Last week, I accepted an invitation to attend a media delegation hosted by the Israeli Export and International Cooperation Institute in conjunction with the Ministry of Trade. The goal was to present Israel’s new media efforts as technology represents about 25% of their $8 billion in exports. Through a whirlwind three days in blistering hot and humid Tel Aviv, I met with 20 companies all representing certain aspects of the new media industry. Some were pertaining to the markets TDG examines; others, not so much. ...
Google Goes to the Guggenheim to Take YouTube Fare Upmarket BusinessWeek | Douglas MacMillan | August 23, 2010
Clearleap, RCDb Clear Way for Cable VOD on Blu-ray Home Media Magazine | Chris Tribbey | August 18, 2010
TiVo announced Thursday that Cox Communications would fully support and promote the DVR pioneers Premiere box and service throughout its cable system. The deal is a first for TiVo because it fully integrates Cox’ VoD library into the TiVo interface. It’s also a first for North American cable; Cox is the first company to make its full VoD library available through a retail product. But there’s a lot more to this deal than meets the eye. For Cox, it marks a radical departure from standard cable practices; a move that brings with it substantial risks as well as the potential for great rewards. ...
Major Studios Sign on to Netflix Streaming SF Gate | Benny Evangelista | August 11, 2010
Pay-TV Operators Add VOD Access Through Web-connected Blu-ray Players FierceIPTV | Jim O'Neill | August 11, 2010
Three independent but related announcements on Monday reveal the power of the Internet to reinvent distribution. They also highlight the importance of net neutrality in maintaining the delicate balance that currently sustains the business models of some of the biggest online players. Google and Verizon talked about their plan for Net Neutrality, Netflix continued to shore up its streaming catalog and AT&T announced U-verse TV-Everywhere content to the mobile phone. All three announcements are interesting in themselves. But taken together they illustrate how even minor changes to the status quo could destroy the most robust of online business models....