According to Nielsen’s Vice Chair Susan Whiting, who was a part of a panel discussion analyzing disruption in traditional media usage at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Wednesday, consumers are not abandoning one platform for another. Instead, they’re spending more time than ever viewing and reading news and entertainment content, using mobile devices as an access point. Continue reading Mobile Activity on Upswing, Opens Doors for Mobile Ad Biz

After a crash and flying debris injured at least 28 fans at a Daytona NASCAR race over the weekend, NASCAR’s video copyright policy came into question. NASCAR claims to own any “images, sounds and data” from NASCAR events. Fans began posting videos of the crash to YouTube, but NASCAR, claiming to own the videos, had the videos removed. But later in the day YouTube reinstated some videos after ruling NASCAR did not have the right to remove the videos. Continue reading NASCAR Crash and YouTube Vids Raise Copyright Questions

Disney’s short film “Paperman” was nominated for an Academy Award (Best Animated Short) last month and was soon after posted on YouTube — an effort to garner attention for the film. The other nominees followed suit, but have since been yanked from the Web because of a letter sent to each of them from the chief executive of Shorts International, who complained that the streaming would cause damage to theatrical releases. Continue reading Oscar-Nominated Short Films Appeared Online, Then Pulled

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

Machinima is one of the largest online video producers. Content on its online channels were viewed more than 20 billion times in 2012. In December alone, Machinima-related properties had 2.6 billion views from 262 million unique viewers. And during the 2012 E3 videogame convention, it earned 14.4 million unique views on just one day; 455 million views during the week. Continue reading Is Machinima Approach to Online Video the Future of TV?

YouTube has opened another digital video production facility intended for its content partners. Officially called “YouTube Space LA,” the new 41,000-square-foot Playa Vista facility features four soundstages, three green screens, high-end production equipment, 20 post production bays and a screening room with 4K projector. The over-sized lobby, designed for fostering collaboration and hosting big events, touts an HD video wall comprised of 36 monitors. Continue reading YouTube Space LA: Production Facility Opens in Playa Vista

The Web series “Video Game High School” (“VGHS”) premiered on YouTube in May of 2012 and became a meteoric success. The series subsequently earned sponsorships from Sony and Monster Energy Drinks, and is now available on Netflix. Season Two of the critically-acclaimed series, currently in production, raised more than $808,000 on Kickstarter and could end up becoming the model for future online series. Continue reading Successful YouTube Show May Serve as Model for Web Series

Livestream has released a software-based equivalent of its Studio HD500 all-in-one video switcher, which provides another mobile option for roving broadcasters. The production switcher handles up to five live HD output feeds and a real-time, multi-view preview for live transitions and audio mixing. The Studio software is not restricted to its own Web platform, so streams can be shared to Ustream, Akamai, YouTube Live and others. Continue reading Livestream Releases Software-Based Live Video Switcher

Tonight’s State of the Union Address will provide citizens with unprecedented access and interactivity. “When the President addresses the nation, the White House will provide something you can’t find anywhere else: an enhanced version of the speech that offers charts, facts and other info as the President speaks,” explains the White House blog. There will also be a wide variety of online streaming options and opportunities for social interaction. Continue reading White House Goes Digital with State of the Union Tonight

HP unveiled its first Chromebook last week, joining Samsung, Acer and Lenovo as companies manufacturing hardware that now supports Google’s Chrome OS. The Pavilion 14 Chromebook is the largest offering to date, with a display that is about 2-inches wider diagonally than any Chromebook currently on the market. It also comes with 100GB of free storage on Google Drive for two years. Continue reading HP Releases $330 Pavilion 14, Largest Chromebook on Market

YouTube will be blocked in Egypt for 30 days after hosting an anti-Islam video that caused deadly riots. “Judge Hassouna Tawfiq ordered YouTube blocked for carrying the film, which he described as ‘offensive to Islam and the Prophet (Muhammad).’ He made the ruling in the Egyptian capital where the first protests against the film erupted last September before spreading to more than 20 countries, killing more than 50,” reports The Washington Post. Continue reading YouTube to be Blocked in Egypt for Carrying Anti-Islam Film

YouTube’s “de-spamming” initiative aims to remove unintended views from videos. The initiative has removed millions of views from videos, and large channels like Sony, Universal and RCA have been among the most affected. Together, these channels have lost upwards of 2 billion views since the Google-owned video site began its de-spamming efforts in December 2012. Continue reading YouTube Channels Lose Millions of Views to De-Spamming

A recent survey suggest that while six out of 10 small business owners say they believe social media tools are valuable to their company’s growth, just three percent of the 835 surveyed believe Twitter has the most potential to help the company. Twitter faces challenges convincing small business owners of the advantages of using the short-messaging system to reach customers and expand their brands. Continue reading Small Businesses See More Potential in LinkedIn Than Twitter

While online video continues to grow, one challenge has involved effective revenue models. YouTube is addressing that hurdle with its decision to launch paid subscriptions for individual channels on its video platform. It is the Google-owned company’s “latest attempt to lure content producers, eyeballs, and advertiser dollars away from traditional TV, according to multiple people familiar with the plans,” writes Ad Age. Continue reading YouTube to Test Paid Subscription Channels on Limited Scale

Netflix and YouTube have combined efforts to launch DIAL, “a protocol that helps developers of second-screen apps to discover and launch applications on smart TVs and connected devices.” DIAL is already seeing support from Samsung, Sony, Hulu and BBC and “could become a key piece in efforts to establish an open alternative to Apple’s AirPlay,” according to GigaOM. Continue reading Netflix, YouTube Take On AirPlay with Second Screen Protocol