Video
Report: Satellite pay TV revenue will top cable’s by 2016
November 21, 2012 12:23 pm | by Mike Robuck | News | CommentsCable operators have been bleeding out basic video subscribers over the past few years, and a research firm predicts that satellite pay TV revenues will exceed cable’s for the first time by 2016. MSOs are attempting to combat the basic video subscriber losses with promotional efforts of their own, such as the quad play deals.
Xfinity app adds downloadable viewing
November 21, 2012 12:18 pm | by Mike Robuck | News | CommentsComcast soft-launched the latest version of its Xfinity TV Player app to include downloads from Starz, Encore and MoviePlex on devices running either Apple's iOS or Google's Android operating systems. Authenticated subscribers can view shows and movies anywhere and offline.
Navigation guides yet to take flight
November 21, 2012 10:14 am | by Brian Santo | Articles | CommentsTV’s user interface (UI) – combining navigation, search, discovery and more – is as sophisticated a product as the TV industry has. But it doesn’t by a long shot get viewers literally everywhere they might want to go. “Disaster” might be too strong a word for TV’s UI, but whatever the appropriate description is, the difference is a matter only of degree.
DOCSIS 3.1 takes center stage at Cable-Tec Expo
November 21, 2012 9:56 am | by Brian Santo and Mike Robuck | Articles | CommentsThere were plenty of buzz-worthy topics during the most recent edition of the SCTE Cable-Tec Expo, but the official debut of the DOCSIS 3.1 specification made the biggest splash in Orlando outside of Sea World. A panel provided some insights on DOCSIS 3.1.
Telecompetition top concern at TelcoTV
November 20, 2012 7:41 pm | by Brian Santo | Articles | CommentsTier 2 and Tier 3 service providers remain squeezed by circumstances. Some are scraping up the wherewithal to build infrastructure supporting new services. Meanwhile, equipment vendors continue to devise solutions sized and priced appropriately for the market.
A compelling multi-screen user experience
November 20, 2012 7:37 pm | by Kirk Edwardson, director of marketing at Espial | Articles | CommentsManaged service providers, telcos, MSOs and satellite broadcasters alike are facing intense competition from over-the-top service providers such as Netflix and Hulu. These new market entrants are rapidly building their subscriber base by providing premium video and video-on-demand services on any device.
Disney to shutter online movie store, website
November 20, 2012 1:29 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe company will shut down its movie site, which had limited functionality, in advance of a new, forthcoming online presence where customers will be able to do much more, including download movies they buy. The company said the site would be closed as of Dec. 31.
Adobe aims to cut TV Everywhere player tangle
November 20, 2012 1:15 pm | by Brian Santo | News | CommentsAdobe has expanded and integrated its Primetime video platform with a media player that could be used on any mobile device, the beta version of an ad insertion service, and the integration of data analytics. The company is offering an SDK to embed the player in TV Everywhere apps.
Cox kickstarts campaign for Boys & Girls Clubs
November 20, 2012 1:08 pm | by Mike Robuck | News | CommentsCox Communications announced a nationwide marketing campaign that was designed to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of America during the holiday season. Customers can donate new, unwrapped toys at the 133 Cox stores across the nation. The toys will be donated to local Boys & Girls Clubs in each of Cox's markets.
ESPNWatch now available through Xbox
November 20, 2012 12:54 pm | by Mike Robuck | News | CommentsESPN is serving up a full slate of its live, TV Everywhere programming on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console. Companies with deals with WatchESPN include Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Midcontinent Communications and Verizon.
Time Warner Cable’s $82M National Data Center opens in Charlotte
November 19, 2012 2:35 pm | by Mike Robuck | News | CommentsTime Warner Cable officially opened the doors on its $82 million National Data Center on the company’s Charlotte campus. The new data center will enable Time Warner Cable to leverage the latest IP technology to deliver its video to various services and devices.
TV, movie features on Wii U delayed
November 19, 2012 2:22 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSome of the entertainment features on Nintendo's new Wii U won't be available when the game machine goes on sale. Nintendo didn't give a reason for the delay. The company said it wanted the service "to be the best possible experience for all consumers."
Memory Lane - A signal of what would come
November 19, 2012 12:50 pm | by Stewart Schley, media and technology writer | Articles | CommentsIn cable, the cable modem and the television converter loom large as signatures of technological advancement. But industry historians point to a far less notorious device as the innovation that propelled the industry from its tenuous origins to an echelon reserved for the truly game-changing. It was a signal meter.
Charting a course for IP video migration
November 19, 2012 11:38 am | by CED Magazine | Wallcharts | CommentsWith video being propagated to Smart TVs, PCs, tablets and smartphones, as well as competition from over-the-top video services from the likes of Netflix, there's no question that cable operators need to transition to IP technology in order to remain competitive.
Capital Currents - The FCC’s attack on Channel 37
November 19, 2012 11:18 am | by Jeffrey Krauss, president of Telecommunications and Technology Policy | Articles | CommentsThe FCC has a plan to induce broadcasters to give up some of their frequency spectrum assignments so that more spectrum becomes available for mobile communications. But the FCC plan might also bump the radio astronomy scientists out of off-air TV Channel 37.
