Cordkillers Ep. 18 – Does Hulu Make Sense Now

Cordkillers / May 5th, 2014

Hulu’s letting more folks watch shows on mobile without paying. Is that a good thing? Also AOL and Nielsen are teaming up to save Internet TV.

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CordKillers: Ep. 18 – Does Hulu Make Sense Now
Recorded: May 6 2014
Guest: Derrick Chen

Intro Video 

Primary Target

  • AOL releases 16 original shows, Nielsen to do the ratings 
  • Nielsen will begin rating new AOL original series. AOL is the first digital client to get Nielsen’s ratings for its original shows.
    – AOL’s 16 series will be measured with digital ratings in a beta test. The ratings will take an audience measurement of the shows and then deliver “gross ratings points” to show what type of people are watching the programs. Additionally, Nielsen will measure associated advertising shown with AOL’s shows.
    – AOL announced Tuesday that it’s coming out with a slew of new shows — 16 to be exact — which feature actors and producers including James Franco, Steve Buscemi, Sarah Jessica Parker, Zoe Saldana, Ellen DeGeneres, and more.

Secondary Target

  • TV execs want Netflix to be more like Hulu and Amazon
  • – during a panel at the Cable Show in Los Angeles Wednesday, Executives from Nickelodeon, FX, Showtime and AMC explained that they would like Netflix to do more to promote their networks
    – Bumpers, branding etc. (Amazon and Hulu do this)
    – FX Networks EVP of Research Julie Piepenkotter quipped: “Breaking Bad did a whole lot more for Netflix than Netflix did for Breaking Bad.”
    – AMC Networks Research SVP Tom Ziangas even suggested that Netflix’s website should feature this kind of branding as well: “I want our stuff on Netflix to be branded. I want an AMC page with our content on there,” “I think maybe we undervalued our content,” he said.

Signal Intelligence

  • Hulu will allow free viewing on mobile this summer
  • Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins announced Wednesday that they will let viewers watch a selection of TV shows on mobile devices
    – Free episodes will arrive on Android first, and then come to iOS. A redesigned iPhone app will be also be launching later this summer.
    – Hulu is still in talks with pay-TV providers to begin integrating Hulu with their cable boxes.

Gear Up

  • Online video could soon come to your cable box, with help from Frequency
  • Frequency Android app provides curated videos from more than 4,000 sources
    – the company built apps for TV sets from Samsung, TCL and Hisense as well as Amazon’s new Fire TV.
    – Frequency is now offering a set of SDKs that allows TV operators as well as consumer electronics manufacturers to integrate Frequency-curated videos right into their own platforms.
    – Frequency CEO Blair Harrison says everybody wants short-form content on their set-top boxes

Under surveillance

Front Lines

2014 Summer Movie Draft
http://draft.diamondclub.tv/

  1. DTNS: $237,155,480
  2. GodsMoneybags: $127,948,458
  3. /Film: $91,608,337
  4. Amtrekker: $47,552,736
  5. The Morning Stream: $26,426,047
  6. Night Attack: $0

On Screen

Dispatches from the Front

This is a little old news since Youtube has now been out on Roku for a couple of weeks now, but I just wanted to say that this has pretty much killed the Chromecast for me. The addition of DIAL means that now my Roku does all the great things it always did and now adds the easy casting ability that made Chromecast so attractive and really starts to edge out the AppleTV in terms of features. If I can just find a Chromecast-type Chrome plugin that works with DIAL-based devices so I could do full screen sharing, Roku would really become the top of the streaming device heap.

Alex

 

While I was watching Cosmos tonight, our station, WVUE Fox 8 in New Orleans, cut to commercial during the discussion of monkeys developing the ability to walk and did not return until Jupiter appeared on screen.

It could be coincidence (I always try to err on the side of technical malfunction). Twitter searches lead me to find it happened at an affiliate in Mississippi and Indiana, as well as Green Bay, Wisconsin, but that Wisconsin station put out a message online saying there were technical problems. I’ve yet to see the other stations post similar explanations.

I’ve only seen WVUE do this once in the past with the Malcolm in the Middle series finale, but that was practically a decade ago, and this just never happens on their station to my knowledge.

Thought you might find this interesting.

Sherman

 

Was wondering why you haven’t been watching “Continuum”? It’s one of my favorite sci-fi shows and they are currently airing the third season on SyFy. It’s a Canadian science fiction show (yes I said Canadian) that stars the eye catching Rachel Nichols as a law enforcement officer from the year 2077 who gets involuntarily transported back to 2012 with a group of freedom fighters known as “Liber8”. There she tries to stop them from changing the future and to try to get back home to 2077 to be with her family. The first two seasons are on Netflix streaming (23 episodes up there) so you should go and check it out. Oh, and by the way, one of the guest stars on the show is William B. Davis (aka The Smoking Man from The X-Files). Curious to hear your thoughts on it.
Thanks,

Corey

 

I agree, the outcome is murky, but here’s why Aereo will WIN. In the very first question, the attorney for the broadcasters agreed that Aereo was NOT a cable company. That would appear to take public performance licensing off the table. Additionally, Aereo appears to be following the letter of the law. A conservative jurist may say it’s OK to follow the letter of the law, even if it violates the spirit of the law, no matter who it angers. With that view, it should not be the court’s job to fix the problem. Remember, the VCR case is also precedent; we are allowed to make recordings of shows with our private equipment. Does the location of that equipment matter? Also, the attorney for the Justice Department admitted that Aereo fell somewhere between a cable company and a private antenna. I felt the justices asked hard questions to both sides. I do think Aereo has a fair shot at winning. I will want to read the opinion if it does not.

Chris

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Cordkillers Ep. 17 – What channel is YouTube on?

Cordkillers / April 28th, 2014

Cable subs are stable are on the rise. Aereo looks like it might lose in court. So what’s the good news? Netflix might go peer-to-peer? Ah, Dish might bring an Internet-only TV service by the end of the summer!

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CordKillers: Ep. 17 – What channel is YouTube on?
Recorded: April 28 2014
Guest: Philip Shane, Documetary filmmaker

Intro Video 

Primary Target

Secondary Target

Signal Intellegence

Gear Up

Under surveillance

Front Lines

2014 Summer Movie Draft
http://draft.diamondclub.tv/

  1. DTNS: $225,059,241
  2. GodsMoneybags: $114,983,205
  3. Amtrekker:  $24,763,752
  4. The Morning Stream: $24,161,059
  5. Night Attack: $0
  6. /Film: $0

On Screen

Dispatches from the Front

Hey guys, loyal patron here. I wanted to let you know that if you don’t already listen to or watch star talk radio with Neil deGrasse Tyson, his last episode was really great. It’s titled  A cosmos conversation with Steven Soter. He is one of the original writers of the original cosmos and they cover a lot of things that you talk about such as the animation. I have not yet listened to the most recent It’s spoilering time so please forgive me if somehow you covered this already.
I love the show keep up the good work. And I love seeing my name in the credits.

Adam    

 

 

Actually, most of the advertising on Detroit tv does take into account canadians. Many canadians cross the border to do their shopping, as food and other products are cheaper here than in Ontario. I live on the border in a small town, and a good portion of groceries are sold to people who do not live in the us. Many retailers here benefit, such as clothiers, grocery, and other businesses that are not restricted in some way due to duty fees when those products are taken through customs. So the advertisers on local Detroit stations are fully aware and are sold on advertising with people in Ontario. 

ltsiver

 

 

An Aero opinion,I’m conflicted about the case. I want to root for them, yet since I have a windows media center setup with my own antenna I fear the over the air business model dying. I cut the cord years ago, but I fear the Aero fight might unintentionally push me back to comcast if the broadcasters pull their shows off the air.

Josh

 

 

Hi Tom and Brian, Given how you keep us up to date with What We’re Watching, it would be neat should you guys use a service like trakt.tv so your fans can easily track what you are watching and, more importantly, how you rated the material.

Love the show, etc, etc.

Gabe

 

 

Hey Tom Merritt and Brian Brushwood, don’t throw those first-gen AppleTVs away… They are worth a lot of money! I jailbroke mine and sold it on eBay for over $190 just two months ago! I used that money to buy two refurbished AppleTV 3’s.

David

Links

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Cordkillers Ep. 15 – Tamping the Musket with Chet Kanojia

Cordkillers / April 14th, 2014

We interview CEO Chet Kanojia about Aereo’s chances in the Supreme Court, what he’ll do if they lose, and his plan for dealign with the broadcaster’s threats to pull broadcasts from over the air.

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CordKillers: Ep. 15 – Tamping the Musket with Chet Kanojia
Recorded: April 14 2014
Guest: Chet Kanojia, CEO Aereo

Intro Video 

Primary Target

  • Interview with Chet Kanojia

Signal Intellegence

Gear Up

  • Mohu preps Channels TV tuner release after raising $145,000 on Kickstarter 
  • Mohu Channels TV adapter Kickstarter funded! (35K goal 144,890 reached)
    – Mohu spokeswoman Jenni Samp: “The majority of the stretch goal feature ideas were suggestions from backers – the product actually evolved during the duration of the Kickstarter campaign as a direct result of backer requests.”
    – Programming guide for Live TV PLUS browser for additional Web sources, and Android apps. added playback local content, time-shifting 

Under surveillance

  • Amazon OKs two pilots for its next round of original series
  • Debuting later this year as Amazon pilots
    – “The Cosmopolitans” – half-hour dramatic comedy about agroup of young American expatriates in search of friendship and romance in Paris. roduced by Academy Award nominee Whit Stillman, the show features Adam Brody and Chloe Sevigny.
    – “Hand of God” – Hour-long drama starring Ron Perlman as a judge who turns vigilante following a mental breakdown in which he believes God is talking to him through his son. Directed by Marc Forster (World War Z, Quantum of Solace), the show also features Dana Delany as the judge’s wife.
     

Front Lines

2014 Summer Movie Draft

  1. DTNS: $158,883,032
  2. GodsMoneybags: $39,327,869
  3. The Morning Stream: $9,783,603
  4. Night Attack: $0
  5. /Film: $0
  6. Amtrekker: $0

On Screen

Dispatches from the Front

  • Hey Tom and Brian,

I wanted to let you know something very interesting that has been happening with my parents. Some background on them is as follows: My Father, an Ex-Navy Seal turned High School Math teacher and my mom with two Masters degrees in English Literature and former teacher as well.

I got them to sit down and actually watch episode 1 of Cosmos with me. To see their mouths drop… literally drop when each knowledge bomb was explained… it was the EXACT thing that both you guys keep talking about how the old one did to you.

I have followed up with them since then, and every sunday night they sit down and can’t wait to see the next episode. They are blown away every time, and my mom Texts me just dumbfounded, each commercial break.

To see this from people in their 60’s, has me convinced that Cosmos was never intended for people who want to compare the original, but to be on its own window into that world. They pay tribute to the original but these are two DIFFERENT shows and as such must be viewed from a new lens.

As always, keep up the great work and I love hearing about how you guys experience this series and look forward to hearing more.

Kyle Kowalik

 

  • Brian,

    You are Wrong about Microsoft programming. I am not a gamer and will not buy an Xbox of any kind, yet I wouldn’t mind seeing some that programs coming to Xbox live, but not at a cost of $500.00. I think sets a bad trend. Am I going to need a box for every ecosystem of content? I have a Chromecast, Apple TV, Boxee box, Popcorn hour, Pop Box and a Raspberry pi running XBMC. I am not buying another box to watch tv.

    Robert Taylor

     

  • Tom! You’re wrong!

    Microsoft is not forcing anyone to buy an Xbox One to view their content. You are forgetting about the millions of Xbox 360s that have been previously sold. If they don’t take advantage of the consumers that own a 360 and do not own a One then they are doing it wrong. The 360 outsold the PS3 in the United States. That gives them a large potential viewer base without counting One owners.

    Bradley Herrin

     

  • I am currently watching a Korean drama called “love from another star”. I don’t know if you guys have thought about reviewing anything outside of box but this is a good one. Its available on hulu and it has been a bit of a phenomenon in Asia. Not since the popular drama “boys over flowers” has a foreign drama crossed over in such popularity. I know its a bit unusual but try watching an episode and see what you think. I know Tom likes scifi and the lead male character is an alien if that helps sell it to you 😉

    Anyways i know before you had asked for suggestions and I really like all the other shows you talk about so I think its fair to assume you might like a show that I am really loving.

    Mitch Couey

     

Links

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Cordkillers Ep. 14 – Will Google Light a Fire?

Cordkillers / April 8th, 2014

Amazon unleashes their set-top box, the Fire TV, but we get word from The Verge that Google might fire back with their own TV box, but don’t they have the Chromecast? Also HBO Go becomes HBO No, and WWE is either a hit or a failure, depending on who you ask.

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CordKillers: Ep. 14 – Will Google Light a Fire?
Recorded: April 7 2014
Guest: None

Intro Video 

Primary Target

Secondary Target

  • This is Android TV 
  • “Android TV is an entertainment interface, not a computing platform,”
    – Controller arrow keys, enter, home, back. Optional game controller.
    – Voice input and notifications. Picks up where phone or TV left off.
    – Recommends content on home screen.

Signal Intellegence

  • WWE Smacked Down as Online Subscribers Fall Short of Estimate
  • Profit in Sight: Nearly 670,000 Subscribe to WWE Network
  • Sunday’s “WrestleMania 30,” which took place in New Orleans, selling out the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
    – World Wrestling Entertainment reported 667,287 subscribers
    – Shares of WWE sank (WWE:US) 15 percent to close at $23.90 in New York, the biggest one-day drop since July 2001.
    – VARIETY: The WWE Network is close to turning a profit less than two months after launching.
    – The company will next roll out the WWE Network in Canada, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Nordic countries in late 2014 and early 2015.
     

Gear Up

  • Xbox One original TV shows will include interactive extras 
  • Microsoft already has six TV series lined up for Xbox and more are coming
  • Ridley Scott is Master Chief of Halo ‘digital feature’
  • 6 series coming to Xbox One”
    Users can unlock bonus scenes, mini-games and subplots not featured in the actual show itself.
    IN PRODUCTION
    -“ Halo” television series, executive produced by Steven Spielberg
    – A multi-film documentary series produced by Simon Chinn and Jonathan Chinn of Lightbox. The first project centers on the rise and fall of Atari
    – Live event coverage of the Bonnaroo music festival in June 2014
    -“Every Street United,” an unscripted series focused on the global search for soccer’s most gifted and undiscovered street footballers
    -“Halo” digital feature project with 343 Industries and Scott Free Productions (EP Ridley Scott— Sergio Mimica-Gezzan directing)
    – a sci-fi show about robots called Humans — based on Swedish programme “Äkta människor”
  • IN DEVELOPMENT
    -“Fearless,” an unscripted series starring Paul de Gelder, an Australian Navy bomb clearance diver and shark attack survivor
    -A sketch comedy show with comedy collective JASH – founded by Sarah Silverman, Michael Cera, Tim and Eric, and Reggie Watts
    -A hybrid stop motion animation project by Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Seth Green), creators of the longest running stop-motion show on television, “Robot Chicken”

Under surveillance

Front Lines

2014 Summer Movie Draft

  1. DTNS: $95,023,721
  2. Night Attack: $0
  3. The Morning Stream: $0
  4. GodsMoneybags: $0
  5. /Film: $0
  6. Amtrekker: $0

On Screen

Dispatches from the Front

  • CBS said maybe they would pull out of broadcast. Tom mentioned what they might do in changing programming on over the air broadcast. But doesn’t CBS statement go counter to their primary reason for lawsuit, and that is rebroadcast fees and how big a money maker it is. 

    Woody

 

  • Hope your week is going well! Not sure if you guys caught this story, but now that it’s officially public, I can talk about it.YouTube to Offer Advertisers Some Guarantees. With upfront season in full swing, Google is taking some new approaches in their agreements with advertisers. What is of particular interest is this. YouTube also plans to reserve space for advertisers that agree to buy in advance in the best performing 5% of its content across channels such as Beauty & Fashion, Comedy, Food, Music, and Sports. In the last few years, MCNs have been building up business models around selling ads around original content on YouTube. With YouTube looking take that top 5% of the best content on their platform, we may see a shift in how these companies work. There have always been questions about the profitability and sustainability to how these MCNs operated. In fact, as of late, we’ve seen major changes with companies like Machinima and Maker Studios, both of which made deals with major studios (well, Maker Studios got entirely acquired by Disney). It’ll be interesting to see how this new arrangement works out for all parties. Personally, I think we’re still in the middle of this shift in content delivery – we’ll probably continue to see these companies evolve over time. Anyways, this wasn’t meant to be an in-show email; just thought it might be a topic of interest for Cordkillers this week. Love to hear what you guys make of it.

    Best,

    Derrick

Links

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