Streaming

Apple, Disney, WarnerMedia, and just about everyone who can configure a streaming server is getting into the direct-to-consumer (DTC) content business. In a couple of weeks, you’ll have so many options to pay for content à la carte, you won’t really know where to start. Wondering what all this will cost? Forget your calculator, you’re going to need a spreadsheet. Continue Reading →

If you look at the numbers in a vacuum, Comcast is losing over 2,586 Pay TV subscribers every single day. At that pace, about a million subs will vanish in the next 12 months. Or will they? Continue Reading →

Roku shares closed down almost 14% on Wednesday and analysts are divided as to which new entry to the market pushed the shares off a cliff. Some say it was Facebook’s announcement that it was entering the streaming business with the reintroduction of its Portal device and associated services. Others say it was Comcast’s announcement Continue Reading →

Shelly Palmer talks with Hala Gorani on CNN's Hala Gorani Tonight to discuss the censorship controversy surrounding Netflix and Saudi Arabia. Original Airdate: January 2, 2019 Continue Reading →

Courtesy of Black Friday/Cyber Monday pricing, I am the proud owner of a brand new, top-of-the-line 82” Samsung 4K TV set. It is huge, awesome, and amazing. The picture quality is breathtaking. You just run out of superlatives when trying to describe the viewing experience. There’s only one problem. The best 4K content is only available over-the-top (OTT). Regular TV viewers (cable TV customers and antenna users) are simply out of luck. Continue Reading →

The idea of à la carte entertainment resonates with consumers. No one wants to pay for content they don’t consume. That said, the race to adapt audio and video distribution models to trending consumer behavior is turning into a hot mess. How many streaming services are too many? And will consumers run out of money? Continue Reading →

Inconspicuous innovation is a core theme at CES® 2016, and the tools of engagement for multichannel and omnichannel media distribution and marketing will be hiding in plain sight. Continue Reading →

2016 will be another transitional year for the television industry. Everyone has a personal story about cord cutting and skinny bundles and the death of television, “You know nobody watches TV anymore … by the way, can you believe what Meredith said to Cali’s girlfriend on Grey’s last night?” And, absolutely everyone has a personal timeline for the advent of à La Carte cable programming. “Consumers want it … it’s going to happen soon.” While behaviors and timelines can be debated, in practice, there are only a few ways to accomplish 4K (UHD) or HD viewing on a big screen TV without a cable set-top box. Here is a quick overview of five streaming TV devices (in no particular order) that are on the front lines of the fight for cable independence. Continue Reading →

Perhaps a better title for this article would be "TiVo BOLT – For People Who Love to Be Informed, Enlightened and Entertained by Watching Free Over-the-Air Television or IP-Delivered Traditional Television Content Through a Set-Top Box Rented from a Cable, Satellite or Telco, but Hate the Commercial Advertisements that Subsidize the Content." No matter how you spin this, the TiVo BOLT is a referendum on the state of the commercial television business. After all, you don't really hate TV; you really hate TV commercials. You probably also hate the experience of trying to get all of your content to play on your big-screen TV. This is all about to change. Continue Reading →

According to some new rumors, Apple will have to delay the announcement of its "live" Apple TV streaming service until sometime in 2016 for two excellent reasons: 1) Apple is having trouble making content deals, and 2) Apple has no idea how much bandwidth it's going to need to deliver the service. Continue Reading →