E-Commerce News: Television

Motorola Dreams Up a Sweeter TV Interface
May 23, 2012

Motorola Mobility this week unveiled its DreamGallery video navigation software for content providers at a cable industry trade show. DreamGallery lets users search hundreds of channels in seconds, bookmark and store their favorite content in one place, and discover new content tailored to their preferences.

Verizon Eggs On Data-Chugging Mobile Video With Viewdini
May 22, 2012

Verizon Wireless on Tuesday introduced Viewdini, a mobile video aggregation portal. It will run on the company's 4G LTE network and let users search and access videos from a variety of content providers. Partners include Comcast Xfinity, Hulu Plus, mSpot and Netflix. Others, including Verizon FiOS, will be added soon. Viewdini is an Android app that can be downloaded for free from the Google Play store.

Broadband Boom: Changing Entertainment, Changing Behaviors
May 18, 2012

In the U.S. market, the percentage of broadband households owning and connecting at least one product besides PCs to the Internet has increased 45 percent between 2010 and 2011. Today, approximately 40 percent of all U.S. broadband households own at least one Internet-connected device, with game consoles accounting for 75 percent of these products.

iTV: Not If but What
May 11, 2012

Terry Gou, chief of Foxconn, has confirmed that Apple has an iTV in the works. The news, which instantly sent the consumer electronics industry into a tizzy, came in an article focused on the company's plans to expand into e-commerce and distribution. Yes, an iTV is coming, according to Gou, who dropped a few details about the product, even though neither development nor manufacturing has begun.

Dish Offers New Ad-Vanishing DVR Service
May 11, 2012

Dish Network began offering a new service Thursday that lets users skip all commercials for shows broadcast on major networks when watched the day after the programming first aired. Dubbed "Auto Hop," the feature on Dish Network's digital video recorders allows users to bypass commercials on recorded HD prime-time programs from ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC.

Waiting for Apple to Charge the Gates of TV Land
May 04, 2012

Speculation about Apple producing a television set that will revolutionize how we watch entertainment at home has been percolating for months, as has the arrival time for the super set. Initially, it was predicted to arrive in time for the 2011 holiday season; then it was going to share the stage with the new iPad in 2012; and when that didn't happen, it was pushed to sometime in 2012 or the first half of 2013.

Amazon: Hey, Gang - Let's Put On a Show!
May 02, 2012

Amazon is taking the long-expected step of developing its own content for Amazon Instant Video. It is doing so via its content development division, Amazon Studios, which uses audience feedback to suggest content for its customers. Now it has pushed this model further, though, inviting series creators to upload proposals for comedy and children's programming. Those selected will be distributed through Amazon Instant Video.

Smart TV May Be Too Smart for Its Own Good
April 27, 2012

If you've been anywhere near a consumer electronics retailer lately or have leafed through the consumer electronics circulars and ads that supplement Sunday newspapers, you've no doubt noticed the words "Smart TV" shouting out at you. And if you've been wondering what a Smart TV is, or whether whatever it is may be smarter than you are, read on.

Entertainment Device Convergence: The State of Play
April 13, 2012

The tumultuous convergence of entertainment devices, greater interaction with the television-viewing experience, and increased involvement of social networks were all in the Klieg lights at the IP&TV World Forum, the Internet television show I attended recently in London. I was immersed in the future of television content delivery mashed with user interaction.

2 Countries, 2 Companies, 1 Big Headache
April 12, 2012

This one is a little muddy: A judge in Seattle has ruled that Motorola Mobility Holdings can't seek to ban Microsoft's Xbox or Windows products in Germany. BusinessWeek unpacks some of the details: "Motorola Mobility, which owns patents related to industry standards for video compression and WiFi, petitioned a German court to ban Microsoft products that comply with those standards."

Xbox Lassos More Content to Wrangle More Eyeballs
March 28, 2012

Microsoft continued to expand its television offerings for members of its Xbox Live Gold service Monday by adding HBO Go, Major League Baseball video and Comcast's on-demand video service. Comcast Xfinity TV allows Xbox Gold members to access the cable carrier's expansive library of entertainment programming whenever they want it.

IP&TV World Forum, Day 3: Multiscreen Mania
March 23, 2012

I'm surrounded by screens here at the Olympia exhibition hall -- tablet-sized, big screens, you name it -- and they all connect with each other. It's day three at the IP&TV World Forum. The lowly remote control can soon be buried under the sofa cushions for good, judging by the offerings from set-top box manufacturers here.

IP&TV World Forum, Day 2: The Future
March 22, 2012

I'm attending the IP&TV World Forum, aka the Internet Protocol Television Show, at the Olympia exhibition hall in sunny London. I have been checking out technologies being deployed in Europe that we may be seeing state-side very soon. HbbTV is a hybrid television delivery system available now in some European countries that combines synchronized broadcast with broadband.

IP&TV World Forum, Day 1: Disrupting a Disruptive Technology
March 21, 2012

Internet-delivered television was once thought of "disruptive," but it looks like it's about to be firmly adopted by common television programming suppliers worldwide and incorporated into their delivery systems. Looking around at the IP&TV World Forum, I'm seeing a whole bunch of monkey wrenches sitting on the sidelines. I'm at the stunning Victorian-era Olympia exhibition hall in a surprisingly sunny London.

AT&T Flails in the Quicksand
March 17, 2012

The name of AT&T's pain, for this month anyway, is Matthew Spaccarelli. He's a customer that gave the carrier a small thumping in court, and that would have left AT&T with a very minor scab. But it seems the company just couldn't resist picking at it. It all started when Spaccarelli took AT&T to small-claims court over his smartphone data rate being throttled.

Cisco Bets Big Bucks on TV Services With NDS Buy
March 16, 2012

Cisco Systems has revealed plans to acquire NDS Group, paying $5 billion for the video software company as part of an effort to increase investment in its software and video services. NDS software ensures that paid digital content gets to appropriate set-top boxes, smart TVs and consumer gadgets.

Opening the Vault: How Classic B-Ball Footage Finds New Life Online
March 15, 2012

March Madness is upon us, and there are few better places for hoops fans to get their fix than the NCAA Vault. The Vault, powered by Thought Equity Motion, is a treasure for hoops nuts, hosting video content of the NCAA Basketball Tournament dating back to the 1970s -- dunks, buzzer-beaters, even entire games.

Has Intel Been Bitten by the Pay-TV Bug?
March 13, 2012

Intel is rumored to be considering entering the pay-television service market. The chipmaker reportedly has reached out to media companies and cable channels as part of its research. The service would be based on a Web-connected set-top box that could offer both streaming TV and video-on-demand programming.