Home Media Magazine - June 8-14, 2008 - (Page 12)

ELECTRONIC DELIVERY www.homemediamagazine.com Panasonic Touts Web-enabled Viera Plasma HDTVs By Chris Tribbey ENTURY CITY, Calif. — It’s YouTube on your TV, but in a new way. June 3 Panasonic showed its line of PZ850 Viera plasma HDTVs, the first to carry the company’s Viera Cast feature, which provides instant access to several Web sites, including YouTube, Bloomberg and Google’s Picasa Web Album. “We want the TV to be the epicenter for the family,” said Victor Carlson, director of innovation for Panasonic’s consumer marketing group. “In about five years we expect 60 million TVs in the world will have IP technology.” Available to consumers later this month, the HDTVs will have an Ethernet port, be Wi-Fi enabled, and come in 46-, 50-, 58- and 65-inch sizes. One click on the remote brings viewers to several Web sites specifically configured to work on the plasmas, and Panasonic plans to add more after receiving feedback from owners of the new HDTVs. “We have some power brands with this initial launch,” Carlson said. “Consumer reaction has been excitement about pulling the Internet to your TV. Not the Internet, per se, but the Internet they enjoy.” Demonstrations showed easy navigation through the HDTVs menus to the Web sites, and quick loading times for videos and other content. DEVICES CONNECTED ON HOME NETWORKS (U.S. HOME NETWORK USERS) Home networks are moving beyond the PC to incorporate a variety of electronics devices such as video game consoles, DVD players (including Blu-ray) and set-top boxes, among others. While the PC (desk and laptop) still dominates most networks, game consoles (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) and DVD players rank 4 and 5, respectively, amongst devices connected on home networks in the United States. —Erik Gruenwedel Desktop PC Laptop PC Printer Game Console DVD Player NAS Device Portable Game Player Mobile Phone Set-Top Box Portable Media Player DMA Digital Camera None of the Above TiVo Webcam / Camera Other 0 0.6% 0.4% 0.4% 0.2% 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Source: ABI Research C 71.7% 67.4% 60.4% 26.7% 11.9% 10.1% 9.6% 8.4% 8.0% 7.0% 4.7% 2.5% Victor Carlson, director of innovation for Panasonic’s consumer marketing group, shows the Web features of the PZ850 Viera plasma HDTV. The HDTVs automatically update when new Web sites and content are available. “Working with an industry leader like Panasonic will deliver the same terrific YouTube experience that users have come to expect from their computers,” said Steven Chen, cofounder and CTO of YouTube. The PZ850 also includes an SD memory card slot and can handle high-def footage, a first for Panasonic’s HDTVs. The HDTVs have four HDMI slots, a PC input, a Pro Setting Menu for videophiles to adjust their screens, and a Game Mode, which minimizes lag time for displaying images from gaming systems. Akimbo Reportedly Is History By Erik Gruenwedel eb-based VOD TV service Akimbo Systems has apparently shuttered operations, just three months after securing additional funding. Akimbo, one of the first to offer a set-top box that delivered content to the TV via the Internet, reportedly ceased operations last month after failing to find a third-party buyer, according to VentureBeat.com. About 14 employees, including CEO and president Thomas Frank, TIME WARNER TO BOW WIRELESS WEB TV BOX Chris Tribbey T ime Warner Cable soon will take on the likes of Apple TV with a wireless cable modem box that will deliver Internet video directly to the TV, CEO Glenn Britt said during the Sanford Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference May 30. “What we have happening now is video on the Internet, and nobody has built a sustainable subscription model … it’s all advertising supported,” he said. “What I’m concerned about is TV progressively moving to the Internet, and it’s free to consumers. … There isn’t a replacement for that subscription revenue. “However this evolves, we’re going to figure out how to get paid for it.” Britt predicted that within the next two years, it will become easy for consumers to access Internet video directly on their TVs. He offered few specifics on Time Warner’s plans. W were let go. Another 10 staffers were dismissed earlier in the month. The 5-year-old service, which most recently attempted to reinvent itself by expanding VOD distribution to the PC, never managed to secure major studio entertainment content. As Web-based VOD and downloads began to attract players such as Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix, cable operators and the studios, Akimbo was unable to attract new investors. Calls to Akimbo were not returned by press time. TOP 5 RANK TITLE E LE C T R O NI C SELLT H R OUG H Week ended May 31, 2008 RELEASE DATE VIDEO LABEL GENRE TOP 5 RANK TITLE E L E C TRO N I C S E L L THRO U GH Week ended June 1, 2008 RELEASE DATE VIDEO LABEL GENRE 1 2 3 4 5 Rambo Cleaner Untraceable Rambo III First Blood 5/27/08 5/27/08 5/13/08 8/9/06 7/14/06 Lionsgate Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Lionsgate Lionsgate Action Thriller Thriller Action Action Source: Movielink 1 2 3 4 5 Rambo National Treasure: Book of Secrets Untraceable Teeth Justice League: The New Frontier 5/27/08 5/20/08 5/13/08 5/6/08 2/26/08 Lionsgate Disney Sony Pictures Genius/Weinstein Warner Action Adventure Thriller Horror Animated Source: CinemaNow TOP 5 RANK TITLE E LE CT R O NIC D OW NLOAD S Week ended May 31, 2008 RELEASE DATE VIDEO LABEL GENRE TOP 5 RANK TITLE E L E C TRO N I C DO WN L O A DS Week ended June 1, 2008 RELEASE DATE VIDEO LABEL GENRE 1 2 3 4 5 The Golden Compass 27 Dresses There Will Be Blood Reservation Road P.S. I Love You 5/29/08 5/28/08 5/23/08 5/7/08 5/6/08 New Line Fox Paramount Universal Warner Fantasy Comedy Drama Drama Romance Source: Movielink 1 2 3 4 5 27 Dresses There Will Be Blood Juno Sweeney Todd I Am Legend 5/28/08 5/23/08 5/14/08 5/16/08 4/17/08 Fox Paramount Fox Para./DreamWorks Warner Comedy Drama Comedy Musical Sci-Fi Source: CinemaNow 12 Home Media Magazine June 8–14, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://VentureBeat.com

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Home Media Magazine - June 8-14, 2008

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