Paramount Pictures is looking to experiment with two October film releases — “Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension” and “Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse” — by shortening the length of time it takes to make them available to watch at home via digital platforms. AMC and Cineplex are joined by several smaller operators in participating in the new approach. However, Cinemark (the nation’s third largest exhibitor) and Regal Entertainment Group (the No. 1 chain in North America) have declined. Continue reading Paramount to Experiment with Flexible Film Release Window

Facebook has been developing a tool that would enable public figures to broadcast live to their fans. The social network launched “Live” this week, as a feature in its Mentions app exclusively available to celebrities with verified Pages. The launch kicked off with streams from stars such as Luke Bryan, The Rock and Serena Williams. It is not known whether the feature will be made available to ordinary users to compete with the likes of Periscope and Meerkat, but the company plans to gather feedback from celebs and viewers to “evolve the product.” Continue reading Facebook Rolls Out Live Streaming Video Feature for Celebs

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that developers would be given access to the company’s augmented reality HoloLens headset within the next year. In a recent BBC interview, he noted that the HoloLens is on a “five-year journey” that will include a developer release and enterprise applications prior to arriving on the consumer market. Microsoft has been generating early interest in HoloLens with compelling demonstrations involving architecture, gaming, videoconferencing and more. “We are looking forward to getting a V1 out, which is more around developers and enterprises,” said Nadella. “It’s in the Windows 10 time frame, which means that it is within the next year.”

Samsung has shelved its ambitious plan to reinvent the remote control, a project known internally as “Perfect Experience.” Samsung acquired set-top box startup Boxee for $30 million in 2013, and recruited the Boxee team to build a tablet that would double as a media guide for TV viewers. “The tablet was supposed to give users access to a unified guide with listings of live TV and streaming content with a custom-built user interface that looked unlike any traditional multi-purpose mobile device,” reports Variety. In addition to making the device available with high-end TVs, Samsung was hoping to partner with streaming services and pay TV operators to include their apps and content.

Chinese electronics-maker Hisense is looking to ramp up its TV business in the Americas with the $23.7 million purchase of a Sharp manufacturing plant in Mexico. Sharp is exiting the business after struggling to compete with TV leaders such as LG and Samsung, and will lease rights to its brand name to Hisense. “Once Hisense picks up production, it’ll be the real name behind Sharp TVs, as well as the Aquos and Quattron branding,” reports The Verge. Sharp plans to continue offering other consumer electronics — such as ovens, photocopiers, and solar cells — in the Americas. However, the company is getting out of the TV game.

Major League Baseball’s fast-growing technology arm and the National Hockey League have announced a $600 million deal involving TV and digital rights to NHL games and related content. MLB Advanced Media will pay $100 million annually for six years to take control of NHL digital and broadcast operations, including NHL.com and distribution of live out-of-market games. The deal is also expected to lead to a fully integrated global hub including live game streaming, video, social media, apps, and statistical and analytical content. Continue reading NHL and MLB Advanced Media Team Up on Digital Global Hub

Greenlight VR, a San Francisco-based business intelligence startup specializing in the virtual reality industry, has created a business map of significant VR players. The rising prospects for virtual reality as a mainstream medium has seen new demand for ways of better grasping the scope and nuances of the industry’s emerging and rapidly evolving landscape. The database profiles hundreds of VR businesses from around the world — from fledgling startups to the established companies entering this space — organized by 22 categories across 11 sectors. Continue reading Greenlight VR Maps Today’s Virtual Reality Industry Ecosystem

Less then two weeks following FCC approval of its $48.5 billion takeover of DirecTV, AT&T is already rolling out plans to lure new customers. In a first-of-its kind nationwide offer to be made available August 10, AT&T is packaging wireless phone service and television for $200 per month for the first year. The “All in One” promotional plan places an emphasis on TV anywhere, featuring HDTV and DVR services across four receivers through DirecTV or U-verse, four smartphone connections including unlimited talk and text, in addition to 10GB of shared data. Continue reading Watch TV on Any Device with AT&T’s First Nationwide Bundle

The MxR Studio at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts will host a presentation of new content for Birdly on Thursday, August 6, 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM (following a workshop in collaboration with SOMNIACS and Max Rheiner from Zurich University of Art and Design). Birdly is an award-winning full-body immersive VR flying simulator, which has been deemed among the most exciting VR experiences worldwide. You can experience Birdly and learn more about the innovative VR projects taking place at the MxR Studio at Thursday’s open house. For more information or to RSVP, contact Vangelis Lympouridis (vangelis@lympouridis.gr) or Wasef El-Kharouf (wasefe@gmail.com).

Apple reportedly plans to unveil its next-gen Apple TV this September at the company’s annual fall event. The device has not had a significant upgrade since 2012. “Expect a refreshed and slimmer chassis and new innards,” notes BuzzFeed, in addition to “Apple’s A8 system on chip; a new remote that sources say has been ‘drastically improved’ by a touch-pad input; an increase in on-board storage; and an improved operating system that will support Siri voice control.” The debut is expected to coincide with “a long-awaited App Store and the software development kit developers need to populate it.”

Sources say NBCUniversal is close to investing $250 million in digital publisher BuzzFeed, in a deal that would place BuzzFeed’s value at $1.5 billion. Comcast’s film and television unit is also looking to invest in Vox Media, in a deal that would push Vox to $850 million in value. Those familiar with the deals suggest they are part of CEO Steve Burke’s efforts to reach millennial audiences. “The idea is that NBCU can get a crash course on digital content and distribution from its new investments — and that those companies may want to distribute some of NBCU’s content as well,” reports Re/code.

Amazon unveiled Launchpad this week, a new platform designed to help hardware and physical goods startups market and distribute their new products on Amazon’s e-commerce site. Launchpad, which currently features more than 200 items from a wide variety of startups, will compete with similar services offered by Product Hunt, Shopify and Shyp. Amazon is going big with the new platform, positioning it as a global product with access to 10 international distribution portals, and working with 25 VC firms, accelerators and crowdfunding services. Continue reading Amazon Debuts Launchpad: New Marketing and Sales Portal

Verizon Communications has signed a multiplatform deal with HBO that will allow the telecom to offer HBO’s standalone streaming video service to more than 100 million wireless customers in addition to non-Verizon mobile device users. Verizon will offer HBO Now on its upcoming mobile video platform (reportedly to be called Go90) and to its DSL and FiOS broadband customers for $15 a month. Verizon is the latest distributor for HBO’s OTT offering, which initially launched in early April with Apple and Cablevision Systems. Continue reading Verizon to Offer HBO Now to Broadband, Mobile Video Subs

According to a new report from eMarketer, photo and video sharing app Instagram, which does not have a desktop ad product, is projected to bring in $595 million in mobile advertising revenue worldwide this year. The report predicts the Facebook-owned network will reach $1.48 billion in mobile ad revenue in 2016 and $2.81 billion the following year. By 2017, eMarketer expects Instagram will account for more than 10 percent of Facebook’s total ad revenue and, in the U.S., Instagram will have higher net mobile display ad revenues than Google and Twitter.

Continue reading Instagram to Generate $595M in Mobile Ad Revenue in 2015

Facebook plans to ramp up its efforts to provide free basic Internet on mobile devices, after successfully debuting the application through its Internet.org platform in 17 developing countries. The company will launch a dedicated portal for mobile operators to offer the service under Internet.org, which has brought nine million people online in the last year. Facebook hopes to bring an estimated 4.5 billion people online in Latin America, Asia and Africa. The platform offers free pared-down Web services and Facebook’s social network and messaging. Continue reading Facebook Continues its Push to Deliver Free Mobile Internet