broadcasts
Latest
Fox Sports used a Sony A7R IV to give NFL broadcasts a cinematic look
Fox Sports used a Sony A7R IV during a broadcast to give NFL fans a more intimate and cinematic experience.
Twitter now lets guests join your live video broadcasts
Twitter will start letting broadcasters on its app open up their livestreams to guests, similar to what it brought to Periscope in February. The new feature, which is now rolling out to Twitter's iOS and Android app, is going to allow up to three people to call into your live videos during a stream, making it easy for them to ask you questions or just have a conversation with you about anything that may be on your mind.
Grooveshark will launch an internet radio service in 2015
It's rare that you'll find a story about Grooveshark that doesn't include the phrases "copyright," "lawsuit" or "legally questionable." This may change in 2015, however, as it appears the company is about to turn over a new leaf and play nicely with music labels. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the outfit is about to launch a Pandora-esque digital music station that will pay royalties for every song it pays. Currently known as Broadcasts, users will pay 99 cents a month for a service that, thankfully, runs without those dreaded commercials.
UK carriers form alliance to speed up 800MHz LTE rollout, let us enjoy our Freeview TV
Isn't it better when we work together? British carriers think so. EE, O2, Three and Vodafone have officially created a non-exclusive joint venture, Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, that should speed up the deployment of 800MHz LTE by keeping Freeview over-the-air TV signals clear of interference while the partners bring their low-frequency 4G online. Previously, the networks were bound to form an equivalent company called MitCo that wouldn't have been active until after the 800MHz auction, preventing companies from getting their wireless houses in order until they'd already made a commitment. There's also a competitive angle involved to go with the cooperative work, as you might imagine: with EE's 1,800MHz LTE poised to go live on October 30th, choosing infighting over assistance would only help widen the frontrunner's lead. Whether DMSL represents altruism or pragmatism, we'll appreciate knowing that the hurdles to a catch-up in UK 4G will be more those of the technical reality than the usual political maneuvering.
NHK working on Hybridcast interactive TV platform (video)
NHK is working on Hybridcast (an entirely different system to the Hybridcast 3D-delivery setup it demonstrated last year), a system that uses the internet to make vanilla TV broadcasts interactive. It works by pushing HTML5 overlays to your tablet and TV, so you can play along with quiz shows or follow a travelogue from the comfort of your couch. The company is planning to build a set-top-box with the technology ready for sale next year, with integrated TVs hoped to arrive from Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, Sharp and Mitsubishi shortly afterward. You can see what the residents of Japan can expect by watching the video after the break.
iPads invade Super Bowl parties
I've talked quite a bit before about the growing "second screen" phenomenon, where iPads and other mobile devices are used as a second screen while either working on another computer or watching television. And with the biggest event on television yesterday, there was likely a lot of "second screen" viewing going around. ZDNet's James Kendrick says his was one of three iPads around the coffee table at his Super Bowl party, and with tens of thousands of tweets per second going out during the most interesting parts of the game, Kendrick's experience was undoubtedly not unique. Car maker Chevrolet actually participated in the event with the Chevy Game Time app, which not only posted ads available on the iPad the second they went live on the TV, but also offered up contests and more interactivity during the show. And the NFL and NBC famously streamed the whole event live on the Internet for the first time this year -- while I didn't get a chance to pull the game up myself yesterday, I heard a few people say that it was in fact available to stream on the iPad. The commercials weren't available on the stream, though, so it'll probably be a few years before people learn the stream is out there, and before it becomes a better substitute for the TV experience. Still, the Super Bowl certainly showed off a few major trends that we're seeing in entertainment consumption lately. Apple's devices especially are providing ways for both consumers and brands to interact and extend the "watching" experience, even outside of a standard TV broadcast.
Comcast's extra ads ruin NFC championship game conclusion in some areas
It wasn't just RIM that had designs on the limelight during the football action last night. Comcast commercials appeared over the NFC Championship game last night, thoughtfully playing over the climax of the match 'twixt the Giants and the 49ers. Frustrated fans who missed out on parts of the fourth quarter and overtime promptly began voicing dissent on the company's support forums. The Washington Post has a quote from spokesperson Amiee Metrick indicating the problems were due to a possible "equipment failure" at a local Fox affiliate, WTTG, resulting in the ill-timed ads reported in Washington D.C. We've heard that of customers receiving a $10 credit and an apology, but it seems unlikely to soothe the brow of those -- like the person who recorded video of the incident you can see after the break -- thinking of switching to FiOS. Update: We've received a response from Comcast (included after the break), and updated the post to clarify the apparent breakdown was at local Fox affiliate WTTG.[Thanks, John]
Top 10 HD sports broadcasts of 2008 -- do you agree?
We know, they're essentially meaningless in the grand scheme of things, but there's something about these "top lists" that just warms our hearts. Arlen Schweiger over at Electronic House took a long, hard look back at all the sports he consumed over the course of this year in order to compile a best-of-the-best list for HD content. We don't want to give away any spoilers before you give the read link a visit, but let's just say "Texas tips Oklahoma," "Giants Freeze Packers" and "Celtics Return to Glory" are scattered about in there somewhere. And while we're on the subject, what's your top 10 high-def sports list of 2008?
Long-distance TV broadcasts hit 80 year anniversary
We've already seen broadcast radio cross the century mark, and while 80-year anniversaries aren't exactly the most memorable under normal circumstances, television is certainly not in a normal predicament. Four score ago, the Indianapolis Star reported that "television, a scientific dream ever since the telephone was perfected, has at last been realized," as an image made its way some 200 miles from Washington, D.C. to Whippany, New Jersey, and then 22 miles by wireless to New York City. 80 years later, OTA broadcasts as we know them are at a turning point, as ATSC signals look to take over for the existing analog flavor, and companies are already chomping at the bit to get in while the getting is good. Furthermore, television as a whole has hastily garnered a newfangled medium in just the past few years, as the internet connected generation can now look to their browser to catch up on recent programming. The not-so-subtle revolutions that have occurred in the world of TV have happened at a breakneck pace, and considering all the luxuries we're starting to enjoy, we doubt things will slow down anytime soon. So here's to 80 years of keeping us pudgy, obliterating our motivation to socialize, and giving mega-corps a means to an end, and if you're interested in just how much has changed in just eight decades of the 'tube, be sure and hit the read link for a comprehensive report.
ABC's Shaw reitterates the obvious, calls HDTVs "game changers"
We've already seen reports of sporting events in HD gluing Americans to their couches for little reason other than its sheer beauty, but now ABC's Mike Shaw is reinforcing the belief that HDTVs are redefining the way we watch television altogether. Aside from boasting that "content is king" while referring to ABC's smattering of "sports, primetime programming, and daytime dramas," he also referred to HDTVs as "the game changer" in a recent interview. He went so far as to draw a parallel from today's 720p / 1080i broadcasts to making the switch from black and white televisions decades ago. Interestingly, he also noted that HD would "have far more impact" than any of the "new devices like PVRs or DVRs," probably ruffling Steve Jobs' feathers in the process. Nevertheless, it's forecasted that "31 percent of 112 million US households" will sport HD sets by the end of this year, giving national broadcasters even more reason to cheer (and advertise), while giving us all yet another reason to hit that oh-so-tabooed button when catching up on recorded content.
