Category Archives: Technology
From Beet.TV: KIT Analyst Alan Wolk On The Slow Adoption Of Innovation by The TV Industry
With the proliferation of second screen applications and social media, television networks have at their disposal more tools for innovation than ever. However, while networks are beginning to experiment with these tools they have been slow to adopt, says KIT Digital’s Global Lead Analyst, Alan Wolk in an interview at the Beet.TV executive retreat earlier this month. Wolk says, “The TV industry is not hurting—it’s actually the opposite. It’s doing better than ever. People are watching more TV, the networks are making more money and so, when you have a situation like that, there’s really no incentive for them to innovate. Why fix something that’s not broken?” READ THE REST AT BEET.TV
From RapidTV News: KIT digital Delivers Video On Demand on Windows 8
KIT digital has launched a new app for Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system that will enable viewers to access the 4oD video-on-demand (VOD) service. The UK’s fourth largest broadcaster says that it commissioned KIT digital for its experience and knowledge of the 4oD architecture to develop the new app, which was the first UK VOD app to be made available on Windows 8. KIT digital had already developed a similar app for the Xbox 360. “Channel 4 recognises that its audience expects to be able to access its programmes on the platform of their choice, at the time of their choice,” explained Mark Christie, chief technology officer of KIT digital… READ THE REST AT RAPID IPTV NEWS
From Beet.tv: KIT Digital Turns Video Ads Into Retail Experience With Ad Locker
KIT’s Alan Wolk was interviewed at the 2nd Screen Summit at CES by Beet.tv’s Megan O’Neill LAS VEGAS — As second screen technology continues to evolve, consumer desire for the second screen experience is on the rise and video software and services company KIT Digital is at the forefront of this evolution. At the 2nd Screen Summit at CES we had the opportunity to talk with KIT Digital’s Global Lead Analyst, Alan Wolk, to find out what the company has in store for the coming year. In our video interview, Wolk discusses a Windows 8 app, which KIT Digital recently created for 4oD, channel 4 in the UK, and is “already one of the more popular apps on the Windows Store.” Wolk also told us about updates to KIT’s Social Program Guide, a white label solution enabling cable television providers to offer subscribers a second screen experience. Talk explains that KIT is prepared to launch a major update which is … Continue reading
Breaking Through
As anyone who has ever turned on a television lately can attest, the main pain point in the viewing experience is navigating the increasingly Kafka-esque series of screens that pop up to prevent you from finding whatever it is you are looking for. So it’s baffling that so many in the adtech industry seem to think that the amorphous entity known as “social TV” is the savior we’ve all been waiting for, the One True Path to improving the viewing experience. (To their credit, those actually in the TV industry seem less easily duped.) As a founding member of the 2nd Screen Society who spends most of his days studying the industry and applying that knowledge to (shameless plug) KIT’s award-winning Social Program Guide product, here’s my somewhat educated take on what’s going on right now. Discovery Is The Key Use Case For Any “Social” Data: Let’s start with the fairly safe assumption that the average TV viewer’s initial concern is finding something to watch. That means … Continue reading
Do We Really Need Another Movie Channel?
The latest from Laura Frankel of KIT digital Content Solutions Someone once said to me that there is not enough revenue to support all the content that exists today; not to mention what is coming tomorrow. A statistic that I tend to believe is that we have over 15,000 channels world-wide (including local). And, what is crazy is new cable channels keep popping up. Epix launched several years ago as Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate believed that we need another movie channel. Sony launched Sony Movie Channel in 2010 because Sony also believes that we don’t have enough movie channels. Well of course what is really driving this is the desire to have a channel to monetize their content further. But as I have said many times, what will drive subscriptions are strong originals…HBO has “True Blood” and “Game of Thrones” and many others ; Starz has “Boss” and a few new originals; and Showtime has “Homeland” and “Dexter” among others. … Continue reading
KIT digital’s Social Program Guide Shortlisted for the CSI Awards
We are proud to announce that KIT digital’s Social Program Guide (SPG) has been shortlisted for the CSI Awards in the Best Social TV technology, service or application category. The SPG is a white label, second screen solution for network operators that is essentially a mash-up of the remote control and the electronic program guide, with an overlay of social functionality to aid in the discovery process. This allows viewers to enjoy a full range of social TV functions, as well as change the channel, all through a single intuitive interface. Served through KIT digital’s Cosmos Video Platform, the SPG also boasts support for cloud-based DVR functionality, seamless VOD store integration, and multiple e-commerce models and ad serving for advanced content monetization. The SPG was introduced to critical acclaim at this year’s National Association of Broadcasters show. We are especially pleased to be shortlisted this year as it marks the 10th anniversary of the CSI awards which were first launched … Continue reading
Why #NBCFail Is #Doomed
This article originally ran on Digiday It sure sucks to be NBC this week. The Peacock Network is at the center of yet another Twitter-centric firestorm around a relatively minor First World Problem that’s got the cable-free utopians in yet another uproar. Granted, not showing the opening ceremony in real time online or on Bravo was a bit of a miscalculation. But it’s certainly not the disaster of apocalyptic proportion the Occupy TV types are making it out to be. It was a business decision. And while I get that no one else you graduated from Vassar with has cable, between 80 percent to 90 percent of Americans do, so NBC really isn’t all that worried about the 2 percent to 5 percent that don’t. No matter how much you tweet about it. They (and the rest of the TV industry) actually do get that change is coming. It’s just that right now, it’s not profitable for them to radically … Continue reading
10 Things You Need To Know About The Future of Television
10 Things You Need To Know About The Future of Television from Alan Wolk
E-TV in the Age of Personalization
Adland has long dreamed of a world where viewers sat in front of their television sets, buying everything from Anacin to Zest with a single click of the remote. They’ve even named it “Jennifer Aniston’s Sweater” after a hypothetical situation where viewers would be able to click to buy the garment the moment they saw it on the Friends star. Only that’s never going to happen. For the Jennifer Aniston’s Sweater experience to be viable, it needs to truly be one-click, or it becomes too distracting and takes the viewer away from the show, something the actual viewer regards as a negative outcome. And the fact of the matter is that very few products– impulse purchases or otherwise– fall into that category. There are always decisions to be made: what color? what size? where do you want it shipped? do you want it sent overnight? And by the time you’ve made those decisions, Chandler’s already asked Monica to marry him, and … Continue reading
KIT digital – Collaborating with RTÉ Digital on App Development
This article by Caroline Stephens originally ran in the RTÉ Digital blog on June 15, 2012. KIT digital (NASDAQ: KITD) is a leading video management software and services company who have worked with RTÉ to collaborate on the launch of iOS apps for RTÉ Player and the newly released Samsung Smart-TV app. We’ve asked Fearghal Kelly, SVP Global Partner Solution Development at KIT digital, to share their experience of working with RTÉ to develop both the iOS apps and the Samsung Smart-TV app and the processes they followed. “Our work on the RTÉ Player started in mid 2011 for the iOS Player design for both iPhone and iPad. Let me share a few words about how KIT digital went about tackling the app development process. First, we assembled a small team of expert practitioners, all of whom are experienced in User Experience, design and development for both iOS and TV experiences across multi-platform frameworks. At every stage of the process we implemented … Continue reading
An End To Bandwidth Caps?
The Wall Street Journal is reporting tonight that the U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether cable companies are “acting improperly” by using bandwidth caps to “quash nascent competition from online video.” Depending on how this plays out (and it will take several years to play out and likely require a Supreme Court decision) this could significantly change the industry: without some sort of government action there’s no way any virtual MSO could take off: the cable companies and telcos (e.g. Comcast, Time Warner, FIOS et. al.) provide internet service (and the wires that bring the internet) to a huge percentage of the US population – estimates are somewhere between 75 and 90%. As we discussed here last week, the ability to impose bandwidth caps allows cable companies and telcos to effectively shut down any internet-based MSO by making it prohibitively expensive to watch online video from another provider. Especially since subscribers to their double and triple play packages (TV + Broadband … Continue reading
TV 3.0 Summit at the Paley Center
One of the signs of a really good conference is that you actually walk away with the feeling that you’ve learned something. Which I why I’m glad I went over the Paley Center yesterday for the TV 3.0 Summit sponsored by The Media Council and Broadcasting and Cable. The TV industry is reeling from all the digital changes. Not necessarily in a bad way, but everything is happening pretty fast and furious and, as Discovery CEO David Zaslav noted in his interview with CNBC’s Becky Quick, no one really knows what’s coming next. One of the themes was a recent article by Henry Blodgett proclaiming the death of the television industry. Irwin Gottlieb, Chairman and CEO of WPP’s Group M had the most blunt assessment as he told CNN’s Erin Burnett, “with all due respect to him… he’s totally wrong. One should never do ‘sample-of-one’ research” Gottlieb’s analysis was spot on: Blodgett’s analysis was based on his own NASCAR Blindness. … Continue reading
The Convergence Conundrum
Verizon’s FIOS TV service announced a rate hike this week, which coincides with their announcement at The Cable Show that they were going to be rolling out a mobile video app called Viewdini, which searches through content from Netflix, Comcast, Time Warner and others (but not FIOS, interestingly enough. At least not yet.) The app allows you to look for a particular show or movie, find it and then stream it to your mobile device. This comes on the heels of the telco’s recently confirmation that they are done with FIOS build-out for now, and are concentrating instead on fill-in: gaining additional customers in areas where they already have a presence. All of which leads industry insiders to wonder: is Verizon looking to sell FIOS? While the service is widely regarded as the Neiman Marcus of cable service, with new fiber optic cable and truly “blazing fast” internet, it’s been very, very expensive for Verizon to build: it can take … Continue reading
The Assault Continues: Four New Consumer-Centric Video Technologies
It wasn’t too hard to predict that once every permutation of text-based social media had been explored, would-be entrepreneurs would shift their attention to video. And while “social TV” has become an all-purpose buzzword these days, this spring has seen a couple of notable consumer-centric introductions First off are the competing social video services Viddy and SocialCam. Both of which take the cute-puppy-video meme to the next level. While users are encouraged to upload their own video and share it with their Facebook friends, the primary use of both sites seems to be sharing new cute puppy videos on Facebook. That’s because both apps use “frictionless sharing” – updating your Facebook timeline every time you watch a video through the service. Once “Janet Smith just watched “Beaglemania!” on SocialCam” starts populating your news feed, it encourages your friends to sign up so they can watch too. This cycle– both Viddy and Social Cam rate high on Facebook’s SuperSecret Algorithm– has … Continue reading
I’m a GPU, how about you?
This piece, from London-based Fearghal Kelly, is the first in a series of posts from KIT’s international team focusing on more technical issues. Introduction It’s easy to get distracted by the glossy black shells and colourful interfaces of the many thousands of video platforms in existence today. As consumers and users, we often lose sight of the advancements that get us here. KIT digital is right in the middle of building these platforms and we are fortunate enough to work side by side with the key technology enablers. Underneath the usual 3LAs (Three Letter Acronyms) like Digital Rights Management (DRM) and Content Delivery Network (CDN), there are some less familiar names. In this post, we’d like to celebrate an unsung hero – the Graphics Processing Unit or GPU. Not only is the GPU at the heart of the video revolution, but while you read this, the world’s GPUs are acting in tandem to disentangle the proteome and create novel medical treatments … Continue reading
KIT digital working on 11 Latin American TV Projects
This article, by Phil Anderson, originally ran in Business News Americas Video management software provider KIT digital expects to end 1H13 with 11 commercially active OTT or IPTV projects in Latin America, executives told BNamericas. “We have 10 large infrastructure projects going on now, apart from [already active] Telecom Argentina,” said Charlie Deane, KIT digital’s OTT solutions director for Spanish-speaking markets. “Some are very advanced, already in internal beta-testing today. There are others that are going live in 2-3 months, and others for which we’re discussing terms, with no agreements finalized yet. We can expect them to be happening by year-end or in the first and second quarters next year.” The company established its client footprint in the region during 2011, gaining such names as The Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas (ZNS Network), Merville Lynch Productions, Telecom Argentina (NYSE: TEO), Clarín, Hosanna Visión, Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus (Universal Church of the Kingdom of God), Victory in Christ Ministry … Continue reading
Evander Holyfield at the 2012 NAB Show
KIT digital is excited to announce that our newest customer, 5-time heavy weight champion Evander Holyfield, will be joining us at the 2012 NAB show. On April 17, Holyfield will be at the KIT digital booth (SU8505) for two official public appearances and a special after-hours media event. Holyfield will be helping to showcase the solution KIT has developed to better deliver and monetize video from his storied career. Holyfield will be available for photo-ops at 11AM PST and 2PM PST. For all media/analyst inquiries, or to sign up to meet Holyfield, please e-mail: Martin.Paul@KIT-digital.com
The Nielsen Myth
This originally ran on Digiday and was picked up by IPTV News. Co-authored with KIT COO Alex Blum TV is a hugely successful $60 billion industry. It’s also built on a jury-rigged measurement system that’s a bit of a joke and needs to be replaced for the potential of the modern media world to be fully realized. Nielsen ratings have admittedly come a long way from handwritten diaries, but they’ve still become antiquated as our viewing experience shifts from broadcast television to over-the-top services like Netflix and Hulu. This sea change of Internet meshing with TV presents a golden opportunity for anyone with the smarts to step up and figure out a better way to mine the resulting avalanche of consumer-engagement data that is now becoming available. Nielsen guesstimates shouldn’t be OK anymore. With IPTV, it’s possible to track exactly how many people are watching any given show and where and when they are watching it, and it can break … Continue reading
Aereo: First Takes
Aereo is a controversial new service that allows users to watch live broadcast television over the internet on iPhones and iPads and stream those same broadcasts to their television sets via a Roku or Apple TV device. Users can also record programs to a cloud-based DVR for future viewing. Beta users get a free 90-day trial, after which they’ll pay just $12/month. Lawsuits have been filed in both directions, as broadcasters bridle at the notion of someone charging for what they broadcast for free. (The service uses HD antennas to capture the digital broadcast signals and send them to the user’s device, via WiFi.) Aereo has the same basic game plan as recent KIT acquisition Sezmi, though since Aereo is backed by a group of high-profile investors lead by Barry Diller, it’s been getting a lot of press. Aereo claims the $12 charge is for the DVR service, not the broadcast signal, though industry observers have doubts about Aereo’s prospects … Continue reading
Asia Takes the Lead in Growth of IPTV Services
Global IPTV revenue and subscriber numbers will double within five years, with Asia being the driving force. According to Informa Telecoms & Media, the revenues from IPTV services will reach $11.9 billion by the end of 2016. That’s a $5.7 billion increase from the number recorded for 2011. Additionally, the current global subscriber count of 34.3 million will jump to 76.6 by the end of 2016, which accounts for 5% of homes around the world with television sets, with plenty of room for additional growth. From a regional standpoint, Asia will prove to be the leader in the growth of IPTV, accounting for a little over a quarter million of the number of subscribers in 2016. The US will be a close second, drawing nearly 14 million subscribers by the end of 2016. Both Eastern and Western Europe will show an increase of over 10 million subscribers. France is currently the IPTV leader in Europe, and their numbers will continue … Continue reading
Was the 2012 Super Bowl a Social TV Success?
As we predicted, the 2012 Super Bowl proved to be one of the biggest social TV events of the year. However, it could have been far more impressive if brands had done a better job connecting their commercials with their social media campaigns. Research group Altimeter was disappointed by the fact that 32% of advertisements didn’t include references to brand websites or social media sites. There were also some campaigns that required viewers to spend too much time thinking about how to navigate through processes to activate perks. According to ReadWriteWeb, “…only six ads used hashtags in lieu of a Website or social media site, but those ads were notable because they did not ask viewers to like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. Instead, they asked for viewer interaction.” The entertainment check-in service GetGlue claims there were over 160K Super Bowl check-ins on their service alone, which went up 700% compared to the 2011 Super Bowl. Lora … Continue reading
Super Bowl with a Second Screen
The rapid adoption of viewing live TV in tandem with a “second screen” device is bound to make the 2012 Super Bowl the biggest social TV events of the year. As a matter of fact, every major Super Bowl commercial has a social TV component. We think this is the right approach: 30-second commercial slots can’t stand alone, and advertising campaigns should go social. Music app Shazam is making all the right moves for the Super Bowl. They made headlines last year upon the launch of Shazam for TV. This year, they will power nearly a third of all Super Bowl advertisements. With over 175 million users (60 million in the U.S,) Shazam is considered one of the driving forces behind second screen interactive television. TV check-in service GetGlue, in comparison, is 2 million strong. Shazam, along with other major media companies, is relying on viewers to use their phones to interact with commercials for more than catching up with the … 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
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
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
Changing Behaviors Around TV: What’s Next?
As the convergence of the TV and Interwebs moves ahead, there are still a number of behaviors the industry must figure out how to change, solve for or live with. To wit: TV Is Not A Solitary Activity: whether it’s a group of college roommates or the more traditional family unit, few people have their own personal TVs. That makes recommendation engines a bigger challenge than the kool-aid drinkers let on. Figuring out an easy way for the system to understand who is in the room is going to be one of the biggest UX challenges of our time. Because it’s not just knowing that Dad is in the room and showing him shows he might want to watch. It’s knowing that dad and 8-year old Betty are in the room and figuring out which shows the two of them might want to watch. Or knowing that Betty is the one actually watching TV and Dad is just there keeping … Continue reading
2011: The Year That Was (Part 1)
The ersatz Chinese proverb “May you live in interesting times” comes to mind when trying to find a way to sum up the wild ride that social media and social television have taken us on this year. The entire industry seemed to be in constant motion and keeping up with the multitude of peaks and valleys has become a full time job– mine. So after eleven plus months of watching all this very very closely, here’s my take on where we are, early December 2011. Twitter: What’s The Next Act? Twitter seems to be in the least secure position of any of the major platforms. On a macro level, it’s never been able to move beyond being a 140 character broadcast medium. It’s incredibly polarizing: people seem to either love it or hate it in a way you don’t see with other social networks. Twitter’s popularity also creates problems: the more people tweeting, the less likely it is that you’ll see … Continue reading
The Yin and Yang of the TV/Internet convergence
The industry has been buzzing about this insightful analysis from our own Social Strategy Director Alan Wolk The Ying and Yang of the TV/Internet Convergence View more presentations from Alan Wolk
Cannes, France: KIT Sets Sail at MIPCOM 2011
MIPCOM opened in Cannes today and as always, KIT digital is there with a small but dedicated team, demonstrating the breadth of our solutions to the worlds biggest broadcasters and media companies. MIPCOM has long been a focal point for companies in the business of making, selling and distributing content. Over 12,000 participants from 100 countries descend on Cannes to wheel and deal in the worlds best film and television content. This year, KIT digital will be showcasing our new KIT Video Platform (read about it here), our ready-made VOD store (check it out here) and our Social TV offering (more information here) aboard a charter yacht which is docked close to the action. The high-tech vessel is fully equipped with data services and a demo suite so that customers can sit back and experience the KIT offer. So spare a thought for our hardworking sales team who are most certainly doing it tough this week!
Behind The Scenes: KIT digital Shoots Demo for Our VX-one Platform
Yesterday we started filming the demo of our VX-one platform capabilities. Below are some behind the scenes photos of the shoot, which we are really excited about and expect to release shortly. KIT digital’s VX-one platform leads the industry in enabling businesses to ingest, manage, and deliver video to internal and external audiences. Our software is used worldwide to increase operational efficiency of large corporations and drive revenue for publishers and syndicators of video.
Your user experience is losing my attention
The level of enjoyment that we derive from consuming media is often regulated by the quality of the delivery mechanism. In simple terms: the experience is just as important as your content. As a content owner or producer (whether external or internal) your role is to maximize the amount of eyeball time each piece of content that you produced or acquired receives. As a media and entertainment manager, viewer retention directly results in advertising revenue and brand enhancement; while an enterprise internal communications manager spreads the cost of the implementation around the number of people the message (be it training of managerial in nature) has reached. When presenting content online you have to realize that the opportunity cost for the viewer is every single other piece of content on the internet. That is a lot of competition. The hardest part is not getting a user to a video page of your website, its keeping them there and coming back. The … Continue reading