Ratings company Nielsen announced this week it will expand its definition of television with a new comprehensive plan to measure video viewing across multiple platforms including broadband, Xbox and iPads. The decision to reach beyond traditional television viewing comes from the What Nielsen Measures Committee, a group comprised of members representing TV and cable networks, local TV stations, ad agencies and several big brand advertisers. Continue reading Nielsen to Redefine TV Ratings by Measuring New Platforms

On Tuesday, Fox Broadcasting announced it will take the YouTube channel WIGS under its wing. Conceived as a channel for female-friendly dramas on the Web, Fox is set to help sell ads on the channel and will distribute its videos to more viewers. Additionally, WIGS will partly serve as an idea incubator for Fox, with the hope that some programs will evolve into prime time dramas. Continue reading Fox Partners with WIGS, Female-Friendly YouTube Channel

Amidst shrinking numbers, Dish Network chief Charlie Ergen isn’t sugar coating anything. He’s concerned about the long-term fate of the company’s core subscription TV business and sees cord-cutting as a growing trend. Dish’s recent earnings plunge was largely because of a $700 million settlement with Cablevision in October, along with rising programming costs. Even so, his biggest concern is how younger consumers are taking in content. Continue reading Dish Network Chief Exec Talks Realities of Cord-Cutting

According to journalist Michael Wolff, cable is on a fast track to oblivion with an unsustainable business model. Currently, cable operators pay media companies to carry their cable channels, then pass the costs onto customers in the form of large bundled cable bills. After that, cable channels get to sell advertising. But as viewing habits change and new options become available, consumers are increasingly abandoning the traditional model. Continue reading TV Viewing Trends: Is Cable On the Fast Track to Oblivion?

According to a survey conducted by financial services firm Cowen & Co., about 23 percent of Netflix subscribers say they have canceled their premium TV service after opting to pay for broadband access to stream TV over the Internet — signifying a direct tie to cord-cutting. Among the 1,200 respondents, 46 percent said they have access to Netflix, while 28 percent are paying for the SVOD service. Continue reading Numbers Are In: Survey Says Netflix Leads to Cord-Cutting

With new technologies, a growing number of connected devices and the evolution of media distribution, it’s more common than ever for people to consume media across different screens, whether at home, at work or out and about. Nielsen conducted a Global Survey of Multi-Screen Media Usage to find out how consumers are dealing with the fragmented media environment — and learned that 80 percent watch online video at home. Continue reading Nielsen Global Media Report: Mobile Tablet Use on the Rise

On Wednesday, Google announced it is accepting applications for people who want to try out its futuristic Google Glass eyewear. Previously, they’d only been made available to software developers, but it is clear the company wants to find out what the public thinks of the anticipated product. Additionally, Google announced more information about the product, whetting the appetite of the curious. Continue reading Public Testing: Google Glass Available to Select Consumers

Startup gazeMetrix uses computer vision and machine learning to recognize brand logos in photos posted on Instagram and other social media sites. Co-founder and CEO Deobrat Singh leads his company as it tries to analyze images for marketing and advertising purposes. The end goal is making it easier for companies to track and promote brands online and targeted ads. Continue reading Startup gazeMetrix Tracks Brand Images on Social Sites

At the HPA Tech Retreat, Sony Pictures Television announced its plans to shoot between three and five pilots in 4K this season, perhaps signifying the beginning of a shift towards popularizing 4K. At last month’s CES in Las Vegas, there was a big push for the Ultra HD platform; about 50 sets were unveiled. But after the conference, many were left to wonder if content and delivery would be made available for the currently expensive TV sets. Continue reading HPA Tech Retreat: Sony to Shoot Several New Pilots in 4K

During this week’s Hollywood Post Alliance Tech Retreat in Indian Wells, California, industry veterans are discussing the transition to digital cinema and what that means for the future of production, distribution and exhibition. “The industry has spent more than $3 billion… and by the end of this year I predict we will be releasing movies in the U.S. without any film prints,” said Jerry Pierce, chairman of the Inter-Society Digital Cinema Forum. Continue reading HPA Tech Retreat: Digital Cinema Opens New Possibilities

Twitter-owned video-sharing app Vine is designed for shooting and sharing short, looping clips with your friends. But what happens when those six-second snippets are delivered in succession to create a larger product? Film production company Oscilloscope is testing this approach by releasing its full-length feature film “It’s A Disaster” in short segments through the app. Continue reading New Film Premieres in Clips on Vine Video Sharing Service

According to Netflix, one in ten of its streaming subscribers have watched its exclusive drama “House of Cards.” On average, each of those viewers has taken in six to 13 episodes so far, of the 13 total available in season one – all of which was made available at one time. This delivery approach intended to capitalize on viewers’ desire to binge-watch entire seasons in short periods of time. Some see this distribution model as a risky proposition. Continue reading Distributing Entire TV Seasons All at Once Has Downsides

After two years of research, asking 9- and 10-year-olds what kind of content they want to watch on an iPad, the results are in: they don’t want to watch very much actual TV. So instead of simply making its programming available on the iPad, Nickelodeon designed its new app as a noisy, colorful collection of animated clips, music videos and more, including actual full-length episodes. Continue reading New Nickelodeon App is TV Everywhere Capable and More

After U.S. computer-security firm Mandiant Corp. accused China of stealing large swaths of data from U.S. companies, China flatly denied the accusation. In a 74-page report, the firm claims a group attached to China’s People’s Liberation Army stole data from 141 companies since 2006, 115 of which were in the U.S., spanning industries like information technology, telecommunications, aerospace and energy. Continue reading China Denies Cyberattack Allegations from Mandiant Report

The new, affordable 3Doodler from Boston-based WobbleWorks could help introduce 3D printing technology to the average, price-conscious home. The $75 3Doodler is a handheld version of the extrusion element found in most RepRap-style 3D printers, with a heat-shielded ergonomic grip. In order to better visualize the tool, Wired suggests you imagine a hot glue gun shaped like a thick marker, with the ability to print a fine line of plastics. Continue reading Startup Hopes to Bring Affordable 3D Printing to the Home