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Warner Brothers rejects non-English-speaking Gossip Girl fans
Warner Brothers has a very successful setup in Second Life, centered around its popular Gossip Girl property. All isn't exactly rosy there, of late, as WB's actively moderated environment collides with Second Life's and Gossip Girl's rather broad popularity demographics. Warner Brothers uses the Metaverse Mod Squad for active moderation of the Second Life presence. The question is, how do you moderate conversations in languages you don't understand? The answer, it seems, is that you don't. Visitors who communicate in languages other than English are warned to switch to English. Failure to comply sees the visitor ejected.
MobiTV demonstrates mixTV mobile DTV service
This one is still only in the very earliest stages, but it looks like MobiTV has taken advantage of the big National Association of Broadcasters Show in Vegas this week to show off a new mobile DTV service that it's developed in partnership with Sinclair and PBS, which it hopes will eventually find its way to a few interested cellular carriers. The service itself is a combination of free over-the-air DTV broadcasts (from PBS and the CW, at the moment) and subscription-based on-demand content, which would apparently be made available for a seven-day window and be delivered via mobile WiMAX. Unfortunately, there's no indication whatsoever of a potential roll-out, but it looks like MobiTV will be working hard during the next few days to woo some additional partners, so there's at least a slight chance that we could be hearing a few more details before the show wraps up later this week.[Via Phone Scoop]
Cinemassively: UES Insider - Noob to Knockout
Warner Brothers created a promotional Machinima showing the Metaverse Mod Squad making over a newbie in Second Life. It is narrated by Gossip Girl, the character in the TV show that anonymously blogs all the happenings in Manhattan's Upper East Side. She starts out by explaining that there was an asian-themed party for Blair Waldorf's 17th birthday. All of the familiar faces were there, but a mystery girl stood out in the crowd. They go on to show how she went from "noob to knockout."The video, created by WB Worldwide TV Marketing – New Media, in conjunction with Reitz-Lange Productions, is a fun look at what goes on in the Gossip Girl sims. However, it could have been so much better had they not left the UI in the shots. You can clearly see chat going on in the bottom left corner. Another complaint is that the press release calls it an "animated video." This is supposedly the first in "The Upper East Side Insider" series, so hopefully next time they'll call it what it is; Machinima.[Thanks, Stormy!]
Cox adds five HD channels to Las Vegas lineup
The giving just keeps on spreading, and that's just the way we like it. Shortly after Northern Virginia got hooked up with 11 new high-definition options, it looks like Sin City has been blessed with five of its own. Reportedly, TLC HD, HGTV HD, Food Network HD, Discovery HD and CW HD landed in Cox's Las Vegas, Nevada region, and have been assigned to channels 722, 723, 724, 727 and 734, respectively. According to AVSForum members residing in Vegas, the channels were supposed to go live yesterday, so for those who've had a chance to check it out, did Cox deliver?[Thanks, D2point0]
CW Network going all-HD next season, including WWE in January
We worried that The CW Network wouldn't be able to broadcast HD every night when it was originally announced, but it recently revealed that all of its dramas and comedies for the upcoming 2007-2008 season will be produced in high definition with surround sound. Unfortunately wrestling fans were left out of the party, but no longer, as PW Insider is reporting that SmackDown is finally going 1080i in January, following tests of HD technology by WWE over the last few months.[Thanks, delldude360] Read - WWE Going HD this January Read - CW 2007-2008 Premiere Dates
MyNetworkTV the first all HD broadcast network?
We have been wondering for some time what was to come of the many former WB/UPN affiliates once the CW goes live this fall. We're not sure what rock we have been under for the past few months but most of this news is from May. Better late than never, this will possibly be the first all HD network. Don't get too excited because it doesn't look like the new network is going to have something for everyone. Unless your favorite programing is Novelas, yeah we didn't know what they were either, but thanks to Wikipedia we learned they are spanish style soap operas, the kind they make fun of on SNL's Besos y Lagrimas. The network is owned by Fox Television and CEO Jack Abernethy said, "We will be all telenovelas, all the time." If you still can't wait to watch check out the affiliate list to see if MyNetworkTV is coming to your area.
