QUICK HITS

CES: Comcast, TWC to Hook
Into Samsung’s Smart TVs, Tablets

Las Vegas — Comcast and Time Warner Cable, looking to neutralize the
threat posed by over-the-top video services, have both struck partnerships
with Samsung to let cable subscribers more easily find and watch content on
a variety of Samsung TVs, tablets and smartphones.

The alliances, announced during Samsung president Boo-Keun Yoon’s keynote
here at the Consumer Electronics Show, are notable given widespread speculation
that Internet-connected TVs and other devices would undermine the traditional
TV business by fueling “cord cutting.” In partnering with Samsung, the two
biggest U.S. cable operators believe that embracing Internet-connected devices
will be a key way to enhance the value of their subscription products.

“Smart TVs are a really important part of Comcast Xfinity and our plans to
provide a fantastic next-generation experience,” Comcast chairman and CEO
Brian Roberts said.

Earlier in the week, Sony announced a similar agreement with Time Warner
Cable, under which the cable operator will deliver its full lineup of TV programming
to Sony Internet-connected Bravia televisions sometime in 2011 (see
Cover Story).

Time Warner Cable anticipates beginning to offer the apps commercially
on Samsung devices later this year. Comcast’s Xfinity TV apps also will be
distributed later this year on the Samsung Smart TVs and on the application
store for Samsung’s Galaxy tablets and smart phones.

Comcast’s implementation on the Samsung TVs will interact with customers’
existing set-top boxes, whereas TWC will deliver IP programming directly to the sets.

Xfinity TV digital customers using the Galaxy tablet will be able to watch TV
programming and movies on the device, browse for video content, change the
channel on a Samsung smart TV and program DVRs.

On Time Warner Cable systems, customers will be able to access live and
on-demand TV with a full program guide on Samsung Smart TVs and the Galaxy
Tab, TWC CEO Glenn Britt noted during his demonstration.

— George Winslow (B&C) and Todd Spangler

UltraViolet Targets
Go Live for Mid-2011

Las Vegas — The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem, a cross-industry
consortium aiming to build the equivalent of an ATM network for digital entertainment
content, expects its UltraViolet-branded system will be ready to support
commercial services and devices by mid-2011.

UltraViolet is designed to let viewers buy a piece of digital media once and
then download or stream it to different
devices — such as PCs,
connected TVs, game consoles,
smartphones and tablets — after
logging into an account, similar to
the way cash machines authorize
bank transactions.

DECE now has more than 60
members including Comcast, Cox Communications, CableLabs, Sony, NBC
Universal, Best Buy and Netflix. The group announced several new additional
participating companies, including Akamai Technologies, Arxan Technologies,
BSkyB, Dell, Fujitsu and Fanhattan.

Six of Hollywood’s largest studios – Lionsgate Entertainment, Paramount
Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures
and Warner Bros. Entertainment — are DECE members.

However, The Walt Disney Co. is currently sitting out from the DECE initiative.
Apple, whose iTunes represents one of the biggest retail channels for
digital media, also is not on board with UltraViolet.

— Todd Spangler

Verizon, Motorola
Unveil iPad Rival

Las Vegas —Verizon Communications chairman and CEO Ivan Seidenberg
used his keynote here at the Consumer Electronics Show to showcase the
Motorola “Xoom” tablet that aims to one-up Apple’s popular iPad.

Motorola Xoom is the first device to use Google’s Android 3.0 operating
system, code-named Honeycomb, designed for tablets. Featuring a
dual-core processor, with each core running at 1 GHz, and a 10.1-inch wiwidescreen
HD display, the
tablet is targeted to take
advantage of Verizon Wireless’s
recently launched
4G LTE network to let
users watch videos, play
games and engage in video
chats.

“The capability you had
in your PC a few short years
ago is now available in this
tablet,” Motorola Mobility
CEO Sanjay Jha said.

Motorola Xoom will launch as a 3G/Wi-Fi-enabled device in the first quarter
of 2011 with an upgrade to 4G LTE in the second quarter. Starting in the second
quarter, Xoom will be a 4G LTE/Wi-Fi-enabled device. Verizon Wireless
also offers Apple’s iPad among its device options.

Verizon Wireless also will offer Motorola’s Droid Bionic, an Android-based
smartphone designed for 4G, in the second quarter.

— Todd Spangler

Intel Chips Lock Down
HD Over-The-Top Video

Las Vegas — Intel this week will debut the second generation of its Core
processor family for personal computers, which includes content-protection
features aimed at reassuring Hollywood studios that their HD movies won’t
get pillaged by digital pirates.

The chip giant is announcing details of the chip architecture, code-named
Sandy Bridge, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.
Intel is working with studios and online distributors — including Best Buy’s
CinemaNow, Sonic Solutions and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution — to let
PCs with the chips securely play back HD content.

The 2nd Generation Core processors’ content-security features, dubbed
Intel Insider, give content owners and video services the ability to release
more movies in HD via Internet digital downloads the same day they become
available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, according to Intel.

— Todd Spangler

EchoStar Advanced Techologies Buys
IPTV Provider Move Networks’ Assets

LAS VEGAS — EchoStar Advanced Technologies has acquired assets of Utahbased
Move Networks, a streaming-video startup whose investors included
Cisco Systems and Comcast.

Deal terms were not disclosed. About 25 employees of Move Networks
will be joining EchoStar. They will remain based in American Fork, Utah.

Move Networks had raised about $70 million from investors including
Steamboat Ventures, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, Benchmark Capital,
Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Comcast and Televisa.

Move Networks rose to prominence with an adaptive-rate streaming Internet
video player that had been used by ABC.com, Fox, The CW and other media
sites. In addition, Comcast has used the Move video player to deliver the
Xfinity TV authenticated video service. However, Adobe Systems’ Flash and
Microsoft’s Silverlight now incorporate adaptive-rate streaming features, eliminating
Move Networks’
differentiation for Web
video playback and the
company this year laid
off the majority of its
work force.

EchoStar plans to
integrate the Move
Networks core adaptive
bit-rate streaming technology
into products to
enable efficient streaming
of live and video-ondemand
content, according
to the company.

— Todd Spangler