Three new videos covering Big Data and Analytics comprise the final release of ETC@USC’s vNAB Cloud Conference, recorded at the YouTube Space LA in March. A total to 37 unique videos, encompassing the essential topics of media management in the cloud, are now posted to the ETCenterVideos YouTube channel. Brian Campanotti, CTO of Oracle/Front Porch Digital discusses trends in “Premises and Cloud: Effective Big Data Solutions and Services for Content Owners.” Pedro Szekely, project leader at The Information Sciences Institute (ISI) at USC, presents “Big Data/DIG: Domain Specific Insight Graphs,” a technology that harvests and harmonizes millions of Web pages to extract key elements of knowledge. Pivotal, represented by Noelle Sio, Srivatsan Ramanujam, and Jarrod Vawdrey, explore a framework and next generation applications that used Machine Learning and statistical modeling to answer “why?” things happen and “what will happen next?” in their presentation, “Open Source Framework for Deploying Data Science and Cloud Based Applications.” The vNAB Cloud Conference is an extension of the Media Management in the Cloud Conference that ETC@USC leads next week at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, April 14-15.

New playlists on Open Source Tools and Storage join the 30+ videos now live on the ETCenterVideos YouTube channel from the vNAB Cloud Conference. The early March event was an extension of the Media Management in the Cloud Conference that ETC is organizing at NAB on April 14-15. Joshua Kolden, CEO of Studio Pyxis and leader of the ETC Cloud Framework offers a comprehensive introduction to the Cinema Content Creation Cloud, otherwise known as the C4 Framework, endorsed by ETC and its member organizations to orchestrate connections between services, software and people for better digital production pipelines and to facilitate the future of production in the cloud. The revolutionary ability of OpenStack to transform video delivery is the subject of “OpenStack Meets TV Everywhere: Peanut Butter and Chocolate” presented by Yuval Fisher, CTO, MVPD of Imagine Communications. The Storage playlist features talks by Signiant CTO Ian Hamilton, “This is Not Your Parent’s Storage: Transitioning to Cloud Object Storage,” and John Tkaczewski, president and co-founder of FileCatalyst, “An Introduction to Data Gravity.”

Digital Domain Holdings Ltd. and Immersive Media are launching a joint venture called IM360. According to the two companies, IM360 plans to produce immersive content and services, including virtual reality content, by combining Digital Domain’s CGI and motion capture expertise with Immersive’s 360-degree video hardware and software. The 360-degree video tech is already being used for live-streaming VR content, and the software can send video to devices including tablets, smartphones and VR headsets. Continue reading Digital Domain and Immersive Media Join Forces for VR Content

The Second Screen and Over-the-Top (OTT) are the topics covered in today’s set of new videos released from ETC’s vNAB Cloud Conference. Can traditional, live, linear content distribution models effectively evolve from existing satellite communication networks to pure IP-based cloud-centric transit? Amazon Web Services (AWS) explores answers in its “Shoot the Bird” presentation. In “Managing the New Content Supply Chain,” Worldnow discusses the next evolution of powerful, cost-effective media management and workflows to efficiently reach and monetize audiences on all screens. Vubiquity’s presentation, “Cloud Atlas: A Movie or A Distribution Movement”shows how the cloud enables the transition from classic transactional VOD to Electronic Sell-Through for MVPDs and OTT players alike. The session concludes with HITS/MESA’s panel discussion, “Leveraging Cloud to Build Your OTT Channel,”featuring Akami, Optimity and ContentBridge. vNAB, recorded at YouTube Space LA on March 2, 3 & 4, is an extension of the Media Management in the Cloud Conference scheduled for NAB April 14-15.

Twitter unveiled its new Curator media tool this week designed to make more tweets available to a larger audience outside of its own site — and ideally build upon its base of 288 million users that log in at least once a month. The tool will help media organizations locate tweets and Vine videos that can be posted with stories and broadcasts. Publishers regularly create and share compelling content related to live events and breaking news. Twitter aims to leverage these publishers to help address its slowing user growth rate. Continue reading Curator Tool Will Help Media Publishers Share Tweets and Vines

Release of ETC’s vNAB Cloud Conference continues today with the launch of 6 new videos that focus on hybrid cloud technology, ecosystems and ROI/cost savings. PrimeFocus showed how Hybrid Cloud technology manages content across multiple locations, Encoding.com explored its software-based approach to an on-premise/cloud hybrid media processing platform, and Sony/MCS projected what platforms may look like in the next 5 years. Cloud Economics were the topic of presentations by 5th Kind on ROI and how studios increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve quality; Envivio’s presentation on the cost advantages of cloud video; and FilmTrack’s look at future proofing digital revenue streams with Metadata in the Cloud. vNAB, recorded at YouTube Space LA on March 2, 3 & 4, is an extension of the Media Management in the Cloud Conference scheduled for NAB April 14-15.

According to research from video optimization company Conviva, about 75 percent of new over-the-top service users stop watching video after just more than four minutes, due primarily to poor streaming quality or too many interruptions. While only 25 percent continue past four minutes, the study shows that some viewers will keep trying. Nearly half will stop the video and try again and 29 percent will try a different platform. A related study notes another trend: OTT services may be steering consumers back to their big screen TVs. Continue reading OTT: New Trends Evolving in Streaming TV and Online Video

The Asus Chromebit is a cigar-sized device that runs on Google Chrome OS and essentially serves as a tiny PC. It can be plugged into an LCD display or television to run software normally run on computers — including word processing, spreadsheets, email and online video. It is scheduled to launch this summer for less than $100. The Chromebit is the latest addition to a growing collection of devices designed for Chrome OS, which is based on Google’s Chrome Web browser OS, intended for use with Internet-based applications. Continue reading Asus Chromebit Runs Google Chrome, Turns Displays into PCs

Sony has teamed with streaming music service Spotify to allow gamers to listen to their favorite tunes while playing games. Originally announced in January, Spotify officially joined PlayStation Music this week. While many users may be drawn to the Spotify-powered service, hardcore gamers may be turned off by the idea of replacing a game’s soundtrack and immersive audio effects with unrelated music. However, the companies are targeting the gamers who regularly play their own music in the background while gaming. Continue reading Spotify Streaming Music Service Now Live for Sony PlayStation

Miramax opened Day 2 of the ETC vNAB Cloud Conference with a keynote presentation on the 4-fold revenue increase and other lessons realized from their implementation of a robust SaaS media asset management system (MAMS). The video is now available on the ETCenterVideos Channel on YouTube along with today’s other releases: a presentation from Aframe on the use of cloud-based, self-service workflows for broadcast MAMS and a detailed case study by Digital Film Tree on “Luna,” a short film produced by Universal and ETC designed to examine current cloud workflows and prototype benefits of cloud centralization. vNAB, recorded at YouTube Space LA on March 2, 3 & 4, is an extension of the Media Management in the Cloud Conference scheduled for NAB April 14-15.

All of the Day 1 sessions and keynote presentations from ETC’s Virtual NAB Cloud Conference are now online and ready for viewing on the ETCenterVideos YouTube channel. The vNab Cloud Conference is an extension of the Media Management in the Cloud Conference produced by ETC@USC at the upcoming NAB Show April 14-15 in Las Vegas. The Virtual Conference, recorded at YouTube Space LA in early March, featured 35 presenters and provided a forum for a deeper discussion of Media & Entertainment and the Cloud.

At this week’s F8 developer conference in San Francisco, Facebook announced that it is opening up its Messenger app with a platform for creating apps. This will allow developers to build apps that can integrate with the social network’s instant-messaging service, which presently touts 600 million users. Nearly 50 integrated apps have been created under the program, including those from Bad Robot, ESPN and The Weather Channel. The service also supports 360-degree video with Facebook’s Oculus VR format. Continue reading Facebook Wants Developers to Integrate Apps with Messenger

Videos from the third session of The Entertainment Technology Center @ USC “Virtual NAB Cloud Conference” are now live for viewing on the ETCenterVideo YouTube channel. The videos include a presentation on visual effects workflows in the cloud by Jeff Kember of Google and a description of a popup render farm for VFX by Thinkbox Software’s Chris Bond. Martin Wahl of Microsoft Azure Media Services presented a scalable workflow for live sports and Michelle Munson of IBM/Aspera showcased streaming sports to second screens through the cloud. Usman Shakeel of Amazon Web Services discussed the demands of and solutions for 4K workflows. Continue reading vNab: Workflow in the Cloud for Visual Effects, Sports and 4K

Warner Bros. exec Wendy Aylsworth has been selected by the Inter-Society for the Enhancement of Cinema Presentation to receive the prestigious Ken Mason Award, which recognizes those who have “made outstanding long-term contributions leading to the overall improvement of the motion picture experience.” Aylsworth, SVP of Technology for Warner Bros. Technical Operations, has been instrumental in steering industry standards for Digital Cinema. She will receive the award at an April 21st ceremony during CinemaCon in Las Vegas. Continue reading Wendy Aylsworth of Warner Bros. to Receive Ken Mason Award