TV-Entertainment

TV-Entertainment

9-13-10
 * Kelli Chugg**

= New app lets you watch all the big TV networks live on your PC﻿ =

ivi is an app: download, install (Mac, PC and Linux versions are available), and seconds later you're watching live TV via the Internet. ivi's not the first service to offer live TV channels online, but it has a standout ingredient: content. The big networks — ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS and of [|ivi's 25-channel lineup]. The service costs $4.99 a month, with $0.99 extra to add DVR-like abilities to schedule recordings of shows. You can try it out for 30 days for free, though, and the service boasts a big perk: no "buffering" delays.

[]

Ivi seems to be an adaptation to a new trend in television watching. It provides the convenience of watching TV no matter where you are. Ivi could be appealing to many, I would think especially college students, who have not a lot of money but want to watch their favorite shows. This new app for TV watching seems to be the direction that most companies are going in and it catches attention because now TV is becoming more instant and portable.

9-14-10
 * Jessica Fielder**

=Conservative Entertainment TV Network Goes On Demand =

If you are of a conservative frame of mind upset with the state of television today, then there is a new choice of television network for you out there. That is if you look for it. The RightNetwork launched earlier this week on Verizon's FiOs on-demand service, and it is also available on Verizonmobile services and online. The network is said to take a very conservative slant with all its programming, which the network felt was lacking in the on-air landscape when it comes to television. One of the investors and the public representative of the network is actor Kelsey Grammer from hit series such as "Cheers" and "Frasier" from long ago on NBC.

[]

[|RIGHT NETWORK]

These days with all of the cable and broadcast networks it seem there is someone for everyone. So is a entertainment network with a conservative point of view really needed? It should be interesting to see if people tune in and if it will last. It could be a genius idea or it could be someone that quickly fades out. Guess we'll just have to find out!

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9-16-10
 * Connie Kiminski**

TV SHOWS, Movies and Videos from the Internet on your TV

In November, D-Link will be releasing their “Boxee Box” which allows users to watch TV shows (as well as movies and video) from the internet on their TV. Basically the user will be able to install free software and connect their computer to a TV using HDMI or DVI cord.

The device is supposed to eliminate the need for a computer to use Boxee on the TV. The all-in-one device comes with a QWERTY remote to help users scroll through menu options. Boxee will require a login so that it will store your favorite TV shows, apps, and friend network.

The Boxee Box list price is $229.00 but can be pre-ordered on Amazon for $199.00. There is already a wait list for the Boxee Box in Australia and Europe and will officially launch in the US and Canada in November 2010. As described on Amazon, with Boxee Box you can: [|Boxee Box] http://www.boxee.tv/
 * Enjoy thousands of shows available for free from your favorite networks, ready to watch at any time
 * Check-out free movies from the web & watch new releases in stunning HD from premium movie services
 * Play videos, songs, or pictures from your computer or home network
 * Plays any non-DRM video, music, and photos and media from anywhere on the Internet…

This device is made so you can view your favorite shows online on a television without having to focus on a small computer screen, which is convenient for those who enjoy the watching shows on the big screen. However, many people already hook up their computers to TV’s via HDMI cables, etc., so it may seem pointless to some. Since the device hasn’t launched yet, nobody really knows what to expect, so it will take a lot of hype to make this device popular since there are so many others on the market. It is a free online service, but the device itself is pricey. I think it will take an audience that is very dependent on the organization of material for this device to catch on! Time will tell….

**Kristina Santos** 9/16/10

=ABC’s New iPad App Syncs with TV for Interactive Programming =

ABC and Nielsen have linked on an initiative to make the iPad part of the "live" TV viewing experience. While tuning into the new ABC drama "My Generation," iPad users can simultaneously engage with content related -- not just to the show, but what's happening on the TV screen right then.

The My Generation iPad experience will center around engaging viewers with questions, facts and tidbits about show characters, polls and quizzes. The synchronization works regardless of whether or not the viewer tunes in live or watches a show recording at a later time.

Nielsen’s Media-Sync Platform powers the real-time synchronization between TV and iPad. Nielsen’s technology is capable of automatically detecting and synchronizing with TV programming by picking up the audio from your television set — if you can hear the audio, the app can too. A click of the “Sync With Show” button will prompt the app to listen for 10 seconds and then offer up iPad content synced with show content.

Disney and ABC are the first to use Nielsen’s platform, but we suspect that this technology will become integrated into a number of entertainment-focused applications moving forward.

Related information: []

9/16/2010 =Apple’s TV Rental Plan Can’t Be Ignored By Media Compa nies =
 * Ashley Sanchez**

Apple Inc., which revolutionized the music business with 99 cent digital downloads, is poised to do the same thing with television. The idiot box may never be the same. According to [|Bloomberg News,] the maker of the iPhone, iPad and iPod ” is in advanced talks with News Corp. to let iTunes users rent TV shows for 99 cents and is in discussions with other media companies about similar deals.” This not without controversy. As [|Reuters] notes, several media companies including CBS and NBC are worried that the proposal would undercut their existing iTunes revenue. People currently buy TV episodes for $1.99 each for repeated viewing. Apple will overcome this resistance because the economics are too compelling.

[]

I think that renting TV shows off of itunes is a good concept, but I think the price should be lower than 99 cents per episode, because people can just buy episodes for only a dollar more. So far, Walt Disney Co. and News Corp. have made deals with Apple for the plan, but many of the big, including Warner Bros., NBC, and CBS, are staying away from the plan, because they don't think it will be very prosperous. We'll see how it turns out! Also check out: []

9/20/2010
 * Jessica Fielder**

=New wave of piracy for popular television shows =

USC student Elizabeth watched the season finale of HBO's lusty vampire drama "True Blood" along with about 5.4 million television viewers.

But the 19-year-old junior didn't see it in a way that would yield ratings points for [|Time Warner Inc.]'s premium cable channel. She caught the final episode on her laptop using //Megavideo//, one of a growing number of websites in the vanguard of a new wave of Internet piracy. At least 1.25 million others did the same thing, according to estimates from one firm that monitors online traffic.

Megavideo and other sites like it offer a vast unauthorized selection of popular television shows and movies that can be watched with the click of a mouse, using the same streaming technology found on mainstream sites like [|CNN] or [|Hulu]. It demands none of the time or technical sophistication required to download a video file via BitTorrent or other file-sharing technology.



Piracy is something that we are going to have to deal with as long as we have technology. File-sharing remains the primary source for pirated digital copies of songs, movies, TV episodes and video games. It is a very popular thing to do, especially among college students who don't always want to pay for cable to watch their favorite shows. However file-sharing is something that the has been around for a while and doesn't seem to appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.

[]

9/21/10
 * Connie Kiminski**

**ABC Offering Social TV Experience, Supplemental Broadband Video for "Dancing with the Stars"**
ABC is now offering a social TV experience on its Web site that allows viewers to interact with each other live in “Dancing Live Chat Parties” that happen during the live broadcast of the show. Not only can fans interact live, but can also view behind-the-scenes specials that can be found on ABC.com, Hulu, YouTube, ABC Mobile and a special extended version is available to AT&T mobile devices.

I think social TV experiences will only grow in the future as more people want to communicate with each other about their favorite entertainment television. This technology gives the audience the power to discuss, vote, etc., and as we’ve learned, the audience is the “ultimate commodity.”

http://www.itvt.com/story/7374/abc-offering-social-tv-experience-supplemental-broadband-video-dancing-stars TV-Entertainment



=At Networks, Gloves Are Off= ﻿Monday night was described by "several network executives described as the most intensely competitive opening night in recent memory." The focus of the article is which fall favorites will be returning. But they also mentioned that this fall season will be really interesting because of the heavy usage of digital recorders. The numbers for Monday nights big showdown will ultimately come down to delayed viewing.
 * Kelli Chugg**
 * 9/21**

This is important to discuss because it shows just how much DVR usage plays in the anticipation of high ratings for shows and networks. The topic of NBC is also brought up in the article. NBC is launching a ' laundry load' of new shows this fall so it will be interesting to see how they fare in the ratings. One of the shows that was heavily promoted was the "Event." They wanted to appeal to more male viewers by promoting during football games, which also ties into DVR usage. Of course this show will be competing with Monday Night Football, but now they can have this show DVR'd and even delayed watching can help boost the ratings for NBC. I feel that this big of a premiere night only emphasized how crucial DVR's have become to ratings and the networks in general. It will be interesting to see how these new shows did compared to the fall favorites and Monday Night Football.

__[|NYT Article]__

<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font: normal normal normal 14px/15px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;">**Kristina Santos**

<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font: normal normal normal 14px/15px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;">**9/22/10**

'Social Entertainment' Platform GetGlue Signs Slew of TV Networks
Social Media network GetGlue has signed new media partners to encourage fans to tune in to original broadcasts to boost Nielsen ratings and engage in shows throughout the season. New network partners include MSNBC, Disney, HGTV, and Discovery. According to GetGlue, the company had 8 million unique ratings and check-ins in August, up from 5 million in the previous month. Overall, GetGlue has 600,000 users, of which about 60 percent have signed up via Facebook. Get the [|App] for your iPhone, iPad, or Android.

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[|Social Entertainment Platform 'GetGlue']


 * Ashley Sanchez**
 * 9/23/2010**

Cruise ships to add E! Entertainment Television
<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 2.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 2.5pt;">Being at sea is no longer a reason to miss the latest gossip on Snooki and the Kardashians. Miramar-based MTN Satellite Communications has announced that it is adding E! Entertainment Television to its MTN Worldwide TV service lineup. <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 2.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 2.5pt;">The company has contracts with more than 40 ships from cruise lines including Celebrity Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises. Programming from BBC World News, MSNBC, Fox News, CNBC, Sky News and Sky Sports News was already available through the service, which was introduced earlier this year.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">Read more: []

10/11/10
=TV’s Future Has Arrived (Almost)… Apple TV box **VS.** Roku box…=

The Apple TV box and the Roku box are going head-to-head to fight for customers who want to organize and have control of their TV content. However, there are pro’s and con’s to each product, and they are not yet finished, which leaves their potential possible of anything.

The Apple TV box works only for hi-def TVs with an HDMI cord, and it offers movies for rent that cost $4 to $5 per day rented. It also offers your favorite entertainment TV shows for $1 per episode… for rent. The cost is about $100 dollars for the box itself, not including HDMI connections.

The Roku box is compatible with both hi-def and standard TV’s. The box also allows you to install new “networks” such as Blubrry, YuppTV, MHz Network, Roxwel, etc. The box allows you to rent or buy movies, and the $1 TV shows you get to keep permanently. It runs about $60 for a "standard" box and up to $100 for a box with more jacks.

For comic relief on this TV box debate, watch: [|TV-Entertainment]

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 * Kelli Chugg**
 * 10/11/10**

=**<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 1.08em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Televisa Invests $1.2 Billion for a Stake in Univision **=

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">“In a deal announced Tuesday, Televisa will invest $1.2 billion in Univision in exchange for a minimum 5 percent stake in the company and a new content licensing agreement for the telenovelas (Spanish-language soap opera dramas) and for the telecasts of some Mexican soccer matches in the United States.” <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This is important to note because if you were to look at the ratings for networks overall Univision always does well. When reporting on entertainment- T.V. we forget how much Spanish speaking audiences play a role in viewer-ship. This I think is important because they are developing a new business model for television and it shows that two rivals can work together to make the most profit. Which is what we talked about in class... the people you least expect to help are the ones that can help the most. I feel that speaks for this new arrangement. Now that Univision will be carrying more programs it will be interesting to see just how well their ratings do and if they will increase any. **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;">[|NYT Article] **

<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">**Jessica Fielder** 10/14/10

=**<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Glass-Free 3-D TVs Not Common in Homes for another 5-10 years **=

"Getting 3D entertainment in your home isn’t a hard feat anymore. As many TV manufacturers are making a hard push for the next level of entertainment, including heavy-hitters like Sony. However, the technology isn't loved by everyone, and for most it has everything to do with the glasses that are required to be worn while enjoying the 3D entertainment. While glasses-free 3D technology exists, and some companies are aiming to get test TV sets out in the market by the end of 2010, Samsung believes glasses-free 3D TVs won’t be common in the home for up to 10 years."

Much of this is due to the high costs involved in manufacturing the TV, it would make it too expensive for consumers to purchase at this point in time. Samsung says it will take at least 5 years to have glass-free 3D Tv's be considered mainstream.

Most people rather not have to wear glasses to watch TV nor do they want to spend a fortune on a 3D TV. This being said waiting another 5-10 years for manufactures to come up with glass-free 3D TVs that is affordable for costumers is a good idea.

[|3D TV]



<span style="border-width: 0px; color: #555555; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.8em; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">// ﻿ //

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10/14/10
 * Ashley Sanchez**

**Sony Redefines Home Entertainment With the World's First HDTV Powered by Google TV**
Watch HDTV, Enjoy Apps and Browse the Internet Seamlessly on One Device

Furthering the company's leadership in the connected TV space, Sony today introduced Sony Internet TV, powered by Google TV -- the world's first television with the ability to watch HDTV, enjoy apps, and browse the Internet seamlessly on one device. The combination of Sony's hardware and engineering expertise and Google's understanding of open software provides a unique user experience, merging multiple content sources in one easy-to-use interface. From broadcast to streaming video from the Internet, Sony Internet TV offers the ability to quickly search and watch content from wherever, whenever.

[]

10/14/10
 * Kristina Santos**

Current TV's Million Dollar Makeover
Launched just over five years ago, Current TV is best known as the network co-founded by former vice president Al Gore and Joel Hyatt. If it is associated with anything other than Gore’s involvement, it is often still wrongly recognized as a news network populated by user-generated clips submitted by citizen journalists.

While documentaries and news will be the twin pillars of the new strategy, Rosenthal is quick to note that Current TV also plans to announce a slate of scripted and reality shows in the [|first] quarter of next year. Though he declined to comment about particular shows in development, a hint of where the network is headed can be gleaned from last week’s announcement of a new interactive series called //Bar Karma// that it is developing with //The Sims// and //SimCity// videogame designer Will Wright.

Current TV is available in approximately 70 million homes through distributors such as Comcast, Time Warner Cable, DirecTV, and Dish. But it is still missing from a handful of prominent cable provides like Cablevision. After working for MTV, CEO Mark Rosenthal, hopes to see Current TV finally land carriage with distributors that previously shunned it or garner license fee increases once its existing contracts expire.

Official Site of Current TV Current TV Article

10/27/10
 * Kelli Chugg **


 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 1.08em; margin: 0px 0px 8px;">Pitching Movies or Filming Shows, Hollywood Is Hooked on iPads **

The iPad is the must-carry accessory on sound stages this season, visible behind the scenes of television and film shoots and in business meetings. During meetings with producers, actors and just about everyone, Hollywood has adapted the iPad to do script readings and even plot new ideas for shows and movies. It is changing the ways of Hollywood meetings. People are able to access information faster than ever before and now it helps in the creative process because these ideas become instantly in front of them and there is not as much waiting around. It is also something that is being used by actors as well on sets. In between shots they find entertainment in the iPad. "When Paula Abdul, the former ‘American Idol’ judge, wants to preview her new dance show for prospective sponsors, she turns on her iPad and pulls up a YouTube video." It is also turning into an advertising gesture on many TV shows today. For instance on 'The Office', <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px;">when one character asks what time it is, another character pulls out his iPad, like an oversize pocket watch. According to the Nielsen Company, Apple products have popped up about 2,438 times on television programs through September of this year. Many people are also saying that this could help reduce the amount of paper wasted in re-writing scripts when you can just revise on your iPad. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The app Rehearsal, which helps actors learn their line imports the script for a television episode. Then the actor runs the scenes with just the others’ dialogue, and they speak when they are supposed to be speaking. This idea just shows and innovatative technology is helping replace old technolog (of just writing in this case). It also shows how some apps are helping out specific industries and "making them better."

[|NYT article]

10/28/10
 * Jessica Fielder**

=MySpace Redesigns Site Around Entertainment, Content=

MySpace, which use to be the number one social networking site, until Facebook's popularity rose, launched a revamped site Wednesday that shifts focus from people's profiles and friends to the latest trends in entertainment such as music, movies, television and celebrities. The content displayed will reflect the interest expressed by the user.

The new MySpace will include a new logo and make a shift from a social networking site a "new visual identity and product features that put content center stage. " News Corp (MySpace's owner) has decided to stop trying to compete with Facebook and take a whole new direction on trying to revamp the website into a whole new brand. The new MySpace is available in beta and will be rolled out to users through the end of November. New users will be entered into the beta version. MySpace plans to launch this year a mobile application for accessing the new site through an Apple iPhone or smartphone running Google's Android operating system.

The new and possibly improved MySpace will be interesting to see and hopefully regain its popularity. By incorporating more entertainment content will set it apart from Facebook so users won't compared the two side by side anymore.

[|MySpace]



**Kristina Santos** **10/28/10**



=Leading Entertainment Companies Create Registry for Movie and Television Content= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">MovieLabs, Comcast, and Rovi Corporation announced today the launch of the Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR), a non-profit global independent registry that provides a uniform approach to cataloging movies, television shows, and other commercial audio/video assets with unique identifiers (IDs). Backed by numerous companies, including Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and Universal, the registry is set up as an industry resource to help streamline digital commerce and simplify consumer transactions.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">EIDR has been developed to address a critical need for a universal ID system for all types of audio/video assets in the entertainment industry, making it easier for businesses to search, track rights and report revenue based on an assets' unique ID. The expected results are increased accuracy of information flowing to consumers, and lower cost and more efficient back-office processes.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The registry is expected to be available to members in early 2011. The registry will support a wide variety of distribution channels and consumer devices by identifying products and assets at all levels - from original productions to edits, translations, clips, composites, bundles and down to granular assets, such as different audio or video encodings intended for specific channels of distribution.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Entertainment Identifier Registry] [|Press Release]

10/28/10
 * Connie Kiminski**


 * ENTERTAINMENT COMPANIES CREATE CONTENT REGISTRY**

The Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR) was recently created by an international coalition in attempts to catalog television shows, movies and other audio/video assets with unique identifiers (IDs). The registry is expected to launch in early 2011.

The registry is set up to help “streamline digital commerce and simplify consumer transactions.” Since millions of new entertainment assets are added yearly, EIDR will help to keep track of all the content with a universal ID and make it easier for businesses to search, track rights and report revenue based on the unique ID. Ideal results will be increased accuracy of information to consumers, lower costs and more efficient back-office processes.

The IDs will be similar to UPC codes as well as ISBN numbers, except it will apply to the audio/video assets in the entertainment industry. The registry catalog will assign a unit of identification to both movies and TV assets, including entire movies or clips/composites, to be used for both physical and digital media that are part of the movie and television supply chain.

It seems like this system will benefit many industries including content producers, content distributors, consumers and other companies in the supply chain. I think anything to help organize media is always helpful. I do wonder if copyright laws will be better enforced with an ID present on television and movie clips. We’ll find out it 2011! TV-Entertainment

=Convenient Entertainment: Logitech Revue with Google TV= “Sleek, Powerful and Expandable” are the words used to describe Logitech’s Revue, a new groundbreaking technology that will allow users to access the Internet, while viewing their television, giving us Google TV. The Revue setup is made simple for the user, the system easily connects to any wireless or Ethernet connection, can simply be plugged into a HDMI connection and with the simple 12 step walk through process. With on screen prompts, anyone including myself can get it to work. Through the Revue, users are able to video chat with friends with Macs or PC’s by “friending” them through a simple e-mail. With 2 microphones on each side of the camera, the system will pick up only the noise in front of the camera, and with automatic focus the viewer can position anything close to the lens and the image will be automatically adjusted.
 * Ashley Sanchez**
 * 10/28/2010**

Kelli Chugg 11/1/10

=Lost the Remote? Another Reason to Use an App<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 15px;">﻿﻿ =

Not only is Television remodeling the way they are presenting their material (i.e. Google TV, Apple TV) TV is now remodeling their remotes. "TV viewing habits are changing as more Internet and on-demand content [|YouTube] videos, streaming movies, shopping sites, [|Facebook] photos flows directly onto big screens. Navigating all of that demands more action from the viewer, including a fair amount of typing, which current remotes cannot handle." But trying to pack too many features into a remote can make it both expensive and physically imposing. Indeed, the remote Sony developed for its new Google-powered TV a wide device with more than 75 buttons that requires the use of both hands. Several television manufacturers, like Mitsubishi and Samsung, are following suit with Smartphone remotes, and phone apps are part of both Apple and Google’s TV offerings. An advantage of the Smartphone as a remote is the fact that you can call it (this is what we have all been waiting for).

I just found this particularly interesting because it seems almost ridiculous to use your phone as a remote. But I suppose the times are changing, considering we can watch TV on our phone I suppose it seems relevant to be able to control the actual TV with our phones. This will drive consumers to be more occupied by their phones than ever. Goes with the idea that we will be “trapped” in this form of technology.

[|New Remote Model]

Kristina Santos 11/4/10

=Associated Press Television News to go HD= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Associated Press Television News announced this week that it is undertaking a “substantial” multi-million dollar investment to upgrade its newsgathering infrastructure improve its digital workflow and with the goal of introducing HD to its operations by 2012. The project marks its single biggest investment the London-based company has made since it acquired a competitor, Worldwide Television News, in 1998.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The video business arm of The Associated Press currently supplies live news video and edited clips of entertainment, sport and lifestyle coverage to more than 1,000 national and international broadcasters and major portals worldwide via an international satellite and fiber network. It currently has bureaus in more than 80 countries.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The investment will see the company deploy state-of-the-art cameras around the world, renew its core production infrastructure and provide new eBusiness delivery platforms for digital customers.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|APTN]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jessica Fielder <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">11/4/10

=E! Entertainment Television Returns to Canada=

E! Entertainment Television is to return to Canada after a year-long absence. Comcast International Media Group on Monday inked a multi-platform supply and licensing deal with local broadcaster CTVglobemedia to get its U.S.-based celebrity TV brand back across the border. The pact follows an earlier supply deal between Comcast and rival Canwest Global Communications Corp. that rebranded a Canadian conventional TV Network, CH, as E! “We're delighted to bring E! back to audiences in Canada as we enter this new partnership with CTV," Duccio Donati, executive vp of of CIMG, said Monday.

As with the earlier Canadian supply deals, CTVglobemedia will license and manage E! programming and content north of the border, including series like Keeping Up With The Kardashians, The Soup and E! True Hollywood Story. The Canadian E! channel will offer 50% Canadian programming, and 40% in primetime, to comply with domestic broadcast license commitments.

I found this to be interesting because E! is a very popular network and didn't even realize Canada has gone without it for some time now. Also having a mix of what we know as traditional E! programming (E! True Hollywood Story) and Canadian programming will be a good balance that should satisfy their viewers.

[|E! Canada]



**Holograms may knock 3-D entertainment flat in the future** Just bought that 3-D TV? Natch, a replacement — "holography" — already is on the way, a science team reported Wednesday. Made famous by //[|Star Wars]// in the 1970s ("Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi," implored a holographic Princess Leia) holographic images would be viewable from all sides. But the idea has seemed science fiction until now. While [|3-D movies] such as //Avatar// are Hollywood's hottest tickets, those images require special eyewear to see and only present two combined views of a scene. [|CNN]'s "hologram" of correspondents such as Jessica Yellin is a computer image sent to viewers, not an actual projection of a person on the floor of a TV studio. A "multicolor holographic 3-D display," instead, would present an image completely viewable on all sides, projected right in front of you, without requiring special glasses.
 * Ashley Sanchez**
 * 11/4/2010**

The study's 4-inch prototype relies on plastic screen material that is the first to allow color images and refreshes its view every two seconds. The image contains 16 camera angles, presenting a 45-degree view. The system essentially presents views from many cameras simultaneously on the screen, not combining them to make one image, but projecting them all outward at once. Depending on the angle from which the screen is viewed, a viewer sees a different side of the image. Holography has been around for five decades, and U.S. currency incorporates static holograms as a security measure, but the moving picture images have required too much computer power until now. The final goal of the federally funded team, which includes researchers from the Nitto Denko Technical Corp. of Oceanside, Calif., is a 6- to 8-foot-wide circular viewing screen. In a decade, Peyghambarian says, we could be watching the [|Super Bowl] in a 360-degree surround view. []

Connie Kiminski 11/4/10

**Risk For Rivals in Cable Fee Fight**
Cablevision and Fox have been in a quarrel over retransmission fees since 3.1 million New York area subscribers had lost access to Fox broadcasting (Oct. 26). Fox was holding out, trying to charge more than twice the $70 million it pays to carry stations with popular programs such as the NFL, Glee and American Idol.

Fox may be in trouble though (if Cablevision doesn’t give in) since viewers can get Fox with online TV ventures such as Hulu, Netflix, Apple and Google as well as installing a simple high-def antenna. Fox also shows programs on Fox.com, and for such issues that took place such as the World Series, MLB has a live streaming service that is cheap.

The main point is that consumers are able to get their entertainment in so many places that negotiating prices may be risky to any particular network, no matter how big they are. As stated by NYTimes, “The content and distribution oligarchs need to rule more compassionately lest they find their business models overthrown before long.”

TV-Entertainment

Kelli Chugg 11/14

Cable networks shine with stars, Conan, Oprah

This is obviously something that has been on the rise for the past couple of years. But, just recently it has become apparent that Cable Networks are the front-runners on TV. Now Cable Networks seem more powerful than ever because they have such big names moving there, such as Conan and Oprah coming with her “OWN” Cable Network next year. “ Ten years ago, broadcast captured 48 percent of prime-time viewing households while cable had a 43 percent share, according to Nielsen Media Research. Now cable networks command 60 percent of audience homes, versus the networks' 36 percent.” The argument for this is that Cable Networks bring in a more passionate audience and that broadcast networks are still trying to figure out how to do this. Also Cable Networks have the money to bring in the big stars and with that they win in the ratings. “On cable, "you are not going to get canceled in the middle of the year like on network TV because of low ratings," said Brad Adgate senior vice president of research at Horizon Media. Still, because of their big audiences, broadcasters retain the upper hand in pricing TV advertisements, which tend to command roughly 30 percent more than cable TV commercial spots. But in recent years, the ad playing field has been considerably leveled, advertising executives said.” It will be interesting to see what the future of broadcast TV is but with the expansion of Cable I wonder how broadcast is going to compete.

[|Yahoo! News]

Jessica Fielder 11/16

Comcast's New TV-listing app for iPad users
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">It's the newspaper TV grid on electronic steroids. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Comcast Corp. said Monday that it was releasing immediately for its cable-TV subscribers an app for Apple's fast-selling iPad that lists 1,000 channels vertically and two weeks of programs horizontally. Those channels and days can be scrolled by finger touch on the iPad tablet - similar to scrolling through songs on Apple's iPod. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">While functioning as a channel guide, the "Xfinity TV App" also serves as a channel-changer remote in an elegant use of the iPad, wireless technology, the Internet, a cable switching station, and the Comcast digital set-top box. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">That means customers can change their TV channel with the iPad - and they don't even have to point it at the set-top box. The signal is caught in a home's WiFi system and routed to the Comcast network that does the channel change. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">The cable giant expects to add enhancements so an iPad can be used to watch streamed TV shows and movies. Those enhancements could be released in December. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">I think this is a great new way for users to view their favorite cable-TV shows. Having an app for this will make many happy as it seems to be a user friendly layout. This should be a big hit in the app world because they will no longer bound by the set-top box.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">[|i-Pad]

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11/17/10
 * Connie Kiminski**

Courting Women, Playboy TV Puts Emphasis on Intimacy
Steady-declining revenue (20 percent in the last quarter) for Playboy TV entertainment group has caused the company to shift gears to acquire a larger female audience, which means producing a “female-friendly” slate of reality shows.

The block of female friendly shows will be called “TV for 2” and will be released starting in January 2011. Six new shows are expected to be launched by the end of the year, all tailored to both female and male viewers in hopes of acquiring a new and larger audience since “Playboy has little choice but to pursue a new path on the premium television front.” It is expected that the new shows will catch on since women are now more open to racier content by means of shows on cable channels such as Bravo and MTV as well as mainstream movies such as “Sex and the City.”

This just goes to show that entertainment television must cater to its audience or they may face financial hardships (declining revenue) or even potentially shutting down. The audience really does control what shows make it in the networks!

Click here for full story: <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">TV-Entertainment


 * Ashley Sanchez**

11/17/2010 <span style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Videotron Brings 3D TV to Customers With HD Sets ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Nov. 17, 2010) - The 3D experience, long reserved for the movie theatre, is coming to Quebecers' living rooms. Videotron customers will soon be able to watch <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif';">television in 3D whether they have a 3D television set or a regular HD set. All customers who subscribe to Videotron's HD service will be able to enjoy 3D television featuring superior image quality, high-calibre content and the latest technology, opening up a new era in home entertainment. Starting this weekend with the epic broadcast event, Last Day of the Dinosaurs on Discovery World HD; plus hockey in 3D and Disney movies joining the 3D offerings in December, Videotron is positioned to offer its customers the best in 3D entertainment right through the holidays.

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 * Kristina Santos**
 * 11/17/10**

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|Blue Black Square] launches its own TV Show.
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">WEST HARTFORD - The technology of the 21st century empowers people to accomplish nearly anything. Anyone can become an author through blogs, producing a documentary is as simple as owning a flip camera and websites such as YouTube have launched mega-stars the likes of Justin Bieber. Now Blue Back Square is stepping into the communication age with its own TV station, “Blue Back TV.” More specifically, this is an online video series consisting of 2-5 minutes segments that highlight all that Blue Back Square has to offer.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The online series, hosted by Sarah Minor, features a new trendy topic every other week. The first segments focus on shopping, dining, entertainment and lifestyle. These video pieces offer a glimpse inside the retail center without stepping foot outside of your house.

//This was a great way to increase consumer involvement before going to the store to buy it and especially before Black Friday and Cyber Monday!//