Mac News: Television

Must-Tweet TV: Television Gets Into the Social Media Mix
August 31, 2009

You can look at it as the beginnings of real interactive television -- or simply one big episode of the cult comedy TV series "Mystery Science Theater 3000" brought to life. In any event, thanks to forthcoming plans from IBM and Fox, viewers will soon be able to talk back to their flat-screen televisions via social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

DirecTV to Bring a Dozen Cable Networks Online
August 28, 2009

DirecTV Group is in talks with the TBS and TNT cable networks to offer their shows online, according to two people familiar with the discussions. If a deal is reached, DirecTV subscribers would be able to watch shows from those cable networks on the Internet, the people said on condition of anonymity because the talks still are ongoing.

How Internet TV Gear Can Stay in the Picture
August 28, 2009

Blockbuster and Samsung recently announced that Blockbuster OnDemand will be available on select connected HDTVs, Blu-ray players, and home theater systems starting in the fall of 2009. Samsung will offer connected Blu-ray players and home theater systems with both the Netflix and Blockbuster online services.

TiVo Launches DVR Patent Suits Against AT&T, Verizon
August 27, 2009

TiVo on Wednesday sued AT&T and Verizon Communications for infringing its patents, including one covering the ability to pause and rewind live TV. The DVR maker filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Texas, seeking damages for past infringement and a permanent injunction.

Verizon Gives Social Media a TV Spot
July 15, 2009

Verizon has launched two products that fall into what it is calling the "social TV" service category: the Widget Bazaar application store and Internet Video on TV. The latter is a collection of widgets that Verizon has developed in conjunction with Facebook Connect, Twitter, ESPN, Veoh, Blip.tv, and Dailymotion that let FiOS TV subscribers connect with others while watching TV.

The Changing What, When, Where and How of Video
July 14, 2009

New technologies are changing the way we watch video. DVRs, VoD, and online video are freeing us from the broadcast schedules that previously dictated when we could watch programming. The latter two, combined with an ever-growing number of channels, are dramatically increasing what we can watch. The revolution in video habits is not yet complete, however.

Jackson Memorial Brought Out Worst in Networks, Best in Web
July 10, 2009

On June 25th, many Americans learned about the death of Michael Jackson from the Internet. They had already learned how to use social networks to share that information -- and their grief -- with others, far outpacing traditional television media. Apparently, the three main broadcast works didn't learn anything from that day.

Joost Feels the Squeeze
July 01, 2009

Just three years after launching in a fanfare of publicity, Joost, which provides professionally made TV on the Web, is shifting directions. It will now provide white label online video platforms to media companies and distributors. Joost is closing down its offices in the Netherlands, retaining offices in the U.S. and the UK.

Comcast, Time Warner Push 'TV Everywhere' - for a Price
June 24, 2009

The cable industry's new rallying cry may indeed be "TV Everywhere," as announced Wednesday by Comcast and Time Warner executives. However, TV arguably is already everywhere -- on the Web, on your smartphone, on your Xbox 360. Perhaps what Brian Roberts and Jeff Bewkes really meant to announce was "Pay TV Everywhere."

Google Offers Chrome to the TV Advertising Gods
May 13, 2009

While most of us have been yearning for a return to the 1990s-era economy, an Internet company advertising its products on television was not the sign we had in mind. Yet that is what TV viewers who still watch commercials will get to see this weekend, according to news accounts -- and the advertiser is none other than Web 2.0 giant Google.

My Dream TV News Job: Broadcast Meets the Web
May 08, 2009

Someone has made a tragic mistake and handed me the keys to a major TV station group. I've been told I can take it for a spin, provided my buddies and I don't trash the leather seats. I have to make sure it's got plenty of gas when I bring it back -- dent-free, or it's my ass. This scenario is playing out only in the multiplex of my mind.

Disney, ABC Join the Hulu Horde
May 01, 2009

Video streaming site Hulu has struck a deal with Disney to make the media conglomerate's programming, including shows from its ABC television network, available online through its channel. In addition to taking a nearly 30 percent stake in Hulu, Disney will put full episodes of its ABC TV subsidiary's shows on the site.

ZeeVee's Zinc Browser Gets Web TV Right
April 29, 2009

Seeking to help users organize and view TV content online, ZeeVee recently launched the latest iteration of its video browser. Currently in beta, the new Zinc browser, formerly named "Zviewer," has more than just a new name. Besides new content from existing video hubs, the browser has added more content providers, seriously expanding the scope of its online library.

Adobe Flash Deals Open Living Room to More Web Content
April 20, 2009

You may keep your computer and your TV in separate rooms in your house, but the living arrangements between the two devices are going to get a little cozier, thanks to Adobe. The multimedia software company used the National Association of Broadcasters' annual meeting in Las Vegas Monday as a stage to announce it is extending its market-leading Flash Web video platform to the kinds of devices you find in your living room.

YouTube Builds New Pipes for TV Shows, Movies
April 17, 2009

YouTube's path from a loose, rowdy, anything-goes video destination to a more well-organized and advertiser-friendly Web site took a giant step Thursday with the addition of TV shows and movies, courtesy of new deals with Hollywood studios. That step could actually be considered a light-years leap for YouTube.

Innovation in a World of E-Commerce Woe
April 08, 2009

It's been nearly a decade since the Internet bubble burst in 2001, and the intervening years have seen the rise of powerhouse companies such as Google, MySpace and Facebook, which have helped broaden the scope of what was once referred to as the "Information Superhighway." The Internet was once limited primarily to email communication, file transfers and other rather mundane purposes.