June 6 Interim Update: The Digital Distribution space is constantly changing, so I will try my best to update more regularly, perhaps even later this month. June 20: updated Bside, Snag, Netflix. June 26: Added Strand and Regent/Here! as well as Top Ten digital distribution tips for filmmakers.
NAV Guide to Digital Distribution™
Copyright © 2009 New American Vision. All Rights Reserved.
Apple TV
Apple TV gives you access to an easy-to-navigate world of entertainment. Rent HD movies. Buy HD TV shows. Listen to your iTunes music. Even show off your photos. Connect one HDMI cable and, just like that, Apple TV turns your TV into so much more.
Put more HD on your HDTV.
HD movies. HD TV shows. HD podcasts. With Apple TV, they're all on demand. You get instant access to newly released Hollywood hits and popular classic and library titles, including the largest selection of on-demand HD movies. And now you can also purchase and watch your favorite TV shows in brilliant HD one day after they air.
Play your music through your home theater system.
With Apple TV, iTunes syncs wirelessly to your TV, so all the music you've collected can now be played on the best speakers in your house. The new Genius feature studies your iTunes library to automatically create a playlist of songs that go great together. You can also browse and buy music videos on the iTunes Store. And sync songs and videos purchased on Apple TV to your computer and iPod or iPhone.
Now appearing on HDTV: Your photos. YouTube videos. And podcasts, too.
Your photos deserve a bigger stage. And Apple TV puts them on your widescreen TV, where everybody can see them in stunning high definition. Select My Photos to browse photos that are on your Mac or PC. You can also access your Flickr or MobileMe galleries. And you no longer have to gather around a computer screen to see YouTube videos and podcasts - Apple TV plays them big and bold on your TV's spectacular screen.
Here is a short review from Cnet:
The good: Provides access to a variety of free and premium media content--including movie rentals, TV shows, music, photos, podcasts, and YouTube videos--on your living room TV; streams media from networked Mac or Windows PCs; purchases and rentals can be done directly through iTunes Store on your TV; movie rentals from all major studios include some in HD and surround sound; sleek external design and elegant user interface; simple, streamlined setup; includes state-of-the-art 802.11n wireless networking; smooth, hiccup-free streaming.
The bad: Doesn't work with older, non-widescreen TVs; movie rentals must be watched within 24 hour timeframe; no subscription payment options; lackluster file support for non-iTunes video formats; oversimplified remote can't control other devices; no built-in DVD player.
The bottom line: With its enhanced iTunes video offerings, PC-free operation, and a lower price tag, the updated Apple TV is a compelling Internet-enabled entertainment device for the living room.
ORLY'S NOTE: I have not actually dealt with them yet and will update this after I do.
Amazon CreateSpace /
Amazon Video On Demand
Amazon is rebranding its digital services as Amazon VOD.
About CreateSpace
CreateSpace is a DBA of On-Demand Publishing LLC, a subsidiary of Amazon.com Inc. We were originally founded as CustomFlix Labs, Inc. in 2002, and acquired by Amazon.com, Inc. in 2005. Our mission is to profitably connect our members to their worldwide audience.
CreateSpace provides inventory-free, physical distribution of Books, CD and DVDs on Demand, as well as video downloads through Amazon Unbox. We manufacture physical products when customers order so no pre-built inventory is needed. Through our service, you can sell DVDs, CDs, and books, for a fraction of the cost of traditional manufacturing, while maintaining more control over your materials.
With our services, you can make your books, music and video available to millions of customers by selling on Amazon.com, the CreateSpace Shop, and on your own website with a customized eStore.
Orly's Notes:
- Amazon's Unbox does digital video – EST (electronic sell through) such that the rental file has a time limit by which it expires. Also MP3 files and Unbox is on TiVo. They have deals with studios and distributors and terms are 35% for MOD (manufacture on demand) and 50% for EST (electronic sell through) & DTO (download-to-own).
- Through Create Space they do deals direct with filmmakers and the filmmaker drives traffic after agreeing to Member Agreement, sourcing the file digitally and establishing metadata. Terms are 55% to Licensor and $4.95 per unit for MOD. CreateSpace utilizes the same search tools as Amazon.
- Also see Amazon Advantage for its self-distribution opportunities for DVDs.
Websites
VOD: www.amazon.com/videoondemand
CreateSpace: www.createspace.com
Amazon Advantage: advantage.amazon.com/gp/vendor/public/join
Please note Amazon now owns IMDB www.imdb.com & WithoutABox: www.withoutabox.com and WithoutABox services the digital platforms in addition to managing festival distribution, marketing and tix sales.
On July 17th, 2008 Amazon also announced that it will have a VOD (Video On Demand) service and 40,000 movies and TV shows will stream. This service won't have the same issues that CreateSpace or UnBox had of user needed to download software. Amazon did a deal with SONY ELECTRONICS to place its Internet Video Store on the SONY $300 tower-shaped device that funnels web video. But future Bravia device will embed content in TV.
AT&T U-Verse
Services: TV, Internet, Phone
The Difference: All video and audio is digital and delivered over IP. U-verse uses H.264 (MPEG-4 AVC) encoding, which compresses video better than MPEG-2, which is used on traditional media, including DVD. This greatly decreases the bandwidth needed to send programming, therefore a customer line does not contain unused data, like other cable service providers.
Website: uverse.att.com
Subscribers: 781,000 (as of October, 2008)
http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/TV_theater/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=208802242
Cost: Free installation and free first month of programming. Plans start at $44.
Availability: 12 states (as of 1/23/08)
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS146389+23-Jan-2008+PRN20080123
TV Features:
· Record up to four programs at the same time (One HD and three standard-definition (SD) channels, or four SD channels, can be recorded or viewed simultaneously)
· Program your Digital Video Recorder (DVR) from a remote location
· Capable of receiving High Definition TV (HDTV) signals
· Access to your Video on Demand library anytime
· On-screen program guide with 14-day look ahead
· On-screen parental control
· Channel line-up and easy-to-use Features Guides included
· Each TV in the home requires a receiver, additional receivers are just $5 each per month
· DVR program recording capacity: 133 hours SD recording, up to 37 hours HD recording, or any combination of the two
Atom Films
Website: www.atom.com
Now owned by MTV Networks. Lauching original series and also buying shorts and other content, e.g. original series produced by Ivan Reitman called Border Patrol.
Babelgum
Website: www.babelgum.com
A free internet TV platform supported by advertising, Babelgum combines the full-screen video quality of traditional television with the interactive capabilities of the internet, offering professionally produced programming on-demand to a global audience with broadband access (a minimum of 450kbit/sec).
Babelgum's editorial focus is on independent film and festivals, adventure sports, nature and travel, supported by the launch of a series of thematic communities in those areas.
As the name suggests, Babelgum's goal is to act as an international 'social glue', bringing a huge range of content to a global audience – like a modern-day Tower of Babel. The bubble logo is a fun visual pun on the company name, but also reflects Babelgum's commitment to a green, global future.
The Babelgum player provides content owners with a secure platform on which to distribute their programming worldwide and a unique business model that allows them to monetise their assets.
Babelgum's content partners include the Associated Press, Reuters, PBS, BBC, 3DD, Shine Limited, Gong Anime, IMG, Off the Fence and international film festivals such as Seattle, DC Independent and Encounters. The list of advertisers includes globally renowned brands such as Vodafone and Benetton Group.
Founded in 2005, Babelgum is an independent and privately held company with around 100 employees and offices in the U.K., Ireland, France, Italy and the US.
The company has invested 50 million Euros to date and has funds available for continued investment to develop the service. Investments are expected to be at a rate between €35 - 60 million per annum in the period 2007-2010. The company has a fully funded business plan and no requirement to seek external funding.
Babelgum is wholly owned and financially backed by Silvio Scaglia, whose wealth Forbes estimates at around 1.2 billion USD, making him the thirteenth richest man in Italy (the last in the list of Italian billionaires) and the 799th richest man in the world.
Orly's Notes
· Started the Babelgum Online Film Festival with director Spike Lee.
BitTorrent
Website: www.bittorrent.com
Company Overview
BitTorrent is the global standard for delivering high-quality files over the Internet. With an installed base of over 160 million clients worldwide, BitTorrent technology has turned conventional distribution economics on its head. The more popular a large video, audio or software file, the faster and cheaper it can be transferred with BitTorrent. The result is a better digital entertainment experience for everyone.
With tens of thousands of new users every day, BitTorrent has three lines of business:
BitTorrent DNA
BitTorrent DNA is a disruptively effective content delivery technology. It significantly reduces bandwidth costs for popular files while dramatically improving the performance and scalability of websites. BitTorrent DNA enables websites to seamlessly add the speed and efficiency of patented BitTorrent technology to their current content delivery infrastructure, requiring no changes to their current Content Delivery Network (CDN) or hardware in the origin infrastructure. Businesses can benefit from the efficiencies of peer-assisted content delivery while improving the end-user experience.
The Torrent Entertainment Network
BitTorrent's Torrent Entertainment Network (TEN) is an online destination for downloadable and ad-supported streaming entertainment content powered by BitTorrent DNA. The network provides fast, on-demand access to the most comprehensive catalog of licensed content on the Internet, featuring thousands of movies, TV shows, music titles and games,
Orly's Notes
· Ad supported, no interstitial, just overlays. 50/50 split Net recoupment of costs – 25% to ad service & 75% gets split 50/50 between Bit Torrent & content provider.
· 60 content providers including LGBT
· direct-to-consumer and reduced bandwidth with proprietary so-called "DNA" (Delivery Network Accelerator) technology.
· targeted advertising based on content / algorithm and metadata based so advertisers don't have to buy the whole site.
· they use Cookies to do behaviour targeting (based on clicking history)
· Bit Torrent is looking for end-to-end solutions such as the Myka box to get Torrents onto the big screen
see: http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/21/myka-sneaks-bittorrent-into-the-living-room/
B-Side
Website: www.bside.com
We wanted to highlight BSide because they do grassroots marketing and also digital distribution for smaller indie films and are also the back end site for various film festivals such as Cinevegas (which in turn is meant to enhance their distribution activities).
Bside’s deals are 50/50 split with filmmakers. Two of their successful releases are Crawford and Super High Me. Bside handles backend data for 250 film festivals and is also a content aggregator for iTunes (I think, waiting to confirm this). NewVideo and Docurama are direct with iTunes.
INDIEWIRE article, June 18th
indieWIRE & B-Side Present Film Fest Technology and Media Partnership…We’re delighted to announce indieWIRE’s partnership with B-Side to bring B-Side’s Festival Genius technology to iW’s editorial coverage of top international film fests. The partnership launches today with combined festival guides for AFI/Silverdocs and the Los Angeles Film Festival, both happening this week.
B-Side’s Festival Genius currently powers the online program guide for more than 200 international film festivals. This partnership allows iW readers to access full festival schedules, trailers, audience ratings and reviews, personal calendars and recommendations, and mobile access, integrated with iW’s festival reviews, news, and updates - all without leaving the iW website.
B-Side’s Festival Genius is a terrific tool that I’ve been using to help me navigate fests and it’s great to be able to share it with indieWIRE readers here on our site,” said indieWIRE’s Eugene Hernandez.
“For all of us who attend festivals throughout the year, iW is the single most important source of up-to-the-minute news, reviews, and information,” commented Chris Hyams, Founder and CEO of B-Side. “We are thrilled to partner with iW to marry B-Side’s festival schedule technology and real-time audience buzz with their editorial, which together will provide the most comprehensive festival coverage available anywhere.” For more information and complete fest guides visit AFI/Silverdocs and the Los Angeles Film Festival.
About B-Side Entertainment: Founded in 2005, B-Side Entertainment (www.bside.com) uses proprietary digital marketing and exhibition technology to distribute independent films. Through its Festival Audience Network – a portfolio of over 200 International Film Festival websites and 4 million audience members – B-Side has the ability to market and exhibit films globally, using theatrical and non-theatrical venues, and through partnerships with home video, VOD, and television distributors. By combining innovative marketing plans with proprietary data on potential audiences, B-Side and its distribution partners generate significant ancillary revenues at a fraction of the normal cost. B-Side has offices in Austin and New York.
CinemaNow
Website: www.cinemanow.com
Dell and Sonic Solutions have teamed to make downloading and recording DVD movies easy with the first PC-based Qflix™ drives. Using an intuitive application, Roxio Venue, movie collectors can search and select from a variety of major Hollywood hits available from CinemaNow, download them on their PC, transfer them to multiple digital devices in their home, and then create a permanent and portable DVD-format copy on Qflix DVD media at their leisure.
http://www.cinemanow.com/AboutUs-PressReleasesInfo.aspx?prID=124
Dell has also added pre-installed films (some are The Matrix, Spider-Man, a Children's pack) to their computers, so consumers can start their libraries before their new computers even arrive.
http://www.cinemanow.com/AboutUs-PressReleasesInfo.aspx?prID=125
The Cinema Guild
Website: www.cinemaguild.com
We note Cinema Guild simply because they handle great documentaries and art film and also handle digital distribution along with non theatrical and home video.
Cinetic Rights Management
Website: www.cineticmedia.com
· They take 50% and handle all deals and delivery, encoding etc and do all new media / digital distribution deals including VOD, Hotel, Airlines, Internet.
· They
say they drive traffic too. You can find them on Facebook.com
Update: CRM (owned by Cinetic) noted to me on a panel that they will be launching their own VOD service.
Comcast
· The largest cable provider. Warner Brothers VOD services Comcast VOD as well.
· Owns Fandango / Fancast and www.ziddio.com
· Has faith in the social networking platform Plaxo which it just acquired
Crushed Planet
Website: www.crushedplanet.com
Mission
Created by the Emmy award-winning
producers of HBO's Taxicab Confessions, CrushedPlanet is an unrated and
uncensored network for adults. Content is created by artists for artists to
distribute their work. For the past thirty years, entertainment conglomerates
have established an oligopoly by controlling all the means of distributing
entertainment content. As a result, these conglomerates demand ownership of
artists' intellectual property in their quest to create content libraries in
which they reap all the financial gains. Challenging that model,
CrushedPlanet's unwavering mission is to feature original content from top
artists and emerging talents, while allowing those artists to retain all the
rights to their work and receive the majority of fees paid to view the
work. It's time to return a fresh perspective and artistic integrity back to the
world of entertainment. CrushedPlanet will serve a market already hungry for a
place to find powerful, innovative content. In the overly cluttered universe of
the web, there will be one planet like no other. CrushedPlanet will offer
viewers a new generation of creative content and become a destination for the
most compelling entertainment on the web today.
Orly's
notes:
· Platform to broadcast films without giving
up rights if don't want to.
· Non Exclusive – licensors get 33% of
gross (no deductions); exclusive gets 51%
· They have 15 channels on their network for
different kinds of content
· Financial model is either subscription
based or pay-per-view – there are NO ADS
·It's a curated site, just launched a few
weeks ago
·Uses Flash technology
·Delivery: Quicktime file or Mini DV
Distribber
Website: distribber.com
Their tagline is "DIY Distribution - Do it yourself, they're not doing it for you"
From their blog:
Distribber.com's First 2 Films Are Live on iTunes! | DIY Distribution
This was a big week for Distribber.com! Our first two films went live on the iTunes Store: The terrific Sundance doc about Arthur "Killer" Kane, former bassist for the NY Dolls, turned Mormon church volunteer, called, appropriately, New York Doll, and, Runners High, the inspiring doc about an Oakland high school program that trains teens to run the L.A. marathon. It made me stand up and cheer.
Orly notes: This Board member of the IDA has launched a new DIY service that is in Beta mode but meant to help filmmakers distribute their work. Check it out...he also offers Tips for Filmmakers.
* Please also note some folks are experimenting with DIY distribution through social networking platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.
EZTakes
Website: www.eztakes.com
Is an EST and DTO service. They license LGBT and from many Indie distributors allowing for one to burn DVDs or watch Indie films on many platforms.
Guba
Website: www.guba.com
About GUBA
Founded in 1998, GUBA is a leading online entertainment destination helping users browse, download and share video on the internet. GUBA users can watch videos in Flash or download to the PC, iPod, PSP, and other portable devices.
In compliance with the DMCA, GUBA accepts user-generated video in all common formats.
GUBA is a privately held company and headquartered in San Francisco, California. For more information on GUBA, please visit www.guba.com.
HDNet
Website: www.hd.net
Same owners as Magnolia – their VOD program is called Sneak Preview and they often do day and date with theatrical or a VOD window before.
Launched September 2001 by
Mark Cuban & Philip Garvin.
HDNet is the first national
television network broadcasting all of its programming in 1080i HD, the highest
quality format of high definition television (HDTV).
HDNet and HDNet Movies are
available in the US on AT&T, Bright House Networks, Charter Communications,
DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and more
than 40 NCTC cable affiliate companies.
The networks are available
in Canada via Bell Express VU, Cogego, Shaw Cable, Star Choice and more.
All HDNet original programming
is HD-DVR compatible, allowing viewers to pause and time-delay shows so that
they can watch them when they want.
Here is a press release
describing the link between this and Magnolia:
http://www.hd.net/pressrelease.html?2005-04-29-01.html
Hulu
Website: www.hulu.com
Company
Hulu was founded in March 2007 by NBC Universal and News Corp and is operated independently by a dedicated management team with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Beijing. Hulu closed a $100 million investment from private equity firm Providence Equity Partners in October 2007.
Mission
Hulu's mission is to help people find and enjoy the world's premium video content when, where and how they want it.
Overview
Hulu is an online video service that offers hit TV shows, movies and clips at Hulu.com and other online destination sites — all for free, anytime in the U.S. For more details on Hulu's service, check out the Hulu product tour.
Content
Hulu brings together a large selection of videos from more than 50 content providers, including FOX, NBC Universal, MGM, Sony Pictures Television, Warner Bros. and more. Users can watch current primetime TV such as The Simpsons and The Office the morning after they air, classics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Married...with Children, movies like The Usual Suspects and The Big Lebowski, and clips from Saturday Night Live and other popular TV shows and movies.
User Experience
- Hulu is focused on quality and convenience and strives to create the best possible online video experience.
- Hulu gives users the ability to customize their viewing experience online.
- Hulu allows users to watch favorites or discover new shows anytime — at home or on the road.
- Hulu's search feature helps users find any premium video online even if it is not directly available on Hulu.com.
- Hulu is easy to use and share. Simply go to www.hulu.com, and click on a video to watch right away.
- Hulu does not require a download of any software. Users only need a Flash 9.0 enabled computer and an Internet connection to enjoy.
- Hulu offers the freedom to share full-length episodes or clips via e-mail or embed on other Web sites, blogs and social networking pages.
- Hulu's clipping feature allows users to select a portion of the video they would like to share.
- Hulu is free and legal through an advertising supported model.
- Videos are available for unlimited streaming; watch favorite shows and clips over and over, for free.
- Videos contain fewer ads than on TV. Advertisements appear during normal commercial breaks.
- Hulu acquires the rights to distribute its videos, making them available to users legally.
Distribution
Hulu allows users to enjoy great videos on Hulu.com or at other popular Web sites across the Web. Hulu videos are available on AOL, Comcast, MSN, MySpace, and Yahoo! in the U.S. as well as a growing network of personal blogs, fan sites, and other Web sites where users choose to embed the Hulu video player.
Quick Update about HULU: They are reportedly the 2nd best revenue generator in the digital distribution space (2nd to iTunes which is #1) and companies such as BSide and CRM many others to distribute to them. HULU notes that clusters of programming work best.
IFC
Website: www.ifc.com
Their indie VOD program is called Festival Direct – they release 5 – 6 per month
Services from IFC Include:
IFC the Network
Launched in September 1994, The Independent Film Channel (IFC) is the first channel entirely dedicated to presenting independent film, unedited and commercially uninterrupted 24 hours a day. IFC's library boasts a collection of uncompromising stories, character and style. Committed to work struck from the creative vision of cinema's most compelling filmmakers, IFC also offers alternative films from today's new and up-and-coming artists. IFC's exclusive live coverage of special events including the Independent Spirit Awards and Cannes Film Festival, creative on-air festivals and one-of-a-kind original series and specials secures the company's role as the leader in independent film. IFC Television is one of the fastest growing digital cable networks available nationwide.
IFC Films
A leading theatrical film distribution company launched in 2000, IFC Films brings the best of independent and specialized films to theaters near you. Independent film audiences nationwide recognize the IFC brand, which has rapidly become synonymous with first-rate product, aggressive and strategic release campaigns, utilization of brand cross promotions and artistic integrity. IFC is dedicated to realizing the visions of independent filmmakers without compromise and is a dedicated ground for nurturing these visions. IFC Films releases 10-12 films per year, building a slate of titles from an acquisitions program and selected in-house productions.
IFC
Films releases include My Big Fat Greek
Wedding, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Casa de los Babys and Lost in La Mancha.
IFC Films on Demand
IFC Films On Demand offers the best in critically acclaimed independent films, with the added ease and convenience of on-demand functionality. IFC Films On Demand titles are new films, fresh from their theatrical runs. Plus, they are available on-demand on the same day that they are available in home video stores. IFC Films On Demand titles are ideal for the on-demand environment, as IFC Films fans are affluent, tech-savvy and early adopters of technologies such as video-on-demand. IFC Films On Demand will release several well-regarded titles in 2004, including Casa de los Babys, Camp, Girls Will Be Girls and Manic.
Visit
www.ifcfilms.com/ifcfilms/ondemand
IFC is also creating subcategories within its FESTIVAL DIRECT program to better market various categories of film and inspire more audiences to keep coming back for what they are interested in.
IndieFlix
Website: www.indieflix.com/
Both a B:B
(Business-to-Business) and B:C (Business-to-Consumer) service that sells to
digital distribution platforms and releases on DVD and on its own site via 72
hour streaming windows. They will soon
do a Set Top Box deal and note that mobile content deals have yet to take off.
They do deals direct with filmmakers, and *do not* take rights (just do
distribution deals). There is a strong emphasis on marketing they claim (I have
not worked with them yet) and they handle both shorts and features. Pricing for
shorts can be as high as $9.95
IODA
Website: www.iodalliance.com/
Starting out in music and now film (features and shorts) IODA is the
6th largest contributor to iTunes.
They are a B:B service (Business-to-Business). They have direct deals with Sprint, Verizon, Cinema Now, Netflix, Amazon, XBox Live, Vudu, EZ Takes, Sony (PS3), iTunes, Snag, and Continental Airlines VOD. IODA did note that iTunes has said business with shorts is very slow and limited, even for Pixar content.
Joost
Joost — next-generation TV (formed by the creators of Skype). Had over a million Beta testers before launching and features over 20,000 TV shows and also does features and shorts last time I checked.
Website: www.joost.com
From their site: TV's a fantastic thing, and we're on a mission to make it even better. We're combining the best things about television – great shows, great picture quality, something that everyone knows how to use – with the incredible power of the internet to bring people together and deliver entertainment on demand. In the process, we're creating a new way to watch TV that does something amazing for everyone involved.
What's Joost? It's free TV, with the choice to watch alone or with friends. Joost is packed with internet tools such as instant messaging and channel chat, allowing people to really share the TV experience. It's a completely secure platform for content owners that respects their rights, while protecting and enhancing their brands. And it's an incredibly flexible way for advertisers to reach a truly global audience, in ways that really work. Joost isn't just video on the Internet – it's the next generation of television for viewers, content owners and advertisers everywhere.
Combining the best features of TV with the powerful social features of the internet, Joost will give TV viewers, advertisers and content owners more choice, control and creativity than ever before.
• Delivery is MPEG2 files
• Focus on TV and Features so far
MetaCafe
Website: www.metacafe.com
Metacafe is one of the world's largest video sites, attracting more than 25 million unique viewers each month (comScore Media Metrix). We specialize in short-form original content - from new, emerging talents and established Hollywood heavyweights alike. We're committed to delivering an exceptional entertainment experience, and we do so by engaging and empowering our audience every step of the way.
Since 2003 Metacafe has been one of the top independent online video sites, and we're a leader in the evolution of digital entertainment. The company is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with offices in Tel Aviv and New York. Metacafe is privately held and investors include Accel Partners, Benchmark Capital, DAG Ventures and Highland Capital Partners.
Micosoft Zune
Website: www.zune.net
Includes more than 800 episodes from NBC Universal, MTV Networks and Turner shows. Episodes cost 160 Microsoft Points or $1.99 each and appear the day after they air on TV. Microsoft has sold north of 2 million Zune devices total.
MovieLink
Website: www.movielink.com
(owned by Blockbuster — www.blockbuster.com)
Movielink is the leading movie download service offering U.S. customers an extensive selection of new and classic movies, foreign films, TV shows and other hard-to-find content. The service is operated by Movielink, LLC. Movielink is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Blockbuster Inc., a leading global provider of in-home movie and game entertainment, with approximately 7,800 stores throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. Movielink draws its content offerings from the vast libraries of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Studios Warner Bros. Studios, Walt Disney Pictures, Miramax, Lions Gate and others on a non-exclusive basis.
Orly's notes:
• Movielink will soon go away and it will be a Blockbuster.com site with download buttons. One can do VOD or EST. Splits are either 50/50 or 40/60 with Distributors depending on who is encoding. They have 35 third party distributors and focus on features. They have a deal with Wolfe for example so definitely have LGBT content.
Netflix
Website: www.netflix.com
Netflix's iPVOD / progressive download service did not get much traction or great reviews so they are now in the digital space with their new set top box initiatives. Netflix will allow instant downloads via Xbox Live in the late fall of 2008.
Netflix Teams With Streaming Media Innovator Roku on Player That Instantly Streams Movies From Netflix Directly to the TV Priced at Just $99.99 and Available Starting Today, The Netflix Player by Roku is Compact, Easy to Set Up and Intuitive to Use
LOS GATOS, Calif. and SARATOGA, Calif., May 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX), the world's largest online movie rental service, and Roku, Inc., an innovator in digital media streaming technology, today announced the introduction of The Netflix Player by Roku, a device that enables Netflix subscribers to instantly stream a growing library of movies and TV episodes from Netflix directly to the TV. Priced at just $99.99, the player is available for purchase starting today at http://www.roku.com/netflixplayer
The player is simple to install, easy to use and gives Netflix members instant access to more than 10,000 movies and TV episodes.
"We're excited to bring the first Netflix ready device to the market," said Anthony Wood, CEO and founder of Roku. "The seamless integration of the Netflix service into our player has resulted in true ease of use for the consumer. Now, streaming video isn't limited to people sitting in front of the PC; it's ready for the TV in the living room."
"The key breakthroughs of The Netflix Player by Roku are simplicity and cost," said Reed Hastings, chairman and CEO of Netflix. "First, it allows consumers to use the full power of the Netflix Web site to choose movies for their instant Queue, and then automatically displays only those choices on the TV screen. That's a major improvement versus the clutter of trying to choose from 10,000 films on the TV. Second, there are no extra charges and no viewing restrictions. For a one-time purchase of $99, Netflix members can watch as much as they want and as often as they want without paying more or impacting the number of DVDs they receive."
- i.TV (www.i.tv) today announced the integration of Netflix, the world's largest online DVD and media rental service, into its popular TV and movie guide for the iPhone and iPod touch. i.TV gives media consumers up-to-date, local TV and movie listings based on customizable profile settings. Listings include rich information about programing, celebrity photos, biographies, show synopses, ratings, and reviews. Community features allow users to write reviews, rate their favorite shows and recommend shows to friends via an email alert. In addition to this, i.TV delivers media content directly to the end user in the form of movie trailers, television previews, and now DVD and movie rentals from Netflix.
Click here for full article - Update: Netflix is currently using Microsoft Silverlight for "cross-platform and cross-browser" media delivery on both PC's and Mac's. Note: Silverlight works with Intel Macs only.
Click here for original article announcing Netflix's plans. - TiVo and Netflix announced a partnership to instantly stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix directly to the TV through TiVo DVRs
Click here for full article..
UPDATE: NETFLIX is aggressively growing its Watch Now program and are sometimes paying advances for films that track well on their site. They will add titles to their Watch Now that they already have on DVD and their flat fee offers for the Watch Now service are based on the performance of the DVD generally. There are no overages or revenue sharing yet. But the films on Watch Now are not tagged with ads. Netflix continues to expand the platforms that they service with films for their subscibers. They offer films on XBOX, the Roku box, all Bluray players, and soon iTV and they keep expanding devices. Content is only available to Netflix subscribers.
Qflix
*Qflix technology is revolutionizing the distribution of premium DVD entertainment. From Hollywood movies to network TV shows and niche content, Qflix technology makes it possible for content owners to digitally distribute DVD titles directly to the point-of-purchase, whether that is a retail store, an online destination, or a PC at home. Using Qflix-certified DVD recordable drives, software, and DVDs, Hollywood movies and other premium content can be burned on-demand, eliminating the cost and complexity of managing physical DVD inventory. By reducing concerns about distribution costs, Qflix technology makes it possible for content service providers and retailers to offer a virtually unlimited catalog of premium DVD content to their customers. Qflix is the name of Sonic's patented technology platform designed to enable the on-demand creation of premium DVD titles while maintaining compatibility with the more than one billion DVD players in use world-wide. The Qflix ecosystem is made up of manufacturers, distributors, software developers, systems integrators, retailers, and other digital media related companies who have all embraced the on-demand creation of secure DVD titles using the Qflix platform.
The Qflix ecosystem is made up of four key components:
* Qflix-enabled DVD recordable discs
* Qflix-enabled DVD recorders
* Qflix-enabled software for PC or CE devices
* Qflix online secure key servers
http://www.qflix.com/enu/whatisqflix.aspx
*Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today introduces two DVD/CD computer writers featuring Qflix™ DVD Download & Burn technology, enabling users to download their favorite movies directly from the Internet to DVD. As personal computers become media centers for many consumers, the new Pioneer® internal DVR-2920Q and external DVR-X162Q DVD/CD writers allow users to take advantage of this exciting technology.
http://www.cinemanow.com/AboutUs-PressReleasesInfo.aspx?prID=123
Regent/Here!
REGENT/HERE! is focused on its own Pay TV service but also licenses digital rights through distribution. I do not have any details on their activities yet.
Revver
Websites: www.revver.com & www.liveuniverse.com
From their site: Revver is an online media network built the way the internet really works. We support the free and unlimited sharing of media. Our unique technology pairs videos with targeted ads and tracks them as they spread across the web. So no matter where your video travels, you benefit because we share the advertising revenue with you. A syndication network with great reach. Videos posted on Revver can go to places like AOL, Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Blinx, iTunes, AppleTV, WordPress, Blogger, TypePad . . . even mobile phones. We serve millions of videos each month to audiences who are hungry for great content.
Revver is a powerful platform and suite of tools for serving and sharing media. We have one of the best online video players, customizable widgets, and a powerful and robust API for building your own video sharing site. We also have a WordPress plugin, too, if you want to start your own vlog right away.
Orly's Notes
· recently acquired by Live Universe
· video publishing platform. They take no copywritten content.
· just short form content, 5 – 10 minute clips, content less than 100Megs
· deals are Worldwide (though I think one can geo filter), Non Exclusive, and Open Syndication – meaning that other platforms can take the content under the same terms.
· for content tagged to ads revenue is split 50/50 with filmmaker. If one is the provider and content creator (filmmaker) one gets 60%. If one is just the syndicator one gets 20%.
· various channels based on interest, niche, etc. – sexy stuff sells best, then comedy, then video games.
· Higher quality than other platforms b/c of better compression engine. Revver was started by a - filmmaker.
· Traffic = from 1 million – 6 million unique visitors per month, depending on the channel.
The Auteurs
Note: As far as I know this is a co-venture between the founder of Celluloid Dreams (a foreign sales company) and The Criterion Collection. Their message is below.
We believe it's time for a new, global, internet-based venue. With a keen focus, style, and a classic approach to cinema, we've dubbed our venture The Auteurs.
At its core, The Auteurs is a web site with a uniquely curated library of films delivered through high-definition streaming and download on demand. It is an online cinematheque where film lovers around the world come together to watch, discuss, and read about the best of cinema. Focusing on editorial coverage of international cinema and a highly interactive, community-based design, it is our intention to create a global community of the most interested and interesting film fans in the world.
The Auteurs is launching in 2008. In the meantime, you can join us in our Studio, read our Notebook, and watch films from our library on Facebook.
Shorts International
Website: www.shortsinternational.com
SHORTS INTERNATIONAL is a full-service short film entertainment company representing over 3000 films to over 120 international broadcasters across every platform and every medium. The Company's catalog includes award winning, celebrity driven premium titles from film festival around the world as well as the American Film Institute (AFI), USC, the Hypnotic catalog. This diverse catalog features both domestic and international films in their original language.
Orly's Notes
Broker shorts to iTunes and other digital and TV platforms in US, Europe etc.
Revenue on iTunes within a 6 month period reportedly ranges from $100 - $12,000
SnagFilms
From their website:www.snagfilms.com
SnagFilms is committed to finding the world's most compelling documentaries, whether from established heavyweights or first-time filmmakers, and making them available to the wide audience these titles deserve.
SnagFilms.com is a website where you can watch full-length documentary films for free, but we're also a platform that lets you "snag" a film and put it anywhere on the web. With a library of 250 films, and rapidly growing, you're bound to find films that resonate with your interests. We make it easy for you to find a film that shines a light on a cause you care about. You can then open a virtual movie theater on any web site, so any one can watch your favorite SnagFilms for free.
SnagFilms can be summed up in four words: Find. Watch. Snag. Support.
Find. Whether using our custom search tools, browsing by topic, or tuning into one of the great channels provided by our partners, with a few clicks you'll be able to find what you're looking for.
Watch. By streaming films worldwide, on-demand, 24x7 and with no software installation or downloading required, we have radically expanded the audience for documentary films. All you need is a decent broadband connection. Just click play, go full-screen, and lean back and enjoy our films.
Snag. Widgets let you take your favorite SnagFilms with you wherever you like to go online. Open a virtual movie theater right in your webpage, blog, Facebook or MySpace page, or just about any other place online you can think of.
Support. At their best, documentaries don't merely entertain us, they engage and inspire us to action. Our filmmakers have selected their favorite charities and causes so you can get involved, immediately. And just by embedding our widget our widgets, you've donated your pixels and helped support independent film.
ORLY’s NOTES: SNAG is web 3.0. SNAG offers rich media content to go with editorials. They work with festivals and other curators to have channels on their site. They work with Nat Geo, PBS, Richard Lorber’s company, Arts Alliance America, coming soon an Outfest channel. They have some marketing relationships and deals with other entities such as Hot Docs, SXSW, and FullFrame and IDA and Hulu, Indie Movie and Washington Post... Their widgets live on nearly 25,000 sites. Their platform is very useful as far as exposure and marketing (exposure can be in the millions or even hundreds of millions) and that can then perhaps drive DVD sales and general awareness for other distribution. Actual revenue generated is very small as far as I know. They share ad revenue on a 50/50 net basis (after they deduct costs) but if your film is available on DVD and the widget created to promote the film and if gets pushed out widely enough that can be seemingly profitable if there are links to buy the DVD (however I have not heard of any good numbers, but maybe in time). Their term is 3 – 5 years and obviously worldwide, and they want exclusive rights but are flexible and can be non-exclusive I am told. For now AOL does all the ad sales (and gets rates on par with Cable TV) but SNAG is working on doing more of that in-house. Clearspring Technologies designs the widgets (Ted Leonsis, a longtime previous AOL exec who coined the term “filmanthropy” created SNAG which now also owns IndieWire. Leonsis also sits on the board of directors of Clearspring Technologies, and he owns sports teams…). It should be noted anyone can program and create a widget with the right toolkit and skills. But SNAG does have loads of marketing relationships and is building a brand name around documentaries such that a documentary can possibly get some more exposure than it otherwise might. My suggestion is to resolve your other distribution before utilizing this tool or at least have your film on DVD via Amazon’s Create Space and have that link in place. SNAG takes 8.5% of that revenue. They can however put widgets up for short windows and take them down (cut the feed) to accommodate a window of the release.
Strand
STRAND is starting to do simultaneous theatrical releases with VOD releases. Offering Netflix "watch now" and looking into other digital platforms like Hulu, Vudu, Amazon, etc. A Secret was their first film released with a simultaneous IFC VOD release and it did quite well. Right now they are giving it another go with Downloading Nancy. They note "It's been an interesting experiment to see how films will do by including the option of watching the film from one's home. But seeing how people are more reluctant to travel to the theatre and are becoming more concerned with building their own home theatre, it's definitely an option worth exploring."
Vudu
Website: www.vudu.com
VUDU has arrived. The revolutionary VUDU box and service deliver instant access to thousands of movies and TV shows directly through the television, without requiring a computer or cable/satellite TV service.
VUDU CEO and industry leader Mark Jung oversees VUDU's team of consumer electronics and technology veterans from TiVo, WebTV, Openwave, 2Wire, Slim Devices, OpenTV, NeXT, and Danger. First conceptualized in 2004, the company operated in a stealth mode for over two years as it systematically honed every facet of the product to ensure that it delivered upon the consumer dream.
VUDU has struck unprecedented deals with every major studio and more than twenty independent and international distributors to offer approximately five thousand movies, HD films, and TV shows. Via their broadband Internet connection, VUDU users have the ability, on a studio-specific basis, to rent or buy titles and begin viewing them instantly.
· Director of content development used to run GreenCine
· They have 40 content partners including studios, indie distribs, LGBT
· They offer Hi Def content
· Their service utilizes a set-top boxes sold in Best Buy. They have sold tens of thousands so far.
·
They are the only service other than Blu Ray to
offer 1080p. 1080p
is the shorthand name for a category of display resolutions.
The number "1080" represents 1,080 lines of vertical resolution,[1] while the letter p stands for progressive scan (meaning
the image is not interlaced).
1080p can referred to as full HD or full high
definition to
differentiate it from other HDTV
video modes.[2]
The term usually assumes a widescreen
aspect ratio
of 16:9, implying a horizontal resolution of 1920 pixels. This creates a frame resolution of 1920×1080,
or 2,073,600 pixels
in total. The frame rate
in Hertz can be either
implied by the context or specified after the letter p, such as 1080p30, meaning 30 Hz.
In addition to the meaning of 1080p as a
display resolution, 1080p is also used to describe video equipment
capabilities. Use of 1080p and the closely related 1080i labels in consumer
products may refer to a range of capabilities. For example, video equipment
that upscales to 1080p takes lower resolution material and reformats it for a higher
resolution display. The image that results is different from the display of
original 1080p source material on a native 1080p capable display. Similarly,
equipment capable of displaying both 720p
and 1080i may in fact not have
the capability to display 1080p or 1080i material at full resolution. It is
common for this material to be downscaled to the native capability of the
equipment. The term "native 1080p capable" is sometimes used to refer
to equipment capable of rendering 1080p fully.
Verizon FiOS
Services: TV, Internet, Phone
The Difference: Stands or "Fiber Optic Service." Verizon FiOS products are delivered over the FTTP network using passive optical network (PON) technology. Unlike AT&T's U-verse product, Verizon's video service is not Video over IP (IPTV). Video On Demand (VOD) content and interactive features, such as Widgets and Programming Guide data, are delivered over IP. However, the vast majority of content, including Pay Per View (PPV), is provided over a standard broadcast video signal which carries both analog and digital content up to 870 MHz.
Website: www22.verizon.com/Content/FiOSTV
Subscribers: 1.3 million (as of 7/2/08)
http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/TV_theater/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=208802242
Cost: Order FiOS TV Premier and receive First Month Free and No Activation Fee. Starts at $37.99 a month.
Availability: 16 states.
http://www.fiberexperts.com/fios-availability.html
TV Features:
· 100% fiber optic network
· On Demand - Instant access to a library of the latest blockbuster movies, kids shows, sports programs and much more at a touch of a button.
· HD channels - More of a selection to watch all your favorite channels like ESPN, Discovery, TNT and more - all in amazing high definition.
· Picture and sound - Amazingly lifelike picture, hyper-real color and flawless sound.
· Dual-tuner DVR - Gives you the freedom to pause and rewind live TV, record one show while watching another, and fast forward to your favorite part.
· Top premium channels - When you subscribe to one of our premium services like HBO and Cinemax you can select from current favorites to original programming, 24 hours a day.
· International channels - Stay connected to your homeland or the world with more than a dozen popular international premium channels including, RAI (Italian), TV5 (French), ART (Arabic), TV Japan (Japanese).
Wolfe
website: wolfereleasing.com
Wolfe Releasing has a deal with Warner Brothers for all its queer content and also to aggregate Queer/LGBT content in general and output through Warner Brothers' digital distribution services that feed over 80,000,000 homes for Satellite and Cable VOD and also feed iTunes, Xbox, Sony Playstation and many other platforms. Wolfe is dealing with Netflix's Watch Now program and Hulu directly as well as other digital platforms. [Disclosure: Wolfe is a client of New American Vision.]
YouTube
Website: www.youtube.com
- The No.1 site for online video.
Accounts for 31.3 percent of all online
- video being watched. YouTube is worldwide. YouTube accounts for 73% of the visits to online video sites in the US according to Hitswise in April 2008
- Owned by Google. Just did a deal with TiVo. They are now focused on monetizing content.
- According to YouTube they get over 1 million unique downloads per day. Over 150,000 videos are uploaded onto the site daily.
- Now setting up a virtual screening room to bring indie film to global audience, and tagging ads to content hence revenue generating and also curated
- Traffic far exceeds other sites --- According to Nielsen//NetRatings, YouTube attracted 68 million unique users in May who streamed 3.8 billion videos, making it by far the most popular video brand on the Internet. Fox Interactive Media, which includes MySpace, was second with 18 million unique users and 328 million video streams.
- showing Miranda July's Are You the Favorite Person of Anybody and an Oscar nominated short, "I Met The Walrus" about an interview with John Lennon etc..
- Filmmakers can choose to have a "Buy Now" button attached to their work for sales of DVDs of digital copies.
- Filmmakers will get a majority of the share of ad revenue those terms are not disclosed till an NDA is signed.
Top Ten Digital Distribution Tips to Filmmakers
For those filmmakers new to digital distribution, we offer the following ten tips for how to read the information below and sort through the myriad of offerings.
This is a rapidly changing and confusing landscape with lots of options but only a few good ones–some DIY and some that require you to go through distribution.
From a revenue-generating point of view, at present, those who deal in the space will tell you that at this time iTunes is the #1 platform; that Hulu is working well for some but not for all; and that Netflix's "Watch Now" is starting to show promise. Some platforms are subscription based, some are transactional, and some are ad-tagged revenue-based. There are new platforms in the works or just launching (such as the one Gigantic just announced) and plenty of DIY solutions as well via social networking online and smaller platforms. And sometimes a hybrid of the two not is only a doable solution but actually an ideal one, especially for smaller special-interest films.
Several companies have plans that are in the works that will have a significant effect on the status quo. Wikipedia, for example, is going to have VIDEO, and who knows what they will do with it. The major cable companies/telecoms are joining together via something called Canoe and Infinity, which will dramatically open up the pipelines of Cable VOD and will control at least 65% of the marketplace.
- Choosing a platform. Some platforms can only be accessed via Self Distribution (e.g. CreateSpace) while others can only be accessed via an aggregator (e.g. iTunes, which at the moment is by far the greatest revenue generating platform in the digital distribution space). Some aggregators are better than others. And some distributors and aggregators take lower fees than others. Choosing the best platform/portal for your film must be done with care and must also take into account the type of film it is and its overall release plan.
- Digital platforms are like online visual media stores. For this reason I think one should be very mistrustful if a company asks for exclusive license rights. (By way of comparison, such a request from a brick-and-mortar video store such as Blockbuster would be occasional at best, and then they would pay a lot for that and it would only be for a short window of time, such as six (6) months). A good thing to find out is the extent to which any given platform or distributor licensing to platforms have marketing tools and/or commitments in place—will doing a deal with them be like having your film in the basement of a crap dvd store in a strip mall in Iowa (no offense to Iowans), or, will it be like having it on the shelves facing out in a big chain with some advertising, or will it be somewhere in between? One must analyze one's investment of time and costs in doing delivery before committing to any distribution option.
- Hybrid distribution. Sometimes a hybrid model of self-distribution and going through distribution is the best option, depending on the film, its target audiences and the filmmaker's time and interest in committing it. It's wise to consider options and learn more about these possibilities before licensing rights away if the financial terms are not lucrative enough. Peter Broderick has written a lot about the Old World and New World–his writing is available on indiewire.com
- Think before you put all your eggs in one basket. Rights licensing nowadays is very tricky. Broadcasters and home video distributors sometimes want competing rights, and sometimes distributors want all rights and yet won't exploit them all. It's prudent to analyze options and the possibility of breaking up rights and windows and explore available options with people who have had experience with this and can help you. I am always happy to help. Consult with someone who is up-to-date with industry standards and guidelines and rights definitions but most of all, someone who is experienced with revenue models and windows and all the possibilities in negotiations.
- Aim for flexibility when negotiating your contract. It's critical that one's contract contain language that covers a wide range of contingencies and possibilities in a rapidly changing and unpredictable landscape…plan for changing revenue models, companies to go out of business, and rights classes/categories to shift and have your contract drafted accordingly. There is nothing you cannot protect yourself from in a contract, as long as you are reasonable, and no honest distributor will expect you not to cover yourself.
- Balance.All too often, filmmakers get screwed because of bad deals. It’s also so common that filmmakers lose good offers because they want too much. Filmmakers can lose all or almost all the potential distribution if they want more than the marketplace can bear. Know your film, know your market, know your potential, and decide how much work you are willing to commit to yourself to maximize the distribution of your film instead of solely relying on third parties. Oftentimes, it takes a balance of effort, abilities and reach between the filmmaker and the distributors/platforms.
- Ask questions. There are a few aggregators and lots of distributors so before committing yourself, weigh your options, and ask lots of questions. Start with some of the ones below:
- Ask for references.
- Mitigate the middlemen. Ask for revenue potentials and examine how many layers of middlemen there are between the distributor/aggregator and the platforms that you most want to be on, assuming that you cannot go direct (which often is the case). Make sure distributors are not going through too many middlemen, or selling to themselves and double dipping, or simply offering to do something on your behalf that you could not do yourself.
- Recoup your expenses. Get clear about expenses being recouped and also marketing efforts that either you or your distributor or both need to undertake to have your film be known to have some traction.
Before you make your deal, keep checking the Digital Distrubition Gide…we are adding information on an ongoing basis and we’ll add more commentary as well as source information from the platforms themselves and sometimes trade articles and coverage too from press specifically covering this landscape.
Last but not least–since I did cover Wolfe below please note I will be updating the Digital Distribution Guide to reflect what I know of the activities of other LGBT distributors in the space, and I will address which platforms are accepting shorts. I hear iTunes has scaled back dramatically.
Other platforms not included in the above:
· ReelZChannel announced a new free VOD component to its cable and satellite television network
· Akimbo – though I thought they were going out of business seems to be an Outfest sponsor – www.akimbo.com
· Veoh Networks – an online video service that competes with the Google's YouTube & Fox's Hulu. Its funded by Intel, Adobe Systems and private equity. It has relationships with CBS, MTV, and FearNet (a joint venture between Comcast, LionsGate, and Sony). It boasts 28 million users. Connects PC to TV it is enjoying 30,000 installations daily. Very powerful Board.
· Hewlett Packard had invested over 60 million dollars to try to do MOD, EST, and DTO with WalMart, TransMedia etc.. but that venture shut down.
· Jaman – www.jaman.com -- they just did a deal with Paramountm First Look, Magnolia and most recently Lions Gate. I have not done a deal with them yet. I have understood that for art house titles (deals done by sales agents for example) revenues have not yet flowed. Jaman is part of a deal with TiVo (CinemaNow also part of this deal). Titles rent for as low as $1.99 and some shorts are free.
· I did not address iTunes above because everyone knows about Apple's platform, and they won't go direct with filmmakers almost ever and are not direct with most smaller distributors but for shorts Shorts International has a deal with them. Many others get to iTunes through an aggregator, depending. iTunes is expanding its library and trying to go day-and-date with DVD releases. Wolfe Releasing for example has a deal with Warner Brothers that aggregates lgbt content for Warner Brother's VOD services and its digital distribution deals that includes iTunes.
· Pando – has been installed by 18 million in more than 150 countries but not sure they do film
· Vuze – boasted 18 million unique client downloads in its first year with 500,000 new downloads per week. Its 150 content partners supply video, games, music, anime. It was previously called Azureus.
And there are sooooo many more!
From Wall Street Journal article about PC
connecting to TV
July 24, 2008
(this space is changing extremely fast, but here are clippings of some recent coverage on it for now).
So in a bid to solve his file-format problems, he pre-ordered an upcoming device called a ZvBox. The gadget, from ZeeVee Inc. of Littleton, Mass., connects to a PC and the home's existing cable wiring. The device then displays whatever is on the PC screen onto an unused TV channel -- which can be viewed from any cable-connected TV in the home. ZeeVee expects to start shipping the $500 device July 31.
ZeeVee is just one of a number of startup companies that will be introducing set-top boxes or software in the coming weeks that will let consumers see on TV their digital photos, videos and other content from their personal computers or the Internet. While Internet-connected set-top boxes have been available for years, the companies say these latest products are sleeker, more affordable and easier to use. And many of the newer technologies claim to work with far more digital formats that existing devices.
Still, there are limits to these new set-top boxes. There are myriad formats and encryption methods for videos on the Web and on computers, meaning some videos may still not be accessible. And there's plenty of competition in the field, furthering the confusion.
Device makers are trying to tap into a small but growing market for Internet-enabled set-top boxes. The number of households with a device enabling Internet video on their TV is expected to increase world-wide to 300 million in 2012 from about 45 million last year, according to IMS Research.
Perhaps more important, they are responding to a desire among consumers to combine activities conducted online with watching television. A 2007 survey from market researcher Yankee Group found that nearly 62% of all people surf the Web on their computers while watching TV. But among 13- to 17-year-olds, the percentage is 73%; of the viewers between ages 18 and 24, 72% surf while watching TV, according to the survey.
Another set-top technology expected to be released this summer is from Icron Technologies Corp. The Burnaby, Canada, company plans to sell a chipset to set-top box manufacturers and others that connects to the computer's high-speed USB port to display the PC screen on a TV set. The box would transmit the data wirelessly or over the electrical wiring in the home. Robert Eisses, chief executive of Icron, says a device using the chipset should sell for about $300.
The
Pod by Verismo Networks
And a set-top box called the Pod bypasses the PC altogether, for those who mainly want to watch Web video. It will allow viewers to search the Internet and stream online videos directly onto their TV sets. Made by Verismo Networks Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., the Pod is expected to be available in August for $99. Prakash Bhalerao, the start-up's chief executive, says the Pod comes with a program guide and search functions to help viewers find and play almost any video on the Internet.
Instead of set-top hardware, some companies are introducing software that lets viewers use a remote control to easily see their videos when their PC is connected to their television.
A New York-based start-up named Boxee last month started letting consumers download a version of its free software for Apple Inc.'s Macintosh computers. Consumers who download the software and connect their computer to the TV using a special cable can play personal digital content, such as movies and music, as well as see content on the Web. Boxee says its software will be available on PCs running Windows later this year.
Similar to Boxee is OSXBMC, a free, open-source software program designed for Macs. In April, Chris Pirvan, a San Francisco-based engineer, downloaded OSXBMC and installed it onto a Mac mini, a compact and low-cost personal computer that is connected to his TV. Mr. Pirvan says he mainly wants to access digital copies of television shows he has stored on a connected storage device as well as Google Inc.'s popular video site YouTube.
Developers of Boxee and OSXBMC, which this month was rebranded Plex, say the programs play more formats than rival products directly from Apple, such as Front Row and Apple TV. Apple declined to comment for this article.
For those who already subscribe to set-top services, expansion to the Internet is on the way. TiVo Inc., which makes digital video recorders, has also been steadily adding Web content to its set-top boxes since the start of this year, including YouTube, which it added last week. In March, TiVo released its Desktop Plus software for $25 that when installed on a PC can translate many formats of Internet video to play on TiVo and then send it to the set-top box.
Netflix
Player by Roku
Netflix Inc. and Vudu Inc. both use set-top boxes to stream movies over the Internet to a subscribers' television, but the titles are restricted to the companies' movie databases. This month, Netflix and Microsoft Corp. inked a deal where owners of the Xbox 360 can use the videogame console to stream movies and other programming from the Internet to their TVs.
Research still indicates that the idea of connecting a PC to the TV seems a daunting and cumbersome task for most consumers. According to a 2007 study of 2000 U.S. homes conducted by Parks Associates, a market researcher, just 2.5% had a PC connected to a TV in the living room.
That's one of the reasons television manufacturers are making the sets themselves Internet accessible. Companies such as Panasonic Corp. of North America, Sony Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. in recent months have added Web content to their Internet-connected TVs. Panasonic launched a series of flat-panel TVs in May that can access YouTube. Since the start of the year, Sony has added YouTube and CBS to its list of Internet offerings for TV owners.