Monthly Archives: January 2012
Fine Lines of Video Privacy Protection
After intense backing from Facebook and Netflix, an amendment to the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) of 1988 passed the House of Representatives, and is awaiting approval by the Senate. That sparked a debate over security concerns in regards to intellectual privacy. Netflix and Facebook’s legal teams are afraid that “frictionless sharing” could be seen as a violation of VPPA, which prevents video rental stores from sharing the rental records of customers. Netflix and Facebook argue that it should be permissible so long as video service providers obtain “informed, written consent” over the Internet. Those who oppose an amendment to the act argue that intellectual privacy deserves an extra degree of protection, because it is what helps shape ones understanding of values, sexuality, politics, and other sensitive matters. This is an idea that was followed by librarians for decades as they kept records confidential to protect their readers. KIT digital believes the diverse usage of social media created a new range of intellectual records, … Continue reading
Postponement of SOPA/PIPA
The true power of the social web was demonstrated through the postponement of the SOPA and PIPA bills. These directly affect search engines, blogs, social media platforms, and many other services. There were site-wide blackouts, protests, and countless calls and faxes made to government officials. The New York Times labeled the movement against these bills as “a political coming of age for a relatively young and disorganized industry that has largely steered clear of lobbying and other political games in Washington.” We at KIT digital found ourselves between a rock and a hard place, but the online activism was very awe-inspiring, especially as people used their creativity to express their views, such as the image below: Wikipedia had a 24-hour blackout, making their pages unavailable while featuring a message detailing their opposition to SOPA. According to Wikipedia, over 162 million people saw their message during their blackout, and 8 million people used their search tool to find the contact information of their elected representatives. Over 4.5 million people signed … Continue reading
The VOD Wars
While social TV seems to be garnering the bulk of the buzz these days, the real action is happening in Video on Demand or VOD. VOD was once treated as the ugly stepsister of the industry, with most operators regarding it as a promotional vehicle (hence the proliferation of 5-minute “Making of X” videos on most On Demand channels.) Purchasing broadcast rights from the studios was costly, VOD technology was very unstable and prone to mid-broadcast meltdowns, and, with the ubiquity of DVD rental services, there was very little demand for On Demand. Until, of course, there was. Reed Hasting and his board seem just as stunned as the rest of the industry by the rapid growth of Netflix streaming video. The fact that consumers, a notoriously technophobic lot, would actually figure out how to hook up a third-party device (laptops, PlayStations, Roku boxes and the like) and use them to stream movies over WiFi to their television sets was … Continue reading
The Social EPG Is The Social TV Of Tomorrow
While social TV apps continue to crop up like proverbial weeds, the future of the social TV app will likely be a proprietary social EPG (electronic program guide) provided by the same company that supplies your pay TV service. It will likely come with a companion tablet device too, one your pay TV provider gives you for a low monthly fee, much in the same way they now provide set top boxes. Multiple tablets will mean multiple fees, but most households will want at least one for every adult or teenage member. This model is the obvious next step for an industry that’s waiting and watching as the current wave of app developers figure out the rules of the game. They’re helping to figure out the ideal user experience and which behaviors (e.g. check-in, chat, recommendations) viewers are most interested in. And they’re doing it all on their VC’s dime as the big industry players just sit back and take … Continue reading
KIT digital at NATPE 2012
KIT digital is proud to present the KIT Cosmos edition of our Video Platform at NATPE 2012. The event started on January 23rd, and runs through January 25th, in the Fontainebleau Resort in Miami Beach. Attendees can meet our team, and get a closer look at our demos as well as existing client solution implementations at the Conf. Facility, Glitter: Meeting Table 21. Come see the future of TV!
Potential in UltraViolet Platform
Since its debut in late 2011, the UltraViolet Platform has been the root of much debate in the video and entertainment industries, with some viewing it as the latest trend for movie-watchers, and others viewing it as a pointless hassle. KIT digital is mostly neutral- but first let us provide some background. The UltraViolet concept itself is simple: Purchase a DVD (which comes specially marked with a digital copy code,) and you will have several ways to view it. This is where the complications start: You have to set up an UltraViolet account and install software on your mobile devices, before being able to watch the movies remotely on any device without the physical DVD. Consumers are able to store and view movies remotely from their ‘digital locker.’ Up to five people can be added to a single account (locker,) and be view/share movies at their convenience. However, the UltraViolet site is considered confusing, often buggy, and it is also … Continue reading
2012 CES Marked Beginning of a New Era in Video
KIT Digital was proud to be in the midst of over 150K attendees at the 2012 CES, because of all the buzz surrounding Social TV, connected devices, and video news. These innovations are sure to dominate tech headlines in a matter of weeks. The highlights we were looking forward to, such as the OLED and 3D TVs, turned out to be amongst the major hits of CES. Two models of OLED TV’s, from LG and Samsung were on display, and sparked interest because they don’t require a backlight- which results in a thin frame, and a superior color palette. Let’s not forget the mention of quicker response times, and wider angles for viewing! We covered additional innovations in TV user experiences here. Many also agreed with our mention of developers wowing the world with their innovations in convergence of mobile devices. An increasing number of viewers watch television with a laptop, tablet, or a mobile device either with them, or … Continue reading
Gamification on the Rise in Marketing and Online Video
Gamification is showing tremendous growth, and is being welcomed with open arms after demonstrating success for early adopters in various industries for its role in the discovery of new products and services. In fact, 40% of adults in the U.S that are active online have expressed interest in seeking new ways to entertain themselves with gaming elements. It is additionally showing increasing popularity in online video as advertisers embrace the trend. For example, the marketing manager for the Ford Fusion, Samantha Hoyt, decided to go this route for their Fusion commercial, because they wanted to have an exciting and interactive way to build anticipation leading up to the reveal of the all-new Fusion. Kit Digital couldn’t agree more on the excitement that ties in with gamification; the KIT Cloud Social platform has gamification aspects built in, much to the liking of our users. Gamification is not only a way to attract users, but it is also a delightful add-on which helps retain them, such as the case of Samsung … Continue reading
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Challenges of the SOPA Discussion
What a day yesterday has been in this curious world that has whipped content makers, technologists and the US House of Representatives into a frenzy of passionate conflict. At KIT digital, we’re a bit stuck in the middle. On the one hand, many of our clients invest tens of millions of dollars into creating and distributing the worlds best content, and their investment ought to be protected by laws that stop and punish those who steal that content. Because make no mistake, stealing is what it is. Of course, on the other hand, anyone can see that the SOPA/PIPA bill suffers from a lack of technical insight from the US Congress as well as a more basic disregard for many principles inherent in this lofty idea that all of us believe in, the “free internet”. In a nutshell, this is a bill that was created in the name of ‘prosperity, creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation.’ SOPA grants the U.S government and … Continue reading
Interest in Connected Devices Soars Worldwide
From smartphones to tablets, and now Smart TVs- we at KIT digital understand and cater to the needs of users by adding video to any device that lets us. The increasing demand itself is fascinating – in the case of Samsung Apps alone, average daily downloads hit 50,000 worldwide, and will likely hit 20 million downloads by the end of January, 2012. According to BroadCom, not only are smartphone sales growing faster than standard mobile phones, but there are 4 billion smartphones currently in use. Video represents 50% of all mobile traffic, and is expected to quickly shoot to 90%. Alan Murray, Executive Editor of The Wall Street Journal Online, claims that the average American watches 5 hours of video a day, which started with cable, then shifted to computers, and is now migrating to mobile devices. In this age of connectivity, developers, and manufacturers such as PrimeSense are also seeking additional ways to build Natural Interaction into consumer electronic … Continue reading
Developers Impress at 2012 CES with Innovations in Convergence
Tablets were the rage at the 2011 CES, which led to developers scurrying on to develop the next big thing for the ever-growing tablet segment. This year, the convergence of mobile devices with TV is clearly one of the most predominant themes. We are keeping tabs on this trend, as we consistently seek ways to add to our Connected Device Framework. One of the biggest surprises was Linux entering the TV market with Ubuntu TV. The controls are touch, and gesture based, and smartphones can be used as a remote as well. In addition to intelligent search, and streaming capabilities, Ubuntus cloud will be built into their new TV. This means users can enjoy the programs that are stored on other devices. Developers are very well aware of how smartphones are changing the way users consume information, and their tweaks on mobile operating systems are significantly changing how that content is delivered. For example, Myriads launch of Alien Vue (Android … Continue reading
An Apple TV Will Be Just Like An iPhone Because…
It will be sold to you at a heavily subsidized price from a service provider looking to lock you in to a multi-year contract. Because Apple can’t build their own pay TV service. Nor can they launch an internet only service. Just like the iPhone, someone else owns the pipes: in this case it is likely to be the same company that provides pay TV service. And if you own the pipes, you can make using lots of bandwidth to watch someone else’s pay TV service really expensive and inconvenient. If you are Apple, going through a specific pay TV provider allows you to have all the control you had over the iPhone. You can design the interface and do all the branding you want. Because if anything goes wrong, consumers will blame the pay TV provider. Not Apple. It’s a business model that will turn the TV industry on it head. And likely be very good for consumers. Televisions … Continue reading
Innovations in TV User Experience Dominate CES Buzz
The complexities that come with most standard remote controls are unnecessary, and ridiculously outdated. Think about it: how many buttons does your TV remote have? Better yet, how many remotes are you using in the first place? The launch of Xbox Kinect (which allows users to control their TV using gesture and voice), along with rumors circulating that Apple will bring Siri to an Apple TV have dominated the discussion to date. But others are getting in on the action. Lenovo is demonstrating some serious innovation with their K91 Smart TV, running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). This is on show at CES 2012 and we’ll be watching carefully to see whether this could be a future device to integrate into our Connected Device Framework. The other interesting thing about the K91 is that in another sign of the growing importance of Asian markets to consumer electronics manufacturers, the Lenovo TV will launch in China. Much has changed in the … Continue reading
CES Highlights We Are Looking Forward To
CES 2012 opens today in Las Vegas. Here are four things we’re excited to see which aim to take the in-home TV experience to levels never seen before. This is only good news for KIT, as we’re working with many of the worlds biggest media companies helping them to transform living rooms all over the world: LG 84” 4K 3D TV- These beauties will offer close to 4 times the resolution of traditional 1080p, which would make your visual experience at home far more closer to the likes of cinema quality. The resolution will be 3,840 x 2,160. And oh yes, there will also be the updated Magic Motion Remote Control, which includes voice recognition, gestures, and a scroll wheel. World’s Largest OLED TV- Techies will rejoice seeing a teaser of this LG 4-mm thick panel at CES, which boasts having “the most natural colors of any TV set” at a “much lower price point” in comparison to other OLEDs … Continue reading
Samsung Challenge Finalists: Breaking Multimedia Ground
We are tipping that the buzz around Connected TV’s will reach fever-pitch at CES this year, with media companies and device manufacturers scrambling to offer TV services directly on these ever-popular new TV’s. Samsung has put it’s money where it’s mouth is and has expanded their focus to multimedia apps, with the Samsung Free The TV Challenge. The company is awarding $225,000 in cash and prizes to winning developers for innovative multimedia apps. The challenge is now in its second year, and the finalists are truly breaking multimedia ground! The winner will be announced at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The press release states that the finalists, in alphabetical order, are: FREQSHO – music fans can create their own music channel to stream music from any artist using a smartphone, tablet or TV. An easy-to-use search engine helps users quickly find their favorite artists and social connectivity allows them to follow the latest artist information and tweets in real-time. … Continue reading