Internet & Media- Page 1218

Cable's numbers don't add up for metered billing

For an industry that's supposedly struggling to keep up with customer demand for more bandwidth, the nation's two largest cable operators seem to be doing pretty well.

This week Comcast and Time Warner Cable each reported strong earnings, in spite of the fact that Time Warner has said recently that it needs a new business model to handle growing broadband demand.

Comcast beat analysts' expectations and increased profits 5.4 percent to $778 million. Time Warner Cable's profits fell 32 percent, but this was mostly due to costs associated with the split from its former parent company, … Read more

Disney signs onto Hulu

Disney's ABC Enterprises announced Thursday that it has entered into online-video joint venture Hulu, currently a partnership between NBC Universal, News Corp., and investor Providence Equity Partners.

This means that TV shows from Disney-owned channels like ABC, SoapNet, and ABC Family will be coming to Hulu. Among them are "Lost," "Grey's Anatomy," "Ugly Betty," and "Scrubs." There will also be Disney movies available on the ad-supported streaming video site, but a press release did not name any of them. Content will be available "soon," the press release explained.… Read more

Windows 7 tunes into remote music library access

Update 4:15 p.m. PDT: Two clarifications. First, Remote Media Streaming is not limited to music--you can also stream video and pictures. I focused on music because that's the main topic of this blog. Second, you are required to associate a Windows Live ID (which used to be called Passport) with each computer whose library you want to share, and each computer you want to be able to access that library. I assume Microsoft took this step to avoid complaints or possible litigation from content owners.

Apparently, Microsoft still has a few surprises left regarding digital audio in Windows 7. … Read more

Real's Glaser: Some studio chiefs 'scared' of tech

SAN FRANCISCO--Hollywood is missing out on a marvelous opportunity, says RealNetworks' CEO Rob Glaser.

Real has presented the film industry with a means to inject renewed interest in DVDs, which is waning, Glaser said minutes after testifying at a hearing in federal court on Wednesday. Real has developed two different kinds of software, RealDVD and Facet, that it says streamlines the movie-viewing experience by enabling owners to duplicate DVDs and store the copies on hard drives.

But the studios, much like they've done since the Sony Betamax case, are resisting technological advancement and have rejected the opportunity Real offers, … Read more

RealDVD case centers on copy questions

In the Motion Picture Association of America's fight against RealNetworks' DVD-copying software, testimony focuses on the details of how easy it is for people to copy DVDs--and how many times they can do it.

RealDVD judge again boots public from courtroom For the second time in three days of court hearings, the federal judge presiding over RealDVD dispute bars public to protect "trade secrets." (Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval) April 29, 2009

Is RealDVD dispute really about a DVD jukebox?CNET snaps photos of RealNetworks' "Facet," a prototype DVD player that copies and … Read more

RealDVD judge again boots public from courtroom

SAN FRANCISCO--The film industry once again successfully convinced U.S District Marilyn Patel to boot the public from the courtroom during the RealDVD hearing on Wednesday.

Attorneys from the DVD Copy Control Association, the group formed to protect DVDs from piracy, informed Patel that they wanted the courtroom closed during the testimony that would discuss anything the DVD-CCA considered a trade secret.

Roger Myers, representing CNET News, told Patel that he objected to the closing of the court.

Myers told Patel he wanted to propose an alternative. He asked the court to limit testimony in court that didn't include … Read more

Sony's Crackle expands movie lineup

Crackle, the video site owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, has expanded its feature film lineup, which means that you can now watch "Groundhog Day" or "Spider-Man 2" at the office, if your boss isn't looking.

Crackle now hosts "nearly 100" full-length features, according to a release, and "dozens more" are on the way. There's also a pop-culture trivia game called "Crackle Cinemactive."

What's not clear is whether these movies will soon be on their way to YouTube, where Sony is one of a number of content partners … Read more

Time Warner: AOL's revenue slide continues

This was originally posted at ZDNet's Between the Lines .

Time Warner's first quarter was weighed down by its AOL unit, which saw revenue fall 23 percent. Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes reiterated that the company is looking for "the right ownership structure for AOL."

Here's why: AOL reported first-quarter revenue of $867 million, down 23 percent from a year ago. Subscription (dial-up) revenue fell 27 percent, and advertising sales declined 20 percent. Both declines were expected, and AOL noted that ad sales were weak in all categories (ad networks, display, and search).

Operating income for AOL fell 47 percent to $150 million, which included restructuring costs of $58 million. AOL also ended the quarter with 106 million average U.S. unique users. AOL's dial-up business had 6.3 million subscribers, down 2.4 million from a year ago and 570,000 from the fourth quarter.

Is RealDVD dispute really about a DVD jukebox?

SAN FRANCISCO--When it comes to RealNetworks' strategy to offer consumers a digital alternative to movie discs, RealDVD is only one facet.

"Facet" is also the codename for Real's prototype DVD player. The box, which Real CEO Rob Glaser demonstrated in court on Tuesday, comes equipped with a hard drive and software that enables owners to duplicate DVDs--in a similar fashion as RealDVD--and then store hundreds of movies on the device.

Glaser testified in U.S. District Court here during a preliminary hearing in the copyright case against RealDVD. The Motion Picture Association of America has alleged in … Read more

Reports: Google, DOJ talked about Book Search

The Justice Department is examining antitrust issues regarding a proposed settlement of Google Book Search lawsuits with the search giant, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources.

It's unclear what might come of the reported talks, but the Justice Department is not to be treated lightly. The department leads enforcement of antitrust law, and Google backed down from its threatened antitrust lawsuit against it in 2008 regarding a search-ad partnership with Yahoo.

The proposed settlement with the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers, announced in October, would … Read more