Can EyeIO answer Netflix bandwidth problems?

In a bid to resolve this issue, Netflix who are the biggest pay streaming company in the world, have teamed up with video encoding company, EyeIO to try and solve the bandwidth meltdown. The company use their expertise to reduce the bandwidth of streaming.

EyeIO co-founder, Rodolfo Vargas said, ”eyeIO provides a straightforward solution for accommodating the rapidly growing demand for video delivery around the world by alleviating the overwhelming bandwidth currently required to stream video.”

Speaking for Netflix, Greg Peters, Vice President, Product Development said, ”Delivering a high quality video experience is top priority for Netflix. EyeIO technology is an important part of the technology we use to improve video quality and overcome bandwidth challenges presented by Internet infrastructure.”

The eyeIO video encoding details are not fully known, but the method of encoding is said to be fully compliant to stream on all devices without custom players.

The only problem with this story and any kind of compression, is that it will result in a loss of quality. There is no way to transfer all that HD quality imagery without the size. Using lower bandwidth mwill result in lower video quality, unless EyeIO know something we dont?

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‘YouTube Slam’ will regularly update their options in a number of categories (including ‘comedy’,  ’cute’, and ‘bizzare’) which will appear on-screen at the same time to give viewers the option of looking at and voting for a clip without having to leave the page, with the winning videos put on an all-time ‘slam’ leaderboard.

The official YouTube blog said of the service, which was released ear ”Each week a new crop of videos battles head-to-head in Comedy, Cute, Music, Bizarre and Dance Slams, where your votes determine who wins the Slam and gets featured on the leaderboard. Earn points for predicting the crowd favourites, and see how you stack up against other players at the end of each week. Get your daily dose of the most talented, hilarious, adorable or weird videos on YouTube, and you could help uncover the next big thing.”

It is believed that the feature has been developed as a measure to safeguard the site’s status of being the Internet’s number one destination for video clips, as independent digital media analyst Mark Mulligan explained: “YouTube is in a process of reinvention at the moment – Vevo is basically taking all of the music videos away from them.

YouTube desperately need to create a new relevancy for themselves, and that’s why with the recent site relaunch – making it look more like a rich, interactive TV-like experience – and features like Slam are all about trying to give YouTube a unique place in the online video landscape.”

With a range of videos set to get a chance in the spotlight, will the viewers be entertained by the new feature, will the clips manage to use this new method of promotion well, and will it keep the site itself flying high into 2012?

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Watch Irish TV on the web

Although the United Kingdom is a collection of several smaller countries and territories that make the whole – England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. When it comes to TV production the British Isles are a lot more unified.

However, Ireland does still have it’s own unique selection of content in both channels and TV shows, including a selection of regional-based programming.

RTE One – the national public broadcaster of the Republic of Ireland. With content designed to fit a range of interests, stand-out shows on the network (which is responsible for 6 TV channels and 12 radio stations), and main channel RTE One, include The Late Late Show, Crimecall, and the All-Ireland Talent Contest.

TV3 – Ireland’s first commercial broadcaster, TV3 also goes out to Northern Ireland, having begun broadcasting in 1998. The channel’s contents are generally entertainment-based, and original shows on the network include Xpose, School Run, and Ireland AM, although a majority of content is imported.

RTE Two  -  RTE Two is the secondary channel of the national public broadcaster of Ireland, RTE. Programmes on RTE Two include Hollywood Trials, RTE News on Two, and live sporting coverage. Shows across the RTE channels can also be found online via the official on-demand service, RTE Player.

UTV (Northern Ireland) – UTV is a TV network in Northern Ireland formed as a national offshoot of ITV. The content on the digital terrestrial channel (available on set-top boxes in Northern Ireland (with some reach to the Republic of Ireland)), is mainly the same as its parent channel, along with a selection of UTV in-house productions.

TG4 – TG4 is an Irish-language TV network operating in the Republic of Ireland on terrestrial TV. Key content on the mainly public-service network covers reality TV, sport, and news coverage, amongst others.

Setanta Sports – Irish sporting channel Setanta Sports is a premium broadcaster in the Republic of Ireland, and while a foray into UK television was unsuccessful, the native version is still running strong, with big-name broadcast rights including club football from across Europe and South America, MotoGP, and the GAA.

There are many UK channels that can be watched by the Irish populace such as Sky, Channel 4, E4, Comedy Central, Discovery, Nickelodeon, MTV and others.

You can find more details on Online TV networks in Ireland on this page, and for additional in-depth information on the Irish TV market in general can be found here – link to Wikipedia.

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Dish Network getting into streaming

Reaffirming that the programming is where the money is spent, he said, “The expense is the programming.”

It seems that Dish have been in discussions with several television networks and are attracted by the fact that an online service negates the need for a dish. The news comes just days after Verizon were reported at looking to offer a streaming service.

And according to the Bloomberg interview, anything Verizon can do, so can Dish. Clayton reportedly said, “If Verizon can do it, why can’t we? Both of our companies buy a lot of content. That gives us some leverage.”

Dish who brought the defunct Blockbuster assets back in April for $320 million, and then made plans to launch a streaming and DVD rental service to rival Netflix which was launched in September and called Movie Pass.

The service is available to Dish subscribers only at present but they have plans to offer the Blockbuster streaming service nationwide. If a Dish Internet TV service is launched they may be glad of the aquisition as it gave them access to over 100,000 movies and TV shows.

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Xbox Live TV getting original content?

The news reported by Bloomberg says that the computer giant have been attempting to recruit The previous chairman of NBC, Jeff Gaspin and head of west coast operations for NBC, Marc Graboff.

Microsoft have made no secret that they wish to turn the Xbox 360 consoleinto an entertainment hub and already have a number of streaming services available including Hulu Plus, Netflix, Youtube, ESPN, Xfinity Fios and EPIX amongst others.

Other streaming channels coming December/early 2012 on the Xbox Live service include BBC iPlayer, Crackle, MSNBC.com, TMZ, and UFC, CinemaNow, HBO GO, Xfinity from Comcast.

Microsoft are no stranger to the idea of making original video content. Back in 2006 it launched MSN Originals, supplying exclusive video content for MSN. It was though a short lived affair.

Microsoft are aware that consoles are the most popular streaming device aand are following in the footsteps of Netflix and Hulu, who are looking at producing content rather than paying the ever increasing prices for streaming rights.

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I know that face

The new feature announced in a hulu blog post has to be enabled via the settings for it to work. Viewers just need to hover the mouse over a face and the technology jumps into action giving more details about the actor or actress.

The selection of information that comes up includes who they are, work done, Facebook and Twitter accounts etc. You will need to use it when the actors face is in full view though, no half faces or hair over the face attempts please.

The service is still in early beta stage and can only be used currently on selected shows such as Glee, The Office, Wilfred, Modern Family and Lost. But expect it to work across the TV board soon.

So next time your scratching your head and racking your brains, turn on the very cool Face Match instead.

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This comes up as a total of over 3.8 billion cumulative hours, with around 42.6 billion videos viewed in the country, said by ComScore to be the highest they have ever recorded. For individual websites, Google dominate the rankings mainly through the 161m unique viewers of YouTube, which was notable for creating a record high 20.9b videos viewed.

By quite a distance from the lead, social networking website Facebook was the second-placed online video provider for October (with 59.8m viewers), while VEVO (57m), Microsoft-owned websites (49.1m), and Viacom Digital (48.2m) filling out the remainder of the five most popular video sources. Unsurprisingly, it was Google-owned websites which also held the highest average viewing time, at a rate of 7.1 hours for each of its unique users.

On the advertising side of the survey, ComScore have recorded that Americans viewed 7.5 billion online video adverts, with a mammoth 17.3% of them viewed 0n Hulu. Tremor Video were the second most frequent source of adverts, with a figure of over 1b for the first time in their history. Total advert watching time in America was recorded as over 3.2b minutes with Tremor offering the longest advertisements with 614m of those minutes.

Meanwhile, VEVO were again noted as the most popular YouTube channel with 54.2m unique viewers, while rivals Warner Music kept their second-place spot with 30.4m, and gaming channel Machinima coming in third on 17.7m viewers.

While there is no denying the continuing rise of online video as a popular content viewing medium, the main questions that will arise from these statistics is where the high figures will stop, and whether any content providers have what it takes to even challenge Google and YouTube’s dominance of the market?

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Sony TV coming to Sony TV's

The news comes from the Wall Street Journal which reports that Sony have had talks with content suppliers including, “several big media companies” about their new Internet service. Sony would offer the service across their own hardware such as PS3 to Blu-ray players and connected TV sets.

Sony already have a pool of content to tap into as they own the online video service Crackle, the service would work by streaming television channels over the Internet to devices, but it is not known if those devices would be exclusively Sony branded.

They join a host of big name companies looking at launching online TV services. Google are said to be planning an online paid cable TV service and Apple are launching a connected television which can play content from the iTunes store.

No date for release is yet known, but watch this space for more info.

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Online TV will see rapid growth

The rise is a massive six times increase from existing revenues of $3.48 billion that were made during 2010, says the Online TV and Video Forecasts report from Digital TV Research.

With increasing revenue comes more viewers of course, and the report says that by 2016, 415 million households in 40 different countries will be viewing online content. A rise from the existing 177 million in 2010.

The US will be the biggest market for online revenue, but it’s percentage will drop as other Countries grow. The US revenue share will fall from the 2010 figure of 54% ($1,868 million revenue) to 36% ($7,722 million revenue) by 2016.

China will see a massive growth with online TV and video revenue soaring from the current $50 million, to $1,380 million by 2016.

Speaking about the report, author Simon Murray said, “The OTT television and video sector is on the brink of a huge take-off as the key players expand internationally, companies consolidate [with Hulu about to be sold to one of existing major players] and as new partnerships are announced on a daily basis.”

The growth will come about as more advertisers seek to make use of the online market. Advertising in this medium will grow from $2.18 billion in 2010 to $9.98 billion globally in 2016 says the report.

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Viewers love online streaming at the expense of cable

According to the 1500 respondents of the study, in the last six months viewing video on their computer grew by 26%, watching on a mobile device grew by 19% and watching video on game consoles grew 18%. The growth in web watching had to come from somewhere, and the loss is being felt by cable companies as the study showed that watching cable TV fell by 9% in the period

The migration online is not confined to the younger generation either, average age for web viewers is 33 and both male/female, and most are college educated. The time that most viewers watch is during the 8-11 PM primetime slot, second popular time was 6-8 PM.

Speaking about the study, Dina Kaplan, co-founder of Blip.tv said, “It’s clear from the research that web series fans are beginning to watch less television, while at the same time increasing the amount of content consumed on the web. It’s also significant that our viewers are more accepting of advertisements on web series, perhaps because fans are grateful to the advertiser for making the show possible.”

The study also looked at viewers’ attitudes toward online advertising and showed that Advertising is accepted more for for original oweb content than for television streaming. 43% of Blip.tv’s audiences reacted positively to pre-roll ads on original online series, compared to 30% who reacted positively to pre-roll advertising on television content online.

Blip.tv had a recent overhaulof their website to try and turn it into an online destination for original web TV shows, aggregated content and independent web only shows, series and webisodes.

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TV of the future will be multi screened

Currently, the average connected TV set has a mix of convential over-the-top (OTT) TV (free broadcast channels), pay-TV (cable, satellite), pay-internet TV(Netflix, Hulu, Amazon), free Catch-Up TV and some social functions built in (Facebook, Twitter apps) . But the platform has not yet evolved into a cohesive or finished item.

A new report by Heavy Reading Insider says that the boom in Internet-enabled or connected TV will result in providers combining the elements of both conventional pay-TV with free over-the-top (OTT) in a hybrid offering that has yet to form.

Danny Dicks, author of the report said:- “Connected TVs clearly will have an impact on the pay-TV world and IPTV in particular,” but he also made reference to the slow takeup of this new technology by pay tv providers, not wanting to move with the times.

He continued, “The big question right now is how disruptive connected TV will be to the established business models of pay-TV providers and their ecosystem of suppliers, and to what extent connected TV will spur innovation in service design and delivery in what is already a very dynamic industry.”

appmarket.tv reports that when the Connected TV Summit gets under way next week, the talking will be about multi-room TV set-up. The talk will be of, “traditional platform operators, who can harness connected TVs to introduce multi-room TV with minimal expense, and the advent of multi-screen Connected TV, where CE vendors look to make their connected TV services available on tablets that can sync with the main connected TV.”

If we head over to Mashable, they are looking at the future of connected TV and see thatthe TV of the future will include social media, instant messaging as well as a media hub. They say that presently there are over 30 million US homes watching internet content from digital TV, Blu-ray players and games consoles and rising. According to Parks Associates, less than a quarter of HDTVs were connected to the Internet in 2010, but by 2015, that number will spike to 76%.

Today, early adopters are accessing full-length TV shows and movies, news and information, social networks, music, casual games and more from their connected setups. But how can the industry cross the chasm from early adopters to broad adoption?

For years the television has seen very little change, but we are on the verge of seeing a TV revolution. When you want to watch content in the future, you can choose from any show catch-up stream or movie ever made. You will seamlessly flip the movie from your tablet to your mobile and when your ready you can watch on the big screen tv. If you need to head out, just watch on your smartphone in the car or train.

If you want to tweet or post on your facebook page, check the weather, read emails, book a ticket etc. you can do that seamlessly and without interrupting the show. When you get back home you can send the stream your watching across to the TV again.

All it needs is for the TV of the future to evolve from what we have today, and that is a hotch potch of good ideas, emerging technology and rival providers trying to lure you in. But when it happens, it’s going to be great.

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Amazon movie streaming subscription coming soon?

It looks as though Amazon.com are ready to take on Netflix and Hulu Plus in the TV on demand subscription service arena. It appears that the new service which was first leaked last year would allow viewers to watch from a selection of over 5000 TV shows and movies on their PC or connected device  instantly, the only commitment from the viewer would be that they are or become members of Amazon’s free shipping ‘prime membership’ program priced at $79 per year.

It would seem an unusual move as the Amazon prime membership is a service that allows buyers of Amazon products to receive free shipping on their goods, but having 5000 movies and TV shows to watch instantly may well increase the membership of that service.

Amazon already offer a TV-on-demand service giving viewers a selection from over 75,000 movie and TV show rentals or purchases which can be viewed on a computer the Xbox 360 and selected connected TV devices. This service however carries a charge for each download.

If Amazon enter the subscription TV market they will have to battle against the big guns including the all-powerful Netflix who are currently the most popular service, they currently offer the best content at the best price for viewers.

Hulu are also offering a subscription service in the Hulu Plus service, this is not as successful as Netflix and is currently undergoing a transformation to try and encourage more viewers to sign up and keep the tv networks onboard. The service currently costs $7.99 per month and is thought by many to be too expensive for what it offers, namely a collection of reruns and older content.

If the content is good at the price point quoted, the membership will be much cheaper than Netflix streaming and Hulu Plus. One thing is for sure, if Amazon were to enter the subscription TV online market they would be a formidable force. With their massive customer base and online presence if they get the price correct they could easily become a front runner in the online TV market.

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Urges to cut the cord getting stronger

This year viewers will have so much TV choice from connected devices and online TV that they have to ask themselves “Why am i not cutting the cord”. In previous years there have been trailblazers and pockets of cord cutting, but the previous lack of choice, variety and the fact it is new and seemingly complex kept the numbers low.

The big difference this year will simply be the mass of connected devices that will be in stores, all offering tv shows and movies for less, and the choice of web content on offer. This new generation of  viewing options, from tablet pc’s to connected TV sets, will convince many that they can live without satellite and cable, and especially live without the $70-100 monthly bills.

In previous years cord cutting has been mentioned and people have heard about it. But this year it will be shoved into their faces from every direction. Starting at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, the big thing will be Internet-connected TV allowing viewers to see traditional tv alongside Web videos. All the big manufacturers will be unveiling connected devices at the CES.

Not only will every bit of hardware be connected, the web options available to the viewer will be unparalleled too. From smartphones to tablets to Blu-Ray and the tv’s themselves, they will all be pushing Netflix, Hulu Plus, Youtube and many other tv/movie viewing options.

Currently, only 5% of viewers that have connected TV are using them to use online video services. But this number will rise sharply as public perception of what connected tv is and how to use it changes.

Imagine being able to pay a small monthly charge or just pay on demand to watch HD buffer free streaming from a choice of companies, and where competition is fierce. Viewers are now comfortable paying for online content and many are already using the services available. Many more will see the light in the coming months, so watch out cable and satellite companies.

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Your TV will be internet driven in 2011

2010 has been a big year, in fact the biggest yet for internet tv. Amongst all the launches, new developments and other shenanigans, the year has ended with some winners and some losers. Many that have had major blips would never have been predicted in a million years, yes i am talking about you Google TV. On the flip side, some companies getting a stronger foothold were surprising too, for example the Roku set-top box.

So to see where we are heading in 2011, we need a recap of 2010. The year was dominated by hardware that let viewers access online content on the big screen tv. The reasoning being that most viewers do not want complicated computers and loading software to watch tv, they want to press a button on the remote and watch tv shows and movies on demand.

Winners in 2010

One of the biggest players in internet tv hardware were led by Steve Jobs with the revamped Apple TV product. With a low $99 pricepoint and access to the massive iTunes library guaranteeing it’s success. The downside is of course that users are stuck with iTunes and the closed architecture means no other companies can get in unless approved by Apple. This domination puts many people off, but also would endear Apple to content providers.

Internet connected television Most big name tv manufacturers launched television sets that were internet connected from the box. Allowing viewers to access web content on the big screen tv. Services such as Youtube, Netflix and social networking were on offer from Sony, Samsung amongst others.

Other set top box creators are booming with hardware that basically adds Netflix, Amazon and other services straight to the tv set. Roku, have seen a doubling of sales this year, and D-link with their Boxee, launched a revamped product that was cheaper than Google TV and available Internationally.

Clampdown on online Piracy

Many websites were shut down in 2010 in a rash of takedowns by the Government. Many sites that are re-broadcasting content are in the middle of legal battles with the tv networks. Amongst them are FilmOn, Ivi TV and TVCatchup. All these companies are pleading innocence, but will they be able to win a battle with the tv companies?

Tablet Computers and Mobile Devices

Tablets really took off in 2010. dominated by Apple’s iPad. Many copycat tablets are being released including probably best of the bunch, the Samsung Tab which is a real rival to iPad running off the Android OS. It has been commented by many that the iPad was built for watching TV and it’s owners more likely to cut the cord.

TV On Demand

Netflix has had a great year, wrapping up new content deals on a regular basis, Hulu has had a tougher time and been criticised for their subscription service. But they are now making money and have a great online platform.

Losers in 2010

Google promised to seamlessly marry the tv with a web browser, but a high price point and negative reviews were followed by the TV networks blocking online tv streaming to the Google enabled TV set. It has got to the point where Google are asking manufacturers to hold off releasing Google TV hardware until it updates the software.

Yahoo were one of the earliest adopters of the internet tv concept but seemed to lose their way with the Yahoo! widget concept. The idea of tv sets running Yahoo software has been superceeded by the apps setup on most connected tv’s. Howeverhere are over 70 models that support it from makers such as Samsung, Sony, LG, Vizio and Toshiba. They recently agreed a deal with Europes largest TV manufacturer Vestel, to distribute Yahoo powered tv sets into Europe.

Meanwhile, Netflix has been gathering up its own hoard of TV content to continue and expand its offering. It’s run into some roadblocks from certain Hollywood studios, but is still seeing more success than stumbling.

Internet TV the future

Online tv streaming is firmly established and will continue to grow, albeit behind paywalls and possibly hardware restricted (If Apple gets their way). Apple TV will continue to grow its user base, already this year they managed to shift one million Apple TV boxes.

Viewers time will increasingly be taken up by online activities. Netflix and Hulu will continue to ‘slug it out’ and one will end up on top.

Google will get their Google TV act together and with updated software will probably tie up deals with tv networks allowing for pay tv streaming on the system. They will also roll out the hardware on the International stage. There will also be lots more Android powered devices all capable of streaming tv and movies.

The TV Networks will finally sort out an online strategy. Currently blocking any streaming to the big screen, they will

Expect to see lots more tv on lots more devices, and expect to see shows when you want. Expect to discuss what your watching with friends and the worldwide community via social networking. Expect to be able to call up any details about the show or movie your watching in a seamless experience of tv watching and web browsing. Expect internet and the tv to finally merge as one in 2011.

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Youtube getting all highbrow

Youtube, in their quest to become a premium content provider, are said to be looking at acquiring Next New Networks, an independent company who produce and distribute viral videos from a pool of about 65 semi-professional filmmakers. The company have produced viral music hits such as ‘Bed Intruder Song’ and ‘Glitter Puke’. These videos managed to get around 110 million views between them.

Next New Networks based in New York, create video of their own and also distribute from independent suppliers via it’s Next New Creators program. The current revenue model pays contributors a share of advertising revenue, a bit like Youtube does already with certain content providers. If brought out by Google (owners of Youtube), then it would turn thye video site into a content producer rather than just an aggregator service.

It seems that Youtube’s main attraction for buying the company is their network of independent filmmakers. Google have, since they purchased Youtube for $1.65 billion in 2006 been looking to both improve the content and revenue of the video site. They have already had an independent movie on demand trial from the Sundance film festival earlier this year.

By adding Next New Networks to their portfolio, Youtube are hoping to become more accepted as a serious online tv contender. and of course they would have some content to stream on Google TV as well.

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Connected TV devices on the rise

It is estimated that 3 million internet connected tv devices will be sold during the holiday season letting viewers watch online tv and video on their television, says a new report from Parks Associates.

The company predict that 3 million US households that are broadband equipped will buy an Internet-connected TV device in the 2010 holiday shopping season. At present around 25% of US broadband households already own at least one connected TV device, and a quarter of these households have watched a paid movie-on-demand at least once per month, according to the report.

Speaking for Parks Associates, Kurt Scherf, VP and Principal Analyst said:- “Only 38% of U.S. broadband households plan to purchase a CE device this year, but it’s the connected CE and smartphones that will be the most popular items. Connected devices are the future of content consumption and entertainment in the living room as they capture the broader trends of integration among different silos in consumers’ lives.”

TV connected hardware includes the latest game consoles, set-top boxes such as Apple TV, Google TV and Roku, Blu-ray players, tablet pc’s such as Galaxy Tab and iPad. By the end of 2010, more than 40 million US consumers will own a connected games console, and more than 8 million will have a PC to TV setup. Over 5 million will posess a connected Blu-ray player and 4 million plus will own a networked dvr.

Tricia Parks, CEO of Parks Associates said:- “Manufacturers, retailers, and technology providers are noting the tight consumer purse strings and continue to roll out the deals. Consumers want deals; that is their trigger as economic conditions have made them more cautious buyers.  Market players must stress the value and convenience of Internet-connected devices. It helps that consumers may choose to save the cost of a video membership and eliminate a trip to the store or kiosk.”

There was some bad news though, as the number of consumers planning to purchase fell from last year when the number planning to purchase electronic products was 50%. However, it stands to reason that as more and more hardware comes ‘connected’ as standard, there will be more of it in households. Now we just need some compelling content to make people start using it.

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Netflix move away from DVD

In the ultra competative internet tv market you have to keep up with the competition. Netflix have done this by matching it’s rival by launching a $7.99 per month stream only subscription plan for US users. The move was thought to be a response to Hulu who last week cut the price of its monthly subscription tv and movie service to $8 a month.

This is not to be confused though, with the standard Netflix subscription of discs by mail and streaming which stays at the same price of $9.99 monthly. The online only service emphasises Netflix’s move away from physical discs and onto streaming media only.

Michael Gartenberg, analyst at Gartner. said:- “Streaming went from an interesting Netflix feature to a mainstream feature. There is a wealth of devices that you can connect to your television to stream Netflix. Netflix’s streaming content has grown significantly to the point where it makes sense to offer a streaming-only content subscription. They named the company Netflix, not Discflix. That’s for a reason. There’s no doubt this is the future.”

Netflix emphasized that watching movies and TV shows streamed online on demand has become the preferred delivery method for its members. The company recently announced that its members will watch more content streamed over the Internet than on DVDs in the fourth quarter. To this end, Netflix are investing more in streaming content than physical discs.

Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings said in a press release that Netflix is:- “primarily a streaming video company.” and said that the move was driven by customer reactions and requests. Netflix have already successfully launched a streaming only service in Canada back in September.

Netflix have a vast range of hardware devices that can carry it’s streams such as the main game consoles, Blu-ray players, connected TV’s, mobile devices and set top boxes.

Gartenberg further commented:- “The $8 subscription price now matches Hulu Plus pricing. But I suspect consumers are going to be looking at both of these things. There is some content that is overlapping, but there is a good deal of content that’s exclusive to one service or the other. For $16 a month, which is significantly less than any cable company, you can get a whole lot of content and not only have it on your computer or your phone, but also on your television.”

It’s not all good news for Netflix stream only customers though, the service carries a much smaller selection of movies than the DVD range. Currently the streaming service carries 20% of movies that can be rented on DVD.

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TV viewing increasingly on demand

Watching TV on demand is increasingly popular around the world, and it is predicted that it will generate a revenue of $10 billion in the US by 2014. TV on demand encompasses different deliveries of tv content to the user, but is a non physical product.

The research by In-Stat shows that tv on demand will rise as revenue from traditional DVD sales and rentals declines.They predict that there will be three different revenue streams for on demand content. Number one is transactional video on demand, including internet TV rentals and pay per view. The second will be online subscription services, premium TV channels and free VOD with a pay-TV service. The third area of growth will be Electronic Sell-Through (EST), which covers purchasing movies and tv contenet, independently of how the content will be delivered to the viewer.

Yje biggest growth area is expected to be in the subscription based market, it will also have the biggest competition. Keith Nissen of In-Stat said:- “The transition to on-demand video does not mean that linear TV is coming to an end. What we are seeing is the economics of the digital entertainment world have begun to shift. The future will be a hybrid ecosystem, made up of both linear TV and on-demand video revenue streams. Pay-TV and broadcast TV services still generate the majority of the revenue, but both business models are currently under stress. On-demand viewing of video content, whether by transaction or subscription, is taking hold. In order to ensure the continuation of existing revenue streams, new value propositions must be created.”

What it all boils down to, is that tv watching in the future will be a mixture of technology and traditional. People will still watch broadcast, but then decide they want to watch the sequel to that movie on ABC. Using an on screen menu, they will start streaming it on the tv for a cost. There will still be room for cable, satellite, broadcast, IPTV and internet streaming  tv.

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Hulu Plus available to all

It has been announced that the subscription arm of the Hulu online streaming business, Hulu Plus is available for anyone to sign up to, without needing an invite. But is there much interest anyway?

The news was announced in a company blog post and also news that Sony PS3 owners will have access to the service via the PlayStation network service. Hulu have also announced that Hulu Plus apps are being released for Vizio TVs, Xbox 360, TiVo Premiere and Roku devices.

Hulu Plus was launched back in June on an invitation only basis, to iron out any bugs and get feedback from users.  The service is subscription based at $9.99 per month and offering full seasons of tv shows instead of single catch up episodes. It was launched on PC, iPhone, iPad, internet connected tv and Blu-ray players with other devices following.

The blog post mentions Hulu Plus extending it’s reach on devic3es and the number of shows being streamed. Said Rob Wong, Hulu director:- “We’ve added several titles to the Hulu Plus service, including new fall shows like Raising Hope, No Ordinary Family, and The Event, and back seasons of hit shows including Monk,Psych, and Battlestar Galactica. Today, we’re also happy to announce the availability of Hulu Plus on Sony Bravia 2010 TVs, with the service expanding to other Bravia devices in the near future.”

It’s not all happy news though, some tv networks like CBS or CW don’t offer content, and other networks have threatened to pull their streams if the financial reward is not their. The pricepoint of Hulu Plus has also raised concerns, with critics pointing out that it does not offer much more than the free version. This lead to rumors that the $9.99 price may be cut in half.

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Meek also announced that YouView was in “very early stage discussions” with main US TV studios over the possibility of providing content or full channels on the service.

Hunt, who has been warned by advisers of the extremely limited prospects of being able to deliver local services via traditional TV, has nevertheless ploughed on with his plans, last week securing £25m initial investment plus £5m a year funding after that from the BBC as part of the licence fee settlement.

Meek positioned YouView, which is aiming to deliver on-demand TV initially into at least 7m Freeview households with broadband, as a key tool in delivering a cost-effective version of Hunt’s vision.

“‘Localness’ has long been a struggle as an economic proposition. The last Labour Government had independently funded news consortiums, the new regime had the Shott review [into local TV] and in both cases it is obvious that using traditional means of distributing it is very, very difficult to make local TV work,” Speaking at a Broadcasting Press Guild.

“I do not believe YouView will solve all the challenges, but it will bring down the costs. It offers by far the best chance of local TV services making some money or at least washing their faces. We have not majored on this [benefit] yet but it will be very, very important,” Meek also added.

Meek said the venture had approached the DCMS to “embark on a conversation about local services and YouView”.

However, despite Hunt being keen for media companies providing local services to get high profile slots on electronic programme guides, Meek refused to guarantee how YouView would present such services.

“The answer is we have not yet determined where localness will feature,” he announced, pointing out that prominence has to be determined on a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory basis.
“I do know that localness is important, set aside Hunt, although we do know he is important, but one thing that will differentiate us from competitors is delivering localness. It is important to us but I won’t guarantee where anything will appear.”

Meek also said that the potential of YouView to give mass, interactive coverage of the Olympics as a major “showcase” to prove the value of the service to customers.

YouView is not launching until well into next year and the London Olympics in 2012 will prove a critical point to driving the sales necessary for the venture’s success.

The shareholder deal agreed by the YouView partners – including TalkTalk, BT, ITV, Channel 5, Arqiva and Channel 4 – is for a four year period beginning about six months ago. Uptake by that point will be critical in determining what happens to the YouView venture in the future years.

“The Olympics is something which certainly we would like to be a real showcase for YouView in 18 months’ time,” said Meek. “The intention is that viewers would be able to see every single form of event during the Olympics in 2012.”

Meek also said that with a project of this size it has around 100 staff on board, many of them are technology developers there is a chance that it might fail to hit its time of launching in the first half of next year.

“This is a race and there is considerable pressure at White City,” he said. “There is anxiety amongst shareholders … this is a serious tech project, a tough, challenging project.”

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Boxee compete with Google and Apple

The long awaited Boxee internet set-top tv box will come with the latest movies to watch on demand. Manufactured by D-Link, the Boxee will give users access to the Walmart owned Vudu movie rental service, offering movie viewing on the same day as the DVD is released.

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Comcasts online tv offering

The Comcast TV Everywhere concept named Xfinity TV has had a makeover and an official launch. The online tv service has been made available to all Comcast subscribers in an effort to ward off the growing number of internet TV services being supplied by rivals Netflix, Google and Apple TV.

Comcast have made available around 150,000 shows and movies for Xfinity TV, including a range of cable content from HBO, AMC, MTV, Comedy Central amongst others. The service will also offer movies to rent or buy on the same day as the DVD is released.

Comcast’s online offerings have changed names a few times, from TV Everywhere to OnDemand Online and then to the latest, Xfinity TV. Offering subscribers only with an internet connection in the US access to the service. In a statement Comcast vp Matt Strauss said:- “Bolstered by the best content from top programmers and rich tools to help personalize your TV viewing experience, we’ve created a destination that enables customers to watch, find and manage their favorite shows and movies anytime, anywhere.” it continued,  “In the coming weeks, Comcast will bring even more content, functionality and ease-of-use into Xfinity TV.”

Viewers can watch the service by heading over to the XfinityTV website where users can search for content available on live TV, on demand or online. The service also lets viewers program their DVR and prioritize shows. However, it appears viewers cannot watch DVR recordings over the internet but you can see who else is watching what with a Facebook feature.

Comcast are trying to keep customers happy by offering customers access to premium online tv content and avert cord cutting by customers flocking to alternative cheaper or even free sources. Compwtitors offering a similar service include Apple TV, Netflix, Roku and Boxee.

In what seems a major omission, it is not thought that the content can yet be viewed on other devices both home based and mobile at this time.

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Viewers cant get enough Netflix streaming

The effects of the internet tv boom on broadband useage is still an unknown metric, however a new report from Sandvine shows that Netflix streaming eats up a massive 20% of US bandwidth during primetime.

The Netflix CEO was reported as saying they now regard themselves as a streaming company, as opposed to DVD rental. Netflix also stream to pretty much every mobile and household tv connected device which puts a heavy load on during primetime.With every major media company turning to online streaming, this could lead to problems in the future.

The Sandvine report called Fall 2010 Internet Phenomena surveyed approx 300 million Sandvine subscribers worldwide looking at traffic from the US, Latin America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. It shows that streaming from Netflix eats up around 20% of US bandwidth useage in the US during the 8-10pm primetime period.

It is not just a US problem though, as the report shows. Monthly internet consumption in the US is 4GB per household, but in Asia it reaches 12GB. The average US users internet connection is active is around 3 hours, opposed to 5.5 hours in Asia.

Of course, the findings are not too alarming so long as the infrastructure can cope. Free and paid online streaming is growing massively in popularity, according to the report, “real-time communications” portals such as Youtube, Hulu etc. represented 42.7% of US Internet traffic this year, compared to 29.5% in 2009.

With the big companies such as AT&T and Sky already capping useage for customers, this could this represent a bigger problem in time? Probably, which will inevitably have to be paid for by you.

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Internet TV the future tv now

We have, along with others been telling anyone willing to will listen, that internet tv is going to take over as the major media entertainment system of choice. But now, and finally i believe that the time for internet tv to smash into the mainstream is at the tipping point and really happening. In years to come, this time will be seen as the birth of real tv choice for the viewer from the web.

So why now? Lets take a look at some of the facts and trends happening right now that show the internet and watching tv/movies will soon merge forever, never to be the same. It is well known that over half of us watch the TV whilst browsing the web, but they are still treated by the average person as two different things.

The Growth of Internet Connected Hardware

From set-top boxes, to DVR’s, Blu-ray players and television sets. The single common denominator in our hardware list is that more and more are being supplied as internet connected. In fact a new report estimates that by 2014 all tv hardware will be web enabled. This connectivity of entertainment devices, will fundamentally change the way viewers consume and interact television and content.

Big Companies Are Investing In Online TV

Yahoo

With their tv widgets system, Yahoo have been in the internet tv arena since its inception. They anticipate that by March 2011 around 8-10  million consumers will be using their Connected Television platform preinstalled in hardware. This equates to three times as many as March 2010, according to Russ Schafer, Yahoo’s senior director of product marketing for the platform.

Google TV

Although a more recent entrant into  the internet tv market, Google are a massive player and the launch of their Android powered Google TV platform will literally bring online tv into millions of homes.

TV Networks

Pretty much every tv network around the world from ABC to the BBC, has an online tv presence. Usually in the form of tv on demand or catch  up tv services.

Cable TV Companies

Cable networks are taking online tv very seriously, especially after subscriptions fell for the first time. From Showtime to Comcast and Time Warner, these companies realise they cannot beat internet tv so are joining it instead.

Apple

Although the Apple TV platform was treated as a hobby by Steve Jobs, not anymore. The relaunched Apple TV is cheaper, slicker and ready to reel in an army of Apple devotees. Ipad and iphone users used to getting media content from itunes and the app store are the willing targets. Content includes movies and tv shows from 99c.

Microsoft

Microsoft have incorporated internet tv into their new media player, have had great success with MSN video player and they are just launching windows phone 7 for mobile platforms which is heavily media based.

Netflix

Netflix had the foresite to get heavily into streaming tv on demand, have seen biggest rival Blockbuster go bust. And the ceo has said that they now regard themselves as a streaming movie company rather than dvd by mail. They stream movies and tv shows on a range of devices. From mobile phones to game consoles and set-top boxes.

TiVo

The original DVR creator have added a streaming tv option on the TiVo Premiere so viewers can watch traditional or web based content from the one device.

Add to this esteemed list a myriad of smaller players from Boxee To Roku and many more inbetween. Just look at companies that do not embrace online tv, Blockbuster is dead and others are frightened that such a monolith can go under so quickly. Any big company in media needs to invest online.

Consumers Are More Comfortable Watching Streaming TV

Online TV services continue to rise in popularity, the tv networks advertise their online services and have made them available on different platforms. A recent survey for new media age revealed that more than half of TV viewers have used online catch-up (nma 26 August). But there are still barriers to use, namely the medium through which it’s accessed. We carried out some research to understand what those barriers are and how they might be overcome.

Viewers Still Prefer To Watch TV on a TV

Currently the pc dominates access to online TV, but viewers have made clear they want to view content on tv. In a survey, respondents who had watched TV programmes online, nearly half (48%) said their preferred viewing device would be the TV, with the PC following closely at 45%. Of those aged 55 and over, 60% preferred to watch on TV, a figure that decreases with youth, falling to 41% of 16-34-year-olds.

It’s All About The Choice

More and more viewers prefer to watch tv on demand as the choice and convenience cannot be matched by a tv. If you miss a show and have not setup your dvr, then catch up tv comes into its own. More viewers, young and old are getting into the habit of watching tv on demand. Imagine being able to watch the latest tv show, or the previous episode, or the whole series. The choice from internet tv is mindblowing. Any movie you can think of available to watch right now, either free or for a small charge/subscription. No more trips to the dvd store. That choice is now becoming available on your internet connected tv set.

A New Generation

Similarly, the desire to view online content on a PC decreases with age – half of 16-34s preferred it against 37% of over-55s. The desire for watching online catch-up services on TV is something providers are starting to enable. Services such as YouView (formerly Canvas) will help to deliver online catch-up to the TV.

The survey also revealed that many online TV viewers are stuck in their ways. 58% of those polled only watch shows online that they would usually watch on TV, with 39% watching a mix of familiar and new shows. Among 16-34-years-olds, just over half only watch shows they usually watch on TV, compared to 69% of over-55s. Even with the ability to watch online TV on their preferred device, 40% said they wouldn’t be interested in recommendations based on shows they already watch, while 47% said they would be somewhat interested. The 16-34-year-olds had the highest percentage of those who would be very interested in recommendations, at 17%. This fell to 8% for 35- 54-year-olds.

However things change, and as more of the older generation start using their new ipad’s and the online tv gets easier to access. We will see the older generation come over to the new web of entertainment.

Social Networking

What does everyone want to do while watching a movie or show? Voice there opinions. Previously, tv has been a pretty linear affair. You watch the show, go to bed and chat about it the next day at work. However, with the new Facebook generation twittering every five minutes. Viewers can now discuss, berate or recommend shows as they air. In fact tv companies are now aware, that social networking can make or break a show.  The new range of internet-connected tv’s have facebook and ywitter running on the same screen as the show your watching, for instant commentating amongst your friends.

Catering For The Couch Potato Mentality

There is another reason why online tv is taking off now, and that is down to the fundimental differences between the web users and tv viewers expectations. Whilst surfers expect to have to do a bit of typing, mouse clicking and hunting through pages of search engine results. TV viewers are much more lazy. Press a button and be entertained is what they want and expect. Early internet tv meant using too many buttons and/or other tasks before viewing content. However now internet tv is easy peasy. In fact, it is easier than convential viewing. Netflix have already confirmed that streaming now beats DVD rentals. So no more having to post dvd’s – Just what couch potatos have been dreaming of. Press a button and watch any show or movie instantly.

Conclusion

The future of online viewing will be linked to a TV, and a mobile phone or other device. You will be able to watch your movie or show anywhere, anytime. Whether viewers realise they’re watching broadcast programming or via online services becomes irrelevant. But online TV is currently under- utilised in terms of the possibilities it provides, such as removing the boundaries of the broadcast schedule and opening up viewing habits.

Its the dawning of a new era, of opening up the viewers horizons. The choices will be mind blowing, and it is broadcast quality with many in HD. But the beauty is that many viewers will not even realised it has happened. Because there new tv set looks similar to their last one. All the internet connected goodness is hidden under the hood.

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Sky looking to distribute on Youview

After months of trying to stop the launch of Youview, satellite broadcaster Sky have said they may strike a deal with YouView in an amazing about turn. It seems that Sky want to make use of the estimated 7 million users of Youview and use it to distribute their on demand content.

After Ofcom recently gave the BBC led project the go ahead, they dismissed many complaints  from competitiors including Virgin Media, IP Vision and Sky. Youview are planning to run on upgraded Freeview and Freesat set-top boxes, of which number about 10 million homes within the UK.

Sky’s chief executive Jeremy Darroch, speaking to the Guardian said that Sky remain critical of YouView, but also cautiously acknowledged the huge benefits it could herald. “We expressed our views to Ofcom – we have two broad concerns about YouView or Project Canvas, as it was known,” said Darroch. “With leading broadcasters and ISPs in a consortium there is a risk of stifling choice and there is also the inappropriate use of public money by the BBC.”

He added: “Ofcom made its decision and we will move on. I think generally when you look at what we are doing at Sky we are broadening out our content business. We always look at new distribution opportunities. We will look at YouView, but it is too early to say what our involvement will be.”

Although Ofcom are not investigating Youview, they have said they will closely monitor its impact on the UK IPTV market “will not be known with any confidence for some time”.

Sky have also revealed that they will start rolling out the new internet tv service, Anytime+ to the estimated 10 million Sky+ HD subscribers in the next week. The service allows customers to download over 600 movies and TV shows from partners such as HBO to their Sky box.

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