Never enough time…

• Microsoft Vista’s enhancements over XP MCE.  (Matt Goyer)
• NBC not interested in TiVo’s new metrics. (MediaPost)
• Hell freezes over, Metallica on iTunes. (CNN)
• Netgear acquires SkipJam. (eHomeUpgrade)

In a shocking upset, TiVo scored an Interactive Television Emmy at the AFI Digital Content Festival. Actually, is anyone really surprised TiVo took home top honors? ABC also picked up an Emmy for their experimental web streaming platform. Awards will be handed out at the Creative Arts Awards Ceremony in LA on August 19.

This year’s Interactive Television Emmy Awards recognize original interactive television programming content, applications and services that have been deployed in the United States between June 1, 2005 and May 31, 2006 and that have demonstrated creative excellence. “TiVo was the very first offering in the DVR space and it is great that they are still leading the way,” said Brian Seth Hurst, Governor of the Television Academy’s Interactive Media Peer Group. “The TiVo service is certainly impressive in both its offering and user experience and meets the standard of excellence. It’s easy to see why the voters deemed it worthy of the Emmy.”

Looks like at least one telco is picking up TiVo as an ally against the cable companies…

TiVo says: Beginning this week, BellSouth and TiVo will launch the first of a variety of co-marketing initiatives that leverage product synergies between BellSouth FastAccess DSL and TiVo in order to drive additional distribution of the respective services. Through the agreement with TiVo, select FastAccess DSL subscribers will receive special pricing on the TiVo box and service. Although specific marketing tactics were not disclosed, TiVo and BellSouth will leverage each other’s marketing efforts in key Southeastern markets. They will also offer special incentives to customers who subscribe to both services. “BellSouth is excited to offer TiVo’s unique broadband applications to our FastAccess DSL customers,” said Joey Schultz, vice president of marketing for BellSouth Retail Markets. TiVo’s home media features allows subscribers to receive broadband delivered video and view personal music and photos on the TV set not just the PC.

Never enough time…

• Time Warner Cable, Raleigh refuses to provide CableCARD for TiVo? (TiVo Blog)
• Amazon to launch movie download service next month? (Hacking Netflix)
• TiVo takes on Nielsen in providing granular advertising info. (TiVo Lovers)
• Motorola acquires video-on-demand company Broadbus Technologies. (Boston Globe)
• AM radio is still kicking. (LA Times)

I’m honestly baffled at the amount of press Movielink got earlier this week regarding their licensing & marketing agreement with Sonic. I saw the story early and passed right over it… after all, DVD-burning had already been announced in April and little to no pricing or DRM information was provided. Oh yeah, they didn’t even let us know when this new service might be offered. How did rival CinemaNow respond? They launched their burn-to-DVD service today.

I generally find John Dvorak to be a raving lunatic (does saying that preclude me from writing for PC Mag?), but he makes some good points this week…

The ubiquitous press release now seems to be the number one source of information, according to a disturbing report by a group of researchers studying Web search behavior. Press releases tend to be long-winded, full of ludicrous quotes from the CEO bragging about himself and the company, along with all sorts of pie-in-the-sky proclamations. And thus the public is further buffaloed by malarkey, thanks to media ineptitude.

Lastly, burn-to-DVD doesn’t interest me in the least. If I want to see a movie now, I’ll rent it (whether via Blockbuster, Movielink, Netflix, Moviebeam, etc). If I want to own it, I’ll pay Amazon 50% less than Movielink or CinemaNow for a disc in a case with some nice artwork and understood copy protection.

Until AT&T expands their U-Verse IPTV offering, they’ve partnered with Dish in providing a networked DVR which includes home media features and movie downloads. Beginning today, residents in Ohio and San Antonio can rent a Homezone box for $9.99/mo… on top of their existing monthly Internet and satellite subscription fees. I can’t imagine the few extra features will compel many folks to migrate from a typical Dish DVR and PPV.

Reuters says: The box contains a TiVo-like digital video recorder, or DVR, that records the satellite TV signal on a hard drive. Recordings also can be scheduled remotely via a Web site. Homezone also downloads movies on demand through from the Internet-based Movielink service for additional fees — $4.99 for new releases. AT&T expects to add support for the video-on-demand service Akimbo in the future. Among other functions, the box can show photos and play music from a home computer connected to the Internet gateway.