Auspicious Entertainment

2006-01-06T07:34:00.000-08:00

WSJ.com - Google to Offer Video Downloads, Software That Rivals Microsoft's: "Google to Offer Video Downloads,
Software That Rivals Microsoft's
By KEVIN J. DELANEY and NICK WINGFIELD
Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
January 5, 2006; Page A9

Google Inc. plans to announce Friday that it will begin allowing consumers to buy videos from major content partners through the Google site and will also roll out a new downloadable bundle of software for consumers that could heighten Google's competition with Microsoft Corp., according to people familiar with the matter.
[CES] CES TRACKER

See the latest news from the Consumer Electronics Show, where next-generation gadgets are unveiled and high-tech executives offer their views of the future.

Under the major upgrade to Google's video-search service, consumers will be able to pay to download and view videos, such as television shows, on their computers from Google content partners such as TV companies, people familiar with the matter say. Google plans to announce partnerships with some major players tomorrow, including CBS Corp. and the National Basketball Association, these people say. By virtue of Google's huge presence online, the move could place Google in competition with other emerging powers in Internet distribution of video such as Apple Computer Inc.

Google co-founder Larry Page plans to make the announcements at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, say the people familiar with the matter. Google in a statement said, 'We have a number of exciting announcements that we look forward to sharing in detail on Friday afternoon, during Larry's keynote address at CES.' A CBS spokesman declined to comment. An NBA spokesman couldn't be reached for comment.

The Mountain View, Calif., search company also plans to announce Google Pack, a bundle of software from Google and other companies that consumers will be able to download and install on their computers, s"

2005-12-21T07:49:00.000-08:00

digg / movies: "'Back to the Future 4'???

NITROSLICK submitted by NITROSLICK 1 hours 9 minutes ago (via http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/...)

Michael J. Fox is in talks to do another 'Back to the Future' sequel...but this time playing the 'Doc' character?!"

2005-12-09T04:59:00.000-08:00

The Technology Liberation Front: Video Placebo: Is that Really HDTV You Are Watching?: "Video Placebo: Is that Really HDTV You Are Watching?

News of the video bizarre: According to a just-released survey by Scientific-Atlanta, millions of people who have HDTV sets apparently think they are watching high definition television, but aren’t. The survey was spurred by an earlier Forrester Research projection that by the end of the year some 16 million U.S. households will have HDTV sets, but only seven million wll have HDTV reception. The Scientific Atlanta survey found that, yes, some 49 percent of households were not taking advantage of their HD equipment. About a quarter found that their HD set itself provided better reception, without taking the additional steps necessary to view HD. Eighteen percent said they didn’t even know needed additional equipment, such as a set-top box or antenna. A quarter admitted they thought they were watching HD video because, after all, the programs said at the beginning that they were broadcast in HDTV.

The survey confirms the long-standing prejudice of many of us non-videophiles that HDTV really isn’t all that impressive. Still, it is milding shocking that so many people plunk down money for an HD set, but never catch on that it isn’t actually turned on.

This could open up a slew of innovative policy options for the digital transition. Perhaps, instead of actually allocating spectrum to HDTV broadcasts, the FCC could just say it has done so, saving the spectrum for more valued uses. And instead of requiring HD tuners on sets, the FCC could just require a sticker saying the set has an HD tuner. The possibilities are endless.

Posted by James Gattuso at December 7, 2005 10:49 AM"

2005-11-21T07:38:00.000-08:00

BetaNews | Xbox 360 Launch Set for Midnight: "Xbox 360 Launch Set for Midnight
By Ed Oswald, BetaNews
November 21, 2005, 10:20 AM

Electronics retailers across the country are preparing for the expected onslaught of excited gamers as the Xbox 360 officially launches on Tuesday. At least one major retailer will open its doors early, and over 4,500 others nationwide will open at midnight to begin selling the console.

To celebrate the impending launch, Microsoft held a special event called 'Xbox 360: Zero Hour' in California's Mojave Desert that began Sunday night. Attendees will have the chance Monday night to buy the console, games and accessories before leaving the invite-only party.

Microsoft says Zero Hour was the first time the company had held an event of this size for gamers. The company hosted a party in 2001 for the launch of the original Xbox console, but those who had attended both said that this event was much grander in scale.

'The debut of Xbox 360 marks one of the biggest consumer launches in Microsoft's history,' Microsoft's chief Xbox officer Robbie Bach said.

Along with midnight Xbox 360 sales, Best Buy said that it would open its stores an hour earlier Tuesday at 9 a.m. local time. The store urged customers to arrive early, as tickets would be issued for those waiting to buy the console.

Each store would carry a minimum of ten units. However, no pre-orders would be accepted, nor would rain checks be made available, Best Buy said.

Tuesday's Xbox 360 launch will mark the first part of a three-phase global rollout. The console will launch December 2 in Europe, and then December 10 in Japan."

2005-11-04T07:26:00.001-08:00

digg / movies: "Backyard Filmmakers Are Hollywood's Greatest Fear

Googleberries submitted by Googleberries 9 days ago (via http://www.popularmechanics.co...)

'Hollywood is in a panic over digital entertainment on the Internet. With a host of lawsuits and regulatory actions--from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to the Grokster case--movie studios are doing everything they can to shut down file sharing. They say they're fighting piracy. But Hollywood has more to fear than pirates: you.'"

2005-11-04T07:26:00.000-08:00

digg / movies: "Serenity coming out on DVD on December 20

rebal submitted by rebal 2 days ago (via http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/cont...)

Universal Studios Home Video have announced the Region 1 DVD release of Serenity for 20th December 2005 priced at $29.98 SRP."

2005-10-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

BetaNews | Comcast to Stream Video of NHL Games: "Comcast to Stream Video of NHL Games
By Ed Oswald, BetaNews
October 4, 2005, 4:30 PM

Comcast has struck a deal with the National Hockey League to stream NHL games live to its nearly 8 million high-speed Internet subscribers. Comcast will stream up to two matches per day, including the Stanley Cup playoffs. All broadcasts will be available in archived format up to two days after the game ends.

Local blackout restrictions will still apply, however a Comcast subscriber will be able to view a game from anywhere with a broadband connection, the company said. The news follows an August 18 announcement that made Comcast subsidiary Outdoor Life Network the new cable home of the NHL. The station will broadcast 58 games during the regular season."

2005-10-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

BetaNews | Microsoft Reveals Xbox 360 Lineup: "Microsoft Reveals Xbox 360 Lineup
By Ed Oswald, BetaNews
October 4, 2005, 5:32 PM

Microsoft began a full-court press to promote its upcoming Xbox 360 game console by making several major announcements at a press event in Amsterdam Tuesday. Also confirmed were several titles that will be made available when the new Xbox becomes available next month.

The company expects some 20 titles to be ready when the console launches, with up to 200 more currently in development. In comparison, the original Xbox only had about a half-dozen titles available at launch.

Some of the games available from Rare, a Microsoft subsidiary, include 'Kameo: Elements of Power,' 'Perfect Dark Zero,' and 'Project Gotham Racing 3.'

Electronic Arts also threw its support behind the Xbox 360, with EA vice president Gerhard Florin saying 'the combined power of Xbox 360 and innovation from EA in graphics, animation and game play means consumers will have unprecedented levels of interaction and rich connection with the games they play.'

EA Xbox 360 titles will include 'FIFA 06: Road to FIFA World Cup,' as well as 'NBA Live' and 'Madden NFL.'

Franchise titles will also make their debut on Xbox 360, including a Superman video game, 'Call of Duty 2,' 'Castle Wolfenstein,' and 'Quake 4.'

'The biggest and the best names in publishing are committed to the success of Xbox 360, and looking at the titles we have announced tonight we are very excited,' Microsoft's vice president of Xbox marketing Peter Moore said in a statement.

'From exclusive titles to debuting the next installment of some of the world’s best-loved franchises, Xbox 360 will redefine gaming and entertainment,' he continued. 'The high-definition era of gaming starts now.”

Microsoft's Xbox 360 will go on sale for $299 USD for a basic system on November 22. A model with a hard drive that gives users the capability to download older Xbox games would retail for $399 USD."

2005-10-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

digg / movies: "Serenity grosses a mere $10 million in opening weekend

For a sci-fi adventure film, this is quite a disappointment. No sequel for you!"

2005-10-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

digg / movies: "DVD Release Schedule

You can use this site to find out when DVDs are going to be released. The layout isn't great, but the information is always accurate."

2005-09-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

digg / movies: "Serenity - 'more engaging than any of Lucas's recent screen entertainment'

billpoly submitted by billpoly 21 hours 25 minutes ago (via http://movies2.nytimes.com/200...)

Scene for scene, 'Serenity' is more engaging and certainly better written and acted than any of Mr. Lucas's recent screen entertainments. Mr. Whedon isn't aiming to conquer the pop-culture universe with a branded mythology; he just wants us to hitch a ride to a galaxy far, far away and have a good time. The journey is the message, not him."

2005-09-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

digg / movies: "Watch TV shows through Google TV

GOOGLE is to begin broadcasting television programmes over the internet. The search engine has already signed up an American channel to provide programmes for Google TV and is in talks with the BBC to broadcast its shows as well. Google's first move into TV is to broadcast a Chris Rock sitcom called Everybody Hates Chris."

2005-09-27T10:31:00.001-07:00

digg / movies: "The Spider-Man III Villains Confirmed

During an interview this weekend promoting Elizabethtown, Kirsten Dunst confirmed rumors to Zap2it that Thomas Haden Church will play Sandman and Topher Grace is Venom in director Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3, opening in theaters on May 4, 2007."

2005-09-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

digg / movies: "TV's Get Smart Don Adam's Dead

The guy with the original portable telephone embedded in his shoe has passed. He was also the voice of Tennessee Tuxedo and Inspector Gadget. Long live the Cone of Silence."

2005-09-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

digg / movies: "Joss Whedon's 'Serenity' Premieres Friday

The Serenity movie, based off of the now popular canceled series Firefly, will premiere in theaters this Friday in the U.S. Just a reminder."

2005-08-30T06:32:00.000-07:00

Studios Mull Changes to Movie 'Windows' - Yahoo! News: "Studios Mull Changes to Movie 'Windows'

By GARY GENTILE, AP Business Writer Sun Aug 28, 2:10 PM ET

LOS ANGELES - Someday the phrase 'Coming soon to a theater near you' could be replaced with 'Coming soon to a Wal-Mart near you.' The tradition of major films debuting first in theaters, then across staggered release 'windows,' including pay-per-view, home video, cable and, finally, broadcast TV, is being openly questioned." Robert Iger, CEO-elect of The Walt Disney Co., recently suggested the day could come when a DVD is released while the movie is still in theaters. The millions of dollars that studios spend marketing first-run movies would serve double duty promoting the more profitable DVDs, making for a faster and more efficient return on investment.

"Consumers have a lot more authority these days and they know that by using technology they can gain access to content and they want to use the power that they have..." Iger told financial analysts earlier this month. "We can't stand in the way and we can't allow tradition to stand in the way of where the consumer can go or wants to go."

Iger's remarks are heresy to theater owners who fear people with flat screen, high-definition, surround sound systems in their living rooms will abandon the megaplex.

"Mr. Iger knows better than to tell consumers — or Wall Street analysts — that they can have it all, everywhere, at the same time," said John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners. "He knows there would be no viable movie theater industry in that new world — at least not a theater industry devoted to the entertainment products of Hollywood."

Theaters have already seen profits shrink as movies move more quickly to home video. Studios and theaters split profits in the early weeks of a movie's run, with the theater making most of its money from concessions. The theater's split gets larger the longer the movie plays, giving studios an incentive to release films on DVD even earlier.

Studios make the majority of their profits from home video sales, with theatrical runs serving largely as marketing for the DVD.

That has led some to question business models that have not kept pace with technology or consumer demands.

"Why do we make the assumption that five months later people are still interested in your product?" said Todd Wagner, co-owner with Mark Cuban of 2929 Entertainment.

"If I hear a song on the radio, they don't say, `Five months from now you can buy the CD.'"

The gap between a movie's opening weekend in theaters and its debut on home video has been narrowing from about six months in 1994 to about four months in 2004.

Some studios release their DVDs even sooner. The action sequel "XXX: State of the Union," which fizzled at the box office, hit video shelves 11 weeks after its theatrical debut.

Many studios announce the release date of a movie on home video while the film is still in theaters — a practice that infuriates theater owners.

"This is something that drives us nuts," Fithian said. "When Wal-Mart starts putting up signs a month and a half or two months into the movie's run, that just kind of tells the consumer: 'Wait — it's coming.'"

Before Iger's remarks, studio executives spoke of releasing DVDs simultaneous with a theatrical run only in the context of fighting piracy. Many studios are already premiering films around the world on the same date to undercut pirates who distribute illegal copies of films in China, Eastern Europe and elsewhere.

In the United States, studios are pressured by a box office slump and a DVD glut that has led to a sharp decline in sales for new releases that compete for shelf space with old TV show box sets and older hits.

New technology is adding to the competition as cable operators promote video-on-demand services and phone companies, such as SBC and Verizon, are creating high-speed Internet networks that will make on-demand viewing even easier.

Advances in wireless are also challenging old business models. In Europe, Sony Pictures has released a full-length version of "Spider-Man II" for viewing on a cell phone.

For some industry players, simultaneously releasing a movie in theaters and on DVD makes perfect sense.

"Most packaged entertainment — books, CDs, games — most all of these make their debut at retail," said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer of Netflix Inc., which rents DVDs by mail. "It isn't that radical a proposition that movies could follow that same path."

In April, 2929 Entertainment, which owns two television networks, a chain of movie theaters and film and television distribution companies, announced a partnership with Oscar-winning film director
Steven Soderbergh to direct six films and release them simultaneously in theaters, on TV and on DVD.

Wagner, the company's co-owner, said under his model, theater owners share in the revenue made from distributing films on DVD and other media.

"We want the exhibitors to be a part of this because they should be and from my perspective, they always should have been," Wagner said.

Wagner also disputes the notion that people would stay away from theaters if they could watch the same movie at home.

Wagner and Cuban own the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, which still draws a crowd when games are broadcast on radio and TV.

"It didn't kill professional sports when it was available simultaneously on different mediums," he said. "They cross promote each other and they're all doing just fine."

2005-08-30T06:25:00.000-07:00

BetaNews | BBC to Offer TV Programs Online: "BBC to Offer TV Programs Online
By Ed Oswald, BetaNews
August 29, 2005, 11:07 AM

British broadcasting giant BBC announced on Monday that it would offer viewers the opportunity to download its programs up to seven days after they had aired on television. The new offering is part of a plan to modernize the network.

As well as offering recorded shows, the player would also include live feeds of both BBC 1 and BBC 2.

Director General of the BBC Mark Thompson said the change was essential to ensure the future of the network.

'I accept the premise that if the BBC remains nothing more than a traditional TV and radio broadcaster then we probably won't deserve or get license-fee funding beyond 2016,' he said. 'That is very definitely not our plan.'

It is not clear at this time whether the service would be free or require subscription fee. Also, Thompson did not say whether the media files available for download would include digital rights management to prevent illicit copying.

The feature would likely only be available to users within the United Kingdom, who pay a licensing fee in order to view television programming.

Thompson says he hopes to have the download service launched by next year."

2005-08-18T18:45:00.000-07:00

BetaNews | Yahoo Music Service Officially Launches: "Yahoo Music Service Officially Launches
By Nate Mook, BetaNews
August 18, 2005, 12:06 PM

Yahoo! Music Unlimited, the company's subscription music service, has left beta and Yahoo is preparing a massive marketing blitz to promote its new offering. Powered by the Yahoo! Music Engine, the service brings to the table over 1 million songs at 192kbps with a cost 60 percent less than rivals Napster and Real.

Despite claims that Yahoo's low beta pricing wouldn't last, the company has kept the subscription service priced at just $4.99 USD per month when paid annually or $6.99 USD monthly. Customers can stream or download an unlimited number of songs to their computer, as well as transfer tracks to portable devices.

As with any such service, the songs will become unplayable if the subscription lapses. However, Yahoo also offers a la carte downloads for just 79-cents. Those who wish to forego the monthly subscription fee can also download individual songs for 99-cents - the same pricing as Apple's iTunes Music Store.

Downloads can be played on a total of five PCs or transferred to compatible portable devices. Because tracks are in Microsoft's WMA format, however, they are not compatible with Apple's popular iPod."

2005-07-07T16:08:00.000-07:00

Surviving the Digital TV Shift
Wired News: Surviving the Digital TV Shift: "By Michael Grebb | Also by this reporter

02:00 AM Jul. 06, 2005 PT

WASHINGTON -- As federal policymakers wrangle over a deadline to switch from analog to digital television, consumers have been left wondering what it all means. How will it work? Are analog TV sets about to go dark? And why all the fuss, anyway?"
Just last week, two major consumer groups predicted that nearly four out of 10 U.S. households have at least one TV set that relies on over-the-air analog TV signals. While the consumer electronics industry has called that number inflated, one thing seems certain: Millions of old TV sets will be affected by the digital TV transition.

The good news is the logistics of all this are still up in the air. Here's a snapshot of where things stand, along with a primer on digital TV and how it works.

What's the difference between analog and digital television?

For more than 50 years, analog television has used continuously changing frequencies and voltage levels to send pictures and sound over radio waves. The problem is that analog waves often degrade on their way to your TV set, which creates interference.

Digital technology, however, uses encoded streams of zeros and ones to send information to TV antennas, largely eliminating interference and degradation. Digital signals can also pack more information into a smaller space, allowing broadcasters to provide HDTV or even embed other data in the stream.

What is the digital TV transition?

As the world started going digital years ago, federal officials and industry gurus agreed that free, over-the-air TV shouldn't be left behind. But no one, including broadcasters, wanted to suddenly cut off analog signals for fear it would disenfranchise millions of viewers.

Federal authorities have let the TV stations broadcast in both analog and digital over a number of years to give new digital TV sets a chance to make their way into the nation's living rooms.

This phase-in requires simultaneous use of two large spectrum bands. At some point, the broadcasters will give back the old analog spectrum so the government can auction it off for advanced wireless services and use portions for public-safety applications.

DTV, HDTV -- which is it?

Digital TV, or DTV, consists of 18 different formats, of which only two are widely considered to be high-definition. Many TV stations broadcast some shows in HDTV and others in one of the lower-quality digital formats. HDTV has more than twice the lines of resolution used for current analog TV, creating much sharper pictures, and uses a more cinematic wide-screen aspect ratio.

What's the current status of DTV?

According to the National Association of Broadcasters, 1,497 stations in 211 regions are currently transmitting digital signals. That means 99.99 percent of TV households in the United States can receive digital over-the-air broadcasts from most of their local stations. Roughly 1,700 TV stations operate in the United States.

When will they turn off the analog TV signals?

Nobody really knows. The 1996 Telecommunications Act specified that broadcasters give back their old spectrum by Dec. 31, 2006, as long as at least 85 percent of U.S. households in a given market could receive digital over-the-air signals. But because no one can agree on how to measure that 85 percent standard, few Washington insiders ever expected the 2006 date to stick.

As a result, leaders in Congress have been talking about a "hard deadline" of Dec. 31, 2008, at which time analog signals would go dark regardless of how many people can receive digital transmissions. But the DTV legislation is still being debated in Congressional committees, so it's anyone's guess what hard deadline -- if any -- will be adopted. The broadcast TV industry has also been quite successful in blocking previous attempts to set a hard deadline.
Read the complete article

2005-07-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

Intel and Morgan Freeman put DRM to work in new movie venture
By Gavin Clarke in San Francisco
Published Wednesday 6th July 2005 22:34 GMT

Intel is teaming-up with Morgan Freeman's Revelations Entertainment company to deliver an online digital entertainment service that helps counter film piracy.

The companies are backing ClickStar, a venture whose mission is to side-step the cinema as the default vehicle for viewing films on their first release. First-run, pre-DVD-release films will be accessed, paid for and downloaded by people who will view films from an Intel-compatible home entertainment device.The venture, set to launch in 2006, is designed to help reduce illegal copying of new movies.

In a statement, Freeman said: "Our goal is to deliver first-run, premium entertainment to film fans around the world and to make film easier to buy than to pirate."

ClickStar comes after pirated copies of Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith appeared in Pakistan just five days after the film's theatrical release to Worldwide audiences in May.

ClickStar is also designed to connect filmmakers directly with fans and pave the way for new, revenue-generating business models for the film industry.

Oscar winning film director Steven Soderberg recently said he would release six up-coming films through DVD, pay-per-view cable, satellite and cinema simultaneously because the current theatre-only model is outdated and inefficient.

ClickStar means Hollywood is following in the footsteps of the gaming industry, which is increasingly turning to online services. Online communities, such as Playstation and Xbox, Live are being used by games companies to build new constituents of consumers and audiences, who can be drip-fed new features for games rather than waiting for features in a new release of a games title.

Online delivery is also seen as an effective way of curbing piracy. Games companies, especially in Asia, are delivering services to mobile handsets on a subscription basis, which makes copying of titles harder for pirates.

The Launch of ClickStar comes at an important inflection point in the entertainment and technology industries. Increasingly broader internet bandwidth combined with faster processor performance and emergence of Digital Rights Management (DRM) technologies are opening the door to secure, high-performance online entertainment services.®

2005-07-06T17:49:00.000-07:00

BetaNews | Intel Invests in Online Film Distribution: "Intel Invests in Online Film Distribution
By Ed Oswald, BetaNews
July 6, 2005, 4:38 PM

At a yearly retreat for media CEOs, Intel announced that it is investing in a company called ClickStar with the intent to create a distribution system for films over the Internet before they are released to home video. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

ClickStar was formed by actor Morgan Freeman, most commonly known for his roles in movies such as 'The Shawshank Redemption,' and producer Lori McCreary, with financial backing from Intel. Freeman and McCreary formed ClickStar's parent company, Revelations Entertainment, in 1996.

'ClickStar addresses the growing worldwide consumer demand for digital content - especially filmed entertainment,' Freeman said. 'Our goal is to deliver first-run premium entertainment to film fans around the world and to make film easier to buy than to pirate.'

Former Sony Pictures exec Nizar Allibhoy will head the new company, and he will be charged with convincing a reluctant industry to embrace the Internet as a form of movie distribution. The industry fears that if it offers newer movies, they will be quickly pirated and DVD rentals could fall.

According to news reports, ClickStar has held discussions with several major studios, but has not yet been able to solidify any deals. Also, studios like Warner Bros. and Sony are planning their own Internet movie stores, which may mean trouble for the new company.

However, Intel and Freeman remain confident. 'This is a significant step that will transform the consumer’s entertainment experience in the digital home,' Intel's CEO Paul Otellini told attendees.

'With Intel's new digital entertainment platforms and ClickStar's exciting new digital entertainment service, consumers will be able to watch first-run films and premium content from the comfort of their living rooms.'"

2005-06-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

digg / gaming: "AI Researchers Produce New Kind of PC Game (NERO)
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin along with student programmers have produced a PC Game that allows users to train intelligent robots in real time through the use of neural nets. Free download of game at site."

2005-06-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

digg / links: "Google Earth is now beta.
Want to know more about a specific location? Dive right in -- Google Earth combines satellite imagery, maps and the power of Google Search to put the world’s geographic information at your fingertips."

2005-06-28T07:28:00.001-07:00

FileForum | iTunes for Windows: "iTunes for Windows 4.9
Publisher's Description:

iTunes lets you create your own personal digital music library, allowing you to manage and play your music collection with drag-and-drop simplicity. iTunes, the software part of the equation that lets you pack 7,500 songs in your pocket, automatically synchronizes with the sensational new iPod at high speeds over FireWire. iTunes gives you the ability to generate dynamic Smart Playlists that reflect your preferences and listening habits. With iTunes it’s easy to create CDs that play back on in your car, your home stereo, Macs and on Windows-based PCs. iTunes 4 adds the ability to share music among your Macs, play and encode AAC files, and view album art.

iTunes has the following other editions available: iTunes for Mac OS X.
Latest Changes:

* Podcast directory
* Transfer podcasts to your iPod"

2005-06-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

BetaNews | Google Adds Video Playback to Search: "Google Adds Video Playback to Search
By David Worthington and Nate Mook, BetaNews
June 27, 2005, 5:58 PM

Google on Monday officially launched its video search and added playback from directly within the Web browser. Google Video Viewer is a browser plug-in for Firefox and Internet Explorer designed to play video captures from more than 20 TV stations that are partnered with Google.

The player is based upon the work of the Video LAN open source project. The Video LAN Client is cross-platform supporting Linux, Mac OS X, BSD and BeOS. However, Google Video Viewer only works with Microsoft Windows.

In May, Google seeded its video search lineup with free content from Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, Discovery Health Channel, and CNN.

In addition to Google's own content, user-submitted clips are available following the launch of the company's 'Video Upload' utility. Google has granted its users control over the distribution rights of their personal video clips.

'After downloading the viewer, users entering keywords into the Google Video search box will see a list of results that look about the same as before – with brief text snippets, still screen captures and so on. But now, videos available for playback will feature a small triangle 'play' icon next to the snippet,' Google representatives said.

'If a user clicks on one of these results they will see a page with up to five still screen captures which make it possible for them to play the specific part of the video that's most relevant to their query. Click the 'play' icon and the video jumps into action.'

Currently, only free video is available for playback, but Google is expected to offer fee-based programming in the near future. The company is developing its own online payment system to facilitate the purchasing of videos.

The Google Video service is presently only available in the English language. Video playback requires Internet Explorer 5.0 or later or Mozilla Firefox."

2005-06-24T07:11:00.000-07:00

BetaNews | Study: One-Third of CDs Are Pirated: "Study: One-Third of CDs Are Pirated
By Ed Oswald, BetaNews
June 23, 2005, 12:34 PM

According to a music industry group, one out of every three compact discs sold last year was pirated at a cost to the industry of $4.6 billion. There was some good news to be found in the report, as piracy only grew 2 percent year over year, which was the smallest increase in half a decade.

The report released by the International Federation of Phonographic Industries says that in 31 countries the amount of pirated music sold outweighs legal music. Also, in 2004 new countries have become problem areas for piracy, including Chile, Czech Republic, Greece, India and Turkey.

The IFPI decided to announced the results of the study in Spain, where street piracy has led to a drop in legitimate CD sales in the past three years by over 30 percent. Illicit discs now account for 24 percent of all sales in the country.

Spain will now join nine other countries as target areas to combat piracy in the coming year. However, Spain's piracy market is nowhere near that of China, with a 85 percent piracy rate and sales of some $411 million, or Paraguay, with a staggering piracy rate of 99 percent.

'Over the next few years governments and society are going to have to learn to take piracy more seriously - piracy not just of music, but in all its forms,' IFPI chairman and CEO John Kennedy said. 'It is no longer acceptable for governments to turn a blind eye, or to regard piracy as merely a small irritation to society.'

Some companies are even considering pulling out of markets where piracy has become a large problem. Vivendi Universal says that such an action is a possibility, although it would not name any specifics. In any case, piracy is affecting the company's bottom line, and affecting operations."

2005-06-23T07:55:00.001-07:00

Most Lucrative Movie Franchises: Weekend - Yahoo! Finance:
Forbes.com
By Leah Hoffmann and Lacey Rose

NEW YORK - Why is Hollywood so in love with sequels? The premiere of Batman Begins marks the sixth in the series. And that's only counting the 'modern' era of Batman flicks, dating from 1989's Batman from director Tim Burton.

Indeed, this year has already brought us a slew of prequels, sequels and remakes, including Miss Congeniality 2, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (the sixth installment in the series), Dominion (the fifth movie in the Exorcist series) and The Longest Yard (a remake of the 1974 film of the same name). Coming derivative attractions include Herbie: Fully Loaded (June 22), Rush Hour 3 (August) and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (November)."
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2005-06-23T07:55:00.000-07:00

Slyck News - MPAA and RIAA Thwart CD/DVD Replication Plant:
June 22, 2005
Thomas Mennecke

The MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) continues its pursuit of physical piracy in California, this time in conjunction with the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America.) The MPAA and RIAA assisted the Southern California High Tech Task Force with technical information in the temporary shut down of New Century Media Corporation.

According to the joint MPAA and RIAA press release, the raid yielded a substantial amount of pirated material - 30 million dollars worth of stampers and DVDs to be exact. The MPAA and RIAA were tipped off to New Century Media from a previous raid that contained DVDs from his manufacturer. The raid, conducted on June 15, resulted in the temporary shut down of this facility."
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2005-06-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

digg / links: "Yahoo! Closes User Created Chat Rooms
Yahoo! is facing a $10 million lawsuit that accuses it of cashing in on some disturbing chat rooms. This stations' investigation showed what's really going on in those rooms. (BTW glad somebody's doing something about this finally...)"
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2005-06-20T20:56:00.000-07:00

Doctor Who better than Star Trek - official | The Register: "Doctor Who better than Star Trek - official
By John Leyden
Published Monday 20th June 2005 13:52 GMT

Doctor Who has ousted Star Trek as favourite cult TV programme, according to an online poll. It's the first time in 10 years that Star Trek has been demoted from top berth in the annual poll by the Cult TV website, Digital Spy reports.

Saturday (17 June) marked the season finale of the revamped version of Doctor Who, seen by an estimated 6.2m viewers on BBC1, a 41.8 per cent audience share. A BBC spokeswoman said that figures were lower than previous episodes probably because warm weather kept many people away from their TVs. ��"