Online streaming earned another boost in credibility last night when Amazon and Netflix both won Golden Globe Awards. Jeffrey Tambor won Best Actor in a TV Comedy for his role in “Transparent.” The show also won for Best Comedy Series (beating Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black”), a major coup for Amazon. Meanwhile, Netflix was nominated in seven major categories, and Kevin Spacey took home Best Actor in a TV Drama for his work on “House of Cards.” Continue reading Streaming: Amazon and Netflix Make Splash at Golden Globes

TiVo’s new update to its Roamio, Premiere and Mini devices will allow users to access content from various sources including live and recorded TV, streaming services and other apps the device may be connected to. The content will be arranged for display on a single user-friendly navigation screen. The OnePass upgrade was unveiled during CES and is unique from existing set-top boxes and cable/satellite services. This should be significant for TiVo users who want to access their streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Continue reading OnePass: TiVo Unveils Update to Roamio, Premiere and Mini

During a press event at CES, Dish Network announced its new subscription streaming service, Sling TV, which is slated to debut in the first quarter of 2015. According to Dish President and CEO Joe Clayton, the $20/per month OTT service will offer 25-30 channels from Disney, ESPN, Scripps Networks Interactive and Turner Broadcasting, in addition to exclusive content from YouTube and Maker Studios. The bundle is targeting millennials who might not otherwise subscribe to a cable or satellite pay TV service. Continue reading Dish Network Unveils Over-the-Top Sling TV Service at CES

While Netflix has emerged at several CES press events in Las Vegas this week promoting HDR and various partnership deals, the streaming video service also announced its new smart TV certification program, Netflix Recommended TV, designed to help consumers select Netflix-friendly TV sets that are “built for a superior Internet TV experience.” The recommendation program was announced during LG’s press conference. Initial program participants include LG, Sharp, Sony, Vizio and Roku TV makers. Continue reading Netflix Announces Smart TV Certification Program in Las Vegas

TiVo Research & Analytics has released its first “TiVo State of TV Report,” which provides insights into television viewing habits, advertising and commercial retention rates, and the top streamed and time-shifted programs. The team analyzed viewing data from multiple datasets, including TiVo and non-TiVo households, from July to September. The results point to a significant increase in time-shifted viewing and binge watching, while sports programming and primetime animation led the charge for live viewing. Continue reading Viewers Turn to Time-Shifting, Except for Sports and Animation

Ultra HD displays will deliver on last year’s promise at the 2015 International CES next month. Expect to see 4K/UHD sets with very attractive prices. Set manufacturers Vizio and Acer have already launched 4K displays for $1,000 and under, and other manufacturers are likely to unveil similarly low-cost models. Chinese UHD display manufacturers, that have had a strong presence at recent CES events, will continue their efforts to understand the U.S. consumer and break into the U.S. market at lower price points. Continue reading UHD Displays Expected to Take Center Stage at January’s CES

Publisher Hearst is paying $81.25 million for a 25 percent interest in DreamWorks Animation’s AwesomenessTV. Announced yesterday, the deal will help Hearst leverage a younger audience, while DWA will use the cash infusion to help develop the fast-growing AwesomenessTV business. The pact plans to help AwesomenessTV expand into new content channels, broaden its audience and expand its geographic reach. AwesomenessTV will also gain access to Hearst’s subscription VOD platform. Continue reading Hearst Makes a Major Investment in DWA’s AwesomenessTV

Despite revenue generated by licensing content to streaming services, some analysts and execs are concerned that the growth of subscribers to Netflix and related services may negatively impact traditional TV audiences and related advertising revenue. During the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference on Monday, research was presented that suggests a significant disruption in media consumption, as Netflix subscribers watch less broadcast TV than consumers without the service. Continue reading Research Suggests Streaming is Impacting the Business of TV

The home entertainment divisions of Hollywood studios are projected to generate record sales of movies and TV shows on digital platforms this holiday shopping season between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Digital sales are experiencing an upswing as more consumers access media via their mobile devices, smart TVs and connected game consoles. In addition, retailers such as Best Buy, Target and Walmart are pushing digital in an effort to make up for the downward trend in disc sales. Continue reading New Holiday Sales Records Predicted for Digital Home Video

Nielsen is planning to begin measurement of viewership ratings next month of television shows streamed on subscription online video services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video. Nielsen will analyze the audio of programs to identify which shows are being streamed, a new measurement capability that does not require the approval of the streaming services. The data could impact how business is conducted between the services and the studios that license content. Continue reading Nielsen Planning to Measure TV Viewing via Streaming Services

DirecTV has added 19 4K Ultra HD titles to its video-on-demand service. Along with Sony, M-Go, and Netflix, DirecTV is one of the first to offer the new video format, which is nearly four times the resolution as traditional 1080p. The company plans to begin offering Ultra HD television channels next year. So far, just a relatively small group of consumers have the Ultra HD TVs needed to watch the content. While only 800,000 Ultra HD TVs shipped in the U.S. this year, analysts project interest is on the rise. Continue reading DirecTV is the First Pay TV Provider to Offer 4K Ultra HD VOD

Nielsen, the company that provides data about what people watch, listen to, and purchase, is calling for a new set of rating standards due to the growing popularity of accessing media content via tablets and other devices. This statement came after Viacom’s recent criticism of Nielsen, claiming that the research firm is outdated because the ratings do not consider digital viewing methods. Nielsen admits that its ratings for broadcast networks have been inaccurate for seven months now. Continue reading Nielsen Calls for Updated Ratings Standards to Address Digital

Sony unveiled PlayStation Vue yesterday, its cloud-based TV service that will soft launch this month with about 75 channels. The service will offer live TV and on-demand content without the need for a cable or satellite subscription, but viewers will initially need a PS3 or PS4 console. Users can also save favorite shows to the cloud. During the initial test rollout, consumers will have access to channels from CBS, Discovery Communications, Fox, NBCUniversal, Scripps Networks and Viacom. Continue reading Sony Plans Launch of PlayStation Vue Cloud-Based TV Service

The MPAA has launched an ad-free search engine that helps viewers easily locate movies and TV shows available from authorized sources. WhereToWatch.com — essentially a refresh of the WhereToWatch.org site launched last spring — is the latest effort by the trade group to combat piracy and provide consumers with legal options for accessing their media content. The site offers links and related info for titles available via Amazon, Apple’s iTunes, Hulu, Netflix, SnagFilms and WolfeOnDemand. Continue reading MPAA Points Viewers to Legal Sources for Movies, TV Shows

According to DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group, U.S. consumer spending for Q3 2014 was an estimated $3.92 billion, down 1.2 percent from the same quarter last year. Consumer spending on DVDs and Blu-ray Discs combined was down 8 percent in the quarter, while electronic sell-through grew 26 percent. Transaction VOD was down almost 7 percent; however, spending on subscription VOD, such as Netflix streaming, saw an increase of more than 26 percent for the first nine months of the year. Continue reading DEG Numbers Point to SVOD Growth, Physical Disc Decline