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Amazon Prime arrives on cable-provided TiVo boxes
There's no such thing as regular ol' TV anymore. There's cable and satellite, and a seemingly endless selection of streaming services and content platforms, so clicking around your options can be a bit time consuming and clunky. But TiVo is trying to streamline the process. From today, Amazon Prime members will be able to access Prime Video content directly through their TiVo box. Sitting alongside other video streaming apps already offered by TiVo, the Prime Video app will also include select 4K Ultra HD and HDR content, as well as behind-the-scenes exclusives for top movies and TV shows. Find it through TiVo's OneSearch function.
Rupert Murdoch wants Facebook to pay 'trusted' publishers for content
Facebook has plans to tweak its News Feed to include more posts from friends and family and less from news publishers in an attempt to fix some of the platform's problems. Now news magnate Rupert Murdoch thinks that the social network should adopt a pay-TV model and start paying "trusted" publishers for content.
MPs want Sky and Virgin Media to make public channels more visible
Pay-TV providers in the UK may be forced to do more to promote the on-demand content of public service broadcasters (PSBs) on their platforms in the future, under new rules being discussed by MPs. The Digital Economy Bill, announced earlier this year in the Queen's Speech before being published a few months later, sets out obligations for broadband coverage/speeds and writes a requirement for age gates on porn sites into law, among other things. It's currently making its way through the House of Commons, and yesterday members of the Public Bill Committee proposed a new amendment that would ensure PSBs like the BBC gained more visibility on pay-TV platforms -- a direct reaction to our changing viewing habits.
BSkyB is dead, long live Sky
Following the merger of Sky Television and British Satellite Broadcasting in 1990, BSkyB grew to become the biggest pay-TV broadcaster in the UK. Domestic success was fine, but in July, the company decided it was time to cast its net wider, so it agreed a deal with 21st Century Fox to snap up Sky Italia and buy a 57-percent majority share of Sky Deutschland. That transaction has now been approved, creating what Sky says is now "Europe's leading entertainment company." While much will stay the same, some things inevitably must change. You see, now Sky has divisions in Italy and Germany (and 20 million total customers), the British Sky Broadcasting Group name befit a company embarking on an expansion across Europe. As a result, it's changing its name to Sky and listing itself on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol SKY. Shareholders will need to approve the name change first, but we're sure that's just a formality.
Dish will soon let you pay your bill with bitcoins
While some companies are steering clear of Bitcoin, others, like Dish, are now getting ready to welcome the digital currency into the fold. Today, the satellite provider revealed that it plans to start accepting Bitcoin later this year, allowing customers to easily pay their bill online using virtual money. Dish is teaming up with Coinbase to handle the processing of these payments, which are expected to begin taking place during the third quarter of 2014. "We always want to deliver choice and convenience for our customers and that includes the method they use to pay their bills," Bernie Han, Dish executive VP and COO, stated in a company release. "Bitcoin is becoming a preferred way for some people to transact and we want to accommodate those individuals."
Charter makes a $61 billion bid for Time Warner Cable, could be the first of many
After months of trying to negotiate a deal behind the scenes, Charter Communications is publishing details of its offer to buy Time Warner Cable (which split from Time Warner years ago). Despite a bid that including debt is enough to nab 20 or so Nests, TWC's board responded to the offer by calling it "grossly inadequate." Charter CEO Tom Rutledge is telling anyone who will listen that he can run the company better than its current leadership, and is encouraging shareholders to join him in this viewpoint by making this offer (apparently Charter's third in the last year) public. For customers the upside isn't so clear, as according to J.D. Power Charter is next-to-last in customer satisfaction, staying ahead of only Time Warner Cable -- ouch. Bloomberg mentions that a reason this deal may happen is because billionaire John Malone is backing Charter, and he believes that by joining the companies he can negotiate better deals with the Hollywood studios that provide their content. Another possibility mentioned by Gigaom, is that control over a larger swath of area and customers could help push bandwidth caps and tiered internet pricing. Others like Comcast have also been rumored to be interested in a deal for at least part of Time Warner Cable, but the Charter/TWC combination would make for the country's third-largest provider behind Comcast and DirecTV. This afternoon Charter put on a conference call (slides are available here for EBITDA fans to drool over) to explain its side of the argument, and Time Warner replied it "would not let Charter steal this company." The biggest takeaway here is that these same economics affect others in the industry, so there could be more consolidation of cable/internet giants to come.
Netflix adds The Weinstein Company to its 2016 pay-TV exclusivity roster
2016 is shaping up to be huge for Netflix. That's when the streaming juggernaut's Disney deal starts bearing fruit and it also marks the start of a multi-year pay-TV exclusivity agreement with The Weinstein Company (TWC). This means the first stop for TWC's flicks after home video will no longer be Showtime, but (almost) everybody's favorite place to watch movies instantly instead. While the studio has a pretty impressive back catalog -- Django Unchained, Silver Linings Playbook, The Road and ... Scary Movie 5 -- it isn't in the class of, say, Universal or Fox in terms of sheer blockbusters. With the rate 'flix is signing contracts though, who knows what could happen within the next three years.
Syfy Now app streams full episodes to iOS today, Android next month
The Syfy for iPhone app is relaunching as SyFy Now, while the old Syfy app for iPad is reborn as Syfy Sync, dedicated solely to the network's second screen ambitions. Why the changes? Now is all about TV Everywhere with streaming of full episodes of Syfy's original series the day after they air and bookmarks that sync across devices with iCloud. This app can't put Alphas back on the air, but it can bring Defiance, Robot Combat League and Being Human to wherever you are, assuming you have a compatible TV provider. At launch, customers with Armstrong, AT&T U-Verse, Cablevision's Optimum TV service, Charter, Comcast's Xfinity TV, DISH, Mediacom, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS, and Wide Open West (WOW) are ready to go, and others are coming soon. Don't have authentication? The show clips and behind the scenes video previously featured in the app are still available. Syfy's app for Android isn't updated yet (and still isn't ready for the new Nexus 7) but the press release promises Now will launch there in September -- hopefully the network can figure out how to include TV movies like Sharknado 2 in the package by then.
WSJ: Sony looking to launch online cable competitor, in talks with Viacom, Disney
Sony's reportedly made some headway on a solution that may well convince a number of subscribers to cut their cable cords once and for all. According to The Wall Street Journal's usual gang of anonymous sources, the electronics giant is in talks with several high profile media organizations to help populate an internet-based service that will stream channels and offer up on-demand content. The offering, which Sony is apparently looking to launch by the end of the year, would be the realization of some long time aspirations. Viacom is apparently at top of the list of potential partners, as the home of channels like MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon. That deal is said to be in the preliminary agreement stage, news that comes a few weeks after Viacom inked a deal with Twitter. According to the WSJ, Sony's also been holding meetings with a number of other content providers like Disney, Time Warner and CBS. All parties involved have, naturally, refused to comment.
Google reportedly pitching streaming online TV service to multiple media companies
Streaming online television services appears to be the next big thing in the Valley -- at least, if you ask Google, Apple, Intel and other tech giants that are considering making a move in that direction. According to the Wall Street Journal, Google has approached several media companies about licensing TV channels for such a service, which involves offering cable TV-like channel packages over broadband. This wouldn't be the first time we've seen the folks at Mountain View putting feelers out, as the company opened up discussions with media companies two years ago. Nothing came of them, of course, but it's hard to say if the current conversations will meet the same fate -- a couple years is a long time in the industry, and things may be different enough to merit a more appealing offer on either side, especially given the rise of Netflix, Roku, Amazon Instant and others. A report from the New York Times indicates that these talks are still likely preliminary and not anywhere close to a deal, so we shouldn't anticipate watching new TV shows live on our Google TV anytime soon.
Xbox OneGuide brings HDMI in/out, overlays for live TV
Today Microsoft revealed the Xbox One, and confirmed rumors that its new game console is ready to take over as the heart of your home theater. The new box features HDMI in and out for passthrough with your cable or satellite box. It's even able to control connected devices with Kinect 2.0-detected voice and gesture commands thanks to IR blasters and HDMI-CEC. On stage, executives showed off the Xbox OneGuide, demonstrating a way to pull up information including trending programming or fantasy sports stats while watching live TV. There's also a live TV show for Halo in the works, and Microsoft brought NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on stage to talk about integration with the number one pro sports league. There's no word on exactly which cable, telco or satellite TV systems this will integrate with, but Microsoft's PR states it "is committed to bringing live TV through various solutions to all the markets where Xbox One will be available" and mentions HDMI is required for the feature to work. It's supposed to be available at launch in the US, with "global scale" anticipated over time. Check after the break for a few pics of the guide and the back of the Xbox One showing its IR output.
Intel rumored to launch set-top box, 'virtual cable TV service' at CES
With CES 2013 just days away, TechCrunch has posted a juicy rumor that chipmaker Intel will announce a major plunge into TV, choosing to go it alone after several failed partnerships in an effort to "do it right" this time. Claiming an unnamed source in the video distribution industry, the rumor suggests a plan to deliver a set-top box with DVR, rolled out on a city-by-city basis as it negotiates channel agreements. Despite a number of demos through the years, the Intel-powered TV boxes that have landed in our living rooms so far have been the first gen Google TV and Boxee Box units. Both struggled to make a significant impact and switched to ARM CPUs for the second generation of their products. Based on some of the tech demos we've seen and earlier rumors, Intel's plans could include using facial recognition to personalize the experience for (and target advertising towards) different viewers, and offering smaller, cheaper bundles of channels than traditional providers. Another element from the TechCrunch post indicates a plan to provide a Catch Up TV-style service that lets users view anything that has aired in the last month on the channels they're subscribed to, although there's no word on what will power this technology. Intel's participation in Comcast's Reference Design Kit program is also referenced, although given Big Cable's traditional reluctance regarding alternative delivery models, any sort of tie-in here seems like a long shot to us. A combo package of pay-TV channels and internet VOD has been tried before, although Sezmi's antenna-connected solution failed to catch on and fizzled late last year. Like recently rekindled Apple HDTV rumors, the potential of Intel's service may rely just as much on its success negotiating with content providers as any technology it's cooked up. Check out the rest of the rumor at the source link and a video from Intel's 2009 IDF demo after the break, we'll have any official announcements as they happen from the press conference January 7th.
Cable, IPTV providers reportedly testing cloud-based HD gaming for launch next year
The next generation of consoles from Sony and Microsoft haven't even been announced yet but their best competition may be from your cable TV / internet provider, according to a report from Bloomberg. The only-too-eager-to-talk people familiar with the matter named AT&T U-Verse, Verizon FiOS and Time Warner Cable as services preparing tests before the end of the year with general availability planned for 2013. Comcast and Cox were also name dropped as potential candidates to bring console-quality HD games directly to customers, based on tech from startups like Playcast, CiiNOW and Agawi. Of course, while we've seen this sort of setup before (as seen above, check out an awesomely 90s Sega Channel ad after the break) and recently from OnLive and Gaikai, cloud gaming has yet to catch on in a major way. Whether this potential approach is all smoke or will actually turn into reality has yet to be seen, but after TV Everywhere we wouldn't be surprised to see providers toss in gaming as another incentive for subscribers not to cut the cord. [Image credit: Sega Retro]
DirecTV HR34 DVR 'Genie' recommendations and autorecording get previewed ahead of fall launch
DirecTV paired its HD interface with the five tuner, RVU ready HR34 Home Media Center DVR back in March, so what will it do next to take advantage of the multiroom boxes with five tuners and massive hard drives? The answer is Genie, a new feature / rebranding that should be very familiar to TiVo users, since its aim is to find other shows you might be interested in and store them on the DVR without being prompted. The folks at Solid Signal and DBSTalk have had an early preview of the fall software update that will enable it, and have both posted hands-on impressions. Once the user enables the feature, after a few hours it begins episodes of shows similar to the ones they already watch and recording them automatically. The feature uses hard drive space that's already reserved for DirecTV's video on-demand (so user accessible recording space is not impacted) and works in selections available from VOD. Watching a program at your leisure VOD-style, setting up a series recording for a new favorite or blasting it from your drive is just a click of the remote away on the DVR or one of its multiroom extenders. Helping viewers discover new content is a field suddenly filled with competition, from the social networking based to Dish Network's Hopper that records everything on primetime network TV and even filters out commercials. That Genie can let you watch already recorded episodes right away and pull from any broadcasts its finds may give it a leg up, but so far we haven't seen recommendation systems good enough to promote switching from one service to another. Hit the source links for more details on how it all works, along with a video preview, also embedded after the break.
NFL Network and RedZone Channel coming to Time Warner Cable (Update: Officially confirmed)
You don't have to look high (or low) to find a litany of complaints regarding Time Warner Cable's service, support or pricing, but it's evidently aiming to right one particular wrong later today. According to Bloomberg, the National Football League has inked a deal with TWC to bring the NFL Network and RedZone Channel to its systems. The move comes just months after the NFL ushered its networks onto rival Cablevision, putting TWC is a particular bind in the greater NYC market. It's still unclear where the channels will be positioned and how much extra you'll have to pony up to get 'em, but hey -- it's cheaper than moving to a FiOS neighborhood. (Though, admittedly, less satisfying.) Update: Both parties have confirmed it, NFL Network and NFL RedZone Channel are coming to Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks starting September 23rd. NFL Network will be included for customers on the Digital Basic and Sports Pass tiers, while NFL RedZone is on the Sports Pass package only, check the press release after the break for the relevant details and self-congratulatory affirmations.
DirecTV Everywhere VOD and live TV streaming finally arrives on the iPhone
After debuting them on iPad and Android, DirecTV has finally brought "Everywhere" features to the iPhone. That includes video on demand access to a number of shows and movies no matter where you are, as well as the in-home only live TV streaming feature previously seen on the iPad (but not on Android, yet.) DirecTV has also added its own exclusive Audience Network to the list of streaming channels which should add additional content to watch. The one drawback? Like many other TV provider apps, we're hearing this one isn't meant to work on jailbroken devices and after users update it won't even open, cutting off other features like DVR scheduling. If that's not a problem, grab version 2.2 at the source link below and input your DirecTV account info to get started. [Thanks, Brian]
Editorial: Cutting the cable cord is a young trend going in the right direction
This week I bought a Roku. Late to the party? Yes, but not as late as you might suppose. Roku has sold about 2.5 million streaming media boxes since the product launched in 2008. Approximately 1.5 million of those units moved in 2011, indicating an acceleration of demand. Coincidentally, those numbers roughly represent the cord-cutting movement: Reportedly, 2.65 million cable subscribers ditched their service between 2008 and 2011, with about 1.5 million of those defections happening in 2011. While cable cord-cutting is a trend, the movement is occurring in the context of customer inertia. About 100 million customers subscribe to cable, satellite, and other pay-TV providers (e.g. AT&T's U-Verse). The problematic value proposition of cutting the cord will probably keep massive inaction in place for the short term, but cannot, I believe, withstand long-term marketplace demands.
WSJ: Apple's TV focus changes to putting cable TV in its set-top box
Just in case you thought the often discussed / as yet unseen Apple HDTV rumor mill was dead, you were wrong. The Wall Street Journal is reigniting things this evening, with sources claiming that instead of competing with cable providers by starting up its own IPTV offering, Apple has switched to sweet talking pay-TV providers into offering their content through its box. If you're still looking for a Cupertino-embued display you may be in luck, since the anonymous parties also indicate the set-top box tech it's working on could be integrated with HDTVs. That is still an less than certain path at the moment however, given pay-TV operators current preference to control every element of the experience and relationship with consumers, as well as the split of profits. According to the Journal report, Steve Jobs was "dismissive" of attempts to build a cable box since cable operators each only have limited regional exposure and don't own the content they license from studios. Since then however we have seen a few offerings of cable and satellite TV beyond the box as Microsoft offers Verizon and Comcast apps on its Xbox 360, Samsung has brought providers directly to its smart HDTVs and many providers offer streaming access via iPad or other mobile devices. Still, since the rumor doesn't indicate a deal is inked or even on the way, we wouldn't hold our breath for any or all of the listed possibilities to come true any time soon.
Viacom channels disappear from DirecTV after the two companies can't reach a deal
As we feared, DirecTV and Viacom didn't work things out and before the clock struck midnight ET, all of the network's feeds went dark for the satellite company's customers. Of course, both sides are throwing barbs with Viacom saying DirecTV was not interested in engaging in "meaningful conversation" and that their last contact was at 11AM. On DirecTV's side, it's claiming it sent proposals but never heard anything back and as such was forced to pull the channels. Viacom has been running ads and notices all day to make sure kids big and little call DirecTV to apply pressure about missing their television shows. DirecTV is firing back with the Kids Mix channel (shown above) that replaces the pulled children's programming and points out content on other stations, and even suggests customers check out sources like Amazon Prime or Netflix to keep watching their shows in the meantime. There's no telling who may blink first, or when, but you can look at each company's statement and hear the sabres rattling for yourself after the break. Any bets as to who will work out a deal first between these two and Dish Network / AMC?
Cablevision Optimum apps for iPad, iPhone upgraded with new UI, ratings and discovery features
Cablevision unveiled its Optimum for iPad app with live TV streaming in the spring of 2011, then upgraded it to 2.0 with remote control and DVR scheduling plus an iPhone-compatible edition last fall, and now 3.0 has arrived on iOS with a whole new UI. The updated look makes the app more consistent with the web-based Optimum experience for PCs that launched in April, making it easier to find shows and view the guide well into the future as well as up to two hours into the past. Key to the upgraded discovery experience is the ability to rate TV shows which it uses to make recommendations on other content. The DVR section has even been revamped,making it easier to see what's been recorded and programs that are scheduled, as well as remaining storage space. The full changelog is available on iTunes, subscribers can grab the free apps for their respective devices at the links below.
