Japan develops ‘touchable’ 3D TV images http://bit.ly/cCu9kB
Touchable in the sense that the images react to being touched, poked, distorted etc, by using cameras to determine where hands are. They are not claiming (as far as I can see) that the viewer can “feel the image”
Â
RT @ccrask: HUGE NEWS via @ NewTeeVee MPEG LA: H.264 Streaming Will Be Free Forever http://dlvr.it/4Gp93 No reason not to be HTML5 as the default but the open source purists will find a way.
It’s late. Read the article. It’s good news.
Clicker Brings 1,800 Web Series to the iPhone http://bit.ly/aqMnsR First off, who knew there were 1800 web series in production with more than 200,000 episodes. That’s a whole lot more than regular broadcast where there aren’t 850 series in production at any given time.
Clicker, for those who don’t know it, is a directory for content on the Internet, that’s already available. This app sorts those available in a format the iPhone can play. (Presumable iTouch as well.)
It’s not just about browsing and watching the videos, either. The Clicker app allows you to check in to shows Philo or Foursquare
-style, see your friends’ activity in a news feed, check out what shows are trending, and see who (friends or others) is currently watching various shows.
RIAA: The DMCA Isn’t Working http://bit.ly/96D0Cg
I just love the insanity that is Carey Sherman of the RIAA who states:
“You cannot monitor all the infringements on the Internet. It’s simply not possible,†says RIAA President Cary Sherman. “We don’t have the ability to search all the places infringing content appears, such as cyberlockers like [file-hosting firm] RapidShare.â€
But expects that ISPs can do that which he has just said isn’t possible. Â Insanity. Either these people are shameless, shameless liars, or simply totally incompetent. I vote for totally incompetent having grown up on monopoly “rents” they simply cannot adapt to changing circumstances where their role is nearly irrelevant (if there is still a role for Record Companies at all in five years).
As the article concludes:
As it is, the DMCA protects online service providers — especially smaller ones — from living in fear of lawsuits and having to spend money and resources to patrol for infringing material. The most important question, however, is whether private corporations such as ISPs (which can monitor all of your online communication) should really be responsible for figuring out who’s breaking the law.
What can we learn from YouTube stars making “big money”? http://bit.ly/bcqBxU
Yet another story based on the TubeMogul data I reported last week when it was news. These 10 YouTube “stars” make between $100K and $315K – certainly nothing to be ashamed of and definitely above the goal of “a middle class income for all in production”.
It was the summary that almost made me laugh with its obviousness:
Despite the fairly obvious remarks above there are some good points in the analysis:
It’s probably not a coincidence that so many of these content creators are teenagers (or were when they started out), as teenagers tend to have less responsibility and more free time than full-time working adults like you and me. Their common age bracket also tells you something about how many young viewers there are on YouTube, and just how loyal that audience can be.
and
While we may traditionally think of YouTube as a way to market our preexisting business, it might be time to start thinking of it as a possible new revenue stream as well. The big lesson for us to learn here is this: you can earn money on YouTube. Maybe not $315,000 a year like Shane Dawson. Maybe not quit-your-job-and-buy-a-mansion money… but good content will get views. And views will provide advertising potential. And advertising potential will eventually turn into dollars.
TV advertising skipped by 86% of viewers http://bit.ly/cGLHEE
People speed through the ads and yet, TV advertising is the “most memorable”. Shows the power of a well-made ad reaching an appropriately targeted audience. Pity that rarely happens and most of the time it’s trashy ads with no targeting or relevance.
“Questions over the relevance of the traditional television advert have been raised for years, yet when asked about their most favoured video format, respondents voted for the standard 30-second commercial,” said James Bates, media partner at Deloitte.
“Online advertising’s poor showing relative to television may surprise, given that the former has often been portrayed as television’s nemesis.
“What television does best – display and brand building – is what online struggles with. Online advertising is best at search, which previously newspapers, particularly for classified, had excelled at.”
Brand building supposedly does not require “targeting” but while ever the bate-and-swith model of advertising rules, Television, I avoid TV.
‘Interoperable Master Format’ Aims to Take Industry Into a File-based World http://bit.ly/bvF6Vk
A group working under the guidance of the Entertainment Technology Center at USC is trying to create specifications for an interoperable set of master files and associated metadata. This will help interchange and automate downstream distribution based on metadata carried in the file. The first draft of the specification is now done based on (no surprises) the MXF wrapper. (Not good for FCP fans, as Apple has no native support for MXF, without third party help).
Main new items: dynamic metadata for hinting pan-scan downstream and “Output Profile List”:
“The IMF is the source if you will, and the OPL would be an XML script that would tell a transcoder or any other downstream device how to set up for what an output is on the other side,†Lukk explained.
The intention is to bring this draft spec to SMPTE, but first, ETC@ USC is urging the industry to get involved. “We need industry feedback and input on the work that the group has done thus far,†said ETC CEO and executive director David Wertheimer. “Anyone who has interest in this topic should download the draft specification and provide feedback to the group.â€
Red Princess Blues distibutes movie via iTunes App http://bit.ly/a7jzvJ
A long time ago I started a post titled “The future of distribution is an out-of-browser experience” thinking something like apps. This was before iTunes apps were even available. More recently I postulated on how a production could use an App as its central home in a post facetiously titled How do you get Disney to fund your next production that used a combination of iAds for funding and app for video (both pre- and production content) with in-App commerce.
Well, Red Prince Blues have done the distribution side already – see the iTunes App link above. But making an app is challenging for creative filmmakers or TV producers, so maybe we need an Xcode project template like Chris Mayer has provided for publishing a book as an iDevices App.
The insanity of music licensing in a single graphic http://flic.kr/p/8s5PG1 No wonder new services have trouble innovating.
This is what happens when you keep duct-taping new regulations or laws on a framework that was designed to *encorage new works” NOT “give certain creators or their agents unlimited control of the work”.
And so we get this insanity.
Today’s Entertainment Drivers Are Watching Online Video http://bit.ly/adi0GJ
The audience Erick Hachenburg is referring to as “Entertainment Drivers” are the 18-34 year olds who adopt technology early, become enthusiasts and influencers.
Their tastes and preferences typically have a dramatic impact on entertainment choices, media consumption patterns and consumer purchasing trends across demographic groups. They define pop culture and determine breakout hits. Their consumption of online video today has immediate and long-range implications for brand advertisers.
They’re not watching traditional network or cable channels. They have no cable service generally and watch TV on their computers or portable devices. A good summary of what today’s influencer are doing and why:
WHY: Short professional online videos rival TV shows in entertainment value, with 31% of respondents finding them equally or more entertaining than watching full-length TV shows on a television.