Crave

Right now I think the No. 1 thing worth watching on Hulu is the stellar Season 2 premiere of AMC's Mad Men--regrettably, the NBC-News Corp. joint venture hasn't been able to secure the rights to any other episodes of the ad-industry drama.

But there's more that's new on Hulu, the company said in an e-mail statement Tuesday. It's revamping its high-definition offerings in a new release of its "HD Gallery" section, with episodes of current NBC shows like 24, 30 Rock, Heroes, and The Office. As part of a special promotion, they're temporarily ad-free.

It's the first time the site has offered full-length TV shows in the 720p format, the statement explained. But it's important to keep in mind that not all hi-def Web video is created equal.

Digital video recorder TiVo is set to release a software upgrade that will let users access YouTube videos on their televisions, the company announced Thursday. The deal with the Google video-sharing site, originally announced in March, is scheduled to start rolling out in a few weeks.

TiVo owners will need a Series 3 or TiVo HD box to be eligible for the software upgrade, which will be further extended in the near future to allow them to log into their own YouTube accounts to access playlists and the like.

It's not terribly revolutionary. The Apple TV box has given owners access to YouTube for over a year now. TiVo already lets viewers watch select online videos and podcasts--but in downloadable form, not streaming form.

And as my colleague John Falcone has put it: now, where's my Hulu box?

A new report on the tech habits of women shows that the female of the species is edging out the male in the areas of DVR use and ownership of portable game devices.

The study, done independently by Solutions Research Group, and released Thursday, was undertaken to explore the "digital lifestyles" of American women. Data was collected from more than 2,000 respondents between October 2006 and February 2008.

What the final tally shows is that women are as comfortable with popular consumer technology as men (not really a surprise), and that they're making significant inroads into the gaming lifestyle, which has long been dominated by men.

Women who own DVRs spend more than half of their TV viewing time watching time-shifted content.

(Credit: TiVo)

For example, SGR characterizes women who own DVRs as much "more enthusiastic" about them than men. That's because women spend 56 percent of their TV-watching time viewing time-shifted content on their DVR. Men spend 42 percent of their time using their DVRs. The discrepancy between the two has much to do with the type of shows men and women watch, according to Kaan Yigit, SGR's director of syndicated studies.

"Men are more likely to watch sports, which has more impact live, obviously," he said. Women are more likely to watch half-hour comedies and 1-hour dramas, he said. Because of those same content preferences, women are also more likely to stream television shows from network TV Web sites.

In the gaming realm, men continue to lead in playing video game consoles--half of all men had played a console game in the previous month, whereas 38 percent of women had--but women are demonstrating a taste for portable game devices. Fourteen percent of women who describe themselves as "gamers" own a PSP (PlayStation Portable), compared to 11 percent of men who are gamers.

"It's a marginal difference, but in every other category, men or boys are slightly or substantially higher, as in the case of Xbox 360 ownership," Yigit said. "We find in general that girls and young women are more likely to skew to (owning) portable units, like the Game Boy Advance for the convenience and portability."

TiVo Desktop Plus 2.6 software lets you view Web videos on your TV--but they need to be downloaded to a PC first.

(Credit: Slashgear)

TiVo has added the ability to view downloadable Web videos on the company's DVRs, making good on its announcement at January's Consumer Electronics Show. The update will allow Web videos such as video podcasts to be downloaded with the same Season Pass functionality used by TiVo viewers to record their favorite TV shows. But don't expect to just punch in a URL or an RSS feed into the TiVo remote. Videos must first be downloaded to your PC's hard drive, after which they'll be transferred to your TiVo via your home network. That's a departure from Amazon Unbox videos, the Rhapsody subscription music service, and TiVo's forthcoming YouTube service, all of which are accessible online straight through TiVo's onscreen interface without the need to have a PC running elsewhere in the home. (By contrast, the Apple TV can pull down PC-free video podcasts, so long as they're indexed on the iTunes Store.)

The Web video functionality requires TiVo's Desktop Plus 2.6 software, available for download today ($25 for new users, or a free upgrade for users of the existing software). For now, it's a Windows-only solution, though TiVo says that the company is continuing "to work with Roxio on delivering equivalent functionality on the Mac platform." With any luck, perhaps the new Desktop Plus software will also swat those TiVoToGo bugs that have been afflicting some TiVo users for the past several months.

U.K. residents with iPhones can do a little rejoicing after yesterday. Amid the wave of announcements surrounding the release of the SDK, the BBC quietly launched iPhone and iPod Touch support for its iPlayer TV service. We've blogged about this being a feature after footage of the iPlayer working on the iPhone was shown off in a promotional video made more than 10 months ago, but the videos on the streaming service use Adobe's Flash, which is not a part of the iPhone's built-in software.

Unlike the software iteration of the iPlayer, shows can't be downloaded, but users have access to a limited selection of streaming content that's been formatted to work on the handset. Instead of featuring the beautiful Coverflow-approach seen in the video, the service uses a system similar to what's been seen on Apple.com and Break.com, with little blue play buttons to indicate the videos that can be played on the portable device when connected to a Wi-Fi connection.

The BBC has been a little late to the game with putting television content online for its viewers; however, in comparison to content providers in the U.S., it's the first to make its content readily viewable on the mobile device without any special subscriptions through the carriers. In the U.S., Verizon is currently one of the only major players in providing recently released television shows (in their entirety) over the air to its subscribers through its VCast Mobile TV service. Sprint and AT&T will also have initiatives to bring TV and movie content to phones over the air.

It's worth noting the service only works to residents of the U.K., who pay for the programming with their tax dollars. No mention of whether a paid version of the service for residents outside of the region is on the way. See more on the BBC's iPlayer blog.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Blu-ray's on a roll--but will downloadable Internet video be a bigger challenge than HD DVD?

(Credit: Philips)

What was arguably the biggest story of CES 2008 occurred three days before the show actually opened for business: Warner Home Video went Blu-ray exclusive, leaving just Paramount and Universal (and smaller DreamWorks) as exclusive HD DVD content partners. Indeed, in the days since, the issue of those studios following Warner's lead seems to be one of when, not if. Blu-ray seems on the verge of a complete victory in the HD disc format war to become the high-def successor to DVD. As a result, combo players--including a newly announced model from Samsung--were greeted more by yawns than by "oohs" and "aahs." Even without HD DVD to nudge it, prices for Blu-ray players seem destined to become more affordable, as evidenced by forthcoming devices from Philips and Funai. That said, with the specification still evolving--Panasonic's DMP-BD50 became the first 2.0 player to be officially announced--there's no reason to rush out and buy one anytime soon.

But there's still a big question as to whether or not the future of home video will be one of discs--or, in fact, physical media of any kind. Online delivery of home video seemed to be everywhere: major companies such as Samsung are getting into the game, while upstarts such as XStreamHD are offering intriguing delivery options and increasingly improved video quality. That's on top of existing hardware solutions such as Vudu, Xbox 360's Video Marketplace, and Amazon Unbox on TiVo, not to mention the promise of Netflix stepping up to the plate.

Of course, the potential 800-pound gorilla in the online video space won't be unveiling its plans until next week. That's when we'll find out if Apple plans to ramp up its Apple TV into a serious home video contender. If, as rumored, Steve Jobs and company add some long overdue features--iTunes video rentals, direct access to the store through the TV interface, and improved video quality--it could overshadow nearly anything shown in Las Vegas. And while the sort of full HD video quality delivered by Blu-ray's 50GB discs isn't yet available to consumers via broadband (at least in the bandwidth-challenged U.S.), it's only a breakthrough or two away. In other words, watch your back, Blu-ray: HD DVD was just a battle, and the wider war is still raging.

We're just about 13 months away from the government-mandated digital transition--at which time analog TV broadcasts are scheduled to cease completely. Those who can't--or won't--get cable or satellite TV now have their first non-TiVo DVR to consider in the form of the EchoStar TR-50. That's good, because traditional manufacturers such as Panasonic continue to offer mostly lackluster recorders--either tunerless DVD recorders (which will pretty much serve as "backup drives" for DVRs) or models with hobbled digital tuners that won't deliver native full resolution HD programming.

Elsewhere on the home video front, we saw indications that wireless in-home HD video is getting closer to the mass market. As with wireless audio, standards remain frustratingly elusive, but devices such as the Belkin FlyWire offer the potential for an end-to-end solution to decouple your video sources from your TV--which is increasingly vital to those with wall-mounted flat-screen TVs and projectors. Alternately, companies such as EchoStar's Sling Media are aiming to make it easier to access your home's main DVR on other TVs in the home (via the SlingCatcher), if not outside the home altogether (with the SlingPlayer software coming to BlackBerry smartphones later this year).

Looking at it in the rear-view mirror, you get a strong feeling from this CES that 2008 will be a big transitional year in the home video world. It's clear that the public wants more high-def programming and more on-demand video, as well as the ability to watch it where and when they want. Which manufacturers and standards will deliver on those promises? If we're lucky, the answer to that question may be more in focus by the time CES 2009 rolls around.

Although it's barely creeping into the mainstream consciousness, I'm a big fan of music subscription services. All you can eat for less than the price of your average CD--what's not to like? Sadly, the average music listener usually has trouble reconciling the concept of "renting" with the music medium.

The same is not true when it comes to video services, which is why Vongo has the right idea. Pay a monthly fee of $9.99--less than the cost of your average DVD--for unlimited online access to a growing digital movie library. And if you happen to have a compatible device from the service's growing list, which as of today includes the wide-screened (i.e. video-worthy) Samsung P2, you can take it all with you--a particularly intriguing deal for the frequent-flier. Just a couple of complaints: One, Vongo's library is by no means all-inclusive, though it is extensive enough to satisfy most people for many, many months. And B, the service doesn't include TV programming, an offering sorely missing from the repertoire of Windows Media-based MP3 players. Are you listening, Netflix?

These are better than any cat video you may have seen.

The German Car Blog noticed this new series of videos on Volkswagen's Swedish site for the Golf that features a menagerie of characters, each introducing a different Golf model.

The "Golf Auditions" include a naked naturalist explaining the Golf's different green fuel options, a female bodybuilder mime who likes the Golf R32, and a cross-dresser showing off the Cross Golf. The site also has a spot for would-be Golf owners to create videos for selling their old car.

Don't worry if your Swedish is rusty--the videos are subtitled in English.

No word yet from Volkswagen on whether a U.S. version is in the works.

(Credit: Volkswagen)

The online video sector appears stumped by the question of how to advertise to viewers without alienating them. Some say ads that run prior to the start of a video are the answer. Others, such as YouTube, are experimenting with ads that briefly appear at the bottom of a video while it plays.

Unilever, the maker of Axe men's personal-care products, isn't waiting around for popular video sites to figure it out. They are taking to the Web with attempts at cutting-edge humor and storytelling to create spots that are entertaining enough to attract their own viewers. The latest example is an ad called "The Axe Vice Naughty to Nice Program."

The idea of creating a commercial that will appeal to swarms of Internet users, or go viral, isn't new. But what makes this Axe ad different is that Unilever created a mini movie. The company was obviously willing to spend money and take time to tell a funny story. Unilever, which did not respond to interview requests, also seems prepared to offend some viewers.

The commercial is a new take on the ages-old pitch about a product making a user irresistible to members of the opposite sex.

The story is about how Axe products turn women into man-hungry maniacs. The story moves from the silly to the comical by following the women from courtrooms to prison life.

The commercial even pokes fun at Unilever's public relations department. The man who plays a company spokesman, as he tries to spin the story about the hazards posed to women by Axe products, uses the opportunity to repeat the names of the body spray and deodorant.

The ads are targeted for the Maxim crowd. There isn't any nudity or revealing clothing in the commercial, but there are sexual references that aren't typically found in mainstream ads. Some of the jokes push the boundaries of good taste and certainly won't appeal to everyone.

Nonetheless, the commercial should serve as an example to corporate America that it needn't piggyback on viral videos.

Advertisers don't have to lock us into watching prerolls or intrude on our viewing experience by sliding in ads at the bottom of our computer screens. What the Axe ads prove is that if companies put some time in, do a little thinking, they can create commercials that are actually worth watching.