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VideoNuze Report Podcast #64 - June 11, 2010
Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 64th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for June 11, 2010.
We welcome back Daisy, who just took a relaxing vacation in Paris. As Daisy says, the media world continued to spin while she was away, and in particular Apple and Steve Jobs have stayed in the news. Earlier this week Apple launched the iPhone 4 and last week Jobs spoke extensively at the WSJ's D8 conference.
At D8, Jobs was asked a question about Apple's TV strategy (or lack thereof). His answer led me to me to write earlier this week "Why Apple Still Doesn't Have a TV Strategy," in which I outlined the 3 key reasons I think Jobs and Apple are stymied. In today's podcast Daisy and I dig into this topic further.
Click here to listen to the podcast (12 minutes, 10 seconds)
Click here for previous podcasts
The VideoNuze Report is available in iTunes...subscribe today!Categories: Devices
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Why Apple Still Doesn't Have a TV Strategy
With the race to bring online video viewing to the TV now in full swing, I've continued to wonder why it is that Apple still doesn't have a TV strategy (or if they have one, why they haven't articulated it). More than 3 years since introducing Apple TV, its only TV-related product, Steve Jobs still routinely calls it a "hobby" and there has been virtually no innovation around it. Unsurprisingly, its sales have languished.
Asked at the D8 conference last week when Apple is going to do something in the TV arena, Jobs replied that the "problem with innovation in the TV industry is the go-to-market strategy. There's a subsidized business model that gives everybody a set-top box for free or for $10/month - and that pretty much squashes any opportunity for innovation because nobody's willing to buy a set-top box." As a result he said, "all you can do is add a box on" and that this brings "a table full of remotes, cluster of boxes and bunch of different UIs." Jobs asserted that the only way things will change is to "go back to square one and tear up the set-top box and redesign it from scratch."
Of course, there is virtually no chance that cable/satellite/telco-provided set-top boxes are going away any time soon, which, given Jobs's definition of the problem, will leave Apple on the outside looking in as consumers hunger to view online video on their TVs. From my perspective there are at least 3 reasons Apple appears stymied.
Categories: Devices
Topics: Apple, Apple TV, Google
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With Leanback, YouTube Could be the First Big Beneficiary of Google TV
A couple of weeks ago at the Google I/O conference, YouTube provided a tantalizing glimpse of a new UI called "Leanback" which optimizes YouTube for viewing on TV.
With Leanback, YouTube videos can be navigated and consumed in more of a TV-like manner - more passively and for longer durations. Converting YouTube - the king of short online video clips - to a more conventional TV experience might seem like a surprising ambition for Google, but in the context of Google TV, it's actually quite strategic. Not only should it help Google TV gain acceptance, it could also position YouTube to be the first big beneficiary of Google TV.
Way back in March, 2008, in "YouTube: Over-the-Top's Best Friend," I argued that providing full, open Internet experiences was the best path for new OTT devices to succeed, and that YouTube would be their perfect partner. YouTube is so valuable for OTT devices like Google TV and others because it dominates the online video world, accounting for 40% of all video views every month for the past 2 years. For many users it is the only online video brand they know and by far the most heavily used.
Categories: Aggregators, Devices
Topics: Google, Google TV, Hulu, YouTube
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Roku Ready to Push Snazzy New Netflix UI
Roku will begin pushing out a snazzy new UI for Netflix Watch Instantly users tomorrow. I've been playing around with it today and can enthusiastically say it's a huge step forward over the prior UI. First and foremost the new UI allows on-screen search, browse and Watch Instantly queuing - features that eliminate the process of teeing something up on your computer and then flipping over to your TV to watch. These have been available on the game consoles for some time and are an important step forward for Roku.
Roku owners will be able to use their remote controls to scroll through cover art and select what they want to watch. The cover art is arranged in nearly identical categories to those displayed in Netflix's own Watch Instantly online UI (e.g. new arrivals, comedy, kids, etc.). It's impressive how fast the Roku app interacts with Netflix online. I added and deleted movies in each and toggled back and forth to see if the other was updated. In all cases the queue was immediately current.
Categories: Aggregators, Devices
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VideoNuze Report Podcast #63; Yankee Group Cord-Cutting Research Download Available
Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 63rd edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for May 27, 2010.
In today's podcast Daisy starts us off by discussing her New Media Minute this week, in which she highlights recent research from Yankee Group forecasting that 1 in 8 consumers will become cord-cutters in the next 12 months. With the rise of online video viewing, cord-cutting - the idea of consumers discontinuing their pay-TV subscription service in favor of free online sources - has become a very hot topic.
In this context, the Yankee research got a lot of attention when it was released. I recently had a chance to speak to the 2 analysts responsible for the research, Vince Vittore and Dmitriy Molchanov, who walked me through some of their assumptions. They've also been kind enough to share half a dozen of their slides, which are available for a complimentary download here.
Yankee's conclusion is based on annual research the firm conducts which includes certain questions about consumers' intent. In this year's survey the question, "Does Internet video offer enough options for you to consider canceling your pay TV subscription?" As slide 3 shows, Yankee took the respondents who are considering this and then extrapolated how many will actually follow through based on trend lines from past research. I think it's a plausible approach, though 1 in 8 over the next 12 months seems very aggressive to me.
Personally, I've been skeptical about any onslaught of cord-cutting. Back in October, 2008 I laid out my 2 principal arguments: that it's difficult to watch online video on TVs (where it must be enjoyable by mainstream audiences in order for cord-cutting to really take off) and that cable programming will be very limited on the free Internet (and as a result this will be a big disincentive for fans of cable channels to drop them).
While a lot is happening on the convergence front (e.g. Google TV, Roku, etc.), with the advent of TV Everywhere, the likelihood that cable programs will not leak out onto the open Internet is lower than ever. That's not to say there isn't a ton of great video available for free or through other paid options (like Netflix's streaming), but for the vast majority of pay-TV subscribers, I'd maintain that cutting the cord will be a distant option for a while to come. Nonetheless, it is a fascinating topic which will surely get even more attention going forward.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).
Click here to listen to the podcast (12 minutes, 59 seconds)
Click here for previous podcasts
The VideoNuze Report is available in iTunes...subscribe today!Categories: Cable Networks, Devices, Podcasts
Topics: Yankee Group
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5 Reasons Why Google TV Looks Like a Winner
Google pulled the curtain back on Google TV ("GTV" for short) yesterday and the debate over whether it will be a game-changer or another in a long line of underwhelming web-TV approaches is already underway. I'm going to plant my stake firmly in the first category - I think GTV looks like a real winner and below I've articulated 5 good reasons why. I'm not saying it's a slam dunk, and there are still some unknowns (starting with price) which will have a huge influence on its adoption. But as I describe below, GTV looks like the right product at the right time.
(Btw, if you need more background on what GTV actually is, see my post from 2 months ago "Here's How Google TV Will Work" and Colin Dixon's guest post below, "Google TV Unites Web and TV in One Experience.")
1. Consumers Want Online Video on Their TVs
The touchstone of a successful new consumer product introduction is simple - does it solve a problem or fill a need? For GTV, the answer is an overwhelming "yes." Consumers want a simple, cost-effective solution for watching online video on their TVs. Millions have already availed themselves of alternative - and often sub-optimal - methods for doing so: connecting their laptops to their TVs, buying a Roku/TiVo/connected Blu-ray player, using their gaming console, etc. There is no question here of "do consumers want online video on their TVs?" They do and there's abundant research supporting the trend already (here, here, here for example). If you need more validation, just ask anyone who's using Netflix streaming.
Moving the online video experience to the TV is the next natural step in the evolution of this exciting new medium. When most online video was short clips and the experience was poor, watching on computers was ok. But now, with HD, full-screen, well-featured experiences gaining prominence alongside the advent of high-quality, long-form programming, the viewing experience wants to move to the living room and the wide-screen HDTV. And it's a virtuous circle - the more the online video experience moves to the living room, the more high-quality content will come online, further reinforcing the value of GTV.
2. It's the Full Internet and It's Open
A main point of skepticism regarding GTV is that other web-to-TV approaches haven't made it big, so why will GTV? It's a very fair question and I think there are 2 very significant differences between past approaches and GTV. The first is that GTV users get the full Internet, not just the bits and pieces that the device provider has made deals with, or those that have invested the time and money to integrate with the device. Fifteen years since the Internet went mainstream, people are conditioned to expect nothing less than full choice and selection. GTV is the first to recognize that a "no boundaries," fully-browsable experience is not a nice-to-have, it's a must-have. The second differentiator is that search is core to the GTV experience, while others have focused mainly on browse. Searching is THE way people are accustomed to finding what they want and the inability to do so simply in other devices and on-screen guides has been a real handicap. GTV blends online expectations into the TV experience; that will feel natural and meaningful for many.
As important as the full Internet is to consumers, GTV's openness is equally important to developers who will build the apps that will make GTV compelling. It's essential to remember the Internet's open standards and development tools have driven its success. With GTV, the full brunt of the Internet's openness is once and for all being brought to the TV, powered by advances in processors that would have been unimaginable until recently. Google's Android OS and Chrome browser help create the platform - at no charge - to make all this happen. Simply put, developers are going to love GTV and the fruit of their imagination is going to astound us.
3. For Content Providers, GTV Should be Love at First Sight
Of course, what good is a new device if there's no good content? This is a problem that all too often plagues new devices (some of you have no doubt heard me mention "Richmond's Law" - that you can't introduce a device AND the content/apps for it simultaneously and expect the device to succeed.) However, in GTV's case, since it's really just leveraging all the great content on the Internet, content shortage won't be a problem. For video providers large and small GTV offers the potential of massive new reach, usage, and importantly new revenue streams, whether from Google ads, their own ads or new paid models. Nothing is required of them, though if they want to optimize for GTV (as with YouTube's new "Lean Back" UI), they can do so very easily.
For cable TV networks in particular GTV is a big-time winner. It doesn't disrupt their traditional model (see reason #5 below for more on that), but does open up all kinds of new interactive content opportunities. Another set of winners are the independent providers that have already attracted audiences online, like blip.tv, Next New Networks and Revision3. Other winners include print publishers like the NY Times, WSJ, Sports Illustrated, etc, who have been avidly building out their video libraries. The independent and print guys were limited mainly to computer-based consumption, but with GTV they get equal on-TV footing for the first time with their cable TV network counterparts. This will make for an exciting new round of content innovation. Lastly, if past is precedent, we can expect Hulu to dig its head further into the sand and block GTV users. That's ok, users will just turn to ABC.com, Fox.com, etc. As GTV and more convergence plays emerge, Hulu's insistence on computer-based viewing only is a self-inflicted bullet to its head (which btw, could be to YouTube's benefit as it seeks to increase its premium content roster).
4. GTV is Part of a Compelling 3-Screen Experience
As important as GTV is to on-TV viewing, it's critical to see its place in the larger context of a 3-screen, converged world. Today "convergence" is more a slogan than anything. But as Google showed in its demos yesterday (flawed though they were by incongruous Bluetooth snafus), the interplay between mobile, online and TV is tantalizing. Seeing an Android smartphone act as a voice-activated GTV remote control is just the tip of the iceberg. Today we are in just the first inning of consumer expectations for how devices interact ("my contact list synchs to my iPhone - whoohoo!"), but increasingly, as the cloud gains more prominence, the consumer technology battle is going to gravitate to integrated 3-screen experiences.
In this respect, GTV must also be seen in the context of Google's epic battle with Apple. GTV is a rare instance of Google actually being ahead of Apple, rather than playing catch-up (as in smartphones, tablets, operating systems, etc.). For now at least, Apple doesn't have a TV of its own, giving Google an opportunity gain an early lead in how 3-screen experiences will work. GTV further exposes key weaknesses of Apple's tightly-controlled, vertically integrated model. While Apple has enjoyed a huge head-start with the iPhone and a smaller one with the iPad, developers are increasingly going to ask themselves whether developing for essentially one company (and to its particular, exacting demands) is better than returning their roots and comfort zone of developing for the open Internet and GTV. As I mentioned last week, Apple vs. Android is looking increasingly like Apple vs. Wintel, and we know how that story ended. While Apple is busy ranting against Flash, Google has been presented with a monster-sized PR opportunity for Android to be positioned as the open, neutral alternative.
5. It's Evolutionary, Not Revolutionary
Possibly the most remarkable thing about GTV is that rather than trying to disrupt the TV ecosystem, Google pragmatically incorporates it and tries to enhance its value. That Google chose to go this route rather than doing something revolutionary that would incent "cord-cutting" is almost miraculous given the company's nearly dogmatic approach to re-inventing everything it touches. While the cable/satellite/telco set-top box sitting alongside GTV may seem like a ridiculous hack to many, serving little purpose but to preserve the entrenched cable business model, for Google, this "friend, not foe" approach means genuine partnership discussions can ensue for Google with Multichannel Video Programming Distributors (MVPDs). That's key to GTV not relying on a risky, retail-only distribution model.
In my initial post on Google TV 2 months ago, I highlighted the fascinating negotiating dynamic about to unfold between Google and the MVPDs. Some will be frightened of Google and its potential Trojan horse incursion into the living room, while others will be compelled by the upside. One thing is for sure: yesterday's news that DISH's set-top box will be optimized for GTV means that GTV's new features are poised to become key messages in DISH's advertising. If you're an MVPD and you don't have an "Internet-on-TV" story you're going to be at a disadvantage. GTV adds value to MVPDs by enhancing both the TV experience and also driving more need for bandwidth on the ISP side. For all of these reasons, I think it's going to be very tempting for many MVPDs to engage with Google.
Wrap-up
OK, so those are my arguments why GTV looks like a winner. The main caveats to my enthusiasm are GTV's pricing and seeing GTV actually work (initially with the Logitech box and Sony products). These aren't trivial. If Logitech prices its companion box at $499, then despite the above arguments, GTV will be too expensive and not take off. But say it comes in at $249? Imagine a consumer contemplating buying it (with no monthly fee!) or an iPad, which is $500-800 (plus a $30 monthly fee!). GTV is a hand-down winner in that scenario.
There's a lot to be excited about with GTV, as a whole new chapter in online video's rise is set to begin.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).Categories: Devices
Topics: Apple, DISH, Google, Google TV, Logitech
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Google TV Unites Web and TV in One Experience
Colin Dixon, senior partner at industry research firm The Diffusion Group, which is a VideoNuze partner, has been attending the Google I/O developer's conference. Following his analysis of the WebM project yesterday, today he offer commentary on Google TV which was unveiled today. Back in late March I had posted on Google TV, based on some back-channel info I had received. I'll have more commentary as well.
Google TV Unites Web and TV in One Experience
by Colin Dixon
This morning, at Google I/O in San Francisco, Google announced a comprehensive push to bring the Internet to TV, an effort dubbed "Google TV." Working with initial partners Intel, Sony, and Logitech, Google is assembling an open ecosystem to deliver web content and applications directly to the TV. As well, rather than ignore traditional TV content, the effort seeks to integrate the Internet and TV into a single seamless experience.
Intel's CE4100 Atom-based SoC will serve as the processor engine for the service. The CE4100 is optimized for TV applications with sophisticated video handling and a 3D graphics engine built in. It also inherits the Atom processor's frugal power consumption capabilities and small footprint. The software stack that will run on the CE4100 is from Google. Android has been ported and optimized for the processor along with Google's Chrome browser. Since Android is the core operating system, many of the applications that have already been written for smartphones should run with little or no modification. Of course, the Android marketplace will also be available to add other applications to the experience.
Categories: Devices, Technology
Topics: Best Buy, DISH, Google, Google TV, Intel, Logitech, Sony
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Comcast's New iPad App is Full of Surprises
Here's something to get your head around: yesterday at the Cable Show, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts did a short demo of a Comcast Xfinity "remote control" prototype app for the iPad, video of which is available on YouTube. I'll get to the app in a minute, but first, if you're a long-time cable industry watcher like me, you'll immediately be struck by several surprising things:
First - when (if ever?!) did you see a cable CEO do a hands-on product demo? Sure, they'll periodically narrate a demo of something, but actually navigating through the experience themselves, a la Steve Jobs? Not in my memory. While Roberts doesn't exude the gusto that Jobs does for his products, the CEO touch is still very meaningful (Jobs's personal touch is arguably what makes Apple so special, turning its product introductions into genuine events). And credit to Roberts - he executes the demo admirably, with no errant moves.
Second - speaking of Apple, a cable CEO demo'ing an unaffiliated third-party's device? And that third party happens to be Apple, which is tacitly sworn to disrupting the cable industry's hegemony over the video ecosystem? Going a step further, Roberts highlights the iPad's virtual keyboard, which allows title-by-tile searching, as addressing "the missing link" with existing set-top boxes (later Roberts says "this liberates us from the cable box"). The iPad's pixie dust knows no bounds!
And third - the irony that the video of the demo is available on YouTube (see below). YouTube! Not Comcast's Fancast portal nor in its VOD menu. Think about it - not long ago YouTube was derided as a copyright infringing haven and collection of user-generated schlock. Now, when the CEO of America's largest cable operator wants to get the word out beyond the audience at the Cable Show about its sexy new iPad app, the vehicle is YouTube. My how the world changes.
Meanwhile, the app itself, which "pairs the iPad to Comcast's set-top box" using EBIF (Enhanced TV Binary Exchange Format, the cable industry's spec for delivery interactive app to set-top boxes), allows the user to navigate through the full channel lineup and zero in on categories like sports and movies, and also drill down on specific shows and VOD selections. When a show is chosen to watch, voila, the app changes the set-top's channel, just like an over-sized remote control. You can also choose to record if you prefer. Lastly, in a nod to social viewing, Roberts shows how he can invite a friend to view the same program. The friend receives a notice on his iPad and with one touch, can tune in as well. Comcast sees lots of upside in the iPad app, with users eventually able to view the programs themselves right on the iPad. The app is both surprising and neat.
The logical question to ask is why is Comcast relying on Apple's latest innovation in order to deliver some of its own innovation? I mean, Apple had nothing to do with video until a few years ago, and arguably is still a nascent player in the space, while Comcast is the largest cable operator in the land. If it wanted to deliver a tricked-out remote control years ago, why didn't it?
There are many different ways to answer the question, but I think it boils down to 2 things: first, while most cable companies have invested heavily in behind-the-scenes infrastructure to deliver broadband and other advanced TV services, relatively few new on-screen services have been created because cable is largely a closed environment for application developers. Cable has been closed because cable operators have it in their DNA to be focused on control of what goes into their subscribers' homes. Letting "a thousand flowers bloom" is not in the average cable executive's mindset.
Second, and as a byproduct of this, most developers have ignored the cable environment. While Apple's App Store boasts of hundreds of thousands of innovative apps, the cable world has lumbered to deliver a tiny fraction of this amount, and at a glacial pace. It's not for lack of interest by developers; going back to the mid-90s there has been interest in interactive apps. But between the technology impediments and the cart-before-the horse negotiations over revenue splitting that cable operators inevitably get into, most developers have simply moved on to the open, flexible Internet. That's been a huge missed opportunity for cable, which could have been an intensely appealing platform for interactivity. Instead the door has been opened wide for others like Apple and Google to rush in.
All of this makes the iPad app from Comcast look like an important, yet admittedly small step forward. It's just one prototype, from just one operator, but it should be a strong signal to the cable community to embrace the technology advances happening all around them, to deliver innovation to their customers. That's what winners like Apple and Facebook are doing, and that's what cable must do as well.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).
Categories: Cable TV Operators, Devices
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Brightcove, FreeWheel to Launch HTML5 Video Ad Solution
Building on the momentum around HTML5 and all things iPad-related, online video platform Brightcove and video ad management firm FreeWheel are announcing plans today to launch an HTML5 video ad solution this summer. The companies are already partners and share many mutual customers; the new solution means that customers using both platforms will be able to insert ads on HTML5 compatible devices like iPads, iPhones and iPod Touches when it is available. The move is a positive step for content providers who have rolled out iPad apps but not necessarily with monetization included.
Earlier this year Brightcove unveiled its "Brightcove Experience for HTML5" which auto-detects HTML5 devices, in turn delivering compatible content. Now with the FreeWheel piece, in-stream video ads will be delivered as well. No doubt, as Apple and other non-Flash devices continue to proliferate additional HTML5-focused platform/ad solutions will follow.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).
Categories: Advertising, Devices, Technology
Topics: Brightcove, FreeWheel, HTML5
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Apple Slaps Ellen DeGeneres for Fake iPhone Ad
On a lighter note to end the week, did you catch comedian Ellen DeGeneres's fake iPhone ad, and then her subsequent apology for it - apparently prompted by an Apple rebuke? The fake ad itself is hilarious; that Apple didn't think so is further evidence of how tightly Apple tries to control its brand and image. See what you think.
Categories: Devices
Topics: Apple, Ellen DeGeneres, iPhone
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Roku To Add Netflix Browse, Search and Queue Features
Roku just announced that by June it will soon be introducing a handful of features that improve the Netflix streaming experience when using Roku, including the ability to do the following all within its channel UI: search the Netflix Watch Instantly library, browse and play content and add content to your Watch Instantly queue (here's a short company-produced demo video).
Currently users are first required to do all of these things online in their Netflix account, and then go to the Roku when ready to play their selections. This 2-step process has always felt a bit clunky to me and the new features obviously simplify the experience a lot. Roku spokesman Brian Jaquet told me he believes Roku is the first to offer the search function of the many CE devices Netflix is integrated with. I know Xbox introduced the browsing function last fall and I believe that at least PS3 and Wii (and possibly others) offer this as well.
Netflix has been hitting it out of the park recently with subscriber additions, with streaming an increasingly important drawing card. Things that Roku and others do that improve the TV-based experience are valuable, especially for more mainstream users.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).Categories: Aggregators, Devices
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Jobs on Flash - There's No Turning Back Now
Definitely make time to read Steve Jobs's blog post from yesterday, "Thoughts on Flash" - no doubt you'll conclude as I did that there's no turning back in this battle. Over the past few weeks the war of words between Adobe and Apple over the latter's lack of Flash support in iPhones, iPods and iPads has flared to new levels. Now Jobs's new post kicks things up another notch. Jobs's argument is mostly a technical/product one - "open" vs. "closed" systems, reliability, performance, security, battery life, touch attributes, etc. (Adobe posted a short response here)
But Jobs's last point is clearly the most important, as he acknowledges. Apple wants to control its own destiny to provide the best products possible and doing so requires eliminating any dependency on 3rd party tools. Lack of dependency on others is a hallmark of Apple's model more generally, but when it comes to the Flash war, the number of penalties Apple is imposing due to its uncompromising position is pretty remarkable: users' inability to view video at some of the web's most popular sites like Hulu, forcing these sites to offer their video in HTML5, marginalizing smaller content providers that don't have the resources to make the change, etc.
However, Apple's products are loved and only Jobs would have the single-mindedness and guts to force a pretty wrenching change in the video ecosystem. Until we see Android or other smartphones emerge as a counter-weight to the iPhone's hegemony, Adobe's role in video is bound to wane.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).Categories: Devices, Technology
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Widevine Announces Product Update, List of Supported Devices and New Customers
Widevine is announcing the 4.4.4 version of its video optimization and DRM platform today, with new features, a list of supported devices and new
customers. Widevine's CEO Brian Baker brought me up to speed yesterday.
Widevine is supporting HTTP streaming and also adaptive bit rate streaming for live events and shows, not just on-demand. Devices supported include Apple products, Blu-ray players (Haier, LG, Philips, Samsung, Toshiba), connected TVs, Nintendo Wii, Windows PCs and 50 models of set-top boxes. As TV Everywhere services begin to roll out, secure delivery is a key to success, and Brian explained that Widevine is positioning itself to be in the middle of the action.
On the customer front, Netflix and Best Buy are being announced as new customers. Netflix has been aggressively rolling out new content and supported devices for its Watch Instantly streaming feature. Brian wouldn't confirm, but it seems fair to assume that Widevine is the DRM solution Netflix is using for streaming to the Nintendo Wii, which, given its massive installed base could quickly become a significant percentage of Netflix's streaming use (it just went live last week). In a related move, last week Irdeto announced that Netflix had licensed its Cloakware software as part of its DRM efforts.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).
Categories: Aggregators, Devices, DRM
Topics: Best Buy, Netflix, Widevine
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David Pogue's "Video Wall" Explained
If you're a David Pogue fan like me, you were also likely wondering how he pulled off his recent "iPad Town Hall" which featured him interacting with 20 people in what appeared to be a live "video wall." The town hall video, which runs about 5 minutes is classic Pogue - funny, educational and fast moving.
This week Pogue shared the details of how he built the "video wall" which actually wasn't live, but was instead a mosaic of scripted QuickTime videos he solicited from his Twitter followers. He then embedded them all in a Keynote presentation and through some editing flair created the illusion that it was live. The result is very slick and showcases what a relative amateur can produce with some creativity and persistence.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).Categories: Devices, Newspapers
Topics: David Pogue, iPad
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VideoNuze Report Podcast #54 - March 26, 2010
Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 54th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for March 26, 2010.
This week Daisy starts us off by reviewing new research on the iPad's appeal as an ebook reader. Daisy also reviews sobering forecasts suggesting that the iPad is unlikely to change people's willingness to pay for content (regarding video specifically, Daisy and I agreed a while back that for now its impact for video specifically is likely to negligible). I'm not convinced the iPad will trigger a wave of people willing to pay for content, but I do believe any iPad research is still very preliminary. It's only when users get their hands on the device that we'll really start to learn how impactful it is. The iPad is of already available for pre-order and is set to debut in stores late next week.
We then shift topics and discuss my post from earlier this week, "Here's How Google TV Will Work - And What It Might Mean," in which I described Google's new set-top box and the company's strategy for entering the market. Google's move is likely to set off a fascinating negotiating dynamic with incumbent video service providers, and Daisy and I get into some more of the details.
(Note, Daisy's mic isn't working that well on this podcast, so please be patient)
Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 13 seconds)
Click here for previous podcasts
The VideoNuze Report is available in iTunes...subscribe today!
Categories: Cable TV Operators, Devices, Podcasts
Topics: Amazon, Apple, Google, iPad, Podcast
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Here's How Google TV Will Work - And What It Might Mean
Last week, the NY Times shared some details of "Google TV," the new set-top box Google is developing in partnership with Intel and Sony. The article provided a good outline, and now, based on additional information I've gathered, I'm able to provide new details on the box and also explain what it might mean.
The first and most important thing to know about Google TV is that it is not being positioned to induce users to "cut the cord" on their subscriptions to
existing multichannel video programming distributors' ("MVPDs" like cable, satellite or telco) services. Or at least that's Google's initial positioning; whether it's genuine or really just a Trojan Horse game plan is another whole matter. For now anyway, Google is taking a "friend of the industry" approach, telling MVPDs that it's briefing that it is looking to complement their businesses by bringing the full Internet to the TV (this follows the same convergence theme as the new Kylo browser).
Google is contemplating an entirely novel strategy for its set-top box, seeking to insert it alongside the existing MVPD's set-top box by daisy chaining them together via HDMI connections. In other words, the MVPD's set-top's HDMI output would be connected to the Google TV set-top's HDMI input, and then its HDMI output would be connected to the TV. The authorized TV channels would still be delivered, but Google TV would collect data from the MVPD's set-top and introduce an entirely new UI for users to control their TV experience, to include searching and browsing channels. It would also add a host of new interactive web-type capabilities around the content.
Since the Google TV box would have a full browser and connect to the Internet via the user's WiFi or wired access, it would also bring all of the rest of the Internet to the TV as well, including the full breadth of online video (yes, that would mean one more thing for Hulu to block). My understanding is that on the whole, the Google TV experience is extremely impressive and well conceived. In short, it will get the attention of any MVPD executive who has a look at it and will certainly get them to thinking about how able - or unable - they are to deliver a similar experience themselves to their subscribers.
A key reason that Google is planning to insert its box this way is because it believes that in order to deliver a compelling Internet experience on TV requires a new web-based, and open platform. For Google that of course means Android, which it is vigorously proliferating on smartphones as well. Throw in Google's Chrome browser that it is promoting for online usage and you get a glimpse of how Google's multi-platform strategy comes together. While Sony would be making the box, you have to believe it will have Google branding on it, a first for the company in the living room too.
Categories: Cable TV Operators, Devices, Satellite, Telcos
Topics: Comcast, DISH Network, Google, Google TV, Intel, Sony
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Magazines are Keen on Video; iPad in Central Role
Following up on my post last week about the Wall Street Journal's new "Digits" video series, in which I reiterated my belief that online video is a huge new opportunity for print publishers, this week brought news of new video initiatives from a number of magazines. As reported by AdAge, Sports Illustrated is launching a new 5 times per day news program called "SI Inside Report," among other video projects. Six new employees have been brought on to support the initiative, which has to be a rare instance of new hiring in the magazine industry.
Elsewhere, Conde Nast is continuing to ramp up for the iPad; as the NY Times reported this week it will offer iPad versions of Wired, GQ, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker and Glamour. Conde plans to experiment with different pricing models and product approaches. But if the demo of Wired's iPad version is any indication, video is certain to play a large role. Wired's Chris Anderson has emerged as the leading magazine industry proponent of the iPad's potential. While the iPad buzz builds leading up to its release, I continue to maintain that unless the price of all models comes down by at least $200 the device is going to remain an early adopter gadget.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).Categories: Devices, Magazines, Newspapers
Topics: Apple, Conde Nast, iPad, Sports Illustrated
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TiVo's New Boxes are Very Cool But Old Challenges Persist
The two new boxes TiVo unveiled last night - the Premiere and the Premiere XL - go right to the top of my list of most impressive devices that handle both broadcast and broadband content in one seamless experience. The new boxes continue TiVo's pattern of always being one step ahead of the competition in delivering an outstanding user experience. All of that is the good news. The bad news is that unfortunately, nothing I learned in my briefing earlier this week with Jim Denney, TiVo's VP of Product Marketing, suggests that these boxes will find their way into any more than the relatively few homes that prior TiVo boxes have.
First the boxes themselves. The key Premiere innovation is that TiVo now elegantly recognizes broadband sources such as Netflix, Amazon, Blockbuster, YouTube and hundreds of others as bona fide content options, right alongside the customary broadcast and cable channels. That means that when you do a search for a specific TV program or movie, TiVo returns all the viewing options. Say for example it's Saturday night and you search for the classic movie "Raising Arizona." It may be on a cable channel the following Tuesday, but you want to watch it now. Well it is also available from Netflix's Watch Instantly. Assuming you've linked your Netflix account to the Premiere, a couple of clicks of the remote and you're watching right then. That type of all-in-one-box convenience isn't available elsewhere.
The TiVo browse and recommendation experience is tremendously improved also with a new "Discovery bar" - a strip of artwork and images from the programming that adds a lot of zip to the previously text-heavy browsing UI. Selecting an image triggers an expansion window with relevant details (program description, air time, cast, etc.) You can then immerse yourself in a "6 degrees of Kevin Bacon" IMDb-like experience by subsequently selecting an actor, subsequent movies, co-stars, etc, all in a rich, graphical interface. You can also select "Bonus Features" and immediately start reviewing accompanying clips from YouTube.
TiVo is also introducing "Collections," a set of curated categories like "Oscar Winning Films," "Sundance Award Winners" and "AFI's 10 Top 10" which, with accompanying artwork that are another quick, fun new way to browse for what's on (again these collections tap all broadcast and broadband sources). The gorgeous user experience is all built on Flash and is formatted for HD widescreen, to maximize the amount of real estate used. Another first for TiVo is a full QWERTY keyboard that slides out of the remote control for enhanced navigation.
That's a lot of new goodness from TiVo, which as expected comes at a price. The Premiere, with 320 GB of storage (enough for 45 hours of HD recording) is $299 and the Premiere XL, with 1 TB of storage is $499. Best Buy is again highlighted as a key marketing partner. Then of course there's the $13.95/mo TiVo service charge.
These are basically consistent with previous prices, suggesting that yet again TiVo will bump up against the brick wall of most consumers' resistance to buying expensive hardware. No matter how cool TiVo's boxes have been over the years, this is TiVo's traditional Achilles heel and it doesn't seem likely to lessen with the Premiere. When I highlighted this issue Jim allowed that the purpose of the standalone box is to be a "crucible of innovation" and that it is intended mainly for "discerning customers" (my interpretation: TiVo itself doesn't plan to sell a ton of Premiere boxes).
To address the sell-through problem, TiVo has worked hard to develop "TiVo-inside" relationships with video service providers, so that it can become more of a software and services company. For instance, I've been getting my TiVo service as part of my Comcast set-top box for a while now. With the Premiere announcements, TiVo said that RCN, a smallish American "overbuilder" and Virgin Media, a significant U.K. operator would include the Premiere features in their new set-top boxes, which is great.
However, no plans were revealed for what Comcast, by far the largest operator with TiVo inside, will do with the Premiere. In fact, one sticking point for Comcast is almost certainly the very access to broadband content that TiVo is trumpeting with the Premiere. My Comcast box frustratingly disables all of the previous "TiVoCast" broadband features I used to enjoy on my Series 2 box as Comcast seeks to maintain its "walled garden" approach. While RCN may be aggressive about providing access to 3rd-party broadband sources, I'm doubtful that Comcast will be given their own extensive TV Everywhere plans. That raises doubts about whether Comcast's TiVo customers will ever see the Premiere's full range of features.
And so all that brings us back to where TiVo always seems to find itself - with market-leading devices that have serious hurdles to widespread consumer adoption. I really hope there's a forthcoming breakthrough this time around for TiVo. Otherwise history will repeat itself yet again and TiVo will continue to be a well-respected, but relatively marginal player in the digital media landscape.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).
Categories: Cable TV Operators, Devices
Topics: Comcast, RCN, TiVo, Virgin Media
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Cablevision's "PC to TV Media Relay" Service Could Have Broad Implications
This week brought yet another new twist in the sizzling broadband-to-the-TV convergence space, as Cablevision unveiled a technical trial of its "PC to TV Media Relay" service. Cablevision didn't release a lot of details, but from what it said, it seems that users will download software to their computer which will allow them to then share content to their Cablevision digital set-top box for viewing on TV.
If it works - and of course that's an if for now - Media Relay could have broad implications, first and foremost for those trying to either sell standalone convergence boxes (e.g. Roku, soon Boxee, Apple TV, etc.) and other CE devices trying to leverage convergence functionality (e.g. gaming consoles, Blu-ray players,
Internet TVs). Depending on how Cablevision prices Media Relay, it may make a lot more sense for consumers to use it than to go buy a convergence device. Online content providers and aggregators like Netflix and Hulu would also benefit from seamless TV-based viewing. While TV Everywhere seeks to expand access to cable programming outside the home, Media Relay complements it by offering online content within the home, on the TV. It's a very interesting development and worth keeping an eye on to see if others emulate it. What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).
Categories: Cable TV Operators, Devices
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Apple Approves SlingPlayer Mobile App with 3G; Milestone for Long-Form Mobile Streaming
One other noteworthy tidbit to come out of Mobile World Congress earlier this week was that Sling Media announced it got final approval from Apple to offer its SlingPlayer Mobile App in the App Store. SlingPlayer had been held up due to network concerns, but 2 weeks ago AT&T announced that it would let the SlingPlayer app stream live over its 3G network.
Though there aren't that many Sling users, and only a subset of them will pay the hefty $29.99 price for the SlingPlayer app, its clearance is a milestone because it truly enables high-quality place-shifting of long-form programming to a mobile device. It also steals some thunder from the FLO TV value proposition and offers a
meaningful precedent to others who might like to stream long-form programs to iPhones and other mobile devices down the road (Netflix? Hulu? Amazon?). It's somewhat of a mystery to me how AT&T's overtaxed 3G network can now support long-form video streaming when complaints are still rampant about call quality. I don't have an iPhone or a Sling box, but if a VideoNuze reader does, and downloads the SlingPlayer app, I would be very interested in hearing about your viewing experience.What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).
Categories: Devices, Mobile Video
Topics: Apple, AT&T, iPhone, Sling
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