Comcast Eyes Anyplay Media Players
By Steve Donohue -- Multichannel News, 9/15/2006 5:24:00 PM
Comcast may be considering marketing portable media players under the brand Anyplay.
The nation’s largest cable distributor obtained a trademark for the brand Sept. 5, according to a filing at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The trademark gives Comcast rights to use the Anyplay brand for “portable media players; portable and hand-held electronic devices for recording and playing audio and video files; and portable and hand-held electronic devices for reviewing digital image files.”
The filing also stated that Comcast could use the brand for “broadcasting and streaming of audio, video and data to portable electronic devices; entertainment services; television-programming services.”
Comcast officials wouldn’t detail their plans for the Anyplay brand, including when the MSO may roll out portable media players. But spokeswoman Jenni Moyer said the trademark filing “speaks for itself.”
Comcast rival EchoStar Communications began marketing PocketDISH portable media players earlier this year. The devices -- manufactured by Archos and ranging in price from $149-$399 -- allow subscribers to transfer TV shows and movies from EchoStar digital-video recorders.
DirecTV also plans to market portable media players under the DirecTV2Go brand.
