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- PC-TV & Recording: In-Stat/MDR expects 280 million have DVD recorders by 2008 & PC-TV Tuners to grow at 50.6% CAGR from 2004-2008 (31MAR04) (InStat)
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The news announcement from In-Stat/MDR states "... by the end of 2008, In-Stat/MDR expects that over 280 million consumers will have equipment [i.e. DVD recorders & burners] to make their own media, and over 247 million will be connected to Broadband connections.... PCs with TV Tuners will grow at 50.6% CAGR from 2004 to 2008." (CAGR is "Compound Annual Growth Rate") As for companies to watch, the news announcement states, "Disney, Microsoft and Intel are positioned to benefit the most.... Disney's MovieBeam service uses innovative PUSH technology to deliver Movies-on-Demand at low cost.... Additionally, small companies that are poised to provide disruptive technologies or business models include Akimbo, Euclid Discoveries, Synacor, and thePlatform." - Downloading TV Shows: WB officially makes full-length 'Everwood' TV show episode available on AOL Broadband (31MAR04) (Mediaweek)
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Mediaweek reports, "The ['Everwood' television show] episode, titled 'Unspoken Truths', originally aired Feb. 23 and also aired in repeat last night [March 29].... is available for one week on AOL Broadband, which is available on a membership basis." In a related news item, iMedia Connection also reports, "It's the first time a primetime TV show [became] available for online so soon after airing...." in manner authorized by a Hollywood studio or TV network. - DVR Catches Up With Hype: IDC's Greg Ireland says underestimated difficulty of telling people about DVRs without showing them (31MAR04) (Mediapost)
In discussing how research analysts got caught up in the initial hype over DVRs, Mediapost quotes IDC senior research analyst Greg Ireland as stating, "For those of us who saw [DVRs] early on, there was such enthusiasm. We fell into a mindset where it was a no-brainer that everybody would want one of them.... I underestimated how difficult it is to tell somebody what a DVR is without showing them, and I also underestimated the impact of advertising. Replay TV and TiVo were both in financial situations after the dot-com crash where there wasn't money to do ads. Without the ads [introducing DVRs to the public], consumers weren't educated about DVRs." As for current DVR forecasts, Mediapost reports that Ireland's "reasoning this time around, however, seems spot-on" since prices have dropped, cable and satellite TV providers advertising DVRs, and with word of mouth about DVRs having "finally risen above a whisper...." - Consumers Begin To Understand DVRs & PVRs: IDC forecasts DVR shipments worldwide to reach more than 28 million in 2008 (30MAR04) (IDC)
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The news announcement quotes IDC senior research analyst Greg Ireland as stating, "Consumers are finally beginning to get it. For the first time the DVR vendors are getting through to people and showing them that these devices are more than just high-priced VCRs. The pay TV providers can take a lot of the credit, and reap the rewards, for finally breaking through to consumers." - PVR Remote Scheduling: Opera's mobileIPG let's cell phone users schedule TV show recordings on home's PVR via cell phone (30MAR04) (Opera)
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The news announcement states, "A mobile phone can now trigger the recording of a TV program on a satellite or Internet-enabled Personal Video Recorder (PVR). Using the mobileIPG, both mobile phone operators and Pay TV operators can empower users to carry the entire IPG in their pocket, scheduling their TV recording while on the move via a simple one-touch interface." - PVRs & Commercials: SeaChange to launch Ads-On-VOD system with 'fast-forward lock-out' & 6-second commercial when fast-forward (30MAR04) (Mediapost)
In describing some of the features of the new "Ads On VOD" (AOVOD) system from Seachange International, Mediapost reports, "One is a 'fast-forward lock-out' feature that would literally block the ability of viewers to zip through TV commercials. Another feature that is currently in test would superimpose a special 6-second, real-time TV commercial on screen during the 6 seconds it takes for a viewer to fast-forward through a typical 30-second TV commercial." - On-Demand Video With Extras: Seachange's 'DVD VOD' format provides on-demand cable equivalent of DVD with extras (30MAR04) (Mediapost)
When discussing how industry insiders refer to video-on-demand, Mediapost quotes Seachange's broadband systems VP & GM James Kelso as stating, "Actually, the people who are really in the know call it on-demand." Mediapost also cites Kelso as indicating Seachange "... is already rolling out ... a new VOD format dubbed ... DVD VOD, which renders a VOD as the spitting image of a standard theatrical DVD release, replete with 'extras' viewing options.... [The] format makes virtually anything produced as a DVD - including your son's or daughter's little league game - adaptable to a VOD window." Mediapost additionally quotes Kelso as stating, "We're doing something with ShadowTV" which is a company that scans and archives U.S. TV transmissions for retrieval via a broadband server. The ShadowTV home page indicates ShadowTV has search capabilities. In relation to this, Mediapost cites Kelso as indicating "... one application might be if a company wanted to use ShadowTV to search for news broadcasts that mention its company or its company's executives, which would then be delivered on-demand via SeaChange's TV technology." - Telco Digital TV Via DSL: Cameron DigitalVision provides TV, net, and phone via DSL phone lines & using Tut Digital TV Headend (30MAR04) (Tut)
The news announcement describes Cameron Communications's DigitalVision Digital TV service as being "... delivered over a single DSL-equipped phone line and allows subscribers to watch TV, use the Internet, and talk on the telephone simultaneously. Cameron's DigitalVision service is similar to satellite TV services in that it is 100% digital and offers up to 138 channels of digital entertainment. Unlike digital satellite, Camerons digital TV service carries all of the local television channels at no additional cost." - Inroads To Living Room: IDC says multimedia home networking should reach out beyond early adopters, home theater enthusiasts (29MAR04) (IDC)
The news announcement quotes IDC Research Manager Jonathan Gaw as stating, "Although an early adopter market for multimedia home networking has developed among the most avid gamers, audiophiles, and home theater enthusiasts, to further penetrate these markets vendors will require an even greater emphasis on ease of use as they reach out to those who may not have a strong background in computing." - EPG Home: Bill Gates says EPGs to drive growth of DTV & VOD with search & media activities influencing TV programming & ads (29MAR04) (Mediapost)
Mediapost cites Microsoft's Bill Gates as indicating, "Software-enabled multimedia program guides will drive the growth of digital TV and video-on-demand." Mediapost quotes Gates as stating, "The guide will become a very key homepage-like asset." Mediapost also quotes Gates as stating, "We see PC search/media activities influencing TV programming and ads, video-on-demand choices influencing advertising, and geo-targeting and location-relevant advertising on mobile phones." - iTV Lottery: UK National Lottery operator Camelot to launch lottery service on interactive TV this spring 2004 (29MAR04) (Netimperative)
Netimperative reports, "A spokesperson for Camelot said the new iTV service, expected in the next month, and mobile service, were part of the company's continued strategy to expand the lottery's reach through digital media." - Broadband VOD: T-Online to launch broadband VOD using Fujitsu Siemens Activity Media Centre set-top box with net access (29MAR04) (DMeurope)
DMeurope reports, "The offering, called T-Online Vision, will deliver films and digital programme guides to TV sets via their broadband internet connection. The content will be downloaded" to the Fujitsu Siemens' Activity Media Centre set-top box which will "be able to record videos, send e-mail and access the internet via the TV." - Telco TV: FTTH Comm. to offer broadcast television & video-on-demand on wholesale basis to telcos in upper Midwest US (26MAR04) (TelephonyOnline)
Telephony Online reports, "FTTH Communications, a residential fiber-to-the-premises provider, announced this week it will offer broadcast television and video-on-demand service on a wholesale basis to service providers in the upper Midwest.... Now FTTH will target independent operating companies (small rural telcos) and municipalities in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota." - Set-Top Telephony: i3 micro technology & Texas Instruments provide broadband telephony & video media products for homes (29MAR04) (i3micro)
According to the i3micro Technology news announcement, "A March 17, 2004 Juniper Research report on broadband value added services stated: 'Our forecasts for the residential market shows that market value is forecast to grow almost five-fold from now to 2009 as broadband users migrate from circuit switched to IP- based services. IP-voice is the most important service followed by video services, VOD, video telephony, and television.'" - Broadband For All: President Bush calls for affordable universal high-speed internet access in US by 2007 (29MAR04) (TelephonyOnline)
Telephony Online quotes U.S. President George W. Bush as stating, "This country needs a national goal for broadband technology, for the spread of broadband technology. We ought to have a universal, affordable access for broadband technology by the year 2007, and then we ought to make sure as soon as possible thereafter, consumers have got plenty of choices when it comes to purchasing the broadband carrier.... The Congress must not tax access to broadband technology, if we want to spread it around." - Broadband Future: Democratic Presidential Candidate John Kerry says broadband technology will dominate the future (29MAR04) (Yahoo.Reuters)
In response to President's Bush's call for universal broadband, Reuters quotes Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry as stating, "I will focus on raising American competitiveness. By spurring the growth of new industries like the broadband technology that will dominate the future." - Working Towards Universal Broadband: FCC Chairman Michael Powell says will work towards affordable universal broadband access (PDF) (29MAR04) (FCC)
The news announcement quotes FCC chairman Michael Powell as stating, "The president has set out a bold vision for broadband investment and deployment over the next four years. I look forward to working with my commission colleagues, Congress and the administration to deliver on this vision for the American people. Universal and affordable access to broadband is vital to the health and future growth of our economy." - Universal Broadband Could Boost Growth: Broadband growth in US slowed down in 2003 (29MAR04) (Prosperity4)
Prosperity4 reports, "Last year the rate of broadband growth in the US slowed. Figures from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released in December showed the number of high-speed Internet connections increased by 23 per cent in the final half of 2002. In the first half of 2003 connections grew by only 18 per cent. IDC, technology research company, forecasts that broadband subscription growth in the US will continue to slow through 2007." - World Broadband Stats: Point Topic finds 100.8 million broadband lines worldwide in Q4 2003 with faster growth for DSL over cable (29MAR04) (DMeurope)
DMeurope reports that DSL adoption appears to be currently faster than cable modems: "The number of DSL lines increased by 79 per cent to 64m in the year [2003] but the number of lines using other broadband technologies - mainly cable modems - increased by only 41 per cent to 37m. The increases in the second half of 2003 were 32 per cent and 18 cent respectively." - Broadband Market: Cable Modems control 63% of residential and small-business broadband market (March2004) (GII)
In a synopsis for a new report on cable modems, GII states, "High-speed networking is rapidly becoming the standard for the industry. Cable Modem offerings now control some 63 percent of the residential and small-business broadband market." - Maturing Broadband Market: Number of broadband lines per country increasingly closely proportional to gross national product (23MAR04) (PointTopic)
The news announcement states, "The broadband market in general is beginning to mature. The number of broadband lines in a country is increasingly closely proportional to its gross national product. The time when the market was led by relatively small 'early adopter' countries is passing. The 'Top Ten' countries in terms of number of broadband lines now includes all the G7 countries plus China, and the two 'Asian Tigers,' South Korea and Taiwan." - Online DVD Rentals Attracts Consumers: Netflix has estimated 3% of $10 billion-a-year movie-rental market (29MAR04) (UnionTrib)
The Knight Ridder News Service reports, "Netflix began offering subscriptions in 1999, and membership surged. Subscriber revenue totaled $81.2 million in the most recent quarter, up from $45.2 million a yea ago." Knight Ridder goes on to report, "The company also reported a fourth-quarter profit last month of $2.3 million, or 7 cents a share, compared with a loss of $2.3 million, or 10 cents a share, a year earlier. It was its third consecutive quarterly profit.... [Netflix] controls an estimated $270 million, or roughly 3 percent, of the $10 billion-a-year movie-rental business" whether online or offline. - Fighting Illegal Movie Downloads: Congress works on legislation to criminalize P2P file-sharing of bootleg movies, music, software (26MAR04) (Wired)
Wired reports on the proposed legislation entitled as the Protecting Intellectual Rights Against Theft and Expropriation Act of 2004 (the "PIRATE" Act): "If the draft becomes law, anyone sharing 2,500 or more pieces of content, such as songs or movies, could be fined or thrown in jail. In addition, anyone who distributes content that hasn't been released in wide distribution (for example, pre-release copies of an upcoming movie) also would face the penalties. Even a single file, determined by a judge to be worth more than $10,000, would land the file sharer in prison." - A La Carte & Bundles: Cable TV future is 'a la carte' video-on-demand but cable says need pay billions for bridge to get there (26MAR04) (WashPost)
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The Washington Post quotes Cox Communications president James O. Robbins as stating, "Frankly, that is where long-term the industry is going to go -- to video-on-demand. But there's a $30 [billion] to $40 billion bridge to get there." Similarly, Fool.com reports, "... à la carte programming is 'where the industry is going to go,' according to Cox Communications (NYSE: COX) CEO James Robbins. In fact, Robbins thinks the industry will ultimately move past its current business model toward one dominated by 'video on demand' (VOD), although he does not see either move occurring in the immediate future." - Bundling TV Channels: Phillip Swann says US Senators don't understand why cable business bundling packages not a la carte (26MAR04) (TVPredictions)
TVPredictions' Phillip Swann writes U.S. Senator John McCain "and other lawmakers who favor the a la carte approach, don't seem to understand that cable TV's entire revenue model is based on packaging channels rather than selling them individually." - But Have A La Carte Cable TV In Canada: Rogers Communications offers a la carte selection of TV channels to subscribers in Canada (29MAR04) (Rogers)
In Canada, Rogers Communications allows subscribers to create their own packages of TV channels with one channel only costing $2.49, five channels for $9.95, ten channels for $14.95, fifteen channels for $18.75, 20 channels for $21.99, thirty channels for $26.99, and an 'All Customer Choice' package for $36.99. - Digital Cable TV: China to promote development of digital cable TV (29MAR04) (Yahoo.AsiaPulse)
Asia Pulse cites China Central Committee publicity chief Liu Yunshan as indicating, "China will promote digital cable TV.... The development of digital cable TV will be conducive to [China's] information industry and economic growth and enrich people's lives.... The [Chinese] government will join hands with enterprises and the market to promote the new technology, building the facilities, developing software and keeping the market in order.... The [Chinese] government expects more high quality and popular culture products to be produced in the digital cable TV format." - Does She Look Hot In HDTV: Phillip Swann closely watches Britney Spears shake her booty in HDTV (28MAR04) (TVPredictions)
TVPredictions' Phillip Swann writes, "Although still charming and appealing, [Britney Spears] doesn't possess the physical sizzle in HDTV that she exhibits in her music videos such as 'Toxic.'" - Digital TV Sets: High expectations for the digital TV set market (23MAR04) (Bitpipe.InStatMDR)
At Bitpipe IT Research, an abstract for an In-Stat/MDR report states, "In the North American market, we are seeing the first results of the FCC mandate on integrated digital tuners in 2004. More terrestrial broadcasters in Europe are going digital, and the price differential between an analog and digital set is coming down to a reasonable level. While digital terrestrial broadcasting is stalled in Asia outside of Japan, DTV sets are available without tuners to offer consumers better picture quality and reduced size in flat panel sets. All of these factors are contributing to our high expectations for the DTV set market." - HDTV has potential for cable & sat. revenue, can provide terrestrial TV with weapon against pay-TV services (10MAR04) (Bitpipe.InStatMDR)
At Bitpipe IT Research, an abstract for an In-Stat/MDR report states HDTV "has the potential to boost incremental monthly revenues for both cable and satellite operators, as well as provide terrestrial TV broadcasters with a new weapon in the fight against pay-TV services."
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