Microsoft Jettisons Mediaroom IPTV Solution

Dave Zatz —  April 8, 2013 — 6 Comments

mediaroom

After failing to gain traction in the US, beyond AT&T (U-verse), or meaningful integration with other business components, Microsoft has decided to simply jettison their Mediaroom IPTV unit:

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) has reached an agreement with Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) to acquire its TV solution Mediaroom business. This will make Ericsson the leading provider of IPTV and multi-screen solutions with a market share of over 25%. Closing expected during the second half of 2013. Mediaroom is situated in Mountain View, California and employs more than 400 people worldwide.

At this point in the game, unloading Mediaroom is the right move for Microsoft…. as the opportunity to merge their IPTV, Media Center, and Xbox platforms came and went years ago. And Microsoft’s current content distribution focus is clearly the Xbox.

In Broadband, Gaming, IPTV
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Sorry. I don’t get the drama around having an ‘always online’ console. Every device now is ‘always on’. That’s the world we live in. #dealwithit

Microsoft Studios Adam Orth on Xbox 720

 Posted by Dave Zatz  onApril 6, 2013 In Broadband, Gaming, Quotes, Xbox
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The Ridiculous AT&T Galaxy S4 Pre-Order

Dave Zatz —  March 28, 2013 — 5 Comments

samsung-galaxy-s4

Over the last few years, we’ve witnessed a bizarre new marketing trend in which products are put up for pre-order… without an actual release date or itemized spec sheet. And, amazingly, even occasionally neglecting to specify a price. AT&T is up this time, with a Samsung Galaxy S4 (pre) pre-order announcement:

Continuing our legacy as the first carrier to launch Samsung’s Galaxy series, we are excited to announce AT&T customers will be able to begin pre-ordering the Galaxy S® 4 beginning April 16 for $249.99 with a two-year commitment.

Our assumption is that AT&T’s strategy is designed to one up T-Mobile’s claims of May 1st availability. Although, the artist formerly known as Ma Bell doesn’t specify an actual release date or which model (color, memory capacity) they’re making available for that $250. Hopefully details will come into focus on April 16th. While we continue to pine for the HTC One on Verizon…

In Advertising, Mobile
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TiVo Android App Updated… Without Stream Support

Dave Zatz —  March 28, 2013 — 7 Comments

tivo-android

TiVo has just refreshed its line of Android apps, with the highlight being Jellybean (4.2) support. Unfortunately, TiVo Stream capabilities remain MIA… despite Android representing greater than 50% of US smartphones and presumably frustrated MSO partners.

The complete rundown:

  • Additional Away Mode functionality so that users can manage their Season Passes and ToDo Lists while on the go!
  • The new TiVo tablet Browse experience
  • Support for Jelly Bean (Android 4.2)
  • General Bug Fixing Continue Reading…
In Android, Apple, Mobile, TiVo
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Popcornflix Catalog Comes to Sony Devices

Mari Silbey —  March 18, 2013 — 1 Comment

PopcornFlix on Sony

The free, ad-supported Popcornflix movie service is coming to Sony’s connected Bravia TVs and Blu-ray devices. Already available on Roku and Boxee, Popcornflix draws from the movie catalog of its parent company Screen Media Ventures. This is no Netflix alternative, and you won’t find recent movie hits available for free. However, Popcornflix reportedly has a library of more than 650 films, and it’s adding more each month. The service was already available on both Roku and Boxee boxes.
Although I admit my tastes are probably too mainstream for most of the movies on Popcornflix (or at least I don’t have the mental energy to search for something I’d like), I do find it interesting to see a content company pursuing direct distribution. This isn’t necessarily a viable solution for many studios who have other types of revenue models in place, but it does suggest that there is a level at which direct distribution works beyond one-off productions like the upcoming Kickstarter-funded Veronica Mars movie. Last June GigaOM reported that Popcornflix was behind only the big guys like Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix in number of Roku downloads. The fact that distribution is expanding suggests the revenue stream is worthwhile.

Related- Remember when Sony was considering its own virtual MSO last year? It looks like the company is hoping to add to its content stores in other ways now.

Continue Reading…

In Blu-ray, IPTV, Video
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