Advanced Television

VOD

Open Rights Group: Online film market ‘dysfunctional’

UK-based digital activist body the Open Rights Group (ORG) has released research on the availability of film online, which it suggests indicates a dysfunctional market place that leaves consumers with the digital equivalent of empty shelves. The findings showed: – Excluding iTunes, only 27 per cent of the BAFTA Best Film award-winning films from 1960 […]

October 19, 2011By Colin Mann

Universal extends Facebook “Social Cinema” experience

Universal Pictures is extending its Facebook “Social Cinema” experience internationally by offering the first “Johnny English” film for rent in the UK and Australia, as well as the US.  This marks the first time Universal has offered its Facebook Social Cinema application to international consumers.  Johnny English will be available for 30 Facebook Credits for […]

October 19, 2011

DVRs becoming mainstream in US

Forty-four per cent of TV households in the United States have at least one Digital Video Recorder (DVR), and one-third of DVR households have more than one DVR -representing 14 per cent of all households having multiple DVRs according to recent consumer research from Leichtman Research Group (LRG). In 2005, just 8 per cent of […]

October 18, 2011

Netflix: FiOS is best streamer

Netflix has re-run the numbers comparing video-streaming performance across 13 US broadband providers – breaking out Verizon and AT&T’s fiber-based services from DSL – and found that FiOS Internet clearly beats cable. Verizon’s FiOS Internet delivered 2.5 Megabits per second over a 60-day period, ending September 25th , according to Netflix’s measurements. The video-subscription company […]

October 17, 2011

iPlayer usage up on tablets

The BBC has revealed in a blog post that tablet devices now account for half as much usage of the iPlayer service as Freesat, Freeview, BT Vision, Virgin TiVo and Blu-ray combined (3 per cent vs 6 per cent). The iPlayer received 153 million requests for TV and radio programmes in September, with Tablet requests […]

October 17, 2011

Time Warner Cable offers day and date movies

Time Warner Cable (TWC) is to offer its digital customers two new films the same day as their theatrical release, and a third before its theatrical release.   The first – Trespass – was made available October 14, while the second – Marginal Call – will become available the same day as its theatrical release, […]

October 17, 2011By Colin Mann

Universal abandons early VoD release

Following staunch opposition from cinema owners, Universal Pictures has abandoned its plan to make its movie “Tower Heist” available to consumers via VoD just three weeks after it opens in cinemas. “Universal Pictures today announced that in response to a request from theatre owners, it has decided to delay its planned premium home video on […]

October 13, 2011

Times of India buys EPL online rights

Times Of India is buying mobile and Internet highlights of the English football Premier League, through a deal with rights holder Perform Group. The two rights packages were not exploited in the 2011/11 season but Perform holds them for the 2011/12 season. It is sub-licensing the mobile clips exclusively and the Internet package non-exclusively to […]

October 13, 2011

Netflix: The price is the point

It is easy (I find it particularly easy) to criticise businesses that seem to spend endless energy, time and money on consumer research and focus groups. As with bringing in consultants, it often seems mostly a way for management to avoid making the decisions it’s paid to make or, at the very least, to establish […]

October 12, 2011

Sky Anytime on Virgin Media

Virgin Media has confirmed that Sky Anytime will be launched on Virgin Media VoD. Virgin Media TV customers now have access to On Demand content from a range of Sky channels in line with their underlying subscriptions, with the content bundled into their existing TV package at no extra cost. Customers subscribed to the Sky […]

October 12, 2011