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Streaming March Madness

March 9, 2006

Samsung B600 10-Megapixel camera phone

March 9, 2006

Samsung B600 10 Megapixel phone launched at CeBIT. The Samsung B600 is an amazing piece of technology. It has more mexapixels than many high-end single-purpose digital cameras and it doubles as a cell phone. Convergence at its best!

TiVo Mobile - what's the point?

March 8, 2006

TiVo added another remote programming option called TiVo Mobile - a partnership between TiVo and Verizon Wireless that allows subscribers to remotely schedule DVR recordings from their mobile phones. What's the point?

Seriously. TiVo already lets you schedule recordings from your computer with Internet access if you forget to record something. Internet access is pretty ubiquitous, so do you really need the ability to schedule a recording from your cell phone?

Belgacom IP-TV offers plug and play IP-TV experience

February 22, 2006

Today, SupportSoft announced that Belgacom's 800,000+ broadband subscribers can now enjoy the benefits of speedy and easy self-installation of an IPTV connection with the help of SupportSoft's SmartAccess solution. The SmartAccess tool enables Belgacom customers to verify their systems for firmware, modem and set-top characteristics; configure their PC and wireless gateway; and connect all the key components together -- reducing the need for lengthy and costly truck rolls to their premises and driving adoption of the new service. Basically SupportSoft has enabled a "plug and play IP-TV" experience. Amazing...

Up, Up & Away: Another Dish for the Network

February 17, 2006

Winter Olympics: When & Where You Want It

February 10, 2006

FCC says A La Carte TV channels will save customers money

February 9, 2006

Interesting report from the FCC that found cable choice is not only economically feasible, but in most cases could even save consumers money.

"Today's report is exactly what consumers have been waiting for," said Lanier Swann, Director of Government Relations for Concerned Women for America in Washington, DC. "The FCC puts the lie to cable magnates' wild claims that a la carte would cost consumers more money and was not economically feasible. That argument has fallen flat on its face now that the FCC has shown that consumers could save up to 13 percent on their monthly cable bill."

CWA has been fighting the cable industry for years to bring about just such a change in television programming delivery. This fight included submitting testimony to the Senate Commerce Committee for their recent hearing on this subject.

Here's the report findings:

FCC Media Bureau Report Finds Substantial Consumer Benefits in A La Carte Model of Delivering Video Programming

Washington, DC - The Media Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today issued a Further Report on the Packaging and Sale of Video Programming Services to the Public (the “Further Report”) on the issue of an “a la carte” model for delivery of video services.









We Want Our HD & DTV

February 2, 2006

Just wanted to thank all of you who helped pump High Def (HD) and digital television (DTV) sales over the holidays.

According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), sales hit 2.3 million, marking a 35% increase over the same two-month time� frame in 2004. We can only expect a similar increase in January and February this year due to the upcoming Super Bowl XL and Winter Olympics -- sports fans do love their HDTV.� (Do you think the Winter X Games will� have anything to due with increased HD/DTV sales this year?)

For numbers junkies, total 2005 DTV sales� were more than 12 million units and $17 billion; HD products represented 85% or $14.5 billion of those sales.

Moving Music Around the House Just Got Easier

January 27, 2006

The all-in-one home media center in one central location with different media streaming to different rooms in the house is the Holy Grail of home entertainment. The problem has always been that it's just too difficult to do.

Linksys and Yahoo! have developed a new plug-in for the Yahoo! Music Engine that works� directly with the� Wireless-G Music Bridge (WMB54G), which retails for $99,� that enables users to� stream music directly to a home stereo with the click of a button on the Yahoo!

Near Simultaneous 'Bubble' Release: Film, TV, DVD

January 26, 2006

Did you hear about Bubble, the new film from Steven Soderbergh (Sex, Lies, and Videotape), that's opening tomorrow? Seems that it's going to be released in theaters the same day it's available on HDNet, the movie channel started by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban (he who knew when to cash in his Internet chips at the right time, speaking of bubble).

Even more interesting is the fact that is will be available on DVD only a few days later, rather then the usual few months (or more) later, when you've forgotten all about the movie -- or can't remember it's name when you're at your local video store.

Will be a good test to see if film or HD viewers go for the DVD too or if viewers just go for the DVD instead.

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