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Myriad new opportunities for content creators
The Variety Entertainment &Technology Summit addressed the online digital world, and Mel Lambert reports on how content creators are grasping the opportunities.
Anthony Zuiker, creator of the CSI franchise and the new BlackBoxTV channels on YouTube, keynoted at the summit, which took place against a backdrop of recent change in the landscape of digital-delivery mechanisms that utilize the internet and other OTT topologies, and highlighted the myriad new opportunities that exist for content creators.
Disc production solutions for videographers
Primera’s latest DP-4100 Series family of disc publishers, with built-in high-speed recorders, direct-to-disc printing and fast robotics, is aimed at a variety of applications, including archival and distribution of video and audio in broadcast television and film, content-on-demand at retail stores, kiosks, law enforcement, medical imaging and more. The systems eliminate the need for burning discs one at a time and applying a sticky label to each disc or having to outsource the production, which requires long lead times and high minimum quantities – often as much as 1,000 units.
Continue reading »Blu-ray players beat tablets
People want smartphones and HDTVs; they want to take advantage of second screen applications – but they still want Blu-ray players and games consoles, even more than tablets, according to recent research from ABI. Consumer electronic devices continue to see healthy interest from consumers with 25% of respondents saying they intend to purchase a smartphones during the first half of 2012, a number equalled by HDTVs. Interestingly more respondents intend to purchase Blu-ray players (17%) and game consoles (18%), than tablets (16%).
Continue reading »ADR and Solstice co-operate
Advanced Digital Research AG, the disc duplicator and packaging machine specialist, has announced plans to form a strategic partnership with Solstice, Inc, a global supplier of professional duplication and recording equipment, to distribute ADR products in the US and Canada.
Continue reading »EDC moves into Blu-ray
Entertainment Distribution Company GmbH, Europe’s largest independent CD and DVD replicator, has announced that it is expanding its offering with the introduction of Blu-Ray. The company has invested in a state-of-the-art Bluline II machine from Singulus and will be accepting Blu-ray orders from August onwards.
Continue reading »D2D supports AGI Shorewood run for charity
AGI-Shorewood Hammersmith, UK has put together a running squad that has been putting themselves through vigorous training; running for buses, running to the bar when time is called, running to the local kebab shop, generally walking a little faster than normal pace... This is all in order to get into shape for the Bupa London 10k on May 27 to raise money for the Jeans for Genes charity.
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UltraViolet and digital copy: the consumer speaks
The recent PEVE event in London featured once more what many consider to be highlights of the conference: the consumer panel. This year there was not just one but two panels; both were moderated by Jason Kramer of Vital Findings and Nicola Pearcey (pictured) of the DEGE, both of them approached home entertainment from slightly different perspectives, and both of them provoked about the liveliest discussions of all the sessions. Oh, yes, and at some point both tackled the issue of UltraViolet.
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Disc-to-Digital exceeded expectations, says analyst
Richard Greenfield of BTIG research, who was unashamedly sceptical of the UltraViolet initiative in its early days, opining that it needed to be free to work, has come out equally enthusiastic about the related Disc-to-Digital service, launched last month in 3,500 Wal-Mart stores and recently signed up to by DreamWorks. “The Disc-to-Digital experience... is flawless and works far better than we imagined when we first heard about the concept,” Greenfield said in a recent blog, following a trial run of 10 of his own discs at a local Wal-Mart.
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Xbox helps fight copyright theft
Games platform Xbox LIVE and the UK film and TV industry body, Industry Trust for IP Awareness, have launched a month-long campaign, bringing the pro-copyright ‘Moments Worth Paying For’ campaign to the Xbox LIVE channel to inspire and educate 16-24 year-old males about the importance of paying for film and TV.
Continue reading »Another first for The Pavement with ZOO
The Pavement - the award-winning creative studio based in Soho, London - is the first BD & DVD authoring facility in the UK to license ZOO Digital’s ICE software, for the creation of iTunes Extras and iTunes LPs. Julian Day, Business Development for ZOO in UK & Europe, said: “The Pavement has always had a strong reputation of leading the field in design and innovation within the home entertainment business.”
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VOD is the fastest-growing TV alternative
Rentrak has announced a new report on Video on Demand, which shows that VOD is at the tipping point of becoming a major ad medium. Free-On-Demand (FOD) content – programs that run on ad-supported broadcast, cable and on-demand only networks, experienced 17% growth in 2011 to 6.8 billion transactions. With an average of 5 hours and 17 FOD television shows or videos watched per month, the potential value of the ad inventory in these programs is at least one billion dollars, based on Rentrak estimates.
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Magazine Features
DOING IT IN DIGITAL - Repeating the physical success of home entertainment
Fireside chats, rock star moments, and consumer panels were the highlights of this year’s PEVE conference, and D2D reports on some of the many topics covered at the event.
Every conference has its rock star moment, and this year’s PEVE was no exception. Danny Kaye, keynote speaker on the first day, took to the stage to the rousing strains of Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love, which brought goofy smiles to just about everyone (at least everyone of a certain age) in the audience. Kaye, the EVP Global Research & Technology Strategy, Twentieth Century Fox, showed a video clip of some of Hollywood’s latest and greatest movie moments and declared, “It’s this kind of content that compels consumers to buy.”
Reducing seasonal susceptibility - The merger of two packaging giants
AGI Media was bought by Atlas Holdings last year, changed its name and identity and then merged with Shorewood. Tony Garnish, European CEO of AGI Shorewood, tells Elizabeth Toppin how the company has overcome various associated challenges – but isn’t yet ready to reveal a new name.
LINES OF DEMARCATION Old and new technology models at NAB
This year’s NAB event focused on looking forward to 3D, second screens, and Smart TV - whatever the heck that is, Dan Daley muses. New technologies offered a refreshing focus after a year spent on seemingly endless legal and legislative issues.
The NAB Show in Las Vegas (16th-19th April 2012) showed decent stats: exhibitor numbers rose slightly to just over 1,600 and they splayed out over more space (815,000 square feet versus 745,000 in 2011). Attendance was flat, though, at 91,932 from 151 countries, according to NAB’s preliminary figures, and substantially below the 108,000-plus who attended in 2007, just before the recession hit.
DIGITAL OR BUST IN VEGAS? The physical media market under scrutiny
A realization that maybe it’s time to figure out a way to jump on the digital bandwagon dominated the proceedings at Packaged Media & Beyond 2012, reports Larry Jaffee.
Maybe it was the Association of Independent Media Manufacturers Association (AIMMA) joining forces with the Media-Tech Association (MTA) and the Colonial Purchasing Co-operative to produce a US show like the latter did in the two previous years. Or maybe it was the zany Day Two keynote presentation by Troma co-founder Lloyd Kaufman whose oldest running US independent movie studio has been making independent, non-mainstream movies for nearly 40 years.
HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD - Paramount and Universal Turn 100
Two major studios celebrate their centenaries this year and a lot has changed since they were both founded. Jill Bilzi looks at how they are coping with box office fluctuations, changes in home entertainment delivery, and the increasing power of social media.
