Verizon’s “Flex View” Will Download Premium Video to Apple Devices in “Early” 2011

Subscribers to Verizon FiOS TV now have the ability to download a range of premium video to rent or buy onto several devices including Windows PC's, the Blackberry Storm2, HTC HD2, Motorola Droid 2 and Droid X.

 
 

The Problems with the iPad and Streaming Video

While the iPad may be a marvelous and elegant new kind of computing device, and our show looks very nice on it indeed, the inconsistent WiFi connection and subsequent buffering is insufferable for consuming streaming video.

 
 

Rip/Save/Edit/Share Videos — RealNetworks Has Editing Tool for RealPlayer SP

RealPlayer SP is a desktop application that allows users to save streaming, online video files, including YouTube videos,  to a local drive to watch and then move to connected mobile devices and Facebook.

 
 

Video Demo: HP Has 2 GB “CloudDrive” in New Netbooks

LAS VEGAS–At CES, HP announced a new line of PC's and netbooks, their inexpensive and powerful mini PC's that come with storage drive mapped to an external "cloud." 

 
 

Hollywood Unites Around New Format for Portable Movie Files

For several years, digital executives in Hollywood have been developing a format to allow consumers to purchase digital files of films and watch them on various devices.

 
 

Microsoft Readies Silverlight for Offline Use: Adobe’s Flash Heading to Smart Phones

NBC Sports will announce plans today  to use Microsoft Silverlight as the software for Web viewing the Winter Olympics Games in the United States.

 
 

Industry Standards Set for Downloadable Media, Report

While many video publishers distribute their shows as downloadable media, known generically as podcasts and mostly organized via iTunes, there has been scant standardization in advertising format size and measurement.  These standards have been finalized, reports Liz Gannes at New TeeVee.

 
 

The New York Times Finds Traction with News Video — 544,000 Unique Viewers in December, Nielsen

The New York Times has been providing resources and visibility around its online video, and the audience appears to be substantial, with  some 544,000 unique visitors in December, according to numbers provided to Beet.TV by Nielsen Online.

 
 

The success of digital entertainment will result from true interoperability between consumer devices, says Mitch Singer, Chief Technology Officer

Hollywood is still “dawdling” over DRM, film rights and downloadable media, according to a Business Week story by Steven Wildstrom.  In June, I interviewed Sony Pictures CTO Mitch Singer about plans to make motion pictures more easily shared between devices.  We chatted on the Sony lot in Culver City.  I have republished the interview today. […]

 
 

Blip.tv has New Measurement Tool for Quicktime Downloads

Video downloading via iTunes is a massive platform for video producers.  For publishers and advertisers, there are problems:  Although publishers know who subscribes or downloads videos via iTunes, they don’t know much more.  Moreover, advertising served into videos are “baked-in” to files.  Blip.tv, the New York online video publishing site, has a solution, according to […]

 
 

Hollywood and Consumer Electronics Might Get in Synch, Report

I’m not sure if the expected announcement at CES of a new industry-wide system to make downloaded media work on any device will become a reality, as Chris Albrecht at NewTeeVee writes today, but it is surely needed.  Here’s the take on this by Cliff Edwards at Business Week.

 
 

HP Has Big Hopes with Media Smart Connect, Home Wireless Networking Device

Getting digital content from multiple home computers and servers to the television is the goal of HP, Apple, Microsoft and others.  Earlier this summer HP introduced Media Smart Connect, a $349 device which pulls content from various PC’s, Macs and servers via WiFi to a television set.

 
 

Disney/ABC Digital Chief Albert Cheng: It’s All about “Deeplinking”….You Can Find “Lost” on Hulu

PALO ALTO — Wide distribution, or “deeplinking” to ABC online video programming is essential, says Albert Cheng, head of digital operations for Disney/ABC Television.  I interviewed him on Tuesday evening at Stanford after he opening night panel  of the AlwaysOn conference.

 
 

Adobe Expands Video Offerings for Desktop Application

Adobe will announce today its expanded content available offering on its Adobe Media Player, the desktop application that allows users download and save video clips.  The company is also unveiling a new user interface.

 
 

HIRO Media and Pando Have Alliance for P2P Distribution of Online Video Advertising

HIRO, the Tel Aviv-based company that is enabling video publishers to manage and distribute downloadable advertising, and Pando, the company that is powering P2P distribution of files for major broadcasters, including NBC, have announced a joint partnership. We don’t know when customer deals will be announced, but this tie-up makes a lot of sense to […]