Todd Spangler's blog

Can You Turn No-Name Content Into a Hit? Netflix Wants to Talk

By: Todd Spangler Mar 28 2013 - 6:42am

Netflix is seeking a Director of Truthiness.

The Internet streamer brags about how it uses Google-y Big Data algorithms to push video recommendations -- and inform its content acquisition strategy -- but Netflix also understands there’s a black art to entertainment marketing.

Viacom v. YouTube: The Beagle That Didn't Bite

By: Todd Spangler Mar 22 2013 - 11:08am

Remember the copyright-infringement lawsuit Viacom flung at YouTube waaaay back in 2007? That was Internet light-years ago, but the suit lives on.

The Unwatched Masses

By: Todd Spangler Mar 19 2013 - 11:16am

You meant to watch Ken Burns’ The Dust Bowl on PBS on your DVR, right? So did I -- but I never got around to it.

A whopping 41% of recorded content on Americans’ DVR is never watched, according to Motorola Mobility’s fourth Media Engagement Barometer report.

Viva la TV Bundle!

By: Todd Spangler Mar 10 2013 - 9:27am

It’s a question that has perplexed many: Why hasn’t the Internet punctured the TV business the way it has decimated music sales?

A few weeks ago in USA Today, media psychoanalyst Michael Wolff penned one of those the-sky-is-falling-for-the-pay-TV-industry pieces you see from time to time. He predicted that, thanks to the rise of over-the-top video services and growing irritation with paying for a bundle of (mostly unwanted) channels, cable TV will either die or have one foot in the grave within five years.

What Good Is 1 Gig at Home, Really?

By: Todd Spangler Mar 7 2013 - 8:42am

If you’re running, say, 300 Netflix accounts all streaming video simultaneously to your house, you’re definitely in the market for a 1 Gigabit per second connection.

For normal people, on the other hand, it’s overkill and will be for at least the next few years.

FCC chairman Julius Genachowski loves the idea of Gigabit-per-second Internet connections, and wants to see 1 Gig services in at least one community in all 50 states within two years.

Dish Crüe Brews 'NÜTV'

By: Todd Spangler Mar 4 2013 - 6:59pm

Evoking the heyday of ’80s hair-metal bands, Dish Network has filed for a trademark on “NÜTV” -- complete with an umlaut.

What’s the news on NÜTV?

It seems to refer to a service that would provide access to TV shows and movies on a range of portable devices, via a cloud-based digital locker or streaming.

NÜTV may be the name of Dish's rumored over-the-top Internet TV service; company spokesman John Hall declined to provide additional info on the filing or what the name is for.

Working on the Weekend? Welcome to the Media Industry

By: Todd Spangler Mar 3 2013 - 9:38am

You or someone you know might be a workaholic.

Media and entertainment executives are more likely to work outside regular business hours than professionals in most other industries -- and they’re more likely to be single.

That’s according to a global survey by Accenture released Friday about work/life balance issues.

The Video Compression Wizards Aren't Done

By: Todd Spangler Feb 28 2013 - 5:34pm

Here comes HEVC -- the High Efficiency Video Coding spec, which gained initial ITU approval in January (see ITU OKs Next-Generation Video Codec Standard).

Why VOD Ad Money Is Still Being Left on the Table

By: Todd Spangler Feb 27 2013 - 11:39am

There were 9 billion reasons last year why TV programmers and operators should get on the same page for VOD advertising.

That’s the estimated number of free VOD views in 2012 that weren’t monetized, according to SNL Kagan. In 2011, Rentrak calculated 6.8 billion free VOD plays -- a potential $1 billion opportunity that’s lying fallow, according to the company.

Here's the 4K Sci-Fi Clip You'll Be Seeing in Trade Show Demos

By: Todd Spangler Feb 26 2013 - 10:03am

You’ve seen Big Buck Bunny, right?

That’s the HD clip released in 2008 as an open-source project by Amsterdam’s Blender Foundation to showcase 3D animation and crowd-sourced content creation. Because it’s freely available, many vendors have used the Big Buck Bunny clip to demo video compression, multiscreen video and other technologies.

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