TV’s ’48 Hours’ Brings Mystery to the iPad

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One of the more fascinating apps to arrive recently for the iPad is 48 Hours Mystery from the folks at CBS Interactive. The free app includes information and video clips from the popular true-crime series. Best of all, an in-app purchase unlocks full-length episodes and other premium features.

Launched quietly last month, 48 Hours Mystery is the perfect companion to one of television’s most interesting and understated long-term series. In its freebie form, the app includes previews of upcoming shows and extra video clips not included in the on-air broadcast.

For $4.99 per year, however, the 48 Hours Mystery app transforms itself into something different, with on-demand access to full episodes from the current season. In addition, members are able to search and browse the archive of episodes dating back to 2005. Subscribers also get:

• View previews of upcoming shows
• Access written transcripts of each episode
• View photo galleries related to the crimes
• Video extras include footage, evidence and interviews not available on-air
• Post comments about the episode and see what other fans have posted
• Share your reactions to each episode with your friends and followers on Facebook, Twitter or via email.

While some may reject the app for its in-app purchase component, we think $4.99 per year is more than reasonable. For crime story buffs, the 48 Hours Mystery app is perhaps the must-have app of the year.

Source is
http://mashable.com/2011/11/22/48-hours-ipad-app/

TiVo records subs increase for first time in four years

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Despite the fact that the company is ubiquitously known to the point of becoming a verb like Hoover, TiVo has just recorded its first increase in total subscriptions since 2007.

For its third quarter ended 32 October 31 2011, TiVo reported total net subscriptions of  2.04 million, with approximately 117,000 additions, a huge swing-around compared with the 33,000 subscription losses in the previous quarter.

For the third quarter, the digital video recorder (DVR) pioneer posted service and technology revenues of $51.8 million, up 25% year-over-year. The company had issued a guidance of $49 million to $51 million, $41.3 million for the same quarter in 2010 and $49.6 million in Q2 2011.
However, TiVo reported a net loss of $24.5 million, compared to guidance of a net loss of $27-29 million and a net loss of $20.6 million in the same quarter last year.

The subs growth is largely attributable to major contract wins with operators over the last few months in particular with Virgin Media in the UK who deployed TiVo-based services to more than 220,000 subscribers; RCN expanding its TiVo product offering through the deployment of a whole-home solution; live implementations at Spanish operators ONO and Grande.  Charter Communications will also begin initial deployments shortly and DirecTV intends to launch its TiVo offering in select markets in December with a nationwide rollout to follow early in 2012.

Commented TiVo President and CEO Tom Rogers: "Our efforts to get TiVo in more homes globally continues to accelerate…Our mass deployment efforts are proving successful and gaining momentum with pay-TV operators worldwide. These operators recognise the need to retain their position as the key providers of a video experience for consumers…We believe that penetration within our current distribution deals and potential new deployment deals along with stabilising our TiVo-Owned business, where churn has slowed and new subscriptions have come in at much higher subscription fees, is setting the foundation for the long-term growth.”

Going forward, TiVo says that it will focus on four key areas, namely executing on current distribution deals; signing new distribution deals; reducing R&D and litigation spend over time; protecting our intellectual property.

Source ishttp://www.rapidtvnews.com/index.php/2011112417351/tivo-records-subs-increase-for-first-time-in-four-years.html

5 apps for finding your favorite TV shows

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More than 60 percent of viewers watch TV with a computer in their laps or a mobile device in their hands. So why not use those devices to figure out what to watch next? A growing number of apps are being built to provide recommendations for users trying to figure out what to watch on TV and on their mobile devices. Here are five of our favorites:

BuddyTV

BuddyTV got its start by building a TV news and community site, but has expanded to create mobile apps built for personalized recommendations of TV shows. By taking into account which shows viewers have checked into, as well as those they’ve rated, BuddyTV can suggest new TV shows that are airing whenever they open the app. And since it tracks viewership, it will surface shows users already have shown an affinity for when those shows are on air.

Dijit

Dijit’s mobile app was launched primarily to be used as a remote control for a wide range of devices. Paired with the Griffin Beacon IR controller, Dijit can be used to control anything from your TV to your Blu-ray player to your Roku streaming media box. But in addition to the channel grid, which can be used to search and navigate what’s on TV at any given time, Dijit has added a social layer on top, allowing viewers to check in and comment on their favorite shows. It also provides social recommendations based on Facebook integration, suggesting new shows for users to watch.

Fanhattan

While it’s not necessarily used to find or watch shows on the TV, the Fanhattan app provides a way to search for content within applications from services like Netflix and Hulu Plus on a user’s iPad or iPhone. With a universal search functionality, users can search TV shows and movies without having to jump in and out of different apps for the information they want. It also provides a wealth of cast and crew data, ratings and multimedia assets related to the content users are searching for.

Fav.tv

While most people are looking for the best content available when they turn on the TV, some want to know when their favorite shows air. Enter Fav.tv. The startup’s iOS and Android apps offer the ability to keep track of when new episodes are airing and mark off episodes they have already watched. The app also provides news about shows from around the web, as well as the ability to share comments about shows with their friends within the app.


Yap.tv
Yap.tv has taken a decidedly social approach to aggregating TV listings, showing its users which shows are most popular, while also letting them set favorites and see what friends are watching. Its guide is also a lot more visual than most other TV apps, highlighting cover art for each of the shows represented. Once viewers choose a show, they can take polls, see tweets from other viewers and participate in live chats as well.

Source is
http://gigaom.com/video/five-apps-for-finding-tv-shows/

Verizon’s Xbox Live rollout lacks broadcast content

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Verizon is taking a big step toward making its FiOS TV service available through connected devices, with the launch of a new app for Microsoft’s Xbox Live next month. But viewers who are excited about getting rid of their old set-top boxes and streaming directly to the game console will likely be disappointed, as the Verizon app will be missing a lot of the most popular networks and shows.

Verizon was one of the first TV operators to join Xbox Live, and its app is expected to become available when the next update of the service goes live on December 6. And, at least in the US, it’s the first to deliver live TV to the Xbox game console. Comcast, which will also have an app, is only giving its subscribers access to its video-on-demand service, not its live channels.

The operator announced Tuesday that its app will have 26 live TV channels available, which is a far cry from its entire channel lineup. Channels available at launch include BET, Boomerang (whatever that is), Cartoon Network, Cinemax, CNN, Comedy Central, DIY, ESPNews, Food Network, Hallmark Channel, HBO, HBO 2, HGTV, HLN, MTV, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, Spike, TBS, TCM, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, TV Land and VH1. For those keeping track, that means Verizon has secured deals with Viacom, HBO, Scripps and Turner.

But the app won’t include broadcast networks ABC, CBS, Fox or NBC at launch. That means viewers who watch the most popular channels and shows will be left out in the cold. Also missing are some cable networks like AMC, USA and FX, which have come into their own with original scripted programming.

While it will only have 26 channels at launch, Verizon expects to add more content as time goes by. A Verizon spokesperson wrote via email that the company is working with content partners to make additional channels available on the Xbox. But the lack of some of the most popular programming underscores a common issue that is cropping up between content owners and distributors, as they negotiate rights for the next generation of TV screens.

As more and more content is available to stream via IP, cable, satellite and IPTV providers argue that when distributing live channels to a device like the Xbox or the iPad, the delivery method and the viewer’s device shouldn’t matter. But content owners are trying to get paid more for access on these new devices.

I have to side with the operators on this one: At the end of the day, how video gets to the consumer’s house — whether it be over the traditional cable plant or streamed over the Internet — won’t matter. Nor will the screen it’s watched on. It’ll all just be video. Which is why these skirmishes over rights for certain devices or delivery methods seem short-sighted.

Source is
http://gigaom.com/video/verizon-xbox-live/

What happens when video gets democratized?

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Today, TV might be where people go to be entertained. But make no mistake about it: New entrants are building ever-larger audiences without being burdened by the cost structure of the traditional TV ecosystem, making them more nimble and a potential threat to some of the big media players.

We’ve seen this movie before: In the newspaper and magazine industry, the wide availability of self-publishing tools like WordPress and Blogger allowed anyone to instantly create his or her own media empire. Suddenly digital publishers could reach huge audiences over the Internet, with very little cost involved.

That’s allowed new media companies like Gawker Media, AOL and yes, even GigaOM! to go up against the old guard of print publishers, which has had a devastating effect on the industry. Unable to compete with the relevance and immediacy of online news and information, and burdened by an unsustainable cost structure, local newspapers and weekly news magazines have struggled to stay alive.

So what happens when the video industry is democratized? It’s already happening, as the cost of high-quality video cameras, production and editing equipment has fallen dramatically. Furthermore, platforms like YouTube are making it easier than ever for anyone to build an audience and monetize those videos.

The key takeaway is that the video industry is ripe for disruption. New content creators, emboldened by cheap production and editing tools and the ease of reaching a huge number of people online, are emerging as real competition for the traditional TV marketplace. In my latest piece for GigaOM Pro, (subscription required) I explore who wins and who loses in this brave new world.

Just as The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have held fairly strong in the face of online competition, it’s unlikely that the big broadcasters will see audiences flee en masse. But smaller networks, especially those in niche categories like food or lifestyle, could see serious audience erosion as viewers find Internet-delivered video channels that are more relevant to them. A vegan cooking show, for instance, might not last long at a cable network, but it could be a goldmine online.

Source is
http://gigaom.com/video/video-democratization/

Chopped Season 9 Episode 16 Duck for Dinner

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Chopped Season 9 Episode 16 Duck for Dinner, Duck confit is among the mystery ingredients.

In a special holiday-themed episode, the chefs find gingerbread houses in their mystery baskets for the Appetizer round and a prized piece of meat and a beautiful vegetable for the Entrée round. The remaining two chefs contend with often-disparaged holiday classic in their Dessert baskets.

I Hate My Teenage Daughter Season 1 Episode 3 Teenage Cotillion

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I Hate My Teenage Daughter Season 1 Episode 3 Teenage Cotillion, When Sophie earns a spot on the high school cheerleading squad - but Mackenzie doesn't - tensions run high between mothers Annie and Nikki. Meanwhile, Matt and Gary want to fire the worst guy on their basketball team, which happens to be Jack.

In an effort to reconnect with the girls, Annie reinstates an old tradition of "Family Night," even though the adults are all now divorced. Of course, nothing goes right: the girls try to escape; Nikki becomes outraged after learning that Gary is dating someone new; and Annie is thrown for a loop when Jack shows up with a hot date.