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OUYA wrapping up funding with limited brown metal console, Vevo deal
To put it mildly, the OUYA console has had a better than expected funding run -- the project is now past the $6 million mark, or six times what it originally needed. The team still wants a little something to end the last week of fundraising with a bang. It just unveiled a limited edition brown, brushed metal version of the console with a controller to match; all it takes is a $140 pledge during the final push to August 9th and you've got the Yves Behar-chosen color for yourself. The special run should arrive as part of the wider March 2013 launch. If the original silver hue will do just nicely, thank you very much, OUYA has struck another content deal and will launch Vevo's music video hub side-by-side with the console. Click past the break for a peek at the controller, and consider a pledge on Kickstarter if you just can't stand the thought of having the same console as everyone else.
YouTube ordered to filter video uploads by German court, could face hefty fines
A Hamburg court decision has ruled that YouTube is responsible for what its users upload to the site. This therefore could make the site liable for any copyright infringement associated with that. Furthermore, the court has asked the video sharing giant to put filters in place that detect clips that are protected by the German royalties agency Gema at the point of upload. Worst of all, this could saddle the website with a hefty tab. Although this particular case only pertains to 12 videos (and the ruling to seven of those,) future fines could be as much as €250,000 ($330,000) per case. YouTube maintained that it has no responsibility over what users upload, but that it did take action when notified about protected content. [Thanks, Guy]
Vevo app brings ad-supported music videos streaming to the Xbox 360
The video services Microsoft announced would be coming to Xbox 360 continue to trickle out and the latest is from Vevo. What it brings free of charge (with the exception of the req'd Xbox Live Gold subscription, of course) is a library of music videos that's big enough (45,000 deep) for you to remember when the M in MTV stood for something. An additional bonus is that many of the videos are actually in high definition, unlike the ones broadcast on MTV and Fuse's high definition channels, and when we talked to the company ahead of the launch we were told the audio and video have been reencoded specifically for TV viewing.There's the requisite Kinect integration for voice and gesture control, and users can create a queue of videos and skip through them without pausing the action, and of course share what they're playing with other users on Xbox 360 and services like Facebook. Best of all, it's not a pay-per-view setup like iTunes or the standard Xbox music videos. There are a few quirks however, like needing to create a Vevo account to get access and the number of clicks it takes to add videos to a playlist. Still, whether you want to autoplay all of your favorite artist's videos or pick one at a time it all works pretty well -- the only problem now is finding something worth listening to. Check the Xbox 360 app marketplace to download it or give the video demo (embedded after the break) a peek.
Why aren't MTV HD's music videos in high definition?
Our friends at TV Squad are asking the same question we've had many times, what's up with MTV's treatment of HD? Specifically, why doesn't the MTV or VH1 HD simulcast channel air music videos in high definition? While it was news to us that MTV even aired music videos anymore, it's sad to see how poorly its handling the simulcast channel, though we don't have reception at this branch of the EHD HQ yet, word is they couldn't even keep simple things like the Real World HD broadcast straight last season. That's no surprise for a network that treats its simulcast like a redheaded stepchild (try finding a mention of it on MTV.com or Viacom's website) and staunchly refuses to loose any details of precisely which shows will be broadcast in high definition no matter how many times we ask, and we'll not even get into the endless loop of repeated programming that has become Palladia. Considering one can view any music video on YouTube in "HD" with little trouble, it's even more disturbing that MTV is so far behind the times.
HDFEST schedule revealed, indie films hit Dolby Labs in December
It's been a while since we checked in with HDFEST, but the all-HD independent film festival, now in it's 9th year, is still going strong. Due to kick off at Dolby Laboratories in Burbank on December 7, highlights this year include a focus on animation and several innovative stop motion projects, a HD music video showcase and seven full length feature films. Hit up the website for more information and a schedule of the $10/per screenings, hopefully some of these flicks find away home to the rest of us on any of the number of distribution routes now available.
The Ataris music video contest: Vote for winners!
If you don't recall Blizzard and Machinima.com's The Ataris music video contest, I can't blame you -- originally announced at the beginning of May, Blizzard's site hasn't served as much of a reminder since it opened. However, the entry period for the contest has now closed, but now you have a chance to pick the winner by checking out the finalists and voting for the best ones. All of the machinima are well-made and have their own unique interpretation of the music -- and if you're interested in cool machinima, they're all worth a watch. Good luck to the finalists!
The Ataris music video contest begins!
Blizzard, Machinima.com, and The Ataris are sponsoring a new machinima contest for all of the machinima-makers wanting to show off their talent. Your task, if you choose to accept it, is simple: Create a music video using World of Warcraft footage and music from The Ataris. Submit your video any time between May 1st and June 5th. ... Profit! (By walking away with a new NVIDIA graphics card.) Sound interesting? Check out the official rules and get started!
Lumines website updates, showcases more music videos
The Lumines II website has entered Phase II. In this stage, it will develop chrysalis around its body, to protect itself during metamorphosis. It will also showcase music videos in the new Video Hub section. Artists you can preview include the Black Eyed Peas, Fatboy Slim, Beck, The Go! Team, The Chemical Brothers, and more.Lumines II flutters to store shelves on November 7th.
GameTap now $9.95/month; GameTap TV announced
PC subscription gaming service GameTap has dropped its monthly fee from $14.95 to $9.95 and announced a GameTap TV expansion that will offer "a new broadband video streaming network" for games- and non-games-related programming.The GameTap TV feature will include separate channels dedicated to music videos, network game previews, GT TV-exclusive content, and "even an animation channel set to go live this spring that will feature an original series of animated shorts."We don't know where Space Ghost fits into all these broadband network plans, but we're sure that it can't be good. The cost-cutting measure by the TBS-owned venture are important in light of all the digital-download announcements made by the big console manufacturers recently, but it's hard to tell whether the $5 drop in monthly fees will greatly increase the number of current PC subscribers. Anyone gonna jump in on this?See also: What is GameTap? [Official page where the inset image was found] GameTap to offer previews, trailers GameTap: Turner's games-on-demand site is live
