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MESA Announces Think Tank on Digital Content Management – June 18 in Burbank

Join MESA and HITS for an insightful Think Tank discussion on June 18 at 4 p.m. at the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel. The Think Tank, “From Frame to Finish: What’s Your Digital Content Management Study?” will delve into the evolution and impact of file-based workflows and how they are influencing Hollywood.

From the first frame shot to the global distribution of finished product, every studio is adopting ways to tag, manage and ultimately, monetize their content throughout their new digital supply chain – from production through long-tail distribution.

The Think Tank will be highlighted by a panel of studio experts representing the different pieces of the digital supply chain who are key decision-makers for the content strategy of their organizations.

Mary Yurkovic, Digital Asset Management Community Builder and M&E Industry Consultant, recognized a need in the home entertainment space to bring people together, and is working with MESA and HITS to help organize the event in the hopes of tackling some of the industry’s pressing issues with content strategy.

“The Think Tank works because it gets some of the industry’s top visionary thought leaders together in a non-competitive environment to start to address the issues in the space, but also share some of the solutions that have been successful for them,” Yurkovic says.

The Burbank Think Tank is set for Tuesday, June 18 at 4 p.m. For more information, go to:

http://www.hollywooditsociety.com/events-2/hits-bt2/

To register, go to: https://sferainteractive.wufoo.com/forms/hits-burbank-think-tank/

The Hollywood Post Alliance Opens 2013 HPA Awards Call For Entries

The Hollywood Post Alliance® announces the opening of the Call for Entries for the 8^th Annual HPA® Awards, which will take place on the evening of November 7^th, 2013 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, CA. Considered the standard bearer for excellence and innovation, the HPA® Awards recognize the achievements of the individuals and companies that have contributed to groundbreaking technologies and creative excellence within the post production industry.

The HPA Awards invite entries in the following competitive categories:

• Outstanding Color Grading-Feature Film
• Outstanding Color Grading-Television
• Outstanding Color Grading-Commercial
• Outstanding Editing-Feature Film
• Outstanding Editing-Television
• Outstanding Editing-Commercial
• Outstanding Sound-Feature Film
• Outstanding Sound-Television
• Outstanding Sound-Commercial
• Outstanding Visual Effects-Feature Film
• Outstanding Visual Effects-Television
• Outstanding Visual Effects-Commercial
• Engineering Excellence Award
• HPA Judges Award for Creativity and Innovation in Post Production

The period of eligibility for the HPA Awards is September 11, 2012 through September 3, 2013. To be considered eligible, work must have debuted domestically and or internationally during this period. Entrants need not be members of the Hollywood Post Alliance or working in the U.S. to submit work for consideration. Lists of previous years’ winners can be found by visiting www.hpaawards.net.

A notable difference in the 2013 competition is expansion in the visual effects categories, which have become more encompassing, focused on a broader section of the visual effects pipeline.

Complete rules, guidelines and entry information are available at: www.hpaawards.net. Submissions for the creative categories will be accepted May 15, 2013 through July 12, 2013 and Early Bird Entries (reduced fee for the creative categories) will be accepted through June 14, 2013. Submissions for the Engineering Excellence Award and the Creativity and Innovation Award will be accepted May 15, 2013 through June 21, 2013. Entrants for the Engineering Excellence Award will be invited to present at a special HPA judging event in early August.

Contact Eileen Kramer at 213-614-0860 or write to ekramer@hpaonline.com for information about sponsorship opportunities for the 2013 HPA Awards show. For more information about the HPA Awards, visit www.hpaawards.net or call 213.614.0860.

Hollywood IT Summit Is A Hit!

Over 440 members of the entertainment IT community gathered last week for the Hollywood IT Society (HITS) annual meeting.  The Hollywood IT Summit held at Pepperdine University in Malibu addressed key industry issues such as big data, cloud computing, mobile products strategy, production and distribution digital workflows, and the expanding ecosystem for metadata. Program highlights included all-star panels of movie industry Chief Information Officers (representing Fox, Warner, Lionsgate, CAA and RLJ Entertainment) and Chief Technology Officers (from Fox, Sony, Warner, Disney, and Dreamworks).

“The academic environment sparked a remarkable, creative AND collaborative spirit among the speakers and audience of esteemed qualified attendees.  This is the type of technology community gathering that will truly have a lasting impact on our industry direction as we digitize all our enterprise, production and distribution processes,” says HITS Executive Director Devendra Mishra.

The conference program also featured presentations by solutions providers and their studio partners, including sessions by: Belkin, Savvis, Scenechronize, WatchDox ,  Aspera, MarkLogic, OneScreen, Oracle, QlikView,  Rackspace, Rovi and Sony Media Cloud Services.  Additional sponsors of the Summit included HP, Information Builders, Signiant and Zaszou.

The Hollywood IT Summit is produced jointly by the Hollywood IT Society (HITS) and Variety magazine in collaboration with Pepperdine University.  The next HITS conference is its 2nd Annual Digital Marketing & Analytics Summit, which is scheduled for September 27 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Los Angeles.

The Hollywood IT Society facilitates discussions among information technology leaders in the movie industry, directed by an advisory board of representatives from all major studios and independents.  With events and initiatives supported by over 40 solutions providers, HITS committees and workgroups focus on vital issues such as metadata, digital workflows, content management, security, business intelligence, and digital marketing and analytics.

HITS is managed by the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA), a consortium of industry associations and member companies involved in IT, digital supply chain, content security and 2nd screen.

For more information about the Society and its events visit:  www.hollywoodITsociety.com

Building a Successful Business on a Backbone of Process, Procedure and Customer Service

Last month CDSA had the pleasure of attending an Open House event thrown by Los Angeles Duplication & Broadcast (LADB) at their Burbank facility that is right across the street from Disney. It was a high-end affair with a tented red carpet entrance, exquisite hors d’oeuvres and a well-dressed army of servers and valets.

Eric Collins, LADB’s president and co-founder, was giving hands on demonstrations of their ultra-secure and monitored mobile delivery unit and their staff offered tours for VIPs of their first class facility that handles a multitude of “just-in-time” services for their studio and broadcast clientele. Robert Seidenglanz, LADB’s co-founder, also took time to guide guests through their facility showcasing its expanded capacity due to an efficient workflow strategy that helps new and existing customers take advantage of their companywide customer service culture of being reliable, fast and cutting edge to deliver on just about any need proposed by a content creator or production unit.

It was a lovely evening but looking back on the event it is their business culture around quality and content security that keeps resonating. In the tented area outside of the front entrance their consultant on security, Tom Carlson, gave an overview presentation throughout the event on the strategy that he helped LADB create where a commitment to both quality work and security is a cornerstone to their value proposition to customers.

In addition to being a CDSA certified facility, LADB has dual ISO certifications (9001 and 27001) and an obvious strict adherence to the MPAA’s best practices for facilities working with their member companies. LADB is one of the only small companies committed to this comprehensive, 3-pronged security approach that have been validated by third party oversight. What’s so impressive is how the structured process created around these industry standards/initiatives drives their entire business from the drivers and front desk staff all the way up to the senior management team.

And, the idea that LADB understands the importance of risk and accept the stewardship role/responsibility against all risk threats with their customers content whether internal or external, deliberate or accidental demonstrates that LADB is a thought leader for smaller companies in the production chain.

What is also notable about their formal program and commitment around security is not only their internal practices on client satisfaction, quality management and education it is the idea that they have processes in place to continually improve both quality and security service delivery.

By having a mechanism for monitoring and measuring each internal department (IT, HR, Operations, Purchasing, Sales) activity with client’s content, through both internal and external oversight and a commitment to change management, they are exemplary in approach with an eye to the future. This is critical for any business working in our industry – a commitment to continually evolve with the technologies that help the creative community make the best content in the most efficient and secure workflow possible.

For additional information on Los Angeles Duplication & Broadcast you can visit their website at http://www.ladb.com/

Testronic Labs Named HTC Connect™ Authorized Test Center

Testronic Labs, the global leader in quality assurance, localization, and certification services for consumer electronics, film and television, games, enterprise, and publishing, has been named an Authorized Test Center for the HTC Connect™ testing and compliance program. HTC created the HTC Connect program to offer consumer electronics manufacturers the opportunity to create an improved sound and visual standard when connecting HTC® devices with their consumer electronics.

Successfully tested consumer electronics from HTC Connect participating manufacturers become eligible to display the HTC Connect logo. For the consumer, this logo will indicate that wireless audio and video may be sent through their HTC smartphones to in-home and in-car electronics displaying the logo.  Testronic is the first testing center in Europe to become certified by HTC for this program.

Johan Craeybeckx, CTO of Testronic, stated, “At Testronic, we are fully engaged in supporting the evolution of the consumer experience, as it changes and expands. Smartphones are changing the way end-users experience entertainment content, and they can now enjoy rich-media content in almost any environment.  We are delighted to work with our colleagues at HTC in verifying that high levels of connectivity standards are being met with their products.”

Nicklas Jonsson, vice president, global partner management at HTC, commented, “Our vision is for our customers to easily stream their favorite high-quality video and audio from their smartphone into their home or car. The HTC Connect program builds upon our innovation in smartphones with leading consumer electronics brands. We rely upon our authorized test centers, like Testronic, to help us maintain an outstanding level of quality, integration and performance.”

Testronic’s HTC Connect testing and compliance operations will be headquartered out of their Belgium facility.

Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival Picks Signiant Media Shuttle File Sharing Solution for Accelerated Delivery of Full-Length HD Film Submissions

Signiant, the market leader in intelligent file movement software for media and entertainment, today announced that the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival, which celebrates the world’s best mountain and adventure themed films and books, has standardized on Signiant’s Media Shuttle file sharing solution for digital film submission and distribution at its annual festival and world tour. Requiring fast, reliable delivery of massive HD files with security, acceleration and tracking, the Festival selected Media Shuttle to easily upload, download and transfer large files from a shared file system, providing significant time and cost savings for festival organizers and contributors.

A flagship program of The Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada, the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival is a nine-day event that continues throughout the year as an international film tour featuring about 740 film screenings across every continent, including Antarctica. Banff will rely on Media Shuttle to receive more than 300 film entries from filmmakers worldwide, as well as promotional content from partners to be used throughout the Festival program.

Media Shuttle defines a new class of file sharing solutions tuned for the movement of large files – high-value digital assets that are tens or hundreds of gigabytes in size – and provides simple interfaces delivered from the cloud, enterprise-class security, acceleration and storage control.  Media Shuttle portals can be quickly configured in one of three modes – Send, Share or Submit – to flexibly support the needs of any project, team or media enterprise in a single, multi-purpose solution. By combining the best attributes of online file sharing and accelerated file transfer software, Media Shuttle offers a viable, next-generation alternative to FTP servers.

“We have filmmakers in far-flung locales around the world submitting content on-the-fly, and we need to make the submission process as easy as possible for them. Past delivery solutions could not support the file size and transfer speeds required to deliver films of this complexity and quality,” said Woody MacPhail, Producer of the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival and World Tour at The Banff Centre. “With Media Shuttle, we’re able to transfer large files quickly in any form, access them anywhere and not limit the type of content received.  We want our filmmakers focused on creating their content, and not file delivery. Media Shuttle lets them really embrace the lifestyle they are filming – last-minute deadlines, living in the instant, capturing the moment.”

Following the Festival, Media Shuttle will be used to distribute files to broadcast partners such as National Geographic, and to support the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, which screens films in approximately 40 countries around the world.  Many locations receive unique master file uploads – typically a terabyte of HD film – often with regional dialect.

“The host organization in each tour location chooses a program that reflects the interests of their local audiences and exchanging digital assets of this size, frequency and specification can be complex,” added MacPhail. “We needed a delivery solution that is reliable and effortless for our host organizations. Media Shuttle gives us the flexibility to work with a wide range of global partners regardless of those elements.”

The Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival will be held October 26 to November 3, 2013.  It is accepting film submissions from May 7 through August 6, 2013.

SMPTE and Stanford Center for Image Systems Engineering to Coproduce ‘Entertainment Technology in the Internet Age’ Conference

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), the worldwide leader in motion-imaging standards and education for the communications, media, entertainment, and technology industries, today announced that it is working with the Stanford Center for Image Systems Engineering (SCIEN) to produce the two-day conference “Entertainment Technology in the Internet Age” (ETIA). Beginning June 18 at Stanford University’s Palo Alto, Calif., campus, the conference will explore the technology, creative, and business requirements for delivering a compelling, high-quality, monetizable entertainment experience over the Web.

“Entertainment technology development and content deployment has historically been the purview of Hollywood and traditional broadcast media,” said ETIA conference chair Patrick Griffis, executive director of technology strategy at Dolby Laboratories and SMPTE education vice president. “However, the rapid convergence of technology; improvements in connectivity, bandwidth, and media processing; coupled with consumer interest, is causing a surge in entertainment distribution via the Internet.”

“ETIA will bring together leaders and innovators from Hollywood and Silicon Valley communities to discuss how the Internet is changing the way we create, deliver, enjoy, and pay for entertainment,” added Joyce Farrell, executive director of SCIEN and ETIA conference chair.

Through a series of panel discussions and presentations, with ample opportunity for audience participation, the ETIA conference will examine topics within the areas of Internet-focused content creation, distribution, and monetization, as well as technical tools and solutions for shaping the user experience. Among the presentations planned is “Flash Forward — How HTML-5 and Canvas Will Become the Next Interactive Screen for Web Media,” a panel discussion by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and media technology experts on the future of UI technology, as well as several sessions examining the standards and formats — SMPTE Interoperable Master Format (IMF), HLS, and MPEG-DASH — being used to facilitate content distribution and optimization of content quality.

“Where Are the Eyeballs?” will look at consumers’ shift from subscription pay services to Web services, and a subsequent session will examine the role of new analytics technology in illuminating consumer behavior. Related sessions will examine techniques for incorporating advertising into Internet content and delve into how second screens, such as PCs and tablets, are being used to complement the main-screen viewing experience.

As Internet distribution becomes more ubiquitous, many of the regulatory requirements that traditional content providers have incorporated, such as closed captioning, will be a reality for Internet distributed content as well. The regulatory environment in Washington, D.C., will also be discussed along with the solutions that have been given safe harbor status by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The highly charged topic of commercial content protection will also be addressed from the political, business, and technical challenges perspective.

Held in the CEMEX auditorium in the Knight Management Center in Stanford Graduate School of Business, the ETIA will give delegates ample time to engage with speakers and one another as they discuss topics of the day with a common interest in entertainment technology.

Discounted early-bird rates apply to those registering by April 1. Further information about the ETIA conference, including a full schedule and registration information, is available online at www.smpte.org/ETIA2013.

Jim Bottoms to Collaborate with Blu-ray Disc Association on European Industry Outreach

Long-time industry analyst, Jim Bottoms, has been appointed to spearhead Blu-ray Disc Association’s local and industry activities throughout Europe.  Bottoms, who also serves as the Executive Director for MESA (Media and Entertainment Services Alliance) Europe, will work with both industry groups to drive synergies and help continue the positive outlook for Blu-ray disc and other physical and digital entertainment platforms.

Formerly with Futuresource Consulting, Bottoms has been a frequent commentator on regional and global market trends in the home entertainment and technology industries. More recently Bottoms has turned his focus towards playing a ‘hands on’ role in supporting the home entertainment industry and is driving greater co-operation in order to ensure common goals are met.

“There are a lot of new initiatives aimed at extending the road map for Blu-ray and I look forward to  playing my part in helping to drive the format forward in Europe” said Bottoms. “Through my links with MESA, and now the BDA, we plan to strengthen the voice of the industry and build collaborative environment that drives revenue across the spectrum of delivery platforms and fosters growth and expansion into exciting new areas such as 4K.”

The Blu-ray Disc Association’s Global Promotions Chair, Victor Matsuda, highlighted the work still to do in Europe and spoke of the BDA’s commitment to continue raising awareness with consumers and other industry groups to promote and grow the format.  “Blu-ray Disc has been a tremendous global success, but there is still room to educate consumers and grow the format,” said Matsuda. “Jim works with every key segment of the industry and as such, his relationships with today’s thought leaders and his insights into the overall direction of home entertainment are invaluable to ensuring a uniform industry voice.”

“His experience and direction will be extremely helpful in bringing an understanding of the needs of each individual market and meeting the objectives of the members in each territory.”

The BDA recently re-structured its activities to reflect the changing industry dynamics, with the BDA in the US and its PR agency, Hoog+Associates, taking on a bigger role in driving the Association’s activities on both sides of the Atlantic. “We’ve previously worked closely with Jim and his team in the US and on a global basis”, said Michael Hoog, president of the eponymous promotions agency. “This new relationship enables us to coordinate globally, but with greater insight into specific regions throughout Europe.”

Visual Data Awarded Netflix Preferred Vendor Status

Visual Data Media Services – a data centric facility supporting the creation, transformation, management, and distribution of content for all media platforms – has been awarded Preferred Vendor Status by Netflix. Visual Data is one of only 12 companies globally, and one of just three in the Los Angeles market, chosen as a Netflix Preferred Vendor.

Netflix, founded in 1997, is the world’s leading Internet television network. The company has more than 33 million members in 40 countries enjoying more than one billion hours of TV shows and movies per month. Members can watch as much as they would like on nearly any Internet-connected screen, positioning Netflix as the leading driver of content digitization for the Streaming VOD market.

In creating their Preferred Vendor Program, Netflix developed specific criteria to ensure that only the highest level candidates would be certified.  As part of the evaluation process, Visual Data was assessed in the following areas: service levels and performance metrics, breadth and quality of service, scalable technical infrastructure, workflow efficiencies, order management solution, delivery timeline, account management team, and corrective action management.

Chris Fetner, Director of Content Partners Operations for Netflix, stated, “We’re looking for the top providers in the Digital Supply Chain to streamline workflows and help us accelerate the streaming VOD transformation. Netflix seeks to digitize content quickly, while still maintaining the highest quality possible. Matching content providers with the best service providers accomplishes that. We are very pleased to have Visual Data as part of our program.”

John Trautman, CEO of Visual Data, commented, “Our highly skilled team is able to combine a deep knowledge of traditional tape-based workflows with the innovation and technical expertise required to service our clients in today’s market. Visual Data is proud to be a part of the Netflix Preferred Vendor Program. This certification gives Netflix’ Content Partners the confidence to know that their material is being handled by a proven market leader in the Digital Supply Chain.”

Visual Data recently relocated into a brand new 30,000 square foot facility featuring 20 multi-functional ‘smart suites’, which can be easily configured to provide encoding, transcoding, audio services, avid or final cut editing, QC, or color correction as needed.  The data centric operation was designed from the ground up to support the rapidly evolving market of content transformation and management, while continuing to support traditional post production workflows as the industry migrates to a file-based world.

BluFocus Announces Testing Partnership with Verance

Big Data Boondoggles: NAB and UCLA Shine the Spotlight on TV’s Platinum Era

By Colleen Quinn

It’s that time of year! Nearly  100,000 of the industry’s best and brightest flock to Sin City for meetings, demos, and debauchery. It’s NAB!  I’m a little wistful writing this from a cold, hard desk in Los Angeles, as pictures of productive-days-turned-long-raucous- nights start to flood into my Inbox.

“Wish you were here!” they scream. Alas, me too. Not so much for the endless hands of blackjack (where I lose every penny to my name), the 36-ounce rib-eyes (“Hey! Who has the most liberal expense account?!), or the dreaded booth-baby-T-shirt.  No.  Those things are nice – and essential to the NAB boondoggle – but mostly, I’d like to be there because I think this year, really, NAB is important.

My mantra for the last 5-years has been “the landscape for media and entertainment is changing.” I hear others talk about “the battle for the living room.”  Well, I’ve got news for all of us. The landscape isn’t changing. It’s changed. And, that battle is over.  Now we’re talking about a war – for the consumer. This month’s WIRED magazine has dubbed this the Platinum era of television.  They’re right.  (See my recent blog post  – was it a premonition to Wired’s new issue?)

Click here to read the full blog post

CE Week to Feature Digital Health, Ultra HD, Connected Car, 2nd Screen, Digital Fashion and More

CE Week, the consumer electronics and technology industry’s annual mid-year event, today announced the addition of several new events and conferences to the CE Week 2013 line-up. These additions, combined with the return of popular events from year’s past, will make CE Week 2013 the largest and most robust CE Week to-date.

CE Week will bring together global companies and innovators for a week of conferences, exhibitions, workshops and networking events, June 24-28, 2013, in New York City. The ever-popular CE Week Line Shows and Exhibits, CE Week’s official show headquarters, is scheduled for June 26-27 at the Altman Building and Metropolitan Pavilion.

Events and conferences for CE Week 2013 include:

• Engadget+gdgt Live: For the third consecutive year, the innovative event series that brings technology brands and gadget enthusiasts together from around the country, will kick off CE Week on June 24 at the Altman Building.
• Women in CE Forum: The second annual Career Enhancement Forum, ‘Empower Your Entrepreneurial Spirit,’ returns to the Rubin Museum of Art on June 25. The event will include keynotes from Kay Koplovitz, Founder of USA Networks, and Mika Brzezinski, Co-Host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and Bestselling Author of “Know Your Value.”
• iLounge NYC at CE Week Line Shows and Exhibits: The new VIP event on June 25 and two-day exhibition on June 26-27 will bring the excitement and vitality of the thriving Apple^® accessory industry to Manhattan, showcasing the best upcoming iPad^®, iPhone^®, and iPod^® products.
• Connected Car Conference (C3): Co-produced by car technology expert and distinguished journalist Doug Newcomb (Wired, Edmunds.com, MSN Auto), this new half-day program on June 25 at the Metropolitan Pavilion will bring the best and brightest in the automotive and consumer electronics worlds together to navigate the road ahead for the connected car.
• Ultra HD Conference: A new half-day conference on June 25, bringing together leading technologists, marketers, broadcasters and home entertainment executives to share their views on the viability of the Ultra HD market, an overview of the their individual roadmaps to market, and a range of opinions about how, ultimately, Ultra HD content is going to be delivered to the household.
• Showstoppers at CE Week Line Shows and Exhibits: A press preview event for CE Week Line Shows and Exhibits on June 26 at 8:30 am. Media will get a sneak-peek at product debuts and see who will be making headlines before the show officially opens.
• FashionWare NYC at CE Week Line Shows and Exhibits: Produced by Robin Raskin, founder and president of Living in Digital Times, the new FashionWare exhibit on June 26-27, and runway show on June 26, will celebrate the most stylish, sophisticated and unique designs in high-tech fashion.
• Digital Health Summit at CE Week Line Shows and Exhibits: On June 26, Jill Gilbert and Robin Raskin, both renowned speakers in the field of digital health, will explore the booming markets of next generation medical devices, remote monitoring, mHealth apps and products, cloud-based medical services and wellness and fitness devices at this new event.
• Mobile Apps Showdown at CE Week Line Shows and Exhibits: Produced by Robin Raskin and Living in Digital Times, the Mobile Apps Showdown NYC Competition will put the best and brightest in mobile app technology on display. During the live showdown on June 26, ten finalists will put their apps to the test and the audience will cast the deciding vote on the best app.
• The Techlicious Summit at CE Week Line Shows and Exhibits: In this new half-day conference on June 27, Suzanne Kantra, Founder of Techlicious, will discuss how women make tech purchases, what type of messaging resonates with women, how to reach women through social channels and what’s on women’s wish lists this holiday season.
• 2^nd Screen Summit NYC (S3): Produced by 2^nd Screen Society in partnership with Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News magazines, S3 will be a gathering of CE, Broadcast, Advertising and Content Holder executives and their service provider partners for a half-day of information, market statistics, education and thought leadership around the emerging 2nd Screen ecosystem on June 27 at Clearview Cinemas Chelsea.

Registration for CE Week 2013 opens on April 15. For more information about CE Week and the CE Week Line Shows and Exhibits, visit www.ceweekny.com.

Viewers Need a Better Way to Find and Watch TV Content in a Multi-Platform World

By Bart Myers, Vice President of Consumer Web Properties, Rovi

Despite the rising number of entertainment options, it’s clear that Americans are watching as much TV as ever. They’re just watching it differently, discovering new ways to enjoy TV on their own terms and on whatever device is available to them.

They are streaming free and premium content to their tablets and smartphones. They are tuning into online services like Hulu and Netflix to watch their favorite shows. They are even paying a few bucks to watch single episodes via services like iTunes and Amazon Prime. And, yes, they still rely on cable and satellite subscriptions.

Still, many people in the television industry are freaking out. They’re obsessed with the same question: “Who’s cutting the cord?” After all, Comcast Corp., the largest U.S. cable provider, said it lost 117,000 video customers in the third quarter of 2012. After decades of steady increase, the number of U.S. households subscribing to pay-TV service is now on the decline, according to the Nielsen Company.

But cord-cutting isn’t the real issue. Instead, content producers should be asking, “What cords are viewers using—and how can we maximize the value of those cords for everyone involved?”

Click here to read the full Blog post.

Saffron Digital to Launch End-To-End Ultraviolet Solution Using Akamai at 2013 NAB Show

Saffron Digital, which recently joined Akamai’s NetAlliance Partner Program, has leveraged its relationship with the leading cloud platform provider to launch a comprehensive end-to-end UltraViolet (UV) solution. The new solution will enable retailers, content owners, operators and device manufacturers to take advantage of the business opportunities presented by UV. Using a common file format (CFF), UV aims to engage consumers with the ultimate value proposition for premium video content: buy it anywhere and play it on any device you own.

Saffron Digital, which has been offering UV-like digital locker services since 2009, has integrated its secure online video platform with Akamai’s Sola Media Solutions and global CDN to create an “out-of-the-box” UV solution that simplifies and shortens time to market. As part of the relationship, Saffron Digital will develop UV storefronts that have its proprietary CFF player at their core.

“UltraViolet is starting to gain real market traction around the world with a wave of digital media retailers lining up to launch UV multi-platform VOD services. In the UK and US we’re already seeing millions of household accounts being created and thousands of titles becoming available. We’re also seeing a lot of interest from digital media retailers in Australia and New Zealand who are keen to get involved,” said Jason Keane, Saffron Digital CEO. “There are a lot of great synergies between Saffron Digital and Akamai and by integrating our video-platform with their media solutions and CDN we’re in a great position to help these very retailers launch compelling experiences as UV rolls out globally.”

The new end-to-end solution will feature:

• Content preparation
• A comprehensive content management system (CMS)
• Storefront services and application design & development
• Digital locker services
• Payment and authentication
• A proprietary CFF video player
• Service management
• Media analytics and reporting

Steven Chester, Vice President, Global Media & Entertainment at Akamai Technologies said, “Akamai’s NetAlliance Partner Program is designed to create better unified and integrated solutions for our customers, and the addition of Saffron Digital allows us to offer further choices for UV customers. With a strong focus on premium video, Saffron Digital is one of the industry leaders in DRM services and end-user experience. Like Saffron, we’ve been delivering UV-like services for a long time and, together, we know the complexities that new implementers may come across and how to solve them.”

Executives from Saffron Digital and Akamai will be available throughout NAB to discuss the partnership and the opportunities presented by UV.

M&E Journal: The Transformative Effect of User Research On the Consumer Experience

By Seth Hallen, CEO, Testronic Labs
Editorial Contributions By: Graham McAllister, Ph.D., VP of User Research, Testronic Labs

In the home entertainment industry, never before have we seen such rapid and dramatic changes in the way consumers are accessing and viewing content. Broadcast television was the first effective format available to the masses for watching content in the home. It took almost 40 years for the next significant innovation in content delivery to arrive on the scene, videotape, which allowed a consumer to choose when and where to watch a movie or TV show. More than 20 years later, DVD and then Blu-ray improved the quality of in-home content and DVR’s made time-shifting possible. Now, less than 10 years after the introduction of the Blu-ray Disc, we are experiencing a colossal shift towards online digital video consumption.

According to Futuresource Consulting, there were over 485 billion legitimate (not pirated) online video views in the US last year! That is up from 266 billion in 2009. As impressive as that number is, only 1 percent of those views were purchased. Clearly the public is hungry for online access to content. The challenge is offering a value proposition the consumer is willing to pay for.

If core consumption has changed so dramatically, it is only logical to ask how behaviors regarding searching, accessing, cataloging and interacting with content will change. There are already various options available, from simple web interfaces to 2nd screen apps to voice-command interfaces. Which of these, if any, are most compelling to the consumer? How can you determine exactly how consumers like to access and interact with their content? How can you best forecast the trends so that developers can create UIs that will truly engage consumers so that they recognize the value in purchasing content they view online and through all their various devices? How can you ensure an experience that home video consumers love so much that it will yield DVD-caliber success?

Click here to read the full report.

Testronic and Player Research Announce Exclusive Collaboration for Video Games User Experience Testing

Testronic Labs, the global leader in quality assurance services for games, film and television, and media, has announced an exclusive collaboration agreement with Player Research , a User Experience (UX) company led by Graham McAllister. Player Research, a highly regarded UX studio and video games play testing company headquartered in Brighton, UK, is at the very forefront of helping games companies and other entertainment entities analytically and scientifically understand the elements and motivation of player behavior. The collaboration will put state-of-the-art UX testing in the hands of Testronic’s global roster of clients. McAllister, Player Research staffers and the Testronic team are on hand at GDC 2013 to provide private demonstrations of the technology.

Testronic will be opening the doors to a User Experience Lab at its US headquarters, located in Burbank, California, during Q2, 2013. McAllister is playing a key role in designing the new lab, which features the unique combination of biometrics, subject qualifications, and multi-pronged interviews that has proven highly successful for Player Research. The UX Lab will benefit from, and interact with, the powerful end-to-end testing ecosystem Testronic has built out at its First Street facility.

McAllister, a recognized leader in the User Experience community, launched Player Research in Brighton, UK. A respected academic, he earned his PhD in Computer Graphics from the University of Ulster (Ireland). McAllister is a senior lecturer at the University of Sussex on the Human-Computer Interaction and a journalist, writing for the influential games publication, Edge. His motivation in this highly-technical, but very human area of analysis has always been, “…to make better games. It comes down to a scientific approach in making informed choices in the game development process. We have designed the biometrics that track the physical aspect of User Experience, but over the years we’ve discovered that those tests lack meaning without the corresponding questions and an analysis of the combined information. The combination of the subjective and biometric produces powerful insights.”

Testronic is focused on keeping their clients, which include leading games developers and publishers, well ahead of the changing demands of deliverables and consumer behavior. The concept of User Experience is evolving rapidly for video games and entertainment product, and Testronic wanted to go past the horizon of current thought, and establish new benchmarks for quality in this arena.

Johan Craeybeckx, Chief Technology Officer of Testronic, comments, “We are delighted to be working closely with Graham and his team, and look forward to meeting with our clients at GDC to demonstrate the work we are engaged in together. The Player Research approach goes far beyond much of what is being called User Experience today and we see UX as a crucial component of games testing. At Testronic, we have been thinking about this area for a long time, and we see the collaboration and the launch of our new lab in Burbank as a huge benefit to our games customers.”

McAllister concluded, “It’s exciting to work with my colleagues at Testronic, we share a focus on providing our clients with the latest but most thoughtful approach to making sure their products are at the forefront of the marketplace.”

ESCA Digital March 28 Adds Afternoon Keynote with ESPN Journalist J.A. Adande: A Look at the Parallels among Sports, Life and Business

Acclaimed sports journalist J.A. Adande will share his insights into the changing dynamics of digital media during the afternoon keynote session at the ESCA Digital conference March 28 in Los Angeles. Currently a senior writer covering the NBA for ESPN.com and formerly with the Los Angeles Times, Adande will discuss his experience making the shift from print to online media. He will also address how he thinks about reporting on a game as he’s watching it, how the shift to online media affects that process and the parallels between the evolution of sports reporting and the changes impacting the broader home entertainment business. He’ll also offer tips on how basketball teams can win by adapting their defenses and will field  questions from the audience.

Adande is the author of “The Best Los Angeles Sports Arguments: The 100 Most Controversial, Debatable Questions for Die-Hard Fans.” He also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Journalism, where he teaches a class entitled “Sports Commentary,” and co-teaches a class on “Sports Public Relations.”

The ESCA Digital conference program will be highlighted by three unique sessions addressing the broad scope of the digital supply chain – from what it takes to prepare content behind the scenes to the tools needed to market in the digital space, and how to meet the needs of the constantly evolving digital consumer lifestyle.

To register for ESCA Digital, click here.

Saffron Digital Powers Deutsche Telekom’s New VideoRise Platform

Deutsche Telekom Business Development and Innovation (DT) has today launched VideoRise, a secure online video platform that simplifies the creation, management and delivery of premium multiplatform video services. This comes as part of a strategic partnership to re-sell Saffron Digital’s unique end-to-end solution.

Powered by Saffron Digital, the DT-branded VideoRise solution will enable telcos and OTT VOD service providers to easily launch compelling entertainment experiences that increase revenue and build viewer engagement across all screens. It combines content preparation, a content management system (CMS), storefront design and development, digital locker services, payment and authentication and a proprietary secure video player in one platform. However, thanks to its modular nature, individual components can also be integrated into a company’s existing systems and workflows as needed.

Jason Keane, CEO Saffron Digital said, “Managing digital rights, licensing rules and the increasing variety of video formats to launch a premium multiplatform video service is becoming more complex. Combining our end-to-end premium video solution with Deutsche Telekom’s global partner network will enable us to provide operators with a wide range of innovative tools and modules to help overcome these challenges.”

“We needed a VOD service that would support our global customers with all the challenges they face in the ever-evolving video market and VideoRise is exactly that,” said Karim El-Khazen, Deutsche Telekom Vice President Business Development and Innovation (BDI), International Businesses. “From our long experience serving Telco operators and service providers we know that an end-to-end consultative approach, modularity and speed of delivery are key to success. Now, thanks to our partnership with Saffron Digital, our customers can rely on a top solution that delivers on all these dimensions. Additionally, VideoRise complements our portfolio of solutions serving OTT, content and media players in the space of content enabling and content monetization.”

DT and Saffron Digital will announce the first VideoRise customer at the end of Q2 2013.

M&E Journal: Using Automatic Content Recognition to Benefit the Fragmented Media Landscape

By Emmanuel Josserand

We are all living in an increasingly fragmented world. And the media world is no different. Consumers are demanding their viewing experience expands to the smartphone and tablet from the primary screen, which is itself becoming much more complex with the propagation of smart TVs. Therefore content distributors need to make their content compatible for distribution in myriad formats. The conundrum, of course, is that the consumer therefore expects more at the same price. The content creators and distributors need to spend more to generate the same price.

Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) helps bridge this disconnection on both ends of the broadcasting experience, offering consumers deeper immersion and interaction with television programming and advertising, while providing rights holders and broadcasters a heightened level of business intelligence through highly granular tracking of how viewers interact with content. ACR, powered by either watermarking or fingerprinting, allows dynamic and seamless interlinking of devices, viewers, content and applications. So it fuses the viewing experience across multiple screens for the viewer, while closing the delivery-feedback loop for the content owner and distributor. The whole process becomes more efficient.

In the multi-screen environment, ACR is a tool that gives a smart device – such as a smartphone or tablet – the ability to become “content-aware.” This awareness allows the smart device to recognize what is being watched on the primary TV screen without the need for direct input from the user.

Click here to read the full article.

Brevity Announces Strategic Partnership With The Kraft Group

In a strong affirmation of the core technology and market potential of Brevity, a digital technology start-up serving the media and entertainment markets, the company has entered into a strategic partnership with The Kraft Group that includes a significant infusion of capital. The Kraft Group’s investment, for which specific terms were not disclosed, follows previous angel rounds raised by Brevity totaling $7.7 million.

Founded in 2009, Brevity’s breakthrough solution was designed to highly accelerate the transport of digital video files while enabling the simultaneous delivery in multiple formats to multiple locations at the push of a button. Integrating web-based collaboration and workflow automation tools, Brevity provides an unparalleled user experience for managing and distributing digital media assets, and an increased efficiency in workflows for unmatched return on investment. The technology has been adopted by leading broadcasters, NBC Sports and CBS Sports, and successfully deployed in critical applications for broadcasts of major events, including the 2012 Olympic Games and the NFL Super Bowl.

The Kraft Group’s interests in sports and entertainment include ownership of the New England Patriots NFL franchise, the New England Revolution MLS franchise and Gillette Stadium.

According to Kevin Norris, Brevity President and CEO, the addition of a strong strategic partner like The Kraft Group underscores the strong market potential of Brevity in the media and entertainment sectors and positions the company for growth going forward.

“Brevity has proven its technology with some of the highest profile, most demanding media brands and now with an experienced, well-connected partner like The Kraft Group, we’re optimally positioned to take our technology to new customers and markets.”

SendToNews Chooses Civolution’s Teletrax To Monitor Sports Video Content Usage On TV

Civolution, the leading provider of technology and solutions for identifying, managing and monetizing content, today announces an agreement with SendtoNews, the leading digital US news syndication agency.

SendtoNews has been working with Civolution’s watermarking technology since June 2012 to create a system which seamlessly integrates into their video management system. This system has been extensively tested over the past few months.

SendtoNews will leverage data from all US and Canadian channels being monitored by Civolution’s Teletrax® platform through Teletrax’s renewed web-based analytics portal. The broadcast insights provided by Teletrax will allow SendtoNews to more effectively connect sports leagues, news outlets, and leading brands to premium sports video highlights.

“We wanted to match the premium quality of our sports video content with equally premium insights into the use of that content,” said Greg Bobolo, CEO of SendtoNews. ‘Teletrax is a powerful digital asset management tool that will aid us to better understand precisely the reach of our content. The intelligence gathered will allow us to fine tune our offerings, better allocate our resources which should in turn positively impact our bottom line.’’

SendtoNews will utilize Civolution’s digital watermarking technology to encode their sports content ingested from various sporting locations. Once it has been distributed across SendtoNews’s media delivery network, sports content – which includes Professional Golf, Hockey, Soccer and Motorsports highlight videos – will be tracked on the global Teletrax monitoring network.  This includes the newly-expanded Teletrax channel line-up with additional TV stations now being monitored across Canada. The combination of both digital watermarking and automated near real-time content monitoring will enable SendtoNews to better understand and confirm usage of their media packages.

“We are very pleased that SendToNews, a leading and innovative media delivery platform, chose Teletrax”, said Andy Nobbs, CMO, Civolution. “Teletrax allows clients to accurately track where, when and how different media content is being used, thereby enabling more efficient asset distribution and better inventory control.”

Civolution’s Teletrax – Television Monitoring is the premier global television content tracking solution. It is the only global service offering a combination of cutting-edge watermarking and fingerprinting technologies over the world’s largest monitoring network. The number of available channels in the Teletrax product has increased to the highest levels yet in the 11-year history of the platform, now with over 2,000 channels including all 210 U.S. DMAs, across over 60 countries worldwide from monitoring stations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, South and Central America, and Canada.

All this broadcast intelligence is accessible to partners through a recently re-launched online portal, which was developed based on client feedback. The new widget-based dashboard allows for extensive user-customization, and includes the Teletrax OnView plug-in, which enables users to actually view the video as aired on the TV station.  Along with the richer, visually driven view of data, and insights which allow clients to grasp at-a-glance the exact reach and usage of their content, clients also have access to new competitive analysis tools, such as content ‘retrotracking’. The Teletrax’ retrotracking broadcast monitoring service delivers detailed reports on the reach of past events by retroactively tracking the broadcast of those events.

Saffron Digital Powers Expansion of KDDI’s Premium Video On Demand Service Across iOS and Smart TV

KDDI, one of Japan’s leading telcos, has today announced the launch of its Video Pass service on Apple iOS devices and Smart TV Stick.  Powered by Saffron Digital, the premium video on demand service is now available across four platforms and is for the first time accessible by KDDI’s entire smartphone subscriber base.

Video Pass, which was already available across a wide range of devices including Android phones and tablets as well as PCs and Macs will now be available to KDDI’s iPhone and iPad customers, giving them access to premium film and TV content anywhere, anytime. KDDI has also launched Smart TV Stick, a portable Android OS Set-Top-Box the size of a USB stick that can be plugged onto the TV through HDMI input. Available for sale in over 2500 KDDI retail stores, Smart TV Stick will have the Video Pass application pre-installed to give users immediate access to the entire catalogue of content.

“We have really valued Saffron Digital’s online video expertise since the launch of Video Pass last year, so it was a natural choice for us to use them to extend our offering to Apple’s iconic mobile devices, and to help launch our Smart TV Stick,” said Tetsuji Fujita, Head of Media Service Planning Section KDDI. “Having content available across multiple platforms is becoming a ‘must have’ service for mobile operators and Saffron Digital’s comprehensive solution has allowed us to ensure we are giving our subscribers exactly what they want. The partnership also helps us to forge a permanent position in the multiscreen market by widening our device reach – doing this allows us to securely broaden our subscriber base and open the door to a realm of new profitable applications.”

Saffron Digital has been powering KDDI’s Video Pass service since its launch to more than 26 different Android devices in May 2012. Using its end-to-end online video platform, Saffron Digital designed and developed Video Pass as a multi-screen ecosystem that enables KDDI’s subscribers to enjoy Hollywood and local film and TV content wherever they are. With its unique Pause and Resume technology users can also seamlessly switch between devices and pick up where they left off mid video. These latest platform launches will give KDDI’s subscribers an even broader range of entertainment options.

“We continually strive to innovate and expand the device reach of Video Pass for KDDI. As a British technology company, it is a real honour to be exporting our knowledge, expertise and technical know-how to Japan, one of the biggest digital markets in the world,” said Jason Keane, CEO Saffron Digital. “By rolling out Video Pass on iOS devices and Smart TV Stick we’re helping KDDI significantly extend the reach of connected devices available to their customers. Working with KDDI supports our on-going commitment to providing mobile device operators and content service providers with a complete end-to-end video solution that seamlessly reaches the greatest number of devices, whilst providing their customers an unrivalled user experience.”

Video Pass launched on Smart TV Stick last week and has gone live this week on iPhone and iPad.

This Isn’t Your Grandpa’s Peoplemeter

By Colleen Quinn

Did you hear about eye-tracking technology for the Second Screen?

Yeah. Me neither. But, apparently, Time Warner’s Media Lab – the company’s impressive research center and Ivory Tower – is using eye-tracking technology to determine how viewers use Second Screen apps in complement to actual TV Viewing. No, they won’t be sending 15 MM+ pairs of goggles home for toddlers across the US to destroy. Don’t worry.

In light of LOTS of ambiguity about the Second Screen  – and, to bolster strategy around their recent funding of Social TV service Get Glue -  the Time Warner study should shine some light on how, when, and how supportive (or distracting) the Second Screen is to linear programming (and the advertisers who pay high-price for ad time in their line-ups).

I’m sure I’ll find the results interesting. But, here’s the thing – the opportunity to monetize the Second Screen is moving faster than the speed of Academia. Companies investing in Second Screen initiatives – and, that would be every company with media in its veins – can’t wait for the results.

Here’s the good news. You don’t have to. Much of that data is already at your fingertips. Not to discount the Time Warner research – in much the same way I wouldn’t discount third party enrichment data in general – the fact is, if you have a Second Screen app (and I know you do!), you’ve got equal access. More, maybe.

Sure, you may not be able to tell if my eyes were glued to the Kleenex ad running in the first ad break – or if I was, instead, scrambling to find Tina Fey’s  Jimmy Choo’s through the companion app. But, you’ll be able to tell a whole lot about how, when, where and what I did with your app.

And, if you’re good, you’ll be able to take that insight, and integrate it with what you know about my browsing behavior online.  If you’re really good (and you would be, if you worked with a powerhouse like us, you’ll integrate that with my past transactional behavior through retail.

With that combined analytic insight, you can use the Second Screen as a delivery vehicle for a highly personalized experience – and one that doesn’t detract from the linear experience, I’d add.  And, the value doesn’t stop at the Second Screen.  That same insight can be leveraged across your marketing organization.

I know how I’m using the Second Screen – as my first. Cord-cutters unite! And, I’m sure some guy somewhere is doing meaningful research on that too.

But, the smartest media companies can tap into many of these insights now, with data ready and waiting across the enterprise: from web to-mobile to the set-top box and beyond.  Why would you sit around and wait for stale research or aged data, when the answers are at your fingertips (with the right tools, of course)? What would you do if you knew the answers… now?

Testronic Labs Recognized as Authorized Test Laboratory by the Car Connectivity Consortium

Testronic Labs, the global leader in quality assurance, localization, and certification services for consumer electronics, film and television, games, enterprise, and publishing, is now certified as an Authorized Test Laboratory (ATL) for the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC). The CCC is dedicated to cross-industry collaboration in developing MirrorLink™ global standards and solutions for smartphone and in-vehicle connectivity. Members are among the world’s leading automotive, mobile communications and consumer electronics industry companies.

The CCC is driving global innovation for phone-centric car connectivity, developing open industry standards and solutions. To maintain a high level of quality and functionality, the CCC has put a certification protocol in place through a highly qualified network of ATL’s. Testronic has met the CCC’s stringent requirements and is now engaged in testing for companies seeking certification.

The CCC’s certification process and conformance test tools are relevant to software developers, as well as manufacturers and automakers, who are building applications within the vehicle’s environment and controls and designing MirrorLink-enabled mobile apps. The CCC is focused on giving mobile app developers open access to their technology so that they can develop drive-safe apps that are fully interoperable between MirrorLink-enabled smartphone’s and cars.

“Meticulous product certification is one of the cornerstones of MirrorLink’s success,” said Alan Ewing, Executive Director of the CCC. “Our certification guidelines ensure any product bearing the MirrorLink logo carries out the standard’s core duties – not least of which is total interoperability between MirrorLink products. We are pleased to see Testronic Labs, a respected leader in quality assurance and certification, become a partner in safeguarding our standards.”

“We are proud to be able to test and certify these new applications and products for the CCC,” said Testronic Labs CTO Johan Craeybeckx. “The transformation of the car into a highly connected, information-rich environment is one of the most significant developments for consumers, and Testronic is uniquely qualified to work with all of the contributors, be they software, hardware, or entertainment content providers. We are thrilled to support new standards and the development in this exciting area.”

BluFocus Announces Partnership with DoStudio Development Software from Sony

BluFocus Inc., an advanced testing and certification facility specializing in the assurance of quality media products and solutions for the entertainment industry, announced today that it has partnered with Sony Creative Software to offer its testing services to support their DoStudio™ Blu-ray Disc™ authoring platform.

The DoStudio line of software applications focuses on professional Blu-ray Disc™ creation. The software allows the user to create replication ready Blu-ray discs with interactive pop-up menus, complex interactivity, and high definition quality video and audio. It does this with an intuitive point-and-click interface that doesn’t involve complex scripting. DoStudio provides an easy-to-understand workflow that results in masters that meets the Blu-ray Disc™ specification.

BluFocus will be providing developer services aimed specifically at users of the DoStudio Authoring software. In this collaboration, clients using the DoStudio software to create Blu-ray discs can utilize BluFocus’ testing services in the areas of quality, compliancy, functionality, usability, and compatibility to ensure their Blu-ray Discs meet Blu-ray specifications and are of the highest quality standard.

“Sony Creative Software’s commitment to the Blu-ray authoring community is strengthened by industry relationships, and this partnership with BluFocus demonstrates our on-going support for providing customers of DoStudio an affordable option in proper verification of Blu-ray projects, “ said Dave Chaimson, VP Worldwide Marketing, Sony Creative Software.

“We’re excited, once again, to collaborate with Sony Creative Software and provide expert testing services for their DoStudio clients. The growth of the Blu-ray format has caused a significant increase in competition, which in turn, means that independent content providers can create stunning Blu-ray projects with this easy to use software where attention and focus is still needed to ensure quality is maintained,” said Paulette Pantoja, BluFocus CEO and Founder. “Our experience with this software, in addition to our highly skilled testing abilities, enables us to work with DoStudio authoring teams to ensure their Blu-ray projects are of the highest caliber before they reach the market”.

A+E Networks UK Addresses Massive Content File Movement Challenge for Both IT and End Users With Signiant Media Shuttle

At the BVE Conference in London today, Signiant, the market leader in intelligent file movement software for media and entertainment, announced that A+E Networks(TM) UK, a joint venture between A+E Networks(TM) and BSkyB, is using its Media Shuttle(TM) hybrid SaaS file transfer solution for easy, high-speed file transfers of massive content files to its broadcast partners across the globe. Combining the ease of a consumer-style file transfer tool with the control that IT needs, Media Shuttle allows A+E Networks UK’s end users to move massive files easily and securely — while assets remain secure, tracked and under the IT department’s control.

A+E Networks UK, whose portfolio of channel brands include HISTORY(TM), MILITARY HISTORY(R), BIO(TM) and Crime & Investigation Network(R), centers its business around fast, efficient delivery of content to playout centers for rebroadcast. By late 2012, the company wished to move away from consumer-grade file transfer approaches that were unreliable or limited file sizes. In a pilot program using Media Shuttle, A+E Networks UK achieved such startling performance — 300 Mbps delivery speeds direct to the desktop when serving large groups of simultaneous users — that it quickly finalized the decision to deploy Media Shuttle.

A+E Networks UK now maintains several Media Shuttle Workgroup portals allowing its entire product line of content to be transferred from A+E in New York to London quickly — for instance, transferring 70GB files between partners in just over an hour — from a branded, easy to use Web portal. Meanwhile IT retains the power to determine where content is stored — on private networks or in the cloud — and how network resources should be allocated for maximum enterprise-wide efficiency.

“As a long time user of Signiant solutions, we know their depth of expertise in network optimization and file acceleration, and it clearly demonstrated in Media Shuttle,” said Tony Gill, Director of Operations, A+E Networks UK. “Media Shuttle was easy to set up without IT intervention, even easier to use, and lets us leverage both the public and private cloud. With Media Shuttle we have gained a highly scalable system that’s reliable and effortless both internally and for our partners.”

A+E Networks UK joins a fast growing number of organizations worldwide that are adopting Media Shuttle to fill the gaps of online file sharing and FTP solutions. Media Shuttle, the newest addition to Signiant’s portfolio of accelerated file transfer solutions, provides an effective alternative to these technologies — but without associated file size constraints or security risks. Media Shuttle’s hybrid SaaS architecture lets users access fast file transfer capabilities through a simple interface delivered from the cloud while maintaining the file cache within the secure control of their own network. A flexible subscription-based pricing model makes Media Shuttle the ideal solution for project-based initiatives or enterprises looking to scale on demand.

“A+E Networks UK’s experience with Media Shuttle shows that it’s indeed possible for end users and IT to achieve harmony even with demanding applications like extreme file transfers,” said Dave Nortier, Managing Director, Signiant EMEA. “In fact that’s our goal.”

The Cord-Cutting Debate and the Role of Second Screen in TV, Advertising and Content Distribution

There’s no question that television viewership trends are drastically changing, but is this necessarily a bad thing for TV networks, advertisers, and distributors? Or can they tap into new opportunities?

At Advertising Week 2012, PwC explored the emerging multi-screen landscape by hosting a debate between the Marketing Association of the Columbia Business School (Columbia) and the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Brandcenter on the question “Should advertisers, agencies and the media worry about cord-cutting?”

This brief summarizes the debaters’ points of view on emerging platforms for viewing TV content. Then we take a closer look at the challenges and opportunities second screen technologies present to the traditional TV model.

Key success factors discussed in the brief are:

1. Nurturing the conversation, not just the product

2. Collaborating to produce more agile advertising

3. Harnessing the potential of a super fan subscriber

4. Respecting consumer privacy

5. Using new metrics for improved measurement

With innovative partnerships and new capabilities and technologies, a well-planned strategy incorporating second screen can be an important engine for growth.

The cord-cutting debate and the role of second screen in TV, advertising and content distribution.

CLICK HERE to download the new PwC release.

Robert Tercek to Keynote Next Week’s 2nd Screen Summit in LA, Feb. 26

Robert Tercek, one of the world’s most prolific creators of interactive content, has been named the keynote speaker at next week’s 2nd Screen Summit/LA at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles on Tuesday, February 26.

Following up on last year’s inaugural event and as an encore to the sold-out Summit at CES, the 2nd Screen Summit returns to L.A. for an afternoon of programming focused on 2nd screen experiences specific to film and episodic TV as home entertainment.

Tercek’s keynote, “Finding Opportunity in Fragmentation,” will explain how Hollywood executives need to adapt an entirely new mindset as television and home video migrate towards distribution over two-way digital networks and as we’re beginning to experience the effects of unbundling. Tercek will explore fragmentation of audience, platform, channel, and advertising; and he will highlight some unexpected opportunities for television and home video companies to reconnect with audiences via the 2nd screen.

His 25-year career spans television, games, interactive media and wireless. He has served in senior roles at MTV and Sony Pictures and most recently as the President of Digital at OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. His career includes milestones, including: the first multichannel television in Asia, the first online multiplayer games, the first interactive TV game shows, and the first video services delivered to mobile phones. Today, as chairman of his company Creative Visions, his views on the future of television and media are sought by organizations around the world. He is also the host of the online talk show “Inventing the Future.”

For final program information and to register for the event visit:  www.2ndscreensummit.com

Sony DADC Wins Ministry of Sound UK Distribution

With over 50 million albums sold since it’s launch in 1991, Ministry of Sound houses a network of international record labels, administered from offices in London next to their world-famous nightclub. Building on a long-term manufacturing services relationship, Ministry of Sound has chosen Sony DADC for their distribution services.

The agreement, which will run until 2018, draws on Sony DADC’s expertise in pick, pack and ship; customer service, returns management and reverse logistics. Distribution operations will be handled out of Sony DADC’s new UK distribution centre in Enfield, North London and go live in mid February 2013.

As a testament to the scope and flexibility of the operational tasks Sony DADC can offer clients, it will also manage telesales on behalf of Ministry of Sound to UK independent record stores.

“As a major global brand, Ministry of Sound requires a reliable and flexible service provider, capable of future-proofing evolving industry strategies and able to react quickly to any and every market opportunity,” said Sigi Obermayr, Vice President Sales at Sony DADC. “We are proud that Ministry of Sound has selected us and we are looking forward to growing their business together.”

Eddie Jones, Sales and Operations Director at Ministry of Sound said: “It was important to partner with a vendor who both shared our vision, and could provide the full range of management and fulfilment capabilities we need to deliver our packaged media business. ”

2nd Screen Summit Returns to Los Angeles

• KEYNOTE: Inventing the Future (of 2nd Screen)
• 2nd Screen – By The Numbers
• DEG Focus: Consumer Electronics in the Living Room
• Technology Spotlight: Prometheus
• There’s an App for That… Or is There?
• Developing 2nd Screen Ecosystems
• Technology Spotlight: UX = Brand
• Leveraging Cloud-based Lockers for Discovery as a Tool for EST and Monetization
• Stimulating: To Enhance -or- Social: To Share? Key Features for a Movie Companion App

Conference Program:
Guy Finley (917) 513-5963 Guy@MESAlliance.org

M&E Journal: Transforming Entertainment Through Technology

By John Crosier

With a dizzying array of devices making their way into the hands of consumers daily, the way in which content is presented and absorbed is rapidly evolving. Today we seek our favorite content in any format at any time on a multitude of devices. From physical to digital and TVs to tablets, consumer appetite is pacing technology nicely and vice versa. In addition to this myriad of consumption options, content owners and creators also benefit from these technological advancements by having increased flexibility during creation, storage and delivery of their products. Technology is allowing the consumer to experience their favorite content in a way that best fits their lifestyle, and the media and entertainment industry is listening as technology takes a leading role.

The Evolving Supply Chain
Behind the growing abundance of connected devices is a constantly evolving supply chain supporting and defining new areas of growth. For instance, solutions providers like us have gone from focusing solely on managing physical content to defining ways in which both physical and digital content can coexist within the supply chain process. By identifying advanced delivery solutions, manufacturing, preparation and distribution of physical and digital products can occur simultaneously and efficiently. We are far past the days where only an automated encoding and transcoding system will suffice. Enhancements to what was once considered core technology are now necessary to stay ahead and allow for further automation and streamlining of content delivery and storage. Centralized databases now house all of our content assets and set the foundation for a streamlined workflow across various product and platform environments. From better management of enhanced content to the quick access of product orders, this level of asset management transcends the needs of both the physical and digital supply chain.

Enhancing Content
As devices get smarter and more feature-rich, so does our expectation of how we consume content. Unique interactivity and enhanced features are becoming common place, which in turn is spawning quickly maturing segments of the entertainment supply chain; one such being “applications development.” With a strong history of creating enhanced content for movies, the development of rich application experiences is a natural fit for our digital media team at 1K/Cinram Studios. Whether we’re developing companion applications or a stand-alone experience, we really enjoy the liberation in creating features that aren’t limited by a traditional remote control with directional arrows. Content for the traditional 10-foot experience is very different than the two-foot experience on an iPad with a reactive touch screen, microphone, gyro, compass, GPS, web connectivity and a beautiful high-resolution glossy display.

Click here to read the full article.

Brown Bag Films Selects Aspera Technology to Enable Real-Time Global Collaboration and a 24/7 Post-Production Workflow

Aspera, Inc., creators of next-generation software technologies that move the world’s big data at maximum speed, today announced that Brown Bag Films, Europe’s successful creative-led animation studio, has deployed Aspera Syncto enable real-time post-production collaboration between its partner studios in Ireland, Mumbai, Singapore and Indonesia. Aspera Sync offers a scalable and multidirectional file-synchronization and replication solution for moving big data over large distances at high speed. It provides a high-performance alternative, up to 100 times faster than traditional sync and replication technologies, and eliminates the inefficiencies and costs of manually shipping tapes.

Brown Bag Films relies on worldwide partner studios, often in far-flung locations, for portions of their animation workflow. To successfully manage the ever greater number of projects in its pipeline, and increasingly handle the big data demands of 3D and HD productions, Brown Bag Films needed a real-time 24/7 collaboration solution to enable quick and easy file-sharing with its worldwide partners. Other key requirements for the file solution were that it had to be fast, reliable and stable while ensuring no file corruption occurred during transfers.

Brown Bag Films selected and deployed Aspera Sync to move and replicate file sets between sites in the background and leveraged a Web-based production tracking system to keep track of all replicated files and versions in a ‘hands-free’ operation. Users at the overseas studios simply access files via storage mounted to their desktops. When users place the finished files back onto the mounted drive, Aspera Sync automatically transfers all new or modified files at high speed back to Ireland, where Brown Bag Films’ internally developed tools create a ‘package’ of files, ensuring correct naming convention.

To support smaller animation studios on an ad-hoc basis, Brown Bag Films deployed Aspera Connect Server, which allows anyone to download files from the central server using an install-on-demand browser plug-in. This overcomes previous issues of users having to install FTP clients and makes the whole experience a lot easier for smaller studio partners.

Incorporating Aspera Sync software into its existing pipeline has enabled Brown Bag Films to integrate more closely with its overseas partner studios, and facilitate real-time collaboration between artists and producers across time zones.

Running Scared: Should Cable Worry About the Target On Its Back?

By Colleen Quinn

I’m happy to say that after nearly 40 years on this planet, I’ve never truly known what it’s like to have a target on my back. Or, if anyone HAS ever been out to get me, they’ve been sufficiently dulcet about it that I haven’t noticed.

I doubt that the Chiefs at the major MSOs can say the same. January saw two bold “cable-killer” pronouncements – one from the ever-brazen Netflix CEO Reed Hastings ; the other from a far less likely culprit, Intel , whose plans to launch a next-gen set-top-box spins the tale of network unbundling. Um. And, I promise that I’ll one day own a small island in the Caribbean.

But, I digress.

What’s common in both of these edicts – aside from the same-old “we’re coming to get you” message to MSOs – is the emphasis on how these approaches appeal to what audiences expect in the brave new content world. They want:

• Content now
• Content that meets their interests
• Content everywhere

Duh. That’s old news. “That’s TV Everywhere,” shouts the Cable Chief in response. Sort of.

Click here to read the full blog post.

MediaSilo Names Matt Thomas Head of Sales

MediaSilo, a provider of cloud-based media workflow and collaboration solutions, today announced the appointment of Matt Thomas as the company’s head of sales. In this newly created position, Thomas is responsible for building and managing the MediaSilo sales team, as well as for account management for the western United States.

“Matt’s experience both in media technology sales and in film production gives him valuable insight into how our solutions can help creative professionals maximize the time they spend on creative work,” said Kai Pradel, CEO at MediaSilo. “As our business continues to grow, Matt’s understanding of the industry will ensure that we are positioned to help our customers meet increased demand for content without making a costly investment in complex on-premise technology.”

Thomas joins MediaSilo with more than 15 years of experience in media technology and entertainment. Most recently he served as corporate account manager at Signiant, where he was pivotal in expanding the company’s footprint in the western United States and in managing relationships with many of the world’s largest media brands. In an earlier role at SmartJog, Thomas was a sales executive and account manager for North America, South America, and the Asia-Pacific region. Prior to his work in media technology, Thomas spent years in film and television production. His producing credits include “Raise Your Voice” for New Line Cinema and “Let’s Love Hate,” Shia LaBeouf’s writing and directing debut.

“I’m thrilled to be joining MediaSilo at such a pivotal time in the evolution of the media space,” said Thomas. “As media companies and creative executives look to the cloud for improved efficiency and operational value, it’s exciting to be part a solution designed from the ground up by media professionals for media professionals.

MediaSilo is innately attuned to the unique needs of its customers, and this is apparent in the immediate, game-changing impact its technology has on companies ranging from small creative houses and productions to large media enterprises and corporate brands.”

Thomas is based in Los Angeles and reports directly to Pradel.

Najafi Companies Affiliate Acquires Cinram’s European Operation

A newly-formed affiliate of the Najafi Companies, Cinram Group Inc., (CGI) has closed on its acquisition of Cinram’s European operations. Cinram, based in Toronto, is one of the largest manufacturers and distributor of optical discs including Blu-ray, DVD and CD. Terms were not disclosed.

Najafi completed its acquisition of Cinram’s North American operations in late 2012. CGI is a recently created affiliate of Najafi Companies that will continue to operate under the Cinram name offering innovative manufacturing, packaging and distribution of movies, music, games and books.

CEO Jahm Najafi said Cinram complements other current Najafi entertainment-related investments including Direct Brands, Inc., one of the largest direct-to-consumer distributors of media products in the U.S. including music, DVD and book club brands.

Najafi also acquired DirectGroup France, an investment that includes retail, book clubs, e-books and an online portal for the purchase of books and DVD products.

Cinram CEO Steve Brown said “the closing of this transaction brings the significant resources of Cinram Europe into the new company, where it will benefit from a vastly improved financial position, along with the experience and expertise of Mr. Najafi and his team. Under the leadership of Neil Ballantine, this solid foundation will provide our European management team with an opportunity to grow the business with renewed confidence.”

HP and NASCAR Unveil Fan and Media Engagement Center (hp.com)

HP Enterprise Services and NASCAR today unveiled the NASCAR Fan and Media Engagement Center (FMEC), a business solution designed to better serve NASCAR’s industry, media, fans and sponsors by facilitating real-time response to traditional, digital, broadcast and social media.

The FMEC, the culmination of a collaboration between NASCAR and HP announced in June, leverages HP’s broad portfolio of services and solutions including: business solution design and implementation services, servers, displays and Autonomy software to provide an integrated solution only HP can deliver. This solution helps NASCAR analyze fan sentiment, identify emerging issues and discover topic trends for instantly actionable insights. Based on that, NASCAR and its partners will be not only better informed to take advantage of local and national coverage opportunities, but also able to conduct regular media analysis to help shape business practices.

“The Fan and Media Engagement Center will serve as a showpiece of NASCAR’s strategic technology vision,” said Steve Phelps, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, NASCAR. “We believe this center will be the best of its kind in sports. Thanks to HP’s consultative approach to our vision and their technology, software and services, NASCAR will be able to provide added value to our fans and industry.”…

M&E Journal: The Main Ingredient

By Paulette Pantoja

What drives the adoption of a technology or an application? Is it the breakthrough and innovative advancements that the technical gurus come up with? Or is it the large budgets and the creativity that are put into the marketing and advertising of the product to gain mass awareness?

Both of these are key since they bring interest and enthusiasm to a user. But, even though these approaches bring initial interest, without the main ingredient, they will fail to retain consumers. A vital missing piece will keep consumers from using the product over and over again, and they will not be inclined to tell their friends and family about it. What is that main ingredient? It is a focus on the USER EXPERIENCE. Without that emphasis, it doesn’t matter how technically advanced, innovative or complex an application or technology is. If the user doesn’t like it, it won’t succeed after the initial buzz.

Consumers today are more about convenience than quality. We see this now more than ever. People are satisfied with MP3 audio, streaming movies, watching shows on smartphones, etc. So, how does this affect the home entertainment products released in the market today? Is focus more on the user experience in terms of simplicity, ease of use and accessibility? Or is it on creating multifaceted applications to push the abilities of technologies and utilize all of their capabilities? And which are we paying more attention to? Unless a consumer fully adopts a technology, it cannot succeed, thus, it is imperative to pay attention to these questions and why consumers gravitate towards one technology and not the other.

Click here to read the complete blog post

Advertising Re-imagined with Google and Friends at CES

MESA and Variety were proud to host an invitation-only luncheon at International CES last week entitled: Advertising Re-Imagined: New Technologies That Will Make Your Creative Smarter.  Sponsored by Doubleclick and Google, the session addressed questions like: What are the new technologies that are transforming the way creatives explore, suggest and execute innovative campaigns for their clients and brands? What new technology platforms are creative technologists embracing to bring their ideas to life? How is the 2nd screen offering a wider palette for creative development? And what’s new at Int’l CES that will impact agency work in the years ahead?

Keynoter was Peter Crofut, head of Creative Platforms Strategy, Google who showed how creatives have reimagined the classic Alka-Seltzer “I Can’t Believe I Ate the Whole Thing” campaign for the mobile/digital age.

The presentation was followed by a panel featuring: Pete Deutschman, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, The Buddy Group; David Payne, Chief Digital Officer, Gannett Co.; and Julian Zilberbrand, Senior Vice President, Global Digital Director Strategic Partnerships, Technology Activation Group, Starcom MediaVest Group. The moderator was Jay VanDerzee, Head of Sales, Media Platforms, Google.

To listen to the audio from these sessions and view Crofut’s Powerpoint click here: http://mesalliance.org/brand-matters-luncheon/

2nd Screen Society Announces Definitive 2nd Screen Market Research Study

At the 2nd Screen Summit at International CES today, 2nd Screen Society Chairman Chuck Parker introduced data and details from his new research study: “The 2nd Screen: Transforming Video Consumption.”  The 250-page document surveys the current state and five-year projections for this emerging marketplace, which the researchers estimate as a $490 million market today and expect to reach $5.9 billion by 2017.

Created by The Intersection, a research company owned by Parker and TV technology executive Renaud Fuchs, and published by the 2^nd Screen Society, the report presents both the global market size and segmentation of the hundreds of consumer facing apps in the market place, the build-up of the market sizing, a deep-dive on the technology driving this space, the latest trends and case studies on the leading apps in the market. Additionally, the report will cover how consumers are using their 2nd screens as 1st screens both in and out of the living room, as TV Everywhere strategies come into full effect in the consumer market place.

“With 35 million tablets sold during the holiday season in 2012 and an estimated 40% of all television viewers now enhancing the experience with a 2nd screen, this is clearly the trend to watch for 2013,” Parker explains.  “What can you expect to see in 2nd screen developments in 2013 and who are the current leaders?  How will the giants of today’s video industry respond to this challenge?  We answer these questions and more in this report.”

The in-depth study covers everything you need to know about 2nd screen:

• The technology status and future developments: how ACR and the “system level” 2^nd screen platform from Xbox SmartGlass will have significant impact on the marketplace
• A segmentation of the market and a scoring of hundreds of companion apps: that are used to control, discover, enhance, share and multi-task.
• An analysis of the players in the ecosystem: why studios and TV shows focus on enhancement and pay TV operators focus on control.
• A full-blown usage analysis, business models and market sizing with detailed data to 2017.
• A detailed review of the Top 50 apps:  what works and what doesn’t and identifying key feature sets
• A detailed look at trends and future state of the 2^nd screen market
• An 18-month detailed forecast:  describing trends we believe will have a short-term impact on this emerging marketplace for applications and 2^nd-screen technologies.
• A deep review of second screen as a viewing device

For more information about the research study visit: www.2ndscreensociety.com/research.

The 2^nd Screen Society represents over 40 technology leaders who are committed to collectively advancing the creation, production and adoption of content applications, devices and distribution systems within the new 2^nd Screen Engagement Ecosystem.  The Society is managed on behalf of its members by MESA, the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance.

To find out more about the Report and the Society contact Chuck Parker at: Chuck@MESAlliance.org

It’s the End of the World as We Know It

By Colleen Quinn

What with the failed Mayan apocalypse and all, I’ve been stuck reminiscing about the end of the world as we know it , at least in the Media & Entertainment industry as we know it today.

Don’t worry, I won’t be too poignant. (Though, I will mention that 2012 was a year of mighty change for me with the doubling the little boy brood in our household. Yikes.) But, I would like to recap a year of mighty change in our business.  We’ve all been at this long enough to know that this shift has been shifting for a long time – but, 2012 seemed to bring with it a recognition on all fronts that these changes were nothing temporary,  and that old ways of doing business were just that, old ways of doing business. “Evolve or die baby” said some music industry executive somewhere.

So, let’s hit a few of the high points –

1. Netflix Didn’t Die – Streaming services, like Netflix, continued to grow, despite what seemed like their own efforts at self-sabotage. (Recall the great  Netflix PR debacle of late 2011).  Hulu crested the $700 million mark in revenue; and Amazon got even more serious with Prime. This is to say nothing of the widening net of TV Everywhere offers from cable providers, and the lingering promise of the Verizon/Redbox JV. The options to consume lots of great content continue to grow – with rates far undercutting those of traditional cable. Cord-nevers are on the rise.

Click here to read the complete post.

Speakers from Warner, Universal, Sony, MPAA Join Content Protection Summit

The Content Protection Summit, produced by Variety and CDSA, has announced the addition of new speakers, presentations and panels to finalize its conference program for next week’s event on December 6 at the Los Angeles Hilton in Universal City, CA.  The speakers will be addressing over 200 leading content protection and security experts from the studios, game publishers, software and music industries at this core entertainment industry meeting.

Keynotes for this year’s Summit feature a conversation with Senator Chris Dodd, Chairman and CEO, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA);  and a keynote by General James Cartwright, Harold Brown Chair in Defense Policy Studies, Center for Strategic and International on National Security and the Unsettled Internet

The new Copyright Alerts System, a system aimed at educating Internet subscribers about digital copyright and the potential consequences of inadvertent or purposeful copyright violations through peer-to-peer networks, will be discussed by Marianne Grant, Senior Vice President, Motion Picture Association of America

Technology strategies for protecting content and growing the Home Entertainment business will be discussed by a panel including: Jackie Hayes, Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Legal and Business Affairs, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment; Bill Mandel, Vice President, Technology & Digital Platforms, Universal Pictures; and Mitch Singer, Chief Digital Strategy Officer, Sony Pictures Entertainment

This session will be followed by a showcase of content protection innovations by Akamai Technologies, Deloitte, Fortium Technologies, HCL America, and Verance Corporation.

To view the complete conference program visit: www.contentprotectionsummit.com

Limited sponsorship opportunities are available  by contacting: Guy Finley at guy@mesalliance.com

Sony DADC Manufacturing India Pvt. Ltd. Appoints Rajat Kakar as Business Head of Home Entertainment Services

Sony DADC, a market leader in manufacturing, physical and digital supply chain services to the international home entertainment market, has announced the appointment of Rajat Kakar as Business Head of Home Entertainment Services by Sony DADC Manufacturing India Pvt. Ltd.

Almost two years ago, Sony DADC proudly opened a major new state-of-the-art manufacturing, digital service and distribution facility in Navi Mumbai, India. In support of the vast and fast-moving Indian market, Sony DADC has in addition taken on the role of a local content licensee, to support the growth efforts of the major studios and content owners in this region. With this service, Sony DADC is laying the foundation for a professional and responsive, sales and distribution infrastructure in emerging markets such as India, expanding the range of options that content owners have to monetize the vast opportunities that exist in entering and sustaining these markets. The first two major studios to already leverage the Sony DADC licensee model in India are Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE).

“We are delighted to welcome such an experienced person as Rajat on board. With his comprehensive understanding of publisher needs and the retail landscape, he will play a major role in Sony DADC’s move towards becoming an end to end supply chain service company,” said Chris Reiser, EVP Sony DADC International. “I am more than excited to join this team and delighted to be mandated with setting up a state of the art, sales, marketing and distribution entity which will maximize sales growth for the international studios as well as for local content holders,” commented Rajat Kakar.

Rajat was previously Managing Director of Universal Music in India. In his new role he will be based in Mumbai and will work closely with international and Indian content holders and help shape the traditional and emerging retail landscape for Home Entertainment in India.

Anti-Piracy Strategies To Be Discussed at Content Protections Summit

Core to the conference program at this year’s Content Protection Summit, produced by Variety and CDSA, are a series of panels and presentations offering proven and effective strategies to protect against rapidly evolving piracy and cyber-attack threats. The event is being held at the Los Angeles Hilton in Universal City on Dec. 6.

These workshops, panels and presentations supplement the Summit’s high-profile keynotes by MPAA Chairman and CEO, Senator Christopher J. Dodd, and General (Ret) James Harold Brown Chair in Defense Policy Studies, Center for Strategic and International Studies

The program will open with two, unique views on “Going After the Money,” as lessons learned from the software industry.  Richard Atkinson, Corporate Director, Worldwide Anti-Piracy, Adobe and former Summit Conference Chair will detail the work he is doing to grow their legitimate customer base through conversion from “pirate to pay”.  Meanwhile, Peter Anaman, Digital Anti-Piracy Program Manager, Microsoft Law and Corporate Affairs, will address how they’re mitigating profit-driven online threats by unauthorized content hosting and distribution sites that generate revenue through advertising and paid memberships.

Technology strategies for protecting content while growing the home entertainment business will be addressed by Mark Hall, Vice President, Content Protection, Paramount Pictures and Mitch Singer, Chief Digital Strategy Officer, Sony Pictures Entertainment.  The new markets of mobile entertainment pose increased piracy risks while they also open new business opportunities for the studios.  Additionally, representatives from Deluxe, Akamai, Irdeto, Deloitte, Fortium, HCL and Verance will demonstrate new anti-piracy and content protection technologies as well as their views on technology as it drives industry evolution.

A central strategy to preventing costly pre-release breaches has been industry-wide site auditing and vendor certification programs.  A multi-industry panel discussion, being led by Bryan Ellenburg, Vice President, Content Protection Technology, Paramount Pictures, will address the future of auditing, certification programs and site security training. Panelists include:  Bob Eicholz, Senior Vice President of IT Architecture & Security, Deluxe;  Spencer Mott, Chief Information Security Officer, Electronic Arts; and Wynn Rees, Vice President, Content Security, Twentieth Century Fox.

This year’s event sponsors include Deluxe, Akamai, Irdeto, Deloitte, HCL, Cinram, Fortium, Verance, HP and PirateEye.

 

For ongoing updates about the conference program visit:  www.contentprotectionsummit.com

Follow our conference news and conversations on twitter using #contentprotection.

 

Scaling to Olympic Proportions

The 2012 Summer Olympics in London were the most widely streamed live event in television history. On Thursday, the BBC’s Jem Rayfield joins MarkLogic’s Chief Content Specialist Diane Burley and her colleague Matt Turner, CTO of Media, for a one-hour webinar to discuss how the U.K. broadcaster prepared for event and executed on its plan.

Learn what it took to migrate the BBC Future Media department from a relational content model and static publishing framework to a fully dynamic semantic publishing (DSP) architecture. The dynamic semantic publishing architecture underpins the recently re-launched and refreshed BBC Sports site and indeed the BBC’s Olympics 2012 online content. Other topics to be covered include:

• The BBC dramatically increased the breadth and depth of its content with a dynamic approach to webpage creation WHILE dramatically improving the efficiency of the editorial teams to create and manage pages
• Live interactive statistics improved the online streaming experience
• Editorial teams can focus on creating versus managing content
• A Big Data platform allows the BBC to unify storage of all content data types including news, real-time data feeds and stats, user generated content and rich media metadata

The webinar starts at 8:00 am PT/11:00 am ET. Registration is available here.

 

Xytech Expands Footprint in New York and Los Angeles

Xytech, the global leader in facility management software for the broadcast and media services industries, has announced the expansion of East Coast services and their staff on both coasts. The growth of the company’s New York team is driven by Xytech’s continued success in the Broadcasting space.

Todd Avenarius now leads the implementation of sales strategy for the company across the Americas and APAC in his new role as Director of Sales. Located in the company’s Los Angeles office, Avenarius brings over 15 years of advanced strategic thinking in sales, sales operations, team development, and communications to his new role at Xytech. In recent months a number of new sales have been completed, including several in Australia and New Zealand. On Avenarius’ hire, Xytech COO Greg Dolan commented, “I am absolutely delighted that Todd has joined our team. I consider him one of the best in the business. His relationships, track record, and innovative thinking are all incredible assets to us as Xytech continues to expand globally.”

To keep pace with the unprecedented growth of its Eastern US operations, Xytech has added to its team and increased responsibilities of key staffers there. Jim Hegarty, Principal Consultant, has expanded duties that now give him primary responsibility for managing client implementations and service deliveries for the region. He has been a key member of the team for the past five years, and joined Xytech from Ford. Olga Djomparin and Michele Rey are the newest members of Xytech’s East Coast team, leading project management and customer service for the area.

Dolan noted, “We have seen a major escalation of our New York business over the course of the past year, and that has played directly into the company’s overall strategy of delivering strong earnings and growth in the broadcast and media services sectors of our business. In order to maintain our dominant position in the market, we must continue to deliver innovative products, exceed the expectations of our customers, and attract great people. Our East Coast team, under strong leadership from Jim, works closely with our major clients in New York and beyond. Olga and Michele bring seasoned project management focus to the team, and we see our outstanding service as a crucial differentiator.”

 

Recent MediaPulse installations in the New York area include major networks, managed video service providers, cable companies, and satellite operators. Xytech’s MediaPulse platform is a comprehensive and feature-rich resource, work order and asset management solution that offers a full suite of planning, scheduling and financial management tools.

 

Variety Entertainment App Awards Finalists and Judges Announced

The Application Developers Alliance received hundreds of submissions to the first-ever Entertainment App Awards. An internal committee selected three finalists in each of ten categories. The finalists will be evaluated on innovation, design, usability, fit and overall experience. Winners will be recognized at an awards dinner on November 29, 2012 in Los Angeles following the Variety Entertainment Apps Conference.

Finalists include:

1       Best Second Screen TV App: ConnecTV; Discovery Channel HD (Bottle Rocket Apps); The Walking Dead Story Sync (AMC)
2       Best Smart TV App: Pandora; Hulu Plus; HBO Go (HBO)

3       Mobile Innovation Award for Social TV App: Showtime Sync (Showtime Networks, Inc.); Discovery Channel HD (Bottle Rocket Apps); DJ Pauly D, Beat that Boardwalk (MEDL Mobile)

4       Best Technology in Social and Interactive TV: ConnecTV; Showtime Sync (Showtime Networks, Inc.); MobiTV

5       Best App Supporting a Film Launch: Fix-It Felix (Disney Interactive); My Wild Night With Ted (MEDL Mobile for Universal Pictures); Happy Feet Two: The Penguin App (1K Studios for Warner Bros. Pictures)

6       Best Entertainment IP-based Mobile Game: The Hunger Games Adventures (Funtactix Inc. for Lionsgate); VeggieTales: The League of Incredible Vegetables (Thruster Apps); The Walking Dead: The Game (Telltale Games for AMC)

7       Best Social Discovery App: NextGuide (Dijit Media, Inc.); Fandango Mobile App; Showtime Sync (Showtime Networks, Inc.)

8       Best Music App: Spotify; Shazam; iHeartRadio (Clear Channel Media and Entertainment)

9       Best Kids Entertainment App: FRANKENWEENIE-FY YOUR PET (Watson DG); Skylanders Giants (Toys for Bob, Activision Publishing); Draw Along Pip (Skyreader Media)

10    Entertainment App Developer of the Year 2012: Watson DG; Bottle Rocket Apps; Activision Publishing

The Application Developers Alliance selected a panel of judges to determine the winners. The hand-selected panel includes representatives from Mobile Deluxe, Neustar, AppStori, Distimo, Bunchball, Kid Tech Columnist, USA Today.com and Gannett News, Digital Mind State, SleepyGiant and Google TV. Celebrity host and special guest appearance to be announced next week.

The Entertainment Apps Conference + Awards are sponsored by Distimo, The Echo Nest, Tapjoy, Newvue, 1K Studios, Mobile Deluxe, Medl Mobile, 2013 International CES, Parks Associates and SAG-AFTRA.

More information can be found online at www.variety.com/entertainmentapps.

Rimage Launches Producer IV Series Disc Publishing Systems and Prism III Printers

Rimage Corporation, the leader in secure multimedia content management and delivery solutions, today announced the launch of the Producer IV Series, the fourth generation of Rimage’s flagship disc publishing systems. Producer IV combines an updated sleek design with an array of powerful internal upgrades, including up to 2 TB of storage and an Intel Core i5 Processor.  Rimage also announced the launch of the Prism III printer, a redesign of the successful Rimage Prism thermal printer platform.

“The redesign of the Producer Series demonstrates Rimage’s commitment to our disc publishing business and to our customers,” said Sherman Black, CEO of Rimage.  “In the past two months, we have refreshed our entire line of Desktop, Professional and Producer-class products.”

Additional new features of the Producer 8200N, 7200N and 6200N models include:

• Rimage Software Suite v8.6
• RAID 5 storage for OS and software
• RAID 0 storage for working files
• 8 GB RAM
• 100 disc external output bin
• Integrated DiscWatch^TM status light
• USB 3 ports and a front USB 2 port

“We’ve been using the Producer IV system for several weeks now and are very impressed with its performance and reliability,” said Sean Perillo, president of DupeShop (www.dupeshop.com), a CD/DVD/Blu-ray Disc duplication and replication service provider.  “The system looks great, and the external output bin increases our disc capacity. The Producer IV has exceeded our expectations.”

Rimage Producer IV Series disc publishing systems are the industry standard for producing professional CD, DVD and Blu-ray Discs^TM.  Producer IV systems come with a choice of Rimage’s industry-leading print technologies: Everest 600 for vibrant, permanent color; or the new Prism III for high-volume disc printing at the lowest cost.  Like all Rimage systems, they are powered by the Rimage Software Suite v.8.6 – leveraging decades of expert software development and system integration.

 

Additional information can be found at www.rimage.com/products/producer-series.html.

 

Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice-Chairman Gen. James Cartright to Keynote 3rd Annual Content Protection Summit

The Third Annual Content Protection Summit (CPS), produced by Variety and the Content Delivery & Security Association (CDSA), today announced that Former Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General James Cartwright,  will be a featured keynote at the December 6 Summit at the Los Angeles Hilton Hotel in Universal City, California.

His speech, “National Security and the Unsettled Internet” will address how the United States and other countries are addressing the challenges of cybersecurity and how those plans and policies may have an impact on the future of content, commerce, communications and culture online. Cartwright, who now serves as the Harold Brown Chair in Defense Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, will discuss plausible U.S. military roles and missions in cyberspace and how national security priorities might affect the future of cyberspace itself.

“The Internet grew out of communications capabilities and infrastructure originally established as tools of national defense, The Internet and cyberspace are now among the most challenging and imminent national security priorities facing the United States and the international community,” Cartwright explains.

Cartwright joins Senator Chris Dodd, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, as a Summit keynoter.  Senator Dodd is charged with advocating for the film, home entertainment and television industries around the world. The MPAA represents one of the most creative, productive and powerful industries in America – one that supports 2.1 million creators and makers in every state and particularly in California.

Both keynotes are highlights in a day-long, deep dive into the latest innovations, findings and effective forms of deterrence in the protection of the creative products of leading movie, game, music and software companies.

The event, themed “Innovation and Insights in Content Security,” is being chaired by Industry Consultant Alex Kochis who adds: “As the entertainment industry accelerates toward online services and digital products, we are experiencing a ‘perfect storm’ of threats to our business. Yet it is also a time of vast opportunity, disruptive business models, and remarkable innovation.  This conference has always kept the industry’s leading practitioners on the cutting edge of the most effective best practices and engineered solutions and we are especially proud this year to have General Cartwright and Senator Dodd lead our industry discussion.”

Also topics to be discussed at the conference include:

• Going After the Money: Mitigating Profit-Driven Online Threats
• Content Security in the Social Cloud
• Meet the Gatekeepers: The Role of Hollywood IT in Content Security
• The Meaning of Copyrights in Today’s Interconnected, Multi-Screen World
• Exclusive Content Protection 2012 Research from Carnegie Mellon
• Certifying for the Future: Is There a Better Way to Handle Security Audits?
• Hack it! How Hackers Feed fans and Undermine the Franchise
• Innovations in Anti-Piracy Technology and Solutions

Scheduled speakers include executives from some of the largest entertainment and technology companies in the world including Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Paramount Pictures, and Walt Disney Studios among others.

For ongoing updates about the conference program visit: http://www.contentprotectionsummit.com/2012/

 

Forecasting The Next Big Thing

On December 3, MESA and Variety will present Forecast: Hollywood a unique half-day seminar packed with data, forecasts and expert opinion on what’s trending in M&E, what’s new, and what’s around the corner.

The four-hour program will feature industry analysts, consultants and senior studio executives in a lightning round of presentations and conversation on critical issues facing M&E decision makers:

• 2013 Entertainment Industry Outlook: Film, TV & Home Entertainment
• Does Disc + Digital Add Up?
• Inside the Head of Today’s Digital Media and Entertainment Consumer
• Are We Being Watched? Mobile and Home Viewing Trends

Forecast: Hollywood will be held at the landmark Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. For more information and to register, visit http://mesalliance.org/forecast2013/.

 

Home Entertainment Spending Steady in Q3

The trend toward stabilizing consumer spending on home entertainment seen through the first half of 2012 continued through the third quarter, according to data released by the Digital Entertainment Group.

Total consumer spending for the period rose 0.24% to $3.94 billion, the third straight quarter in which growth has been flat or positive after nearly three years of steadily declining spending. The data suggest home entertainment spending has found the bottom of its downturn and the pieces may now be falling into place for at least modest recovery.

While packaged-goods sell-through overall was down 4.0% for the quarter, and is down 3.76% for the year to date, spending on Blu-ray Discs was up nearly 13% compared to the same period last year. Spending on electronics sell-through was up nearly 38% for the quarter.

Other highlights:

•  Consumers are embracing the expansion of digital products and services. UltraViolet registrations have surpassed six million. UltraViolet continues rolling out to other countries, with Canada scheduled in the fourth quarter.
• Video-on-Demand spending climbed more than 8.4 percent in the third quarter compared to the same period in 2011.
• Sales of Catalog titles on Blu-ray Disc grew 22 percent in Q3 from a year earlier. In fact, sales of catalog titles on Blu-ray have shown impressive gains every quarter in 2012, continuing the trend set in 2011, when sales were up 20 percent, underscoring how consumers have embraced Blu-ray as the standard for quality movie viewing in the home.
• To that end, the infrastructure of Blu-ray homes continues to climb, with 2.8 million Blu-ray Disc players (including BD set-tops, PS3s and HTiBs) sold in the third quarter, up 5 percent from a year earlier. Total household penetration of all Blu-ray compatible devices now stands at close to 50 million U.S. homes.
•  In the third quarter, 7.8 million HDTVs were sold to U.S. consumers. HDTV penetration to date is now at more than 101 million U.S. households.

More details from the report are available from the DEG website, at www.degonline.org

 

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