NAB and the Entertainment Technology Center at USC are coproducing a Virtual Reality Summit at the annual NAB Show on Wednesday, April 20, from 1:00-5:00 pm at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The half-day summit will address key concepts and lessons learned regarding VR production. Hands-on practitioners will discuss the technical and business aspects of producing content in this emerging marketplace, which some consider to be a new media type and art form. You can register for the Virtual Reality Summit and learn more about the NAB conference at the event’s website. Continue reading Event Reminder: NAB, ETC to Present Virtual Reality Summit

Verizon Communications announced yesterday that it has purchased a minority stake in AwesomenessTV, the digital entertainment network geared toward teens and young adults. Verizon is buying 24.5 percent of the video company, now valued at $650 million. DreamWorks Animation owns 51 percent of the unit (it acquired Awesomeness in 2013), and Hearst owns another 24.5 percent. According to the telco, plans include creating a “a first-of-its-kind premium short-form mobile video service featuring leading talent in front of and behind the camera.” Continue reading Verizon Invests in AwesomenessTV to Grow its Mobile Video

Roku announced a new version of its Streaming Stick this week. “The newly enhanced $50 HDMI streaming dongle still outputs in HD and lacks the 4K capability of the company’s top-of-the-line Roku 4 streamer box,” notes Wired, “but faster processing speeds and updates to the Roku mobile app give the Streaming Stick a big boost.” The updated device is thinner, longer, and has transitioned from purple to black. Roku has improved performance, boot-up and navigation speeds. The dongle is powered by a quad-core processor the company claims will offer eight times the processing power of the last version. Available for preorder, it will start shipping in the next two weeks. Continue reading Roku Unveils Updated Streaming Stick with Focus on Speed

NAB and the Entertainment Technology Center at USC are coproducing a Virtual Reality Summit at the annual NAB Show on Wednesday, April 20, from 1:00-5:00 pm at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The half-day summit will address key concepts and lessons learned regarding VR production. Hands-on practitioners will discuss the technical and business aspects of producing content in this emerging marketplace, which some consider to be a new media type and art form. You can register for the Virtual Reality Summit and learn more about the NAB conference at the event’s website. Continue reading NAB and ETC to Present Virtual Reality Summit in Las Vegas

Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp introduced full end-to-end encryption yesterday, previously only available for one-to-one text messages. The service’s one billion-plus users can now securely share an array of messages and content that will only be accessible by the sender and recipient. According to The New York Times, “it will be applied to photos, videos and group text messages sent among people in more than 50 languages across the world, including India, Brazil and Europe.” The update will also make it more difficult for law enforcement to access digital data, which could fuel the debate over personal privacy vs. national security. Continue reading WhatsApp Update Provides Full Encryption for All Messages

Amazon is readying a higher-end Kindle e-reader that features a rechargeable protective case to extend battery life. According to an individual familiar with the new device, the removable case will allow for a thinner Kindle. The company is also said to be developing a case that charges Kindle’s battery using solar power, although it will not be ready for immediate availability. “The new Kindle and case are code-named ‘Whiskey’ and ‘Soda,’ respectively, and the solar-powered case is known internally as ‘Sunkiss’ among engineers at Lab126,” reports The Wall Street Journal. Amazon chief exec Jeff Bezos tweeted Monday that an “all-new, top of the line Kindle” is nearly ready, and details will be offered next week. Continue reading New Amazon Kindle to Feature Rechargeable Protective Case

Premium TV network Starz is rolling out its standalone app on Apple and Google devices today, targeting the 20 million U.S. homes that pay for broadband but not full cable bundles. The $9 per month service will feature TV episodes and movies, original series such as “Outlander” and “Power,” and later this year, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” The move “puts a renewed spotlight on Starz, which has surpassed its rival Showtime to become the second-largest premium TV network in the country behind HBO,” reports The New York Times. According to SNL Kagan, Starz has about 23.6 million subscribers, while Showtime has 23.4 million and HBO has 32.5 million. Continue reading Starz Now Offers Standalone App for Streaming Film and TV

The Federal Communications Commission announced new labeling recommendations for broadband services yesterday. Federal regulators are looking to provide consumers with clarification regarding specifics such as pricing, performance and data caps. “The new labels resemble the familiar nutrition-information boxes that the government requires on many types of foods,” explains The Wall Street Journal. “The disclosures would be displayed at the point of sale, which could include online or at an in-store computer or tablet, according to the FCC.” The move follows last year’s adoption of net neutrality rules to treat all Internet traffic the same. Continue reading FCC Introduces New Broadband Labels to Assist Consumers

While Rovi is holding off on litigation with Dish Network and EchoStar as it negotiates possible licensing extensions, the company has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against cable giant Comcast. In the Comcast suit, “Rovi asserts infringement by Comcast of 14 U.S. patents for features in the cable operator’s products,” reports Variety. “That includes the way that Comcast implements remote DVR recording, AnyRoom DVR and X1 search.” Rovi, which says it has licensing deals with eight of the top 10 U.S. providers, recently reached a deal with Time Warner Cable to extend its interactive program guide and licensing agreement to the end of this year. Continue reading Rovi Files Lawsuit Against Comcast Over Patent Infringement

Sony is expanding its PlayStation brand with the merger of Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment into “one global interactive entertainment powerhouse,” according to the company. “Sony has consolidated its gaming and multimedia divisions under” Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), reports Tech Times. The new company will have headquarters in San Mateo, California and offices in London and Tokyo. Sony customers are “already seeing the early fruits of that effort with PlayStation VR, and the work will continue across a number of fronts,” said Shawn Layden, president of Sony Interactive Entertainment America. Continue reading Sony Merges its PlayStation and Network Entertainment Units

TBS comedy “Angie Tribeca,” TNT drama “Public Morals” and NBC drama “Aquarius” are among the broadcast TV shows that have experimented with binge releases, replicating the distribution model popular with streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon. Premium cable offerings will try the same this month. On April 10, all episodes of Steven Soderbergh’s “The Girlfriend Experience” and Andrew Dice Clay’s comedy “Dice” will be made available for streaming, but not on Netflix. According to Variety, “‘The Girlfriend Experience’ will premiere on Starz, and ‘Dice’ will bow on Showtime, dropping on their respective digital and on-demand platforms hours ahead of their cable-television debuts.” Continue reading Networks Join Streaming Services by Testing Binge Strategy

Amazon’s live streaming video channel Twitch announced yesterday that it is forming an e-sports league with Super Evil Megacorp, the startup behind battle game “Vainglory.” The three-year initiative will be the first of its kind for Twitch involving a mobile game. Nick Allen, director of e-sports operations at Twitch, said the tournaments could be held at public venues for in-person viewing as well as online broadcasts. “Twitch said viewers watched 150 million minutes of people playing ‘Vainglory’ last year, which debuted on iOS in late 2014 and Android last July,” reports The Wall Street Journal. Continue reading Twitch Plans its First Mobile E-Sports League with ‘Vainglory’

Sony is slated to roll out its 4K movie streaming service on Monday, April 4. First announced at January’s CES in Las Vegas, the new service will be called Ultra. Viewers will be charged $30 to purchase new Sony-produced films and $12-15 to upgrade pre-owned movies from their UltraViolet cloud locker. Ultra will also offer 4K HDR content such as extras previously only featured on discs. Consumers who buy a 2016 4K Sony TV will get four UHD movies bundled with their new television. Transactional VOD rentals are not expected to be an option featured with the launch. Continue reading Sony to Launch Ultra 4K Movie Streaming Service Next Week

According to a new study from Defy Media, teens and young adults still watch television content, but more commonly turn to YouTube, Netflix and other Internet sources for their video. The research indicates that “YouTube is must-have service for 67 percent of consumers 13-24,” reports Variety, “while only 36 percent cite pay TV.” In addition, the majority of respondents say they can live without cable or satellite TV. Younger consumers typically watch 12.1 hours of video each week on YouTube, social media and other online sources; 8.8 hours on Netflix and other subscription services; and 8.2 hours on television. Continue reading Study Notes Young Viewers Watch More Online Video Than TV

Foxconn, the Taiwan-based factory operator best known for assembling Apple’s iPhones, is acquiring two-thirds of Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp, which supplies phone screens to Apple. The $3.5 billion deal, which follows a slew of public negotiations, rumors and setbacks, could provide Foxconn with leverage to make it a more attractive Apple partner. However, some analysts suggest that the acquisition will hand Foxconn an ailing and costly business. Foxconn is facing rising labor costs in China and a global slowdown in smartphones, while Apple diversifies its supply chain. Continue reading After Months of Setbacks, Foxconn Strikes Deal to Buy Sharp