Comcast Teams Up with Philadelphia Magazine

Great synergy opportunity for both Comcast and Philadelphia magazine "Best of Philly" edition. Video on demand to enhance the magazine experience and hopefully, interesting content that brings the user back to the magazine's pages. The opportunities to enhance the advertising message and extend the value of both brands are amazing. This is also what VOD should be about, content beyond what is being repurposed on linear TV. I look forward to hearing the promotional opportunities and tactics used to grow awareness of this combination to the Philadelphia community.

Is Mark Cuban Right: Is the Internet Dead?

Mark Cuban recently spoke at the closing panel of the CTAM Summit where he declared "The Internet's for old people" and based on this and a number of other articles, his meaning was that the internet that we know today is past its prime and that what cable has built will change the way we receive and what we watch over the hi speed line. It reminds me a bit of the old adage, "the only thing constant is change", and what Cuban is suggesting is not so off base.

The services that Time Warner and Comcast, Verizon Fios and others each provide to their own unique customer, closed, walled gardens of content, applications, and information, will separate each cable operator from the other. How companies like Google and Tivo try to utilize the open cable architecture, OCAP, that the FCC has imposed is counter to the intranet structure which Cuban sees as prospering.

One story I recall from graduate school was when the rairoad companies were asked, what business they were in and they responded trains. But what their business really turned out to be was transportation and by not adapting to change, they lost dominance to the airline industry. In Jim Collin's book, "Good to Great", the businesses that excelled understood that in order to continue to be great, they had to adapt to the changing needs of the customer and to maintain their industry dominance, they had to keep thinking differently to excel.

Of course the internet will change, but it is not dead. Closed systems stifle growth. Its one reason the US cellular is so far behind the rest of the world. The competing cell formats don't talk to each other. So, the question shouldn't be, is the internet dead, the question should be, what's next. The internet is about sharing...sharing information, entertainment, and communication, that will not die, but it will continue to change to satisfy the consumer. In a very short time, we've experienced more social networking, quicker fulfillment of viewing through on-demand, easier navigation to what we seek, and more content than we can possible consume in one lifetime. The internet has put people together with similar interests, rediscovered relationships and lost friendships, opened barriers for more creativity, and opened our eyes to more possibilities.

The internet is not dead. An open architecture enable more applications to be written and even mashed together into something extraordinary. No, it is not dead and I'm excited by what's coming next.

Cable Without a Cable Box, the Start of TV Convergence

Terrific article in this morning's NYT that encapsulates the new opportunities opening for the TV to do much more because of the CableCard. Consumers may now get access to more opportunities: DVDs that can directly record all digital cable programming with a better signal, Tivos working without rigging connections to get a poor signal off a cable box, and other advances. Cable operators may fear the loss of revenue from selling lower priced cards instead of higher priced settop boxes, they also can reduce the higher inventory costs of the settop boxes. Cable operators should not be in the business of selling boxes, the revenue streams are in the service of the pipeline. It's in the cable operator's best interest to embrace the CableCard when they get out of the box business, With the CableCard, the power of choice goes to the consumer to decide which box fits their needs the best. The CableCard opens up the ability to bring convergence to the TV with more devices able to talk the talk.

Tivo Unveils cable card enable settop box

So what does the cablecard mean for consumers...as I suggested in an earlier blog, it opens up the market and allows more products to interface with cable more effectively. And the first to market seems to be Tivo with a DVR that reads the cable signal and allows easy recording and viewing. Having worked with a Tivo that only received non-scrambled signals, the cable card enables the Tivo device to work even better, recording all shows accessible through the cable line. To me, Tivo is like a luxury vehicle while a cable DVR is a family station wagon. They both go from A to B, but Tivo, with its bells and whistles, and easy to use navigation, travels in style. I've been on both road trips and prefer my Tivo! Are more cablecard products on the horizon, I certainly hope so.

Merged XM-Sirius Would Offer 'A La Carte' Pricing

Interesting move by the two companies to offer a lower price option as a tactic to demonstrate to the FCC why their merger should be approved. While pricing is certainly a factor that the FCC would consider, it is not the straw that will determine the final decision. Clearly, Sirius and XM should remind the FCC of what they have already allowed to occur across the cable industry and that this impact resulting from a merger on the market is far less of an issue than cable. A cable/hi-speed/phone customer has far fewer choices open to them. You can get your local cable provider, Dish or Direct TV, AT&T or Verizon. If Sirius and XM merge, the choices for audio entertainment still allows for dozens of free radio stations, iPod connections, cellular/wireless connections, and perhaps soon, Direct TV for the car. Sirius and XM mainly serve the mobile market, and to be more specific, your car. While they also have mobile devices to compete with boomboxes, a pc connected wirelessly to a streaming radio station provides an equal variety of content. Technology is enabling a low cost of entry to the marketplace, the FCC should alllow the merger to take place and let the free market economy to work.

Should cellphones be technology agnostic?

Google makes some interesting points as they seek out an opportunity to join the wireless fray. Televisions work with any cable provider, computers work with any high speed provider, why shouldn't any cellphone work across any wireless provider. This open model approach had it been in effect today would have caused the Apple iPhone to be available across all wireless platforms.

So what does Google have to gain from an open architecture. The initial answer is advertising to into the wireless platform and the the consumer might gain with reduced wireless fees for more messaging. Perhaps also, such openness would enable more applications to be built that could more effortless tie in the pc and the phone. As Google doesn't have a cellphone or pc to sell, owning the consumer on multiple screens may prove more lucrative than we may think. It be interesting to learn what else is up Google's sleeves.

Google continues to lead the convergence revolution and it will be fascinating to see if the FCC will approve Google's wireless license. Their argument is a good one and seems in the consumers best interest. But can the wireless industry move down that path?

Study: Broadband Viewing Up, But Not Affecting TV

There is an insatiable hunger for more video on the web and this study, commissioned by Nielsen for NCTA, confirms that fact. And while interesting to know, the fact that there is more video on the web than ever before seems to make the above conclusion seem way too obvious. Of course usage is up!

The fact is that most content available on the web today is short-form, snack-size bites, to feed that viewing hunger. It would be more interesting to learn when during the day this video is consumed and what the preferred length of a video on the web was viewing. I recall in the VOD universe, most free on-demand viewing occurred outside the prime time window, and most longer content, i.e. movies, tended to be watched during prime time. In the case of broadband video, it would be interesting to learn what percentage is viewed during the work day, and what percentage in other dayparts. And will that information, which I am assuming will show a disproportionate amount of viewing during the day, cause companies to restrict the viewing of video on company computers.

While better navigation and search are imperative to user satisfaction, how user behavior changes with the advent of longer video on the web will also be interesting to analyze. The convergence of the web with the cable box and the ability to move or stream content to a preferred viewing device, tv vs. pc, may be necessary to lead that behavioral change.

Sony website focusing on professional video only

An interesting move by Sony to rename its website and to change its strategy to show professionally produced video instead of showcasing amateur clips. While TV has always had an "America's Funniest Home Video" type show, You Tube has cornered that arena on the web. Sony's belief seems to be that it will be easier to sell more ad spots on a site featuring emerging professional filmmakers.

My question is - what does Sony have going for it that will encourage viewers to visit their site verse other sites that already cater to this genre. The Sony brand does not represent a filmmaker home. Mention the Sony brand and TVs and cameras come to mind, not movies. And the newly named Crackle brand has absolutely no brand to connect with nor existing relationship with filmmaking; perhaps, the site should have been renamed Sony Pictures or the company they had previously acquired - Columbia Pictures -to connect more to their business and communicate a brand value associated more closely with film. While I believe the future of video success on the web is professionally produced content, it has to be in the right context and with a brand connection that resonates value.

In addition, the user is being inundated with lots of videos from so many sources. And given the low cost of entry, more videos are on the way. The consumer can bookmark a few of their favorite sites, but ultimately, many videos get quickly lost. What we need is a single website that quickly and easily aggregates all these video choices and can help search through the growing library and make some suggestions based on my viewing behavior. Lets call it TVGuideBlinkxTivo.

Streaming content vs Downloaded content

I had an interesting conversation this week with someone about the two formats. In our conversation, his technology clearly differentiated between content that is sent for live viewing or listening but not retained by the user and content that is sent as a batch file for use whenever. As a technology, they are two very distinct ways to send content, but for the user experience, the layman may not know or even care how they receive it only that they are capable of watching or listening to the content. It certainly matters if you are trying to retain ownership for that content and don't want to let loose a version that can be copied and shared. And while technology is trying to blur the line so that streaming content can be retained and held offline, for now, the differences bring different opportunities and challenges. Does the non-techie know or care, they don't. I doubt they could tell you how they receive it. But they will tell you if the content is worthwhile or not. At the end of the day, it is still content that is king.

TV Guide for Sale

So News Corp needs to raise some funds and TV Guide needs a new parent. Considering the in-roads TV Guide has made with cable operators, I wonder if TIVO would make sense as a buyer. With TV Guide, you get the cable channel, magazine, and its electronic program guides. You also get better access to the consumer to push the TIVO brand. For TIVO, you could enhance the capabilities of the TV Guide with the strengths of the TIVO guide. Perhaps too, it would help TIVO get even more access, beyond their current arrangement with Comcast, into the cable DVR set-top box with other MSOs. It seems there might be a terrific synergy in combining the assets of these two companies to become the pre-eminent cable, tv interactive search experience.

FCC Tunes In on Sirius-XM Merger

An interesting issue for the FCC to ponder, allowing two competitors to merge, and with it a potential monoply created. Whether there are two or just one satellite radio choice, the pros for allowing outway the cons. A merger would mean that one satellite company would provide access to each company's respective exclusives: NFL, MLB, Howard Stern, Martha, etc. And the consumer still has the ability to choose other car entertainment options including free radio, cds, ipod, etc. The cons, no competitor could mean price gouging. Monopoly or oligopoly, price is ulttimately controlled by demand and there is still choice.

But as technology keeps marching forward, so does choice and the advent of Direct TV to the car and other future possibilities should be considered. I say let the merger go forward and let the free market prevail. That's my 2 ¢.

VOD Networks

A couple of my favorite niche networks - on demand - bite size programming to satisfy your daily viewing hunger...and each day, a new video to enjoy.

Wallstrip - with an interview with Comcast's Amy Banse.




From NextNewNetworks - Channel Frederator

Live Earth is Here

Lucky day - - 07/07/07 - - and while I normally talk about the changing entertainment landscape, let us take a break to remember that we live with limited resources for us and our future generations to use. It is time to act and while Going Green sometimes sounds like a buzzword, its implications are important.

So as we use all our wonderful entertainment and communication devices, iPhone, Blackberry, cable, etc, remember to help conserve. Disconnect chargers when complete, turn off lights when not in use, turn down the A/C just one degree, recycle, etc. The more we all do now, the more we all make our planet a better place to live.

iPhone scores a big Win

No surprises, the Apple iPhone exceeded all expectations. And for those willing to wait a day, the lines receded and there were plenty of phones still available to purchase. Still, it was interesting to note how many people were willing to purchase an iPhone and contend with the AT&T service; so the next data to look for is how many of those buyers switched carriers to get AT&T, how many came from AT&T already, and how many didn't want to deal with the number portability issue and may be carrying two phones at the moment from two different services.

One recent article suggested that hackers are hard at work seeking ways to bypass AT&T and stll use the phone features; others contend that this is all a huge plot by Steve Jobs to own the wireless market. They point to his dominance with the iPod as proof. I had a chance to play with the phone and it is a beauty to behold. But like the iPod, first generation will begat second generation will begat third, and it should all occur relatively quickly. Get the bugs out with AT&T, blame them when the phone doesn't work properly, then fix the problems and offer the iPhone to the better service carriers. As Apple keeps improving upon its design, dominance is assured.

NBBC to Shut Doors

First of all, I like NBC and appreciate its proactiveness in trying to understand this digital space. Second, I'm sorry to hear that this venture is ending but it seemed the writing was on the wall the moment the joint venture with Fox was announced. And third, I don't expect the joint venture to fly either and ultimately, NBC will go back to completely owning its digital distribution model. Why? Because you shouldn't confuse technology with distribution and at the end of the day, you want to own your content as long as you can through the pipeline. Given the deep pockets of many content owners, why share the milk if you own the cow. The NBC brand is too powerful to dilute it with other competing content partnerships; the quality of its content and synergistic abilities means that it can reach the consumer directly and guide them to any site or technology they wish. And while I use NBC in this example, the same applies to CBS, ABC, and FOX. And do consumers watch the channel? NO, they watch the show and it is the actual interest in the show that is the cow to milk.

Live TV on cell phones better than you'd expect

So quick recap...the iPhone has been released - long lines, sold out, and only major complaint is that it requires the AT&T service to use. The FCC mandate has passed and waivers were granted.

Saw this article today and couldn't agree more. So what that the iPhone gets You Tube or that you can watch a movie on it. When its on-demand, I'll demand to watch it on a better screen, at home on the TV or PC. But when I am on the go, the video that most matters is what is on live and in the moment. Any sports game, I want to watch it live and if I'm remote, there's no better device to use than the phone. Just imagine even sitting at the game and turning to your phone to catch the replay and hear the analysts describe the action. News junkie and you can't live without Today or Good Morning America, let's watch it on the phone. Breaking news that may even buzz your phone to let you know to turn to it. Need your CNBC or Bloomberg fix, turn on the phone.

And this is why cable should offer a wireless component - so they can bundle digital TV coverage into the phone - HBO, SHO, local sports nets, CNBC, and of course the local broadcast channels - and give me a complete communication package, cable, voice, hi-speed, and cellular. But the cable MSO's better hurry, Verizon has the product and all they need to do is become better marketeers of their bundle - FIOS and Verizon V Cast mobile.

Live TV on the phone is what the iPhone needs and without it, the hype is short-lived. Add wireless to the cable bundle and that is a winning combination and that's my 2 ¢.