) it would be a day-and-date airing with the U.S. in English-language territories or at least much closer to the U.S. broadcast.Non-English-language territories would still broadcast programs on a delayed basis, to allow for dubbing.

Read Full article

NYC TV On-Demand

Mayor Bloomberg has just announced the creation of NYC TV On-Demand, a web site offering hundreds of high-quality video clips from NYC TV’s Emmy Award-winning shows.

Its high-speed search engine enables viewers to search by neighborhoods or topics, videos can be embedded in websites or or forwarded as clips to friends.

"Over the last four years, Arick and the team at NYC TV have dramatically transformed municipal television with award-winning programming, stunning graphics and up-and-coming talent," said Deputy Mayor Skyler. "The On-Demand player is the next step forward for New York City's innovative television station."

[via The New York Times]

Jaman.com Lets Users Download Independent Films

The Wall Street Journal reports on Jaman.com, a Web site that gives users the chance to download independent and international movies from the Web directly to their computers.

"It also serves as a social networking forum where movie watchers can read one another's reviews, write their own comments that run alongside the film, and join groups with people who have similar tastes in movies. Jaman (pronounced jah-mahn), has 1,800 titles. It charges $1.99 for rentals, which can be watched for up to seven days, and $4.99 to buy a movie outright.

Jaman isn't alone in the online movie downloading business, and its competitors boast bigger selections. Just this year Netflix, known for popularizing DVD rentals through the mail, started offering its own movie downloads.

Blockbuster which followed Netflix into the DVD mailing business, showed an interest in the online downloading method last month when it acquired Movielink, a movie downloading service previously owned by Hollywood's major studios.

And Apple Inc., which began selling films for $10 to $15 a year ago on its iTunes Store, offers over 500 movies. Amazon is in the game, too, as is Microsoft.

But Jaman hopes its niche films and viewer-comments system will set it apart."