Video discovery startup Fanhattan unveiled Fan TV yesterday at the D: All Things Digital conference in California. The OTT set-top box will enable access to live TV and VOD, in addition to a cloud-based DVR and streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu. Viewers will be able to search and discover TV shows and movies based on genre, actors, social recommendations, etc. Fanhattan plans to partner with pay TV companies to sell the box, which is expected to be available later this year. Continue reading D11 Conference: Fanhattan Unveils All-in-One Set-Top Box

In a new twist to cord cutting, the trend in which consumers cancel their cable subscriptions in favor of Internet video, surveys indicate that hundreds of thousands of Americans canceled their home Internet service last year. As consumers leverage the growth of free Wi-Fi hot spots and fast new wireless networks via their smartphones and tablets, some are cutting their home Internet cord more so than their pay TV cord. Continue reading Cord Cutters Canceling Internet Service More Than Pay TV

The National Association of Theater Owners is proposing a new approach to marketing that will include limiting the running time of movie trailers. The controversial move, which is reportedly part of an effort to provide exhibitors with more control over how movies are marketed inside their cinemas, would reduce trailers to two minutes (30 seconds shorter than the norm). Theater owners have argued that trailers can be too long and often reveal too much of a movie’s plot. Continue reading Theater Owners Pursue Guidelines to Shorten Movie Trailers

Kickstarter announced yesterday that the crowdfunding service has reached a new milestone by launching more than 100,000 projects. Nearly 44 percent of the projects have been successfully funded by a total of $535 million. The top categories for launched projects include Film & Video, Music, Publishing, Art and Games. If its current funding rate continues, the service could raise its first billion as early as sometime this year. Continue reading New Milestone: 100,000 Projects Crowdfunded via Kickstarter

Last week we reported that pay TV operators Time Warner Cable and DirecTV had joined the group of potential Hulu suitors. Over the weekend, it was reported that Yahoo has bid $600-$800 million for the premium video site. The range is based on a number of circumstances including the length of content licensing rights and the amount of control programming companies have over their media. The bid comes amidst plans by Yahoo for other possible acquisitions. Continue reading Yahoo Latest to Pursue Hulu with $600-$800 Million Bid

“Downloaded” is a new documentary that examines the rise and fall of music file-sharing service Napster. The film tells the story of Napster co-founders Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker while providing details of the service’s launch in 1998 through its eventual 2011 acquisition by Rhapsody. It examines the downloading generation, resulting changes to the music industry, piracy and legal arguments, and the impact of services such as Spotify and iTunes. Continue reading Napster Documentary: The Music, the Battle, the Revolution

The Entertainment Technology Center @ USC will announce the launch of “Production in the Cloud” today, a new project that brings together key media and cloud-resource leaders to develop guidelines and accelerate innovation and adoption of next-gen cloud-based content creation, production, and distribution tools and processes. Senior executives from the six major studios in coordination with Rackspace, EMC, EVault, Dell and other cloud companies convened recently to serve as governing body to collectively guide this process. Continue reading ETC Announces Launch of Production in the Cloud Project

Successful YouTube channel Machinima recently launched an app for Xbox Live. The move is notable for the video entertainment channel, which is already available on iOS and Android apps, since it marks the first significant expansion to a distribution network beyond YouTube. Additionally, it marks the first time that Microsoft has introduced an app in all 41 of its global Xbox Live markets simultaneously. Continue reading Machinima App for Xbox Live: Reaching Beyond YouTube

Veteran television writer/director/producer Ken Levine suggested on his blog last week that Big Hollywood has no business financing projects via Kickstarter, an approach he believes should be reserved for the little guy. He references actor/filmmaker Zach Braff, who has raised nearly $2.6 million through the crowdfunding site to finance “Wish I Was Here,” his follow-up to “Garden State.” Levine believes offering Braff money “defeats the whole purpose of Kickstarter.” Continue reading TV Veteran Questions Value of Kickstarting Known Artists

Amazon is reportedly moving beyond its Kindle tablet line with the development of multiple CE devices aimed to compete more directly with Apple and Google. According to people familiar with the plans, the company is developing a range of new devices including two smartphones and an audio-only streaming device. The e-commerce giant is also working on its own set-top box for streaming video content. Continue reading Amazon Developing STB, Smartphones and Other Devices

During a Q3 earnings call Wednesday, News Corp. COO Chase Carey discussed how Fox has experienced significant growth in home video due to digital downloads. Carey cited digital rentals and downloads via sites such as iTunes and Amazon as the primary contributing factor. He also suggested that in a few years “Hulu will look a bit different than it does today,” in order to compete with Netflix. Continue reading Exec Credits Digital Downloads for Fox Home Video Growth

BitTorrent announced the BitTorrent Bundle earlier this week, a new format that provides access to free content in addition to a gateway to other material. It offers content creators a new means of distributing and monetizing their work outside the confines of traditional methods. BitTorrent continues its efforts to transform the file-sharing software into a legitimate platform for movies and music. Continue reading BitTorrent Bundle Provides New Options for Content Creators

The theme for Disney’s presentation during last week’s Digital Content NewFronts in New York City was “the art of interactive storytelling.” Disney Interactive announced 10 new online original series and the forthcoming “Story” app that helps parents share user-generated stories online. The company also promoted its successful YouTube ventures and a music deal with Vevo. Continue reading Digital NewFronts: Disney Interactive Announces New Series

Google is reportedly getting ready to launch an à la carte subscription service for some of YouTube’s video channels, as part of an initiative to finance a wider range of content and secure an additional revenue stream. According to those familiar with the plan, the move will initially include as many as 50 “specialist” channels, which will be available to viewers via subscriptions for as little as $1.99 per month. Ad Age reported earlier that YouTube would look to keep 45 percent of subscription-based revenue. Continue reading Google Readies Subscription Service for YouTube Channels

Actress Kristen Bell may soon become the poster child for a new era of film production and distribution. Following the success of a new “Veronica Mars” project crowdfunded via Kickstarter, which reached its $2 million goal in just 10 hours, Bell’s upcoming indie film “Some Girl(s)” is slated for a June 28 release in theaters and online through Vimeo’s new VOD platform. This could mark another change in the digital distribution of media. Continue reading Vimeo On Demand Gets Exclusive Distribution of New Movie