Blog

GOOGLE has unveiled its piracy-fighting service for YouTube, calling it “YouTube Video Identification.” The system requires media companies to submit digital files to Google, who will process them and create a “digital fingerprint.” Videos uploaded by users will be checked against the fingerprint, and rejected if a match is found. The system was developed in-house, Continue Reading →

BLACKARROW will unveil its multi-platform ad management system today. The company will help manage, deliver, and measure targeted ads that appear in online video and VOD. In the future, BlackArrow will allow advertisers to update ads that have already been recorded to DVRs. The company is funded by some major players, including Comcast, Intel, and Continue Reading →

The 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards Ceremony will be held on January 7, 2008 at the Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas, NV (the opening night of the CES show). For more information, please contact: Cheryl Daly or visit http://www.emmyonline.tv The nominees for Outstanding Achievement in Advanced Media Technology for Best Use Of Commercial Advertising Continue Reading →

Last week the RIAA won its lawsuit against Jamie Thomas, a Minnesota woman who put 24 songs in her Kazaa shared folder. The judgment, now being appealed, was for $222,000 ($9,250 per song). It’s a big number, and because it’s so big, it is excellent fodder for sensationalists on both sides of the issue. The Continue Reading →

CURRENT TV will officially relaunch its website on October 16, and Al Gore has promised that the site will “take interactivity to a new level.” As part of the change, Current TV will drop the “TV” – and simply become “Current.” Current.com will act as a user-generated hub, accepting links to news stories, videos, and Continue Reading →

WARNER MUSIC has lost MADONNA from its stable of artists, in a high-profile deal that only adds to the record industry’s woes. Madonna has signed a deal worth $120 million with LIVE NATION, the concert promoter. The arrangement includes rights to three new studio albums, merchandising, and concert tours. The news follows a recent uptick Continue Reading →

JOOST is planning to offer live online TV. The company’s Executive Vice President of Content Strategy revealed that live programming will begin in Q1 of 2008. Live transmissions will include a “catch-up” option following the initial broadcast. Joost’s initial “live” focus seems to be on sports. The company is speaking with rights-holders for major professional Continue Reading →

GOOGLE will announce a new service that turns the AdSense network into a video distribution tool. Web sites will be allowed to embed ad-supported YouTube content that is contextually relevant to their site, similar to how they currently embed relevant ads. The move will give video creators a distribution channel that extends beyond YouTube.com, as Continue Reading →

Is there finally an interactive television business? We’re about to find out. For years, various companies have attempted to demonstrate that Americans are ready, willing and able to interact with their television programming. Unfortunately, the technological infrastructure for creating a true interactive television experience has never been deployed at scale. So, there has never been Continue Reading →

GOOGLE‘s entry into the mobile phone market will come purely as a software provider, according to the NY Times. The search-giant has been working for two years on a mobile Linux-based operating system, which it will offer to handset makers for free. The company is seeking to extend its advertising dominance into the mobile market, Continue Reading →