Dave Morris » vegas

Internet-ready TVs

davemorris — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 05:29:36 +0000

Interesting. More people are watching video, from YouTube to full length TV shows on their laptops. The rage recently was IPTV, with Apple and others offering set top boxes for consumers to watch their multimedia stuff on their big screens.

And few bought the set top boxes.

But what if it were built-in to your flat screen?

Now that makes sense. The Wall Street Journal breaks down how TV companies are exploring the sub category of Web ready TVs, coming to a living room or lounge near you. Perhaps soon.

We’ll hear more about these TVs from this week’s CES show in Vegas.

Amid other developments pegged to this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Yahoo Inc. and Intel Corp. plan to announce support from several major consumer-electronics companies to sell TV sets that come with software, dubbed widgets, that make it easier to call up Web content on TV sets using ordinary remote controls rather than computer keyboards.

Imagine the impact on the cable companies, or even the network or local affiliates:

Still, the topic remains a hot one in high-tech circles because of the potential impact on existing business models in the entertainment industry. Instead of the often expensive packages of video content from cable and satellite providers, the Internet could theoretically deliver a much wider array of entertainment and information choices — many of them free.

This article mentions TV Widgets, something Yahoo! has been developing:

What Are TV Widgets?

TV Widgets are small Web applications that make it easy to surf your favorites sites with your remote control. Watch Web videos, track your favorite teams or stocks, interact with friends and family, and stay current on news and information by clicking on the compact, interactive apps that sit on top of your normal TV picture.

And here’s more from newteevee.com:

Watching web video on your TV set isn’t anything new. Set-top boxes like TiVo and the Apple TV have been offering web video options for a while, but recently we’ve begun to see where it’s heading. YouTube HD streams on an HDTV look pretty sweet, and Netflix, which is already streaming content (some of it in HD) to a host of set-top boxes, will soon be streaming content directly to LG televisions with no external box required.

And it’s not just the web video content that’ll be showing up on oldteevee. Intel is also working with Yahoo to widgetize TV sets, offering weather updates, ticker symbols, Flickr integration and more.

And finally, another post from newteevee.com on Netflix’s big announcement today:

Netflix announced today that its streaming service will be embedded directly into broadband-enabled LG HDTVs coming out this spring. This marks the first time that streaming Netflix content to a television set won’t require an external box like the Roku.

Now imagine when all those TVs start offering all those video services (and more!). You could watch new release content through a la carte rental, courtesy of Amazon; library titles through your Netflix subscription; and your favorite web video through YouTube — all with the push of a button on your remote (I pity the UI designers tasked with making all that content navigable and searchable).

How to de-ice a plane

davemorris — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:13:53 +0000

So last night, I’m sitting on the runway (in a plane) in Denver. It’s snowing like a madman and the snow is actually piling up on the wing. You might have made a small snowman out of it.

We had some serious turbulence coming out of Vegas en route to Denver. Not a pleasant flight at all. Then we arrive to a snow storm in Denver, where it was cold enough to see your own breath as you exited the plane.

We finally board the delayed flight and notice all the snow on the plane’s wings. And then they pull us up to a row of trucks that looked like the monster from War of the Worlds.

I’ve flown planes that have been de-iced before. And it’s more than a little unsettling. So I whipped out the iPhone and took pictures.

Vegas: What is IPTV? Why do I care?

davemorris — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:21:55 +0000

Here’s a pretty good example of what IPTV really is and how it will work for everyday peeps.

We saw the Microsoft booth yesterday and of course they were over the top with their stuff – including their Mediaroom.

But the Microsoft Mediaroom is really cool. It combines the IPTV world with the familiar social networking stuff. Think TV, movies, games, music all combined.

Vegas: Things overheard

davemorris — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:45:51 +0000

Yesterday, David Jones and I were witness to two uncomfortable exchanges between couples. First, we boarded an elevator, where the woman pointedly told her man “don’t touch me, get away from me.” Now if it’s just you and this couple, how awkward is that?

But not to be outdone, later that night we’re walking up to an elevator when some dude in a t-shirt tucked into his jean shorts (Fellas – this is NOT a good look. Ever.). He suddenly yells, “Is there a hole in this bottle?!” as he stared at his Bud Light. Then he threatened to hit his woman. Seriously, there are two other guys – RIGHT there – and he’s threatening to drop the beat down? And what the heck are we supposed to do – NOT turn around and look?

For the record, most bottles DO have a hole. It’s at the top.

We also witnessed three hooched out females last night, like around midnight, WITH their baby and baby stroller.

Saw a couple celebs: Criss Angel, the magician, looking thugged out… and Dick (or Evil Dick, I’m told) from CBS’ Big Brother, also thugged out. I need tats and heavy chains. Then I’d be cool. Anyway, both were at the extremely popular Body Language club at the Hard Rock Casino on Sunday night (Monday morning). Rumor had it Daughtry was also “in da club” but we never saw them.

Vegas: Day 4, the recap

davemorris — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:38:00 +0000

Last day in Vegas. I could come back this weekend.

Got an email from Ed Kelley, Editor of The Oklahoman, earlier this week. He’s in DC attending the NAA conference.

Says Ed: Here’s a quote from a trade pub covering NAA/ASNE in DC, from Martin Baron, editor of the Boston Globe: “Collecting audio and video is supplemental. We try not to do NPR style reports online. We look for video and audio that complements text but doesn’t replicate text. We would like to do three videos a day essentially, and I think we’ll get there relatively soon.”

Whoa. That’s some old school thinking there. I’m sure Boston.com is not realllly thinking that. Right?

Meanwhile, lots happening in the world of online video:

- Web video views are up 66% over last year, according to Comscore report found on LostRemote.

“The service estimates that close to 135 million users spent an average of 204 total minutes each viewing Web video over the month. Users watched the videos for an average of 2.7 minutes, with an average monthly consumption of 75 videos per person.”

NewsOK.tv viewers watch a similar 2-3 minutes per visit.

- People continue to say attendance is down at NAB. Some of the vendors note you can find similar information online. And some vendors are simply saying “go to our web site” to learn more. While some of the “booths” are overwhelming, like Microsoft and Sony, others are not here at all. Apple and Avid, two majors players in video, decided it wasn’t worth the effort. Apple said something like it wasn’t the best way to reach their audience.

- I spoke with the Associated Press yesterday, eager to learn more about their online video and online graphics packages. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn much from the guys at their display. In fact, they seemed puzzled as to why we wanted video or graphics. Yet at the same time, they announced this week a new OVN 3.0 and mobile video. It’s one thing to promote your new stuff, but you might communicated it through the ranks for those of use eager to use the products.

- The Las Vegas wifi is really slow. And everyone here is smart-phoned out the wazoo. The NAB site is not exactly user friendly for the on-the-go 411.

- Check out these numbers from Hitwise on online video usage.

“YouTube accounted for 73.18 percent of all U.S. visits among a custom category of 68 online video websites. MySpaceTV received the second highest percentage of visits with 9.21 percent followed by Google Video with 4.06 percent.”

Again, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a lot of credit to LostRemote.com for their coverage of the NAB Show conference and the online video industry as a whole.

Vegas: Day 3

davemorris — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 03:09:08 +0000

We saw a lot of cool stuff today, from Red Cameras latest super cool device to a Segway used as a flo-pod.

Vegas can be tiring when trolling a trade show floor – in this case the NAB Show at the Convention Center – for 7 straight hours.

Various vendors gave us the latest and greatest on their stuff. Adobe has a cool new Media Player. Red had a great movie presentation (Here’s more on Red). Sony has no shortage of great stuff, from cameras to TVs. Chyron showed off its Web-based graphics package that rivals most broadcast effects.

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Vegas: Day 2 – Bob Barker, come on down!

davemorris — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:34:05 +0000

Random notes as I sit on the casino floor editing video, going over the NAB blogs – including Lost Remote and numerous other tech sites tonight on the wifi…

Bob Barker of Price is Right fame was inducted into the NAB Hall of Fame today. I’m told he received a standing o, asked audience members to “come on down” to play some Plinko, promptly gave away fabulous cash and prizes and likely told peeps to get their pets spayed or neutered.

Other stuff from today: some people are saying the audience numbers for NAB is down. I can’t really tell the difference from year’s past.

The Associated Press is announcing mobile video. Interesting. I haven’t spoken with any vendors about wireless yet, but there are many here that offer such. Mostly spoke to people about streaming.

Talking with Adobe tomorrow about its new offerings, including flash and Media Player 1.0.

Caught up with Carlos Lovato of Tulsa-based Media Specialists, see below. He says IPTV is the big deal this week. After speaking with my friends at News9 last night, it seems another biggie is the forced digital transition coming in February.

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Vegas: Day 2 NAB Show floor

davemorris — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:12:18 +0000

Wow.

Overwhelming is the word after the first extended tour through the NAB Show floor. Cameras, lights, software, hardware – seems much bigger than the previous years that I attended.

There are gadgets and demos everywhere you turn. Loads of energy and people who know this stuff cold. We stopped by Panasonic, JVC, Prompter People, and others for demos and, well, free stuff.

Sidebar: the Las Vegas free public wifi is dog slow. Pretty much a dial up situation. Yet as I sit here in the concourse a steady stream of peeps are asking if I’m getting wifi. They seem amazed.

Check out the NAB Show blog.

On with the show… click on each for larger versions (and a few comments).

Vegas: Day 2

davemorris — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:41:24 +0000

Tim Robbins spoke this morning at the NAB show. Here’s more.

I love the Lost Remote. A great Web site. I’ll be linking to my friends a lot this week for NAB coverage since they do a bang up job. And catching up with them tomorrow for, uh, more conversation.

NAB president David Rehr spoke a lot about the Internet today and how television needs to expand beyond the living room. Maybe that’s something local associations should learn.

More later today from the trade show floor. Hoping to hit up Adobe about their new flash streaming.

Vegas: Day 1

davemorris — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:31:29 +0000

Getting a shuttle from McCarran airport in Las Vegas makes one think the taxi queue is the way to go. After 45 minutes of inhaling bus fumes, David Jones and I departed for the hotel.

The NAB Show is, as it says, a digital media event. In year’s past it focused on broadcast television. Now if focuses a lot on the Internet. Just as the newspaper industry is focusing on the Internet.

The digital industry is all about learning the latest technology. Tim Robbins is the keynote speaker on Monday.