According to new projections from DTVE publisher Informa Telecoms & Media, the number of 3D TV homes will jump from 13.5 million in 2012 to more than 100 million by 2017. Asia Pacific is expected to have the highest penetration with 49.6 million, while North America will follow with 33.2 million and Western Europe should see 18.3 million. The 112.7 million 3D homes projected by 2017 will represent 8 percent of global TV households. Continue reading Report Projects Spike in Global 3D TV Adoption by 2017

The Associated Press Twitter account was hacked yesterday with a false report involving explosions at the White House. The account was quickly suspended, but not before the news had been retweeted thousands of times, resulting in a temporary yet sharp drop in the Dow and news outfits clamoring to ascertain details. Although the account is active again, the news agency has nearly 2 million less followers, which Twitter explains could take up to 24 hours to repair. Continue reading AP Twitter Account Hacked: Underlines Need for Security

As broadcasters continue to battle the unauthorized distribution of their shows via Aereo, CBS announced that it has acquired a minority stake in Syncbak, a company that allows local TV stations to stream their content online. Syncbak’s technology enables the delivery of broadcast signals to smartphones and tablets. The service is currently being tested by more than 100 TV stations (including CBS, ABC, Fox and NBC affiliates) in 70 markets. Continue reading Potential Aereo Rival: CBS Invests in Streaming TV Startup

Streaming TV startup Aereo, which currently delivers over-the-air broadcast television to Internet-connected devices via its antenna/DVR technology in the New York City area, announced that it plans to launch in the Boston metropolitan area on May 15. Despite legal battles with broadcasters regarding copyright infringement, Aereo raised $38 million earlier this year from investors including Barry Diller as part of a plan to expand into 22 U.S. markets. Continue reading Controversial TV Streamer Aereo Announces Boston Launch

The proposed Marketplace Fairness Act — legislation designed to help states force online retailers to collect sales taxes — made it past its first procedural obstacle Monday evening when the Senate voted 74-20 to consider the proposal for debate and amendment. Some anti-tax activists have described the bill as a tax grab, potential bureaucratic nightmare and infringement on states’ rights, while others view it as a necessary step to save brick-and-mortar retailers. Continue reading E-Commerce: Internet Sales Tax Proposal Moves Forward

Sony Pictures Television has announced the fall 2013 debut of getTV, a new digital broadcast network that will specialize in classic movies. The network is Sony’s third branded channel in the U.S. and will initially be offered on digital subchannels for Univision-owned affiliates. Sony is reportedly pursuing additional station partners before getTV’s official launch. Continue reading Sony Readies Launch of New Classic Movies Network

Twitter signed deals over the weekend with BBC America and Comedy Central that will bring video clips inside users’ real-time streams (last week we reported that Twitter was in discussions with Viacom, Comcast and NBC). While there have been video content deals before, such as featuring Weather Channel updates in expanded tweets, the new deals could serve as prototypes for future video sharing. Perhaps as a sign of things to come, Twitter also announced a new deal with a major ad-buying firm. Continue reading Twitter Signs Deals with Broadcasters and Ad-Buying Firm

Netflix exceeded Wall Street expectations in U.S. streaming-subscriber growth for the first quarter and is now nearly on par with HBO in regards to number of paying customers. According to SNL Kagan, HBO had 28.7 million paid subscribers in the U.S. at the end of 2012. Netflix had 27.9 million paid streaming subscribers at the end of March, but total subscriptions reached 29.2 million when including free promotions. Continue reading Strong Quarter for Netflix, Plans Selective Licensing Strategy

In an effort to boost slumping home video sales, Hollywood studios are turning to the classics. Films such as “Rebel Without a Cause” (1955), “Cleopatra” (1963) and “Funny Girl” (1968) are scheduled for rerelease on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Amid a nearly decade-long drop in home video sales of new movies, largely due to rental options such as Netflix and VOD, demand for catalog titles has held up better. Continue reading Consumer Demand for Classic Films on DVD and Blu-ray?

Satellite operator SES announced that in partnership with Harmonic and Broadcom it has created the first Ultra HD transmission in the new HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) standard live from an ASTRA satellite. The end-to-end demo was presented at SES Industry Days in Luxembourg. The company claims the new standard features up to 50 percent improvement in encoding efficiency, as compared to MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) broadcasts. Continue reading SES Demos First Ultra HD Transmission in HEVC Standard

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 was once again the best-selling game console in March, marking its 27th consecutive month topping the sales charts, according to The NPD Group. Microsoft reports that 261,000 Xbox 360s were sold last month in the U.S., while spending on related hardware, software and accessories totaled $402 million. While the Xbox beat Nintendo’s Wii U and Sony’s PlayStation 3, hardware sales were down from the previous year. Continue reading Xbox 360 Tops Sales Charts for 27th Consecutive Month

During last week’s CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Sony announced that its Digital Cinema Solutions Group is beginning customer trials that will test its “xMassif” Web-based, content exchange platform. According to the company release: “This online marketplace creates a new model for increasing access to alternative, independent and repertory content among content owners, exhibitors and promoters, in an easy-to-use and secure environment.” Continue reading Sony Launches Pilot Program for Content Exchange Platform

In a 288 to 127 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protect Act (CISPA), which encourages businesses to share cyberthreat information with the government. Privacy advocates have been fighting passage of the act, concerned that it allows agencies to conduct warrantless searches of data collected from e-mail and Internet providers. The bill overrides current privacy and wiretap laws. Continue reading CISPA: House of Representatives Passes Controversial Bill

Facebook announced this week a partnership with Santa Clara-based Rovi Corporation that will integrate the Rovi Video digital entertainment service into the social platform. Rovi’s database of TV shows, movies and celebrity information will be integrated with Facebook profiles, allowing users to share details of content they like. The partnership comes following Facebook’s Timeline update, which includes the ability for users to tell friends what they were watching. Continue reading Facebook Teams with Rovi: TV and Movies Get More Social

A federal judge in New York has ruled in favor of Google’s YouTube in the ongoing $1 billion copyright infringement suit initiated by Viacom. The judge ruled that the video website did not violate copyright, despite its users posting unauthorized video clips from some of the TV giant’s top shows. Viacom first filed the suit in 2007, and the case has been closely watched by those concerned with content distribution and digital disruption. Continue reading Federal Court Sides with Google in YouTube Copyright Case