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The RVU Alliance Expands – Networked Entertainment to Benefit

Fri Nov 06, 2009 at 11:00 AM ET
Tags: RVU Alliance, Industry Trends (all tags)

The RVU Alliance is a newly formed group that was created to set the standards and specifications for secure content delivery over a home network.

Thanks to the addition of a group of members according to Motorola, Humax and more, we may be getting one step closer to a centralized entertainment experience.

To break it down simply, it goes like this. The RVU wants you to be able to view your content no matter where you are in your house. They’re creating the standards that hopefully, companies will follow in the future to allow viewing of all of your content no matter what set-top box, computer or game console you’re using. Needless to say, we’re fans.

Originally consisting of Broadcom, Cisco, Samsung, DirecTV and Verizon, the RVU Alliance added a group of members today who will be developing and promoting the technology. Motorola and Humax may be the most familiar names, as they make up a significant portion of the set-top box market.

Among the other members are Pace, a developer for the pay TV industry and Thomson, who provide services for content creators. Also joining are NXP semiconductors and Entropic Entertainment, who have a hand in the chips being used in various consumer electronics devices.

An announcement like this in November could easily mean big things at the quickly approaching Consumer Electronics Show this January.

Source: Press Release

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The RVU Alliance Expands – Networked Entertainment to Benefit

Fri Nov 06, 2009 at 11:00 AM ET
Tags: RVU Alliance, Industry Trends (all tags)

The RVU Alliance is a newly formed group that was created to set the standards and specifications for secure content delivery over a home network.

Thanks to the addition of a group of members according to Motorola, Humax and more, we may be getting one step closer to a centralized entertainment experience.

To break it down simply, it goes like this. The RVU wants you to be able to view your content no matter where you are in your house. They’re creating the standards that hopefully, companies will follow in the future to allow viewing of all of your content no matter what set-top box, computer or game console you’re using. Needless to say, we’re fans.

Originally consisting of Broadcom, Cisco, Samsung, DirecTV and Verizon, the RVU Alliance added a group of members today who will be developing and promoting the technology. Motorola and Humax may be the most familiar names, as they make up a significant portion of the set-top box market.

Among the other members are Pace, a developer for the pay TV industry and Thomson, who provide services for content creators. Also joining are NXP semiconductors and Entropic Entertainment, who have a hand in the chips being used in various consumer electronics devices.

An announcement like this in November could easily mean big things at the quickly approaching Consumer Electronics Show this January.

Source: Press Release

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BD-Live Hopes to Connect Viewers to Movies AND People

Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 04:00 PM ET
Tags: BD-Live, Industry Trends, Blu-con, Michael S. Palmer (all tags) By Michael S. Palmer

Reps from Walt Disney, Sony, Universal, and Fox gathered for a panel at this year’s Blu-Con 2.0 to discuss the present and future of BD-Live.

Currently, 4 million Blu-rays connect to BD-Live every month. 50% of users return to the various portals (1984-esque tangent: Sony remembers your player’s I.P. address, and thus knows if you repeatedly access digital content. Big Brother knows where you are at all times!).

I’ve always wondered why BD-Live features have been so lackluster. Apparently, the challenge here is education. Studios and retailers are already educating the consumer on alien terms like HDTV, HDMI, 1080p, 7.1 and Blu-ray. Creating a brand new social experience for BD-Live and having to educate the consumer even further is an uphill battle on top of an uphill battle. Which is why the current strategy for studios is to build upon technology and habits that already exist (via iPhone apps, and partnerships with popular websites like Facebook and IMDB.com). To them, BD-Live should be not only an extension / augmentation of the movie, but also of the consumer’s life.

Here’s a run down of strategies / features by studio:

How can they make it easy, dynamic, and interactive?

Their first BD-Live title was ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ and since then they’ve had the ‘Hannah Montanna’ movie tied to Radio Disney, and the recent ‘Snow White’ features include “living menus” that change appearance according to the time and local weather, as well as the ability to receive a phone call from a Disney princess.

‘Lost - Season 5’ will feature “Lost University” (http://www.lostuniversity.org/). LU, with its Polar Bear mascot, is a Blu-ray/BD-Live exclusive, and gives Lost’s rabid fan base a chance to not only learn about the show, but also to study the themes and mythology built into the Lost universe. Disney hopes that ‘Lost’ fans who have yet to go Blu will buy Blu-ray players in order to participate.

SONY: Every release since April of 2008 has featured BD-Live (and of course, it should, given that their parent company invented Blu-ray). Initially, the BD-Live link was to a portal for additional content downloads and a chance to fill out surveys to let Sony know how they’re doing. Snore.

Recently, however, Sony’s focus has been two-fold. 1) The chance to edit clips from the movies (as seen on ‘Step Brothers,’ ‘Year One,’ and the upcoming ‘Snatch’) and post them on Facebook. And 2) “MovieIQ,” which is a live interactive database about the movie’s cast, crew, and production. A nifty feature bound for ‘Julie & Julia’ (Dec. 8th) is the ability to choose and email yourself recipes from the movie as it plays.

UNIVERSAL: Admittedly arriving late to the Blu-ray world last year, Universal sees the BD-Live experience as something that should be “simple and sharable.” On their discs, look for “community screenings” (everyone around the country, or world, watches the film at the same time, chatting about it via BD-Live), and integrated Facebook / iPhone applications. Recently, for ‘Fast & Furious’ Universal released a car customizing iPhone app (build a car, and share with your friends online) that has proved popular.

FOX: Sharing similar buzz words as simple and social, Fox introduced “Live Lookup” with ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ a few months ago. Integrated with IMDB.com, it’s similar to Sony’s “MovieIQ”, but for my money, much more fluid and visual. Frankly, it’s a shame that we have to have two different versions of the same feature, but I guess simplifying would involve too many lawyers.

Fox is also looking to get into community screenings, citing the desire to “elevate catalogue titles to event status.” Seems like in addition to dressing up, throwing props, and singing along to the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’, the first rule of the ‘Fight Club’ Blu-ray will be to not talk about the fact that everyone’s supposed to show up to watch the flick at the same time.

WARNER was not in this panel, but they are very excited to host global community screenings for ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ (Dec. 7th).

It’s clear, despite all efforts, that BD-Live has a way to go. Studios are researching their little hearts out to give us features like “Live Lookup,” and attempting to integrate their products into the arenas we already occupy. “Lost University” seems like a good start, but is admittedly only for die-hard fans. In the not-too-distant future, we could see e-commerce (the ability to buy products literally used in, or as seen in, the movie), editing movies in real time and inserting them into the film, putting your voice / likeness into the movies, or features akin to Google maps (posting/tagging user generated clips online that tie into filming locations).

Perhaps in addition to developing and selling their movies, bold new filmmakers will also create exciting opportunities for interactivity in watching their movies, which is usually very passive (except for popcorn consumption). Or maybe it’ll be you, dear readers, with the next kick ass idea. What do you want from BD-Live? What’s a “gotta have it” toy you’d love at your fingertips as your favorite flick unfurls in glorious high def?

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'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' Released on USB

Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 02:00 PM ET
Tags: Industry Trends, Paramount (all tags)

Kingston and Paramount have teamed up to bring the much watched Transformers sequel directly to USB.

Paramount Digital Entertainment has announced that they’ve signed a deal with Kingston to bring their films to USB drives and SD cards, but the release of 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' just has us scratching our heads.

Everyone seems to agree that digital distribution is the future of entertainment, but just how it will be delivered seems to be in strong contention. Netflix and Hulu take a streaming approach, while Blockbuster and Amazon go for a pay per view sort of download service. Kingston and Paramount have, on the other hand, created a way to combine the inconvenience of having to leave the house to purchase a movie with the video quality of a stream.

For $30, consumers are able to pick up the newest Transformers film on a 4GB USB drive. According to Kingston, users simply need to plug the USB drive into their computer to play the file, but details on what format the file will be in and what kind of DRM will be involved aren’t there.

There’s also no information on the quality of the video included, but since it’s on a 4GB drive, we can assume it’s not up to Blu-ray standards.

All this wouldn’t be so bad if the cost of the USB drive and movie were less than the two purchased separately, but for $30, that just isn’t the case, as a quick Amazon search quickly confirms.

Paramount says that more movies are coming via USB sticks and SD cards, but if a $30 price tag and less than impressive visuals are what we’re getting, expect the trend to end soon.

Source: Video Business

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Best Buy to Embed CinemaNow on Most Connected Devices

Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 11:00 AM ET
Tags: Best Buy, Industry Trends, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

No, we’re not just talking about Dynex or Insignia here, Best Buy announced today that they’ll be embedding the Roxio CinemaNow service into nearly all capable devices sold in their stores, in a variety of brands. Oh, and there’s more.

The move will effect more than just Blu-ray players and HDTVs, as the CinemaNow digital distribution service will be embedded into not only the usual suspects but set-top boxes, personal media players, and even mobile phones. From what we’ve heard, essentially anything that can play video and connect to the internet.

So with a majority of the hardware purchased from Best Buy set to offer up the digital rental and purchasing service CinemaNow, what’s next? And how exactly does this aggressive move towards digital distribution benefit Best Buy?

Best Buy’s Chris Homeister has the answers. “We’re going into this business in a big way,” he states. “The idea is to let consumers pay once for a DVD and then eventually be able to play it on any device.” This would mean, essentially, that a DVD purchase from Best Buy or BestBuy.com would translate into digital rights for the same content.

Best Buy hopes that the inclusion of the service and the future availability of same day digital copies will create loyalty to the brand from consumers who tend to be increasingly concerned with bargain hunting.

Of course, an advertising and educational campaign is sure to follow, explaining to consumers exactly what they’re getting and how it benefits them. As Dave Habiger of Sonic Solutions puts it, “With Best Buy's ability to drive in-store promotion and education, consumers will come to quickly understand and appreciate the convenience, flexibility, and control that digitally-delivered video entertainment affords them.”

Source: Yahoo News


Blu-ray Brings a Smile to Martin Scorsese's Face!

Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 07:00 PM ET
Tags: Blu-con, Michael S. Palmer, Industry Trends (all tags) By Michael S. Palmer

For this year’s Blu-Con 2.0, the keynote speaker was heralded master filmmaker and movie fan extraordinaire Martin Scorsese.

As an avid cinephile, restorer, and collector, he remembers the days when the only way to “own a movie” was through the poster. One could go to revival houses, of course, but after years of use and abuse, prints were scratched, faded, and even missing scenes.

Then came the videotape. The first chance to build a film collection for the home, but VHS was a very limited technology. DVDs were one step better. A boon to the cause of restoration. Yet even DVDs were troubling, with the squabble over aspect ratios (full screen vs. wide screen).

And now, Blu-ray disc. To Mr. Scorsese, despite the fact that the cinema going experience can never be fully recreated, Blu-ray is the closest home theatre has ever gotten. It marks the very best quality picture and sound. Visual clarity is so strong; it’s all encompassing, almost 3D. As for the audio, he recently remarked while mixing ‘Shine a Light’ that he was excited to know that what he and his team mixed, would transfer exactly to the home.

When asked what he thought about the ability to alter classic titles for Blu-ray release, (such as removing production wires from special effects, or remixing mono soundtracks into 5.1 stereo surround) Mr. Scorsese said that one must preserve the vision of the filmmaker, through elements such as correct aspect ratio, color, and sound.

In his own experience, when Mr. Scorsese originally released ‘Taxi Driver’ (which isn’t out on Blu-ray yet), the technology at the time limited him to a mono track, but Bernard Herman had recorded his haunting score in stereo (just like Warner Home Video did with the 'Wizard of Oz' in 2005). Returning to those elements isn’t a desecration of the original exhibition, but a chance for the filmmaker to use technology that was unavailable to them when they were making their movies. He wanted us to remember that there were actually early versions of stereo 60+ year ago (Walt Disney’s ‘Fantasia’ was the first, exhibited in 1940 in “Fantasound”), used for such classics as ‘A Star is Born’ and ‘Shane.’

Regarding special effects, moderator Grover Crisp (SVP, Asset Management, Film Restoration & Digital Mastering, Sony Pictures Entertainment) spoke with Scorsese about the recent 4K restoration of ‘Dr. Strangelove.’ There were strings in some shots of the planes. Sony left the strings in for the studio’s master so they would always have them, but for the Blu-ray release removed the them, as the medium is so clear, on today’s larger television, the strings would have been distracting. Something Stanley Kubrick never wanted his audiences to see. As a fascinating anecdote, Mr. Scorsese said in the early 1990s Kubrick was self-preserving ‘Dr. Strangelove’ using a 35mm still camera, photographing it frame-by-frame. Scorsese chuckled, and then admitted that he wasn’t sure if Kubrick ever concluded this project.

Peter Bogdanovich said there are, “no old movies, just ones you haven’t seen.” And it’s through Blu-ray that Scorsese finds this especially true. Blu-ray has the ability to extend the life of film, in that it presents and preserves all the elements that make this visual medium feel like film (grain, texture, color etc). He said with previous home entertainment formats, audiences might not have been able to tell you exactly why a movie wasn’t as good as it was in the theater. Yet subconsciously they could feel it when clarity, color, and quality were lost.

When asked about his favorite Blu-ray movie, Mr. Scorsese didn’t want to pick just one, but admitted that every time he fires up John Ford’s ‘The Searchers,’ even just to check it out, he can’t turn it off. It still holds up, it’s very moving, and there’s beauty in the landscape and the nature of the faces.

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ViewSonic Announces New HD Media Player

Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 01:00 PM ET
Tags: Viewsonic, Industry Trends, Product Announcements (all tags)

The ViewSonic VMP70 is the latest media player from Viewsonic, a company better known for their monitors and projectors. Based on the specs though, they might have been better off sticking to what they know.

The VMP70 is a high definition media player, and much like other similar media players, it plays a variety of media formats at a 1080p resolution. The VMP70 shows photos, plays a pretty strong range of video and audio formats, and even offers a pair of USB ports. What it doesn’t do is network.

Coming soon at an estimated $99, ViewSonic’s media player may be a case of too little, too late. It supports a wide range of video formats, including Divx, Xvid, WMV, H.264, MKV, and Real Media. Viewsonic’s official website states “and more”, though there’s no clue as to what those additional formats are.

From an audio standpoint, the VMP70 is decent. It’ll play back WMA and MP3 files, as well as OGG and ACC. Disappointingly, there’s no mention of FLAC.

ViewSonic’s VMP70 offers HDMI and component output, as well as composite and SPDIF outs. A pair of USB ports sits on the back for attachment of various storage devices. Unfortunately for ViewSonic, the lack of network capability makes this a much less desirable device.

Source: ViewSonic

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ViewSonic Announces New HD Media Player

Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 01:00 PM ET
Tags: Viewsonic, Industry Trends, Product Announcements (all tags)

The ViewSonic VMP70 is the latest media player from Viewsonic, a company better known for their monitors and projectors. Based on the specs though, they might have been better off sticking to what they know.

The VMP70 is a high definition media player, and much like other similar media players, it plays a variety of media formats at a 1080p resolution. The VMP70 shows photos, plays a pretty strong range of video and audio formats, and even offers a pair of USB ports. What it doesn’t do is network.

Coming soon at an estimated $99, ViewSonic’s media player may be a case of too little, too late. It supports a wide range of video formats, including Divx, Xvid, WMV, H.264, MKV, and Real Media. Viewsonic’s official website states “and more”, though there’s no clue as to what those additional formats are.

From an audio standpoint, the VMP70 is decent. It’ll play back WMA and MP3 files, as well as OGG and ACC. Disappointingly, there’s no mention of FLAC.

ViewSonic’s VMP70 offers HDMI and component output, as well as composite and SPDIF outs. A pair of USB ports sits on the back for attachment of various storage devices. Unfortunately for ViewSonic, the lack of network capability makes this a much less desirable device.

Source: ViewSonic

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.


Apple Could Offer Unlimited TV at $30 a Month

Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: Apple, Industry Trends (all tags)

Apple has been out talking to TV networks in recent weeks, trying to round up support for a subscription service which would deliver unlimited TV for only $30 monthly.

Apple and TV are two words that just don’t seem to go together well. With the knowledge well in hand that their previous television integration just didn’t work out, Apple is looking to start something new. The service Apple is proposing is just what consumers have been wanting for a long time.

The plan, according to Apple, is to offer television content through iTunes at a subscription rate, rather than making people pay per download. The structure would seem to be similar to that of the current Netflix arrangement, but the service would require iTunes. This would present a bit of a problem from the convenience side, especially if the files aren’t easily streamable or require a set-top to play on a TV.

The other question from a consumer standpoint is that of fidelity. $30 for unlimited 1080p downloads/streams of television show would be well worth it if enough broadcasters were on board. $30 for unlimited standard definition content on the other hand doesn’t look quite as nice.

Networks are hesitant to jump on board either way, as they see that this could be seen as a move away from cable services, which would certainly upset relationships with companies like Comcast. Additionally, the shows would be presented on iTunes in an ad free format, meaning a complete zero in advertising revenue.

Source: All Things Digital

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Apple Could Offer Unlimited TV at $30 a Month

Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: Apple, Industry Trends (all tags)

Apple has been out talking to TV networks in recent weeks, trying to round up support for a subscription service which would deliver unlimited TV for only $30 monthly.

Apple and TV are two words that just don’t seem to go together well. With the knowledge well in hand that their previous television integration just didn’t work out, Apple is looking to start something new. The service Apple is proposing is just what consumers have been wanting for a long time.

The plan, according to Apple, is to offer television content through iTunes at a subscription rate, rather than making people pay per download. The structure would seem to be similar to that of the current Netflix arrangement, but the service would require iTunes. This would present a bit of a problem from the convenience side, especially if the files aren’t easily streamable or require a set-top to play on a TV.

The other question from a consumer standpoint is that of fidelity. $30 for unlimited 1080p downloads/streams of television show would be well worth it if enough broadcasters were on board. $30 for unlimited standard definition content on the other hand doesn’t look quite as nice.

Networks are hesitant to jump on board either way, as they see that this could be seen as a move away from cable services, which would certainly upset relationships with companies like Comcast. Additionally, the shows would be presented on iTunes in an ad free format, meaning a complete zero in advertising revenue.

Source: All Things Digital

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.



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