While Netflix bingers may be accustomed to the occasional “Are you still watching?” interruption, some subscribers are now experiencing 10- to 20-second promotional videos, and complaints have suggested that the videos cannot be skipped or muted. Similar to traditional commercials, the videos appear between episodes, reminding users about various series available on the streaming service. The company explained on Sunday that it is merely testing the promotional videos and they can actually be skipped. Netflix did not indicate how many of its more than 100 million subscribers are experiencing the tests. Continue reading Netflix Is Testing Promotional Videos That Play During Binges

Just before NAB 2017, Panasonic opened a new company, Panasonic Media Entertainment Company, to specialize in the sports and entertainment sectors in North America. The company will be based in Newark, New Jersey, in Panasonic North America’s headquarters, with facilities in Denver, Los Angeles, Orlando and the greater Dallas area. The new company will also work closely with Panasonic Corporation’s new Connected Solutions Company, which will serve six industries, one of them media and entertainment. Continue reading NAB 2017: Panasonic Establishes New North America Division

AMC Networks is the latest Hollywood company to adopt digital watermarking to protect its shows — chief among them “The Walking Dead” — from digital piracy, especially before the episodes air on TV. AMC has said it plans to use Civolution’s NexGuard to embed watermarks on a list of its original shows, also including “Better Call Saul” and “Humans.” The watermarking would take place at its New York production/distribution facilities, where the technology will be implemented as software plug-ins for its transcoders. Continue reading AMC Employs Digital Watermarking to Pinpoint and Halt Piracy