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Facebook bolsters original video ambitions with MTV hire
As rumored a couple of months ago, Facebook is getting serious about making its own original content. The company has now hired a former MTV executive, Mina Lefevre, to be its Head of Development. According to Deadline, she will be leading Facebook's efforts to create scripted and unscripted content -- something she has plenty of experience with. During her time at MTV, as the executive vice president and head of scripted development, LeVre worked on shows like Awkward, Scream and Teen Wolf, to mention a few. It'll be interesting to see what she ends up developing for Facebook, especially as it continues to make a major push into video.
PlayStation Vue drops all Viacom channels
If you're a subscriber to Sony's PlayStation Vue streaming service, here's some bad news: it's discontinuing all Viacom content starting November 11th. That means that channels like Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and Spike will no longer be available on Vue. In a blog post, the company stated that the decision was "the best way for us to continue to offer the most compelling value to our fans," which suggests that cost could've been an issue.
Sling TV debuts its new look on Apple TV
Apple's TV box is getting more internet TV friendly with the addition of Sling TV, but that's not the end of the announcements today. Apple TV will be the first platform with Sling's new "content-centric" UI. A big addition is the "My TV" section, which lets users pick favorite channels or easily resume watching a particular show, as well as other overall improvements. Sling's deal with Apple also means it will let subscribers buy a 32GB Apple TV for $89 -- if they prepay for three months of Sling's $20/month service. It's an odd way to build in what amounts to three free months of Sling, but that's what it will be when it goes live here.
MTV's first original Snapchat Discover show is all about sex
You'd think that MTV would have been quick to produce original shows for Snapchat's Discover portal (to be where the young people are), but nope -- it's only just getting to that now. The network has unveiled Pants Off, an eight-episode series that dishes out serious advice on sex and relationships in an accessible way. Sex educator and video blogger Laci Green hosts each of the short-form clips, which tackle everything from sex advice myths to dating apps. It's clear that MTV and Green aren't pulling many (if any) punches in the first episode. Although there isn't anything graphic on screen so far, you probably want to watch with headphones on while you're in public.
MTV is bringing 'Cribs' back... on Snapchat
MTV is reviving Cribs, that show that gave us a peek into the homes of A- to Z-list celebrities and Mariah Carey's bathing habits, according to Variety. It's not going to make you feel like it's the early 2000's again, though -- not when the new program is designed specifically for Snapchat, in an effort to entice younger audiences to tune in. Variety says the revival will be a weekly "short-form" show for MTV's Snapchat Discover channel. The publication also says it'll provide "an intimate experience," likely by having the celebs themselves guide viewers around their houses from their POV. Whatever its format is, we just hope MTV can recreate the old show's magic. The new Cribs will reportedly start appearing on your Snapchat Discover section sometime in June.
Comedy Central, BET, MTV, more Viacom networks will hit Sling TV
Viacom networks Comedy Central, BET, MTV, Spike, Nick Jr. and others will land on Dish's streaming service, Sling TV, in the coming months. These channels will be available in single-stream and multi-stream packages, though there's no word on specific bundles just yet. It's all part of a deal Viacom and Dish hashed out last night, just before their previous contract expired, and it ensures Viacom's current lineup of 18 channels will remain on Dish satellite TV.
Apple services down for some, including Beats1, iTunes and App Store
This morning isn't turning out to be a great one if you lean heavily on Apple's media ecosystem. According to the company's status page, a whole of host of Apple services have been plagued by issues since a little before 10AM Eastern time today, to the point where some users just can't access them. The full list of impacted features is a pretty hefty one at this point — it includes both the iOS and Mac App Stores, Apple Music, Apple TV, the iBooks Store, iTunes in the Cloud, the iTunes Store, iTunes U, iTunes Match, Radio, OS X Software Updates and the Volume Purchase Program. Basically, good luck trying to buy anything that isn't an attractive hunk of aluminum or plastic from Apple right now.
Watch TED Talks, MTV and Pac-12 sports on your Chromecast
Interested in watching thought-provoking discussions, music videos and college sports on your TV through a Chromecast stick? You're covered as of today. Google has announced that the mobile apps for MTV, Pac-12 sports, TED Talks and Qello Concerts now have Chromecast support, so you can check out that inspirational presentation on the big screen without buying a set-top box or connecting your PC. This isn't the most significant thing that Google is putting on your TV today, but it'll mean a lot if your phone regularly doubles as a media hub.
MTV adds a live feed to its Android and iOS apps
You've been able to catch up with episodes of Jersey Shore through MTV's iOS and Android apps for around a year. But, if you wanted to gasp along with the action as it was broadcast, you'd have to make an appointment to take over the family TV. Thankfully, the reality channel has updated apps on both platforms to bring a live feed of both MTV and MTV2 to your device (assuming you have a participating pay-TV provider to log in with). That said, we can't imagine anyone persisting with the feature for too long -- those ad-breaks are a lot shorter when you're catching up.
Upvote while you showboat with Xbox One's Reddit app
Xbox One becomes the first console to get a Reddit-based app when Reddx launches on the console today in the US and Canada. Fans of the aggregation site/social hub/gif-abase can snap in the exclusive Reddx app, allowing them to play games or watch shows in one window while upvoting and downvoting in the other. According to the developer Stern Beast, ReddX supports image panning and zooming; gif playing with rewind, pause and fast forward features; and full input support across controller, voice, Kinect gestures, SmartGlass, USB keyboards and Xbox One media remotes. Also, it's free to all Xbox One users, so yes, you can lose yourself to the time-eating clutches of the Trees Sucking at Things subreddit without a Gold membership.
You can now browse Reddit from your Xbox One
The internet's front page is coming to an Xbox One near you. ReddX is what Microsoft is calling the first ever Reddit app for TVs and it'll allow you to browse through r/gaming or the rest of the site while you're, you know, playing games, and it's rolling out today. A post on Xbox Wire notes that there are media-specific achievements to unlock that are named after gaming memes (Scumbag EA, perhaps?) and there's even a customized main page. More than that, you'll be able to upvote, comment and perform any of the site's functions while holding an Xbox One controller or SmartGlass device. You can also control GIFs, view image galleries and even watch embedded YouTube videos without leaving the app, and, because it's on the Xbox One it can of course be snapped in alongside something else and is controllable with voice. To show off just how it all works, Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb wrote a post to Reddit directly from the application.
Must See HDTV for the week of February 17th: Winter Olympics, Daytona 500 and Strider
This is the final week of the Winter Olympics, with the closing ceremonies scheduled for Sunday night. Bob Costas is back (with less creepy demon-possessed eye infection stare) plus plenty of action including bobsled, short-track speed skating, hockey finals and of course, curling. Game of Thrones season three will hit the shelves on Blu-ray, so whether you're looking for a recap or just getting your first look in 1080p, now is the time. Racing fans can also look forward to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season with the Daytona 500 on Sunday, while gamers can enjoy a remake of the classic game Strider on current and next-gen systems this week -- although honestly, many of us are just trying to finish off House of Cards before the spoilers become impossible to avoid or filter out. Usually we don't point out the late-night weekly shows, but tonight Jimmy Fallon takes over the Tonight Show chair from Jay Leno. Check after the break for trailers plus our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and gaming.
MTV app arrives on Android, brings full TV episodes along -- if you have cable
Android users don't have to look blankly at their iPad- and Xbox-using friends whenever they talk about Catfish anymore, now that the MTV app has arrived on Google Play. It offers on-demand streaming of recent episodes from select series, but only for subscribers of participating cable providers. The list of cable companies is quite lengthy (it includes AT&T U-Verse, Time Warner and Verizon FiOS, among others) but it's missing some notable ones like DISH, at least for now. Unlucky folks who can't access full episodes can always watch trailers and look at companion content for MTV Shows, including polls and behind-the-scene tidbits. Or, you know, they can look for their video fix elsewhere instead -- some of those other sources even come with actual music videos.
MTV Artists iPhone app wants to help you discover new music, provide a deeper connection with musicians
The number of media discovery apps keeps getting bigger by the day, and the latest to join the frenzy is MTV. Simply dubbed MTV Artists, the newly announced iPhone application is loaded with a vast amount of music-focused features, including detailed artists pages and the ability to search for tracks by simply typing in lyrics. What's more, MTV also suited the app with Sound ID, a Shazam-esque function which can quickly identify songs -- this is particularly useful when you're trying to find out who sings a tune that you may be hearing for the first time. MTV tells us that Artists is more than just another music discovery app, noting that the idea is to connect users with artists by way of in-depth profiles, which contain things such as image galleries, videos and tour dates. MTV Artists will only be available for iOS (iPhone-optimized) at launch, but the network did say that an Android version is in the works and set to come "sometime in 2014."
YouTube Music Awards hit NYC Nov. 3, blend mainstream artists and internet stars (video)
The alternate reality of Youtube -- where locally unknown but internet famous entertainers with millions of subscribers grab a spot next to widely recognizable mainstream artists -- meets the real world November 3rd with the first ever YouTube Music Awards. Lady Gaga, Eminem, and Arcade Fire are some of the names you'll recognize from TV and radio that will be there, along with YouTube channel favorites like CDZA and Lindsey Stirling. Spike Jonze is penciled in to serve as creative director and actor Jason Schwartzman will host, while VICE and Sunset Entertainment drop in as executive producers. Since YouTube is where many people go to check out music and find the newest artists (MTV is for scripted shows and reality TV of... varying quality), that it would launch its own live event seems almost inevitable. The show itself comes to you from NYC, but musical collaborations will be beamed in from locales around the globe including Seoul (so, that means Psy is going to show up), Moscow, London and Rio. Nominations for the awards open October 17th, and the site is calling on viewers to judge contributions from the past year to determine who will be the winner.
Lovefilm gets MTV and Nickelodeon through streaming deal with Viacom
Earlier this year, Amazon reached a deal with Viacom to keep many of the media company's shows on Prime Instant Video, even scoring some exclusive content along the way. Now it's time for Amazon's other streaming service, Lovefilm, to benefit from a similar agreement. As you'd expect, Lovefilm's UK subscribers will now be able to enjoy a variety of content from Viacom networks, including shows on MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon. And fret not if you don't enjoy shows like Jersey Shore -- at the very least you'll have the likes of SpongeBob and Go Diego Go! to keep the kiddos busy while you catch up on Man v. Food.
WSJ: Vevo heading to Apple TV as soon as this week
In the early 1980s, everyone wanted their MTV. It was 24 hours a day of music videos interspersed with snappy repartee from cool VJs. But MTV went the direction of reality TV, and the world lost the fun of discovering new bands and songs. Now Vevo is on the way; it's a joint venture between Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Group that will soon start delivering on-demand music videos and 24 hour-a-day programming via Apple TV. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Vevo Apple TV app could appear as soon as this week. Samsung Internet TVs will have to wait for a few weeks before getting the service. Vevo is designed to get music fans to watch videos and original content through its sites and apps instead of on YouTube. There's a lot at stake for the two big music companies behind Vevo -- Google takes as much as 50 percent of ad revenue generated by YouTube content. [via AppleInsider]
MTV app arrives on the Xbox with full episode streaming, still no music videos
If you'd rather catch up on your favorite episodes of Catfish or Teen Wolf on the TV instead of your iPad, you can now do so via MTV's new app for the Xbox 360. Like other content apps for Microsoft's console, you need an Xbox Live Gold subscription to gain access to shows. As with Nickelodeon, only those who are subscribed to one of Viacom's "TV Everywhere" partners like DirecTV and Time Warner Cable can get the last five episodes -- the rest will have to make do with the most recent showing. Those without a subscription can still view other content like clips from MTV News, the Video Music Awards and certain web exclusives. Regardless of which provider you have however, you'll still have to look elsewhere for your music video fix.
Viacom lands deal to show TV highlights on Twitter starting August 25th
While Viacom hasn't always understood how this whole internet video thing works, it's showing some tech savviness today with confirmation of rumors that it's joining Twitter's Amplify program. Beginning with the MTV Video Music Awards on August 25th, Viacom will deliver ad-backed video highlights on Twitter for shows and events across its channel range, including MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon. In theory, the agreement is a win for everyone: Viacom and Twitter get more revenue, while we get a legal way to revisit those inevitable celebrity slip-ups. The two sides haven't said how long their partnership will last, although we wouldn't be surprised if results from the VMA broadcast help shape the deal's future.
Daily Update for June 13, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
