Filed under: MISC
The End of an Era
Reviews are split over the finale of the HBO series The Sopranos, airing its final episode last night. That said, this little Sopranos fan loved it and respected David Chase for leaving me in utter anticipation even after the silent credits had rolled off the screen. In my most humble opinion, it was simply brilliant. Here’s a bit of what others had to say:
Whether it was creative genius by “The Sopranos” creator David Chase or a way to leave an opening for future episodes or a film, Sunday night’s finale ended with most of the Soprano family gathered in a restaurant. According to one TV critic, the ambiguous ending may have left some viewers without a sense of closure. (The Sun (Baltimore) 6/11)
For some popular culture critics, split fan reactions speak to the difference between entertainment and art, and which of them we want. If we wanted pure entertainment, there was obvious disappointment – no, aggravation – in a finale that set up threats to Tony’s life in that last diner scene, then ended abruptly. But if we see it as art, they say, then why should we object to the artist – series creator David Chase, said to be vacationing in a French chateau Monday – painting final brush strokes on his masterpiece as he wishes? (http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/06/11/ap3810371.html 6/11)
The abrupt finale last night was almost like a prank, a mischievous dig at viewers who had agonized over how television’s most addictive series would come to a close. The suspense of the final scene in the diner was almost cruel. And certainly that last bit of song — “Don’t Stop Believing,” by Journey — had to be a joke. (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/11/arts/television/11sopr.html 6/11)
Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
BROADCAST/CABLE
Although VOD advertising is still in its infancy, a study by Frank N. Magid and Associates found that VOD ads deliver better purchase intent and heavier recall of the products. The study, which surveyed viewers from ExerciseTV, found that 47% of the respondents recalled a pre-roll advertising spot and that 48% said the pre-roll ads made them either “much more” or “somewhat more” likely to buy the featured product. (Mediaweek 6/11)
The saga of imprisoned socialite Paris Hilton dominated the news over the weekend, with some of America’s most august journalistic institutions working the celebrity justice beat. CNN’s Kyra Phillips called the network “the most trusted name in Paris news.” (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117966601.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1 6/10)
An appeal is holding up initial distribution of a $2.65 billion settlement involving the 2001 combination of AOL and Time Warner. The settlement resulted from lawsuits brought by shareholders. Ed Blair, a retired CNN employee, says he is “tired of waiting” for his payment. (http://www.smartmoney.com/bn/ON/index.cfm?story=ON-20070608-000850-1659 6/8)
The NFL Network is disgruntled with Comcast’s decision to move its programming from a basic digital tier to a $4.95-a-month sports tier. To that end, NFL Networks sent out an e-mail blast to Comcast customers urging them to demand that Comcast keep the NFL Network in their current package or “demand a rebate for the loss” of the channel. (Variety 6/10)
The July 1 deadline for CableCard-enabled set-top boxes is just around the corner, and some consumers and cable companies are still questioning the need for the card-size devices. The CableCard’s roots trace back to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, but whether the FCC’s mandate will lead to lower-cost, consumer-owned set-top boxes seems to be a matter of debate. (The Cincinnati Enquirer/Associated Press 6/11)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Apple has been developing a new online film rental service that would allow movies to be downloaded and viewed on a rental basis. The proposed service is viewed as a threat to cable’s VOD service because consumers will be able to watch movies without paying for a monthly subscription. The VOD service could boost Apple TV by giving it more utility. (Financial Times 6/11)
Apple TV and Amazon.com’s Unbox service help to highlight the ongoing convergence of multimedia products. Both devices allow users to download and wirelessly stream movies and other content from their computers, although playback quality remains a concern for some. (NewsFactor Network 6/8)
England-based Joost has a rival in Ireland. Peer-to-peer client-based TV network Babelgum launched a beta version on Friday, offering a similar business model and user interface to the service started by the founders of Skype. Babelgum is offering content providers half of the revenue generated from advertising placed against their content, with minimum guarantees of $5 for each 1,000 unique views. Programming is a work in progress, beginning with content from National Geographic, Associated Press, Reuters and Spike Lee. Silvio Scaglia, who founded Italian broadband service provider Fastweb, backs the company. He’s investing $475 million from his own pocket and another $175 million from the ISP, according to reports.
I am downloading Babelgum as we speak. I absolutely loved Joost’s user interface and the widgets that accompagnied it. If Babelgum’s interface compares, this advertising model could cause some serious competition between the two. More on this tomorrow after I’ve had the chance to pt my toe in the Babelgum waters.
Babelgum’s User Interface (below)
Four-Eyed Monsters became the first feature-length film posted to YouTube, clocking in at 71:54. The film, directed by Arin Crumley & Susan Buice, was financed entirely by credit cards. The filmmakers are hoping users will help them get out of debt by joining Spout.com, a movie social networking/recommendation site that has pledged up to $100,000 for the project. Spout will give the filmmakers $1 for each new member that sign up from its link. Hurry if you want to see it–it’s only up for a week.
YouTube is launching a Chinese version of its service in the near future, according to comments made by co-founder Steve Chen at an internet conference in Taipei. The company is also looking to make videos available on buses and subways both here and abroad.
MTV launched two new user-generated video sites whose submissions will end up on MTV’s air. YoMomma.tv asks for yo momma stand-up jokes for the return of Yo Momma on June 11 at 6:30 pm ET/PT. (As in, “Yo Momma is so fat …”) ShortCircuitz.tv resurrects a sketch comedy show hosted by Nick Cannon that went off the air earlier this year. The new version, enhanced with homemade TV and music parodies, returns Thursdays at 10:30 pm ET/PT. Both sites feature social networking applications and enable uploaded clips to be embedded on other sites. This is ongoing trend for MTV, and so far so good; the recent Real Worldonline casting call has already resulted in nearly 16,000 submissions.
Submissions on CNN.com’s user-generated “I-Report” service are up 30% in the weeks following the Virginia Tech Massacre from the start of the year, as more citizens try to contribute breaking news content for use on the site and on CNN’s air. CNN received about 3,000 “usable” I-Report submissions in April and again in May, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
AOL’s new ad-based business model will be made to sink or swim by the end of the year, according to comments made at last week’s Merrill Lynch US Media Conference by Time Warner Chairman Dick Parsons. Investors have demanded that Time Warner sell or spin off AOL for years, but so far no one has offered any real value for the company or its parts, he said.
Yahoo is launching a new celebrity-oriented Web portal in a partnership with the syndicated newsmagazine “Access Hollywood.” The “Access”/Yahoo site, to be known as omg! — Internet shorthand for “oh my God” — is being eyed as a competitor to Time Warner’s fast-growing TMZ.com. (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i531ac764854ad290838cf8e3565e0e14 6/11)
Concerns are surfacing over whether or not the internet is going to be able to handle the video traffic that will arise when Joost launches later this year. It’s proprietary P2P video service delivers data at the rate of 350 MB/hour and is expected to attract millions of users. Companies such as PacketExchange are coming to market with platforms for video, gaming and interactive applications that run alongside of the public internet to provide more stability. P2P applications are currently used by less than 5% of a typical internet service provider’s subscriber base, points out The Economist, but account for over half of the total traffic.
Internet content delivery network Limelight Networks raised about $240 million in an IPO on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the symbol LLNW. Limelight handles video streaming for clients such as ABC.com and Netflix. Shares jumped nearly 50% on the first day to end at $22.18 on Friday.
Broadband internet connections have surpassed the halfway point now reaching 53% of U.S. households, according to a new survey by Leichtman Research. Broadband services now account for 72% of all internet home subscriptions, up from 60% last year.
ComScore published a white paper confirming that cookie deletion can cause large overstatements in site-server estimates of online audiences. The study addresses key discrepancies between server-based and panel-based data, finding that server-based findings can be inflated up to 2 1/2 times the actual number of unique visitors.
Filed under: WIRELESS
WIRELESS
Consumers in many parts of the world will have access to YouTube on their mobile phones by next year, says co-founder Steve Chen. Taiwan-born Chen made the remarks as he spoke to a group of Web users at a forum on Internet developments in Taipei. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070609/ap_on_hi_te/taiwan_youtube 6/9)
As the June 29 release date for Apple’s iPhone looms closer, a growing number of mobile carriers are releasing multimedia cell phones that they hope will prove profitable alternatives to the widely hyped first-generation Apple device. Nokia’s N95, T-Mobile USA’s Wing and the Samsung UpStage all tout high functionality by combining music capabilities with other user-friendly features. (Chicago Tribune 6/11)
Nokia N95
TMobile’s USA Wing
Samsung Upstage
Sony BMG Music Entertainment announced a distribution deal with MobiTV to add more than 2,500 music videos to the mobile entertainment service. Sony will create a series of ad-sponsored channels featuring the original programming of a single artist beginning with Avril Lavigne. Look for long-form concerts, photo galleries and a mobile version of her comic book “Avril’s Make 5 Wishes.”
LG MobileComm USA and Billboard are sponsoring a Mobile Beat contest encouraging fans to try out to be mobile concert critics this summer. Entrants must submit photo mashups of themselves and a brief description of why they want to blog. Up to 30 “critics” will be sent to concerts around the country to create mobile blog entries with the new LG camera phone. Young & Rubicam’s Brand Buzz and Mediaedge:cia’s MECi are handling the promotion.
Filed under: GAMING
GAMING
Favorable global interests have prompted Walt Disney Co. to triple its gaming investments, according to Chief Financial Officer Tom Staggs. “What we are doing is trying very deliberately to develop our core capabilities in video games content development, leveraging what already exists in the Disney brand,” Staggs said. (The Hollywood Reporter/Reuters 6/11)
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
GlobLink has unveiled a new mouse designed to be worn on a user’s finger. The device’s release date and pricing have yet to be announced. (Ubergizmo.com 6/11)
Freescale Semiconductor has announced a new MEMS-based sensor that it says is one of the world’s thinnest accelerometers. The MMA7450L uses a 3-axis digital-output accelerometer and is just 0.8mm thick. It enables motion-control functions, as well as freefall protection for hard-disk drives. (Electronics Weekly (U.K.) 6/11)
