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Action! Movie Studios Cast The Net
By Mindy Charski, Interactive Week
April 9, 2001 6:09 AM ET
For an industry that loves to talk, the major Hollywood studios are remaining oddly silent about plans to distribute movies over the Internet. But plenty is going on behind the scenes.
The Walt Disney Co. and Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment have taken the lead with separate initiatives, and each is looking for partners.
AOL Time Warner's Warner Bros. is reportedly in discussions with Sony. News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox is negotiating with Disney, according to an industry source. The general sentiment among studios is that by launching their own offerings, they can head off what many call the "Napsterization" of movies - massive swapping through high-speed pipes that can deliver movies quicker.
Sony would not offer details about its service, called Moviefly, but an executive close to the talks speculated it could launch by the end of the year. Visitors to the Moviefly.com Web site are told viewers will be able to download "hundreds of Hollywood hits" to their PCs.
Disney is expected to use its Movies.com Web site as the vehicle for its own movies-on-demand service, but the company declined to confirm a service is planned. Steve Wadsworth, president of Walt Disney Internet Group, would only say the company is "developing an appropriate platform and solution" for distributing content and is "talking to other players about how we can work together to make this work."
At least two other studios have taken major steps with video-on-demand through the Internet. Miramax Films has released the first of 12 feature-length films in conjunction with SightSound Technologies. A one-day rental costs $3.49.
Lions Gate Entertainment is releasing films on CinemaNow.com while simultaneously releasing them in pay-per-view venues such as hotels. The studio is a major investor in CinemaNow, which charges $2.99 per film.
The studios have a number of issues to consider before launching. Some are the thorny regulatory and copyright questions. Others are technical, like whether movies should be downloaded or streamed. Downloaded movies tend to be easier to watch than streamed versions, which may be interrupted by congestion on the Internet.
But Guinevere, the film Miramax released on the Net, is 469 megabytes in size, which means it could take roughly 30 minutes to download on a high-speed connection and hours more with a typical dial-up connection, according to Websense, which helps employers monitor their staff's Internet usage.
"I think anybody that's in this space is really partly crazy and partly waiting it out," said Robert Moskovits, chief operating officer at MovieFlix.com.
MP2000 - Examples of MicroOS/CAM Feature Sets. Linguisticly pluralisctic & VoiceRemote coming to PJBs.
Multicodec Digital Music Player
EPAC/AAC Resident Default Codecs
USB Plug and Add WMA/MP3 or any Other Popular Formats (Depending on the Code Availability / Licensing)
Auto-codec Detect
SDMI Compliant for Secure Music Download
High Speed Download to the Memory Cards upto 400Kbps
Full Text Support Liquid Crystal Display
E/L Back Lighting
FM Stereo
10 Steps Treble/Base Control and EQ Function
A-B Repeat, Repeat, Intro and Random Play
Built in Rechargeable NiMH Battery [2.4V, 800mAh]
External Power Socket
External Battery Holder "AA" x 1 Cell (Optional)
PC / Mac Compatibility
http://www.v2gsol.globalsources.com/gsol/owa/asol_products.details?in_adv_prod_id=8810408057&in_...
emit...
Qualcomm Mp3 Chips Sound Sweet
3/29/2001
Mar 28, 2001 (Wireless Data News/Phillips Publishing via COMTEX) -- It may not be long before wireless consumers can recreate the musical experience that's now a standard part of desktop life on their wireless devices. Whether or not users will want to is another story.
Qualcomm [QCOM] took one step further toward making handsets multimedia, dream mini-machines this month when it announced it will incorporate mp3 player software into its Code Division Multiple Access technology, which provides the framework for many digital handsets.
Thomson Multimedia, the exclusive licensing representative of mp3 patents under the patent portfolio of Fraunhofer IIS-A, is providing the software and rights to Qualcomm.
The chips are shipping now and the first handsets with them are expected to emerge later this year in Asia.
But there are still major setbacks that may hamper the success of wireless music; the same factors that may hamper wireless multimedia to be as popular as wireline multimedia, especially in the United States.
"It is hard for any product, I think, to be as popular as mp3d on the Internet, as we have seen months of billions of files being transferred," says Henri Linde, vice president of new business and intellectual asset management for Thomson Multimedia. "I don't think it can be that popular but it certainly can be popular. It will be a more controlled environment."
One of the big problems with rolling out handsets equipped with mp3 technology will be their high cost, in respect to the youthful audience they are targeted to, says Cliff Raskind, wireless analyst with Strategy Analytics.
"Right now the price premium for mp3 phones is prohibitively expensive to get toward the sweet spot with users, but if you start seeing the phone get down to the $100, $150 market, you'll start to see more," Raskind says.
Another problem, which has all but dissipated on the personal computer thanks to broadband Internet service, is the long time and high cost of downloading mp3s.
""If you've got a 4.2 megabit song, how long is that going to take you if you're working at 9.6 [Kbps] over a circuit switch network at ten cents a minute?" Says Kelly Quinn, wireless analyst with the Aberdeen Group. However, Quinn notes that once packet networks take over for data transmission, some of the kinks such as cost and time could become less problematic.
"The networks themselves are what cost the money, not the services," Quinn says. "To have 3G take off, [you have to consider] the cost of the licenses from the government, plus the cost of the infrastructure [to expand networks]."
And whether the sound quality will reflect pure digital ecstasy has yet to be heard.
"When we have 3G networks, it will be easy to download MP3 music over a wireless network," says Gerry Purdy, President and CEO of Mobile Insights, a Mountain View, Calif.-based wireless consulting firm. "The challenge may not be with the technology to download, but having a good enough speaker or ear-piece system to give good sound quality."
(Gerry Purdy, Mobile Insights, 650/937-0938; Kelly Quinn, Aberdeen Group, 617/723-7890; Cliff Raskind, Strategy Analytics, 781/235-6550)
By Marisa Torrieri
Wireless Data News, Vol. 9, No. 7
4/10/2001 Author: Sandip Mukerjee, Director of Mobile Internet, Lucent
Lucent is trying to light the path towards 3G profitability. Its director of the mobile Internet, Sandip Mukerjee, provides an insight on how vendors are pushing business advice to cash-strapped operators.
Technology is rapidly changing our lives. The Internet is changing the way we work, play and shop. People are getting hooked on it and beginning to take it for granted. Now they want to take it with them. And why not? Third-generation mobile Internet applications promise consumers that they will stay connected, keep informed, conduct business, be entertained and find their way - wherever they are.
For new and traditional mobile service providers, these high-speed data and transaction services everyone is talking about will be a means to attract and retain customers and generate revenues in a new market that analysts say will grow from $30 million today to $21 billion in 2004 in m-commerce alone. The clear winners in the competitive marketplace will be the first to implement and deliver a richer and broader range of mobile Internet services to consumers. However, as carriers invest billions to acquire their third-generation (3G) licenses and build next-generation networks, how do they get started? How do they recoup the tremendous cash outlay quickly?
As we at Lucent see it, the challenge is creating new revenue streams now so operators can make their third-generation business cases work well into the future.
That requires a partner who recognizes and understands the challenges mobile operators are facing and that can help drive revenue quickly. It also dictates a vendor partner who can deliver solutions that address the new 3G business model while protecting operators' financial investments.
The stakes are high and the 3G mobile Internet business model is fundamentally different than offering voice. For one thing, there is an increase in new players in what the industry calls the 3G value chain - service providers, portal suppliers, applications suppliers and wireless operators. These companies are literally coming between licensed network operators and mobile subscribers.
This will mean complex billing based on revenue sharing with all the key players in the value chain, rather than on simple minutes of usage. In this new business model, micro-billing and transaction settlement will be the cornerstones for collecting new revenue. The right partner will be ready to help operators recognize these shared revenues, collect them and deliver the customer care associated with them.
The revenue generating 3G services consumers want will focus on individualized, personalized content, in other words on "Me." They include transaction-based services for banking and individually tailored location-based services that provide information on travel, hotels and ATM machines, even video and Web-browsing - wherever and whenever users dictate. Until they are available, we see connectivity and transport services, such as e-mail messaging, as the table stakes for higher value services that will yield higher margins. Operators may have to use these services now as loss leaders to gain mind share for richer, more data-intensive services, such as video games, that will yield higher margins down the road.
Of course, operators will also be able to generate revenues collecting fees from merchants for access to information, entertainment, ordering/reservations and financial services, and by selling advertising space on the portals. All these services will bring network power to the mobile device.
Networks, by the way, talk. They reveal important information about end users, like what they want, when and where. And mobile operators are in a critical position to maintain customer loyalty because they are intimate with their customer through the power of their networks. Their networks hold dynamic customer information based on location and on presence that can be transferred onto a mobile device. Networks are, in essence, the crown jewels of 3G and we need to ensure solutions that are standards-based and compatible with each network element so operators can deliver these services whenever and wherever customers want them.
Timing, however, is everything and the industry needs to move forward fast to cooperatively design, develop, test and market applications and devices that are compatible with today's evolving wireless networks. This will enable us to offer mobile operators market-ready, flexible platforms that can carry innovative data and transaction services and generate revenue with current digital networks as well as with third generation networks.
Lucent's approach is to drive the industry to 3G mobile Internet services seamlessly and painlessly by creating an environment that promotes rapid creation and introduction of mobile Internet services that will run on a variety of platforms. The end result will be services that increase revenue, retain value and reduce subscriber churn. One way we're doing that is through the Lucent-sponsored Global Wireless Multimedia Forum. The conference is designed to create a dialogue exchange with content providers, service providers, wireless operators, application developers and handset/device manufacturers.
The intent is to spur innovative, real-time tangible applications that offer consumers innovative services that are ready now for current 2G platforms and will be markedly improved as they evolve to 3G platforms. Lucent is also collaborating with others through its Cooperative InnovationsSM Program and forging alliances that will enhance the competitive advantages of our customers, our partners and Lucent by providing superior infrastructure solutions and innovative data applications.
Lucent is also going beyond the wireless industry. This is, after all, about thinking out of the box. Our approach is to create brand new markets for Internet mobility by leveraging private equity through new ventures and financing. We're also working with universities to focus on the impact of mobility on the industrial landscape. For example, through our Mobility Research Initiative, we have committed some $10 million in grants to the Boston University School of Management, INSEAD in France and the London Business School, and we are working with them to research and identify business models that will be created by the mobile Internet. At the same time, we are developing local content in our technology centers in the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and Italy.
Mobility has a broad economic reach with potential applications across many service sectors: health and medical services; insurance; banking and trading; education; food products; travel; transportation; energy and purchasing. And that's just the beginning. A year ago, using a mobile phone to find our way in a foreign city, check out restaurant menus and make purchases were only visions. Today, many of these services are already available with Internet-capable phones.
Repeated positive experience with such services and the devices that transport them will ultimately win mind share with consumers who consider the services useful and valuable enough to pay for them. We believe that mobile Internet services engaging communities of people, like fantasy football, video games and digitized music will drive usage. Bottom line, it will mean a shift in perceived value from the network to the device, which will grow muscle as distributed computing applications optimize the use of network resources.
The road to 3G sounds bumpy, but we've done this before when networks evolved from analog to digital. The migration was flawless and seamless to operators and users. Although more complex in the demands of common platforms and links, the transition from second-generation digital to third-generation Internet will be just as smooth. In our view, the major challenge this time around will be speed and the name of the game is collaboration.
Surf AOL and the web at lightning speeds and enjoy entertaining multimedia content such as newscasts and music videos.
- Using satellite technology, boost your speed up to 1,400% faster than a standard 28.8k modem.
- Free multimedia content: listen to commercial free AOL PLUS radio, download the latest music titles, and preview songs before you buy. Watch TV highlights like news, sports, weather, business reports, movie trailers, and more.
- Easy to use: It's just like using AOL, only faster.
How do I get AOL PLUS?
- To get a high-speed connection, AOL offers access through DirecPC, for an additional monthly fee. To see if you qualify, click the NEXT arrow at the bottom of this page.
- Make sure you're using AOL 5.0 for Windows. If not, go to Keyword: Upgrade.
- You must be on an unlimited monthly or annual subscription plan. If not, change your plan at Keyword: Billing.
How does the AOL PLUS service work?
Click the Features tab for details.
How much does AOL PLUS cost?
AOL PLUS broadband content is FREE to any AOL member using the AOL 5.0 software over a high-speed (broadband) connection. The cost of any other charges will depend on the way you connect to the AOL service. For those who do not have broadband access, AOL currently offers AOL PLUS Powered by DirecPC for $19.95/month in addition to the standard monthly membership fee, based on a monthly or annual unlimited membership plan.
How do I order DirecPC through AOL?
Placing your order is easy, and AOL handles everything for you. Click the NEXT arrow below to see if you qualify for satellite service.
What are the system requirements?
Desktop PC
Pentium Class Processor (300 MHz or greater preferred)
Windows 98 or better
CD-ROM Drive
32MB System Memory (64MB recommended)
80MB Available Hard Drive Space
VGA Graphics Adapter (Video Card)
VGA Monitor
Currently running AOL 5.0 (32-bit version) or above
An available USB Port
Clear view of the southern sky
How Do I Get Connected?
What to expect:
After AOL receives your order, we contact a certified professional satellite installer in your area. The installer will contact you to schedule a date and time to arrive at your home to install your satellite system and activate your AOL PLUS service. We will send you an e-mail confirming that your order has been sent to a professional installer. The installer will bring all of the necessary equipment to perform the installation, including your new satellite system. If you have special installation needs (multiple computers linked to the same dish, extra cable requirements), you must communicate this information to the installer when he/she contacts you to schedule your appointment. Please allow approximately two hours for a standard installation, and be prepared to provide access to certain areas, such as a basement or attic.
We'll take care of everything:
Your professional installer will bring your special satellite system, which includes:
* AOL PLUS CD-ROM -- This is a special version of the AOL software designed to optimize your satellite performance.
* USB Satellite Modem -- This modem allows your computer to utilize the satellite connection to connect over your existing telephone line, and receive data up to 1,400% faster than a 28.8k modem.
* Satellite Antenna -- This 72-centimeter dish (approx. 30 inches) will be properly mounted and positioned at your home by the professional installer to ensure that you receive optimum performance from the AOL PLUS Powered by DirecPC service.
What is the difference between DirecPC and DirecDuo?
A DirecPC dish is strictly for your computer. A DirecDuo dish serves both your computer and your television, allowing you to receive DIRECTV service. You will need to purchase an additional receiver for your television. You can purchase the receiver from your professional installer at the time of your installation.
Can I install the dish by myself?
We strongly recommend that you use the services provided by a professional installer. Modifications to the inside wiring in your house may be required for installation. Any inside wiring modifications performed that relate to obtaining this service are included as part of the standard professional installation. See Terms and Conditions for complete information. Installing the dish by yourself is at your sole risk and expense.
Do I have to change my AOL screen name?
No. For members using AOL 5.0, the AOL PLUS service is delivered automatically when you sign on to the AOL service using a broadband connection. All of your preferences and settings stay exactly the same.
Do I need a new phone line?
No. Members who connect to the service using DirecPC should use the same phone line they currently use to connect to the Internet.
Is the AOL PLUS service available on AOL version 4.0 and below?
No. AOL 5.0 is the first broadband-enabled version of the AOL software, and includes the "speed detect" feature, which automatically detects if an AOL member is using a broadband connection and if so, delivers them the enhanced AOL PLUS content.
Is AOL PLUS available for Macintosh users?
AOL PLUS will be available to members in the future for those who sign on to the AOL 5.0 for Macintosh service using a broadband connection, including DSL, T1, cable and satellite. Check back to Keyword: AOL PLUS for updates.
What is Broadband?
Broadband is a general term used to refer to a type of data transmission in which a single medium (wire) can carry several channels at once. With broadband connections, because several channels of data can be transmitted simultaneously, applications are able to perform much better than they do over a 56 Kbps modem connection. Online areas and web pages will load much faster, downloading files will take much less time, and you can enjoy fully animated interactive multiplayer games. Satellite technology uses standard telephone wiring in conjunction with a satellite dish and modem to deliver high-speed access.
Wreck... PC based players ie,. real, media, have no problem switching between codecs because of ample software/hardware apps. When you take that capability into a handheld it becomes a different matter.
emit...
DigiChat Emoticon Keystrokes:
1. Colon ) = Yellow Smile' face
2. Colon ( = Red Angry Face
3. Colon * = Pink Lips Face
4. Colon - ? = Pink Owe! Face
5. Colon 8 = EightBall
6. Colon - ) = Green Grin Face
7. SimiColon ) = Orange Winkie Face
Add Any you find.
emit...
Intel, Matsushita Electric (Panasonic) Introduce Secure Music Solution
New Products Target Makers of Portable Music Players, PC Music Jukeboxes
Panasonic Portable SD-Audio Player Uses Solution
SANTA CLARA, Calif., and SECAUCUS, NJ, Aug. 8, 2000 -- Intel Corporation and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., best known in the United States by its Panasonic brand name, announced they have jointly developed a set of software products for securely managing music on personal computers and transferring music to portable music players and storage media.
The software is designed to help companies that make consumer electronics devices (such as portable Internet music players) and PC music jukebox applications, as well as electronic music distribution system providers. All these types of companies need to develop and market products that are interoperable and can securely manage the transfer and playback of music. This new software solution is expected to exceed the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) requirements.
''The music devices and applications resulting from this software solution will help content providers quickly assemble end-to-end digital music distribution solutions for consumers,'' said Sakon Nagasaki, director of Matsushita's AV Media Card and Electronic Distribution Business Development Office. ''Consumers will be able to buy secure music anywhere -- from a variety of online and offline sources - and play it everywhere - on a wide range of SD Memory Card-enabled audio devices.''
''Intel's patented tamper-resistant software is key to achieving SDMI compliance,'' said Parvinder S. Kohli, general manager of Intel Internet Security Services. ''We're enabling consumer electronics manufacturers and PC music jukebox application vendors to easily create SDMI-compliant platforms for delivering music to consumers.''
The jointly developed software solution is now available. In Japan, Panasonic has already started selling two SD-audio player models, which include the new software technologies. Panasonic will use this software with several kinds of SD-Card-enabled music playback devices, such as SD-audio players and mini-DV Camcorders with SD Memory -card slots.
The new software solution is comprised of three products: a secure music transfer agent, a secure music manager, and an electronic music distribution (EMD) integration toolkit.
The secure music transfer agent enables the transfer of audio content to SD Memory Cards securely. The SD Memory Card is supported by a wide variety of portable audio and other devices and is a highly secure, postage stamp sized flash memory storage device that was jointly developed by Matsushita Electric, SanDisk Corp., and Toshiba Corp. The secure music transfer agent works with any portable device that implements the CPRM (Content Protection for Recordable Media) standard, which was jointly defined by the 4C Entity (IBM Corp., Intel, Matsushita Electric, and Toshiba Corp.) and which comprises the core of the SD Memory Card security system.
The secure music manager can be integrated into PC music jukebox applications. It encompasses all the functionality necessary to achieve SDMI compliance, including watermark screening, content protection, and check-in/out.
The EMD integration toolkit enables electronic music distribution systems to transfer content to the secure music transfer agent securely. EMD systems are increasingly used by the music industry for distribution of music and other content. Intel and Panasonic will also use this software technology to enable EMD systems based on Intel's own Intel&reeg; Software Integrity System content protection solution to transfer music securely to SD Memory Cards, which can be used in Panasonic SD audio players
November 28, 2000 4:41 PM PT
The cell phone of the future may have Intel inside.
Next week, top officials from Intel Corp. and Analog Devices Inc. are expected to announce that they've finished designing their jointly developed digital signal processor (DSP) and are ready to begin production.
Analysts say Intel's intentions are fairly clear: The new DSP advances the company's recent efforts to gain a foothold in the communications market.
"Intel needs a DSP if it's going to get serious about wireless," said Martin Reynolds, research fellow at Dataquest Inc. "It gives them one of the pieces they need."
DSPs, which translate analog signals into digital signals, are used in cell phones and a wide range of other consumer devices. Ordinary microprocessors, such as Intel's Pentium III, serve as computing engines by executing instructions needed to run applications.
When Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) and Analog Devices announced the joint project in early February, they said they planned to create a high-performance DSP that also conserved power. It would be able to handle video, voice, and data for embedded communication and computing-device manufacturers.
Intel's new groove At next week's announcement, Intel officials will likely claim that the DSP is the final hardware building block in the company's "Personal Internet Client Architecture." That architecture already includes Intel's XScale processor, flash memory, and cellular chip set technologies.
Analysts say Intel has a lot to gain from the effort, strategically as well as financially. With a DSP architecture, Intel can help to influence the agenda of the communications market in much the same way it influences the PC market.
For Intel, the single biggest opportunity for the new DSP lies in the cellular phone handset market. Analysts project that the market will grow, over the next five years, to a billion units or more annually.
"Intel sees this one-billion-unit market, and it wants to be a part of it," Reynolds said.
The DSP could also find its way into a host of other consumer devices, including DSL (digital subscriber line) modems, high-definition televisions, MP3 players, set-top boxes, and LCD projectors.
A tough market Intel won't be able to waltz in and claim a share of the competitive DSP market, however.
Earlier this month, Texas Instruments Inc., announced two new additions to its TMS3205000 line of DSP chips. TI (NYSE: TXN) claims its new chips, scheduled to ship in April 2001, increase performance by 60 percent and also reduce power consumption.
TI is considered one of the leaders in the DSP market, which also includes Lucent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: LU), Conexant Systems Inc., and Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT). None of them is likely to willingly cede ground to Intel.
"TI is a very formidable competitor, as is Motorola, but Intel's never been afraid of competition," Reynolds said.
"There's always room in the market," he said. "If the (Intel/Analog Devices) technology gives cellular handset makers an advantage in the market, or the price is right, they will use it."
On the other hand, "If this doesn't go anywhere, Intel's not going to cry either," Reynolds said.
Intel and Analog Devices have scheduled a joint announcement next Tuesday in New York, where they're expected to discuss plans for shipping the new DSP and how each company plans to use it. Intel spokesman Dan Francisco confirmed that the two companies plan to make a DSP announcement by the end of the year, but he declined to be more specific
Mat - Where do I send a image for an icon on edig board. Already sized it. Does it need be a jpg or gif.
emit... Alertid@aol.com
arkiboy... you couldn't prove those subscription fees falling by my cable bill and AOL/ISP Bill - Dish neither.
emit...
My comments inserted in this excellent article found by Robert Bunning – cksla
DOS to MOS - ((ie,. = My comments.))
Audio chip makers' hopes tied to digital music rollouts
By Margaret Quan, EE Times
Apr 6, 2001 (11:10 AM)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20010406S0047
MANHASSET, N.Y. — {b}Top suppliers of chips for the digital music player
market hope the rollout of online music services aimed at boosting
the availability of digital music on the Internet will have a
positive impact on portable digital music player sales this year. {/b}
They expect the added content to increase second-half 2001 sales over
what turned out to be a disappointing first quarter for chips of all
types, including those designed into portable music players,
according to anecdotal reports.
However, some believe the limited availability of digital music
content and the uncertainty over digital music copyrights is not the
only thing that prevents consumers from purchasing the devices.
Rainer Hoffmann, president of Micronas Semiconductors (San Jose,
Calif.), a subsidiary of Micronas Semiconductor Holding AG (Zurich,
Switzerland), thinks the portable music {b}player-only devices {/b} are still
too expensive at prices of $199 and up.
(( ie,. Not with advanced {u}digital {/u} VoiceRemote & FM/XM reception/record. Cost: edig affords less parts/cost more function. ))
"The major holdback [to growth of the market] is still the cost,"
said Hoffmann.
He suggested player prices "must come down to $149 and below" before
they become a mainstream consumer purchase.
Nevertheless, three top chip suppliers, Cirrus Logic Inc. (Austin,
Texas), Texas Instruments Inc. (TI; Dallas) and Micronas see as
{b}positive developments this week's launch of several new music
services: {/b} the MusicNet music subscription service platform by Real
Networks and three major record labels; Microsoft Corp.'s
introduction of a beta version of its free {b}streaming radio service on
its MSN network; and plans by MTVi Group and music application
service provider RioPort to offer paid song downloads through MTVi's
Web site. (MTVi is a unit of MTV Networks owned by Viacom Inc.) {/b}
((ie,. Edig n RioPort, partners since 1999. Viacom owns Convera.com, Intels answer to Security. You can cache-download streamed music – See: http://www.investorshub.com/beta/read_msg.asp?message_id=72668 ))
They believe the services will generate greater consumer demand for
digital audio devices.
"Anything that helps the flow of content so that it's easier to get
to is going to help," Scott MacDonald, vice president of marketing
for Cirrus Logic's Embedded Processors Division told EE Times.
Jorge Kittl, TI's Internet Audio business manager, called the
introduction of online music services] {b}"key." {/b}
Both companies are leading suppliers of chips to the MP3-type
Internet audio portable player market, according to research firm
Forward Concepts (Tempe, Ariz.). That market totaled 3.5 million
units shipped in 2000 and is forecast to reach 7 million units this
year, the firm reported. By 2004, shipments are projected to reach 42
million units.
But reports indicate first-quarter sales of chips into this market
may have been flat to disappointing. Thus there are expectations that
having more music available online, combined with new MP3 device
categories set to debut later this year, may help jump-start growth
later in the year.
(( ie,.The Major Announcements Started Last Week with AOL, Microsoft, MTVi and YAHOO.))
Cirrus Logic is the top supplier of chips into the digital audio
player market, according to Forward Concepts, but in recent weeks
retail store inventory of players that use its Maverick embedded
processors has been light. That's expected to change in the second
half of 2001, when the company expects to see new Maverick-based
players on the shelves, MacDonald said.
The players will include a new generation of {u}digital audio decoder-{/u}
equipped CD players known as "spinning media" devices that are larger
than MP3-only portables and play downloaded digital audio as well as
compressed audio files stored on CDs that hold 650 Mbytes of music.
These spinning media devices, along with {b}a new class of digital audio
streaming players that stream music and store it on a local server
network rather than locally, are expected to contribute to growth for
Cirrus Logic's Maverick chip sales this year.
(( ie,.The audio decoder could be Interactive Objects – Price & feature sets could bring CirrusSOC to e.Digital… follow this.))
Texas Instruments, the second-largest provider of chips for digital
audio players, according to Forward Concepts, reported that it
received new design wins from consumer electronics manufacturers
Sanyo, Thomson Multimedia, Digisette LLC and Richfield Innovations
Pte. Ltd. (RFI) during the first quarter. The devices represent a
range of different form factors, including the Digisette Duo player,
which functions as a stand-alone digital audio player and cassette-
emulation device, and the RFI JazPiper player, which stores music on
an Iomega PocketZip drive.
(( ie., Expect edig to try capture this title by 8-02 if not this year))
Texas Instruments' Internet Audio business manager, Jorge Kittl,
declined to reveal digital audio player-related DSP sales figures for
the first quarter and would only say that TI shipped over 2 million
units into the digital audio player segment since the beginning of
2000.
(( ie,. TI Plans to retake 1st Position from Cirrus – DSP sales are booming with the advent of dedicated design types, and the introduction of XM, iMode and Pervasive Computing.))
Hoffmann of Micronas Semiconductor, the third-largest provider of
chips for MP3-type players, believes the addition of new music
services will help drive sales of players, but said he thinks the
device price is also a barrier.
"Once you are above the $149 price point, you are getting only 10
percent of the consumer market," he said. Hoffmann called the market
small for a consumer electronics device, even if it hits 7 million
units.
Most MP3 players cost $199 and up, and though companies have been
working to get the price point down, one of the stumbling blocks, the
high cost of flash memory, is beyond their control.
As flash prices move down, the industry may see a new wave of market
potential for MP3-only devices. Until then, Micronas expects sales of
chips into stand-alone MP3 player devices to be flat this year, but
predicts growth to come from sales into MP3 combination devices such
as cell phones, said Hoffmann.
((ie,. Keep in mind e.Digital’s specialty lies in Digital Flash Voice recording. Intel/IBM know this due to our patents. Remember Samsung/Toshiba hired us to build future music players and DataPlay platforms. If MOS isn’t utilize by TI, INTC, ARM, Toshiba, MOT or Cirrus – Micronous could find its ‘key’ to #1 with MOS & Samsung.))
The company sells chips designed into a Samsung cellular phone that
Sprint deployed in field trials in San Diego and an Ericsson
accessory for the T28 cellular handset.
In addition to the launch of new music services, chip makers were
encouraged this week by efforts in Washington to hash out the
controversy over online entertainment and copyright law, which they
believe could be hurting the MP3 player market.
On Tuesday (April 3), representatives from the music and technology
industries, including InterTrust Technologies Corp. founder and chief
executive Victor Shear, whose company develops digital rights
management technologies for online content and commerce, testified
before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Shear called for a remedy
to the complexity surrounding copyrights and licensing in digital
entertainment {b}and suggested the government endorse the use of digital-
rights-management (DRM) technologies. {/b}
MacDonald said Cirrus Logic remains "supportive" of secure music
initiatives, as evidenced by security features added to its Maverick
embedded processors in the form of {u}MaverickLock hardware and
MaverickKey protection technologies. {/u}The company also supports
InterTrust and Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Media Audio DRM solutions.
Likewise, TI's Kittl said the company "clearly understands the needs
of copyright owners" {b}and built support for security features into DSP
products such as the DA250, which supports major digital rights
management technologies and is set to ship in volume by midyear. {/b}
((ie,.The DA250 & MaverickLock are prime for MicroOS – Algorithmic, dedicated and programmable and firware upgradable. Could we be involved, In my opinion Yes. ))
Hoffmann agreed that clearing up uncertainty around digital music
copyrights might have a positive impact on the market for digital
audio players, but said Micronas must remain flexible about its chip-
solution offerings. He said some customers support the use of DRM
today, while others are not interested in adopting proprietary
solutions {b}until there is a DRM standard. {/b}
(( ie,.There are, from best/biggest down, imo: IBM-EMMS, RealG2, MS-WMA, Intertrust, LQID, Veda, Verance, DigiMark, Cognicity etc,. Some of these are subsidiaries of the four larger. e.Digital can do any and all of these on a handheld.- I already know of a standard used by TI,IBM, Intel, Lucent, Eastech and HandGo. The world will also – and soon.))
emit…
Net Radio: Still A Pandora's Box?
By Sara Robinson, Interactive Week
April 2, 2001 8:03 AM ET
Internet broadcaster Radio Free Virgin plans to announce today that its users can now click on a record button to save copies of songs onto their computers.
Radio Free Virgin is not the first company to offer software for recording streamed audio onto a hard drive. But because of a section of a 1998 copyright law applying to Net radio broadcasters, the company - part of the group that owns Virgin Megastores - may be in a tenuous legal position.
Now that Napster has been reined in by the courts, Webcasters, as Internet broadcasters are known, are adding features to swell their audience with former Napster users looking for less restricted services. Other companies are testing the legality of devices and services that could facilitate copyright infringement, but on a much smaller scale than Napster. Radio Free Virgin seems to be at the confluence of both trends.
Radio Free Virgin's new record button enables users to record songs from any of the more than 40 channels it offers. The button will be automatically added today to the Radio Free Virgin players of the company's 1.7 million users.
While recording from radio with dedicated devices, such as cassette decks, was clearly legalized by the Audio Home Recording Act of 1992, recording Webcasts via computer software falls into a legal gray zone.
When the Webcaster issues the software, the zone is grayer still. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), enacted in 1998, says Webcasters that meet certain conditions are entitled to a license from the record companies if they pay royalties. One condition is that the Webcasters take "no affirmative steps to cause or induce the making of a phonorecord by the transmission recipient."
Zack Zalon, Radio Free Virgin's general manager, said his company is relying on the "statutory license." But he said his company's lawyers believe the new feature, which lets users "time-shift" radio broadcasts, qualifies as fair use. To prevent swapping, recorded songs will be encrypted and playable only using the Radio Free Virgin client software on the computer that recorded them.
Zalon said he has not yet informed the record companies of his company's plans. "I'm quite sure we'll hear from them," Zalon said. "But once we explain to them how it works, I think they'll be OK with it."
Fred Von Lohmann, an intellectual property lawyer at law firm Morrison and Foerster, said he didn't know how Radio Free Virgin could get around the DMCA restrictions. Still, he noted, Radio Free Virgin, as an affiliate of a large CD retailer, is not an ideal target for a lawsuit. "Record companies tend to choose the most underfunded and threatening ones to sue first," he said. The Recording Industry Association of America did not return calls seeking comment for this story.
"It sounds like what Radio Free Virgin is doing is not as threatening as Bitbop [Tuner]," Von Lohmann said. Bitbop, new software in beta version from Audio Mill, enables users to scan thousands of Internet radio stations for songs and record them.
Other products on the market include High Criteria's Total Recorder and Voquette's Media Manager; both record streaming audio.
Meanwhile, the record industry filed court papers claiming Napster's free music offerings haven't changed much. The industry said Napster is deliberately ineffectively blocking the sharing of copyrighted songs to keep its users from going elsewhere.
These Music/Video distribution services will probably become subscription based – And should start this year.
May 2, 2000 - ZapMedia.com, Inc. (ZapMedia), today announced a ground-breaking partnership with Gannett Co., Inc./ USA TODAY (NYSE: GCI), one of the nation's largest media conglomerates, to provide an all-in-one Internet driven, interactive entertainment environment, making it a reality for consumers today. With the click of a button people will serve up music, movies, television, the Internet, and email using ZapMedia's co-branded products and services
http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=EDIG&read=604252
(Reuters 10-10-2000) - The National Music Publishers' Association Inc. (NMPA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (news - web sites) (RIAA) said Tuesday they have agreed on procedures for licensing of musical compositions, or songs, that are distributed on the Internet. The RIAA represents big record companies, including Seagram Co. Ltd.'s Universal Music, Bertelsmann AG's BMG, Sony Corp.'s Sony Music and Time Warner's Warner Music Group and EMI Group Plc (news - web sites).
WSJ, October 23, 2000 - In the latest sign that music subscription is emerging as a prominent avenue for delivering music through the Web, America Online Inc. said it is developing an online music-subscription service, and Seagram Co.'s Universal Music Group has launched a test of a subscription-music service.
10/25/00 - LYCOS aims to be web music one-stop ...
Lycos took another step last week by signing a partnership with BMG Entertainment, a unit of Germany's Bertelsmann AG. Lycos will sell digital downloads of albums and singles by 100 of BMG's recording artists.
(Oct.31,2000) -Bertelsmann And Napster Form Alliance. Entertainment giant Bertelsmann AG (BTGGga.D) and controversial song-swap company Napster (news - web sites) Inc. said on Tuesday they formed an alliance to develop a new secure file-sharing music service.
Oct 31, 2000 -- Radio Free Virgin and Playboy.com, a wholly owned subsidiary of Playboy Enterprises, Inc., announced the launch of Radio Free Virgin, a downloadable0, CD-quality digital radio tuner available free of charge at www.radiofreevirgin.com.
http://billboard.com/daily/2000/1201_04.asp
Nov. 1, 2000 - Warner Music Group (WMG) and Microsoft Corp, In a multiyear agreement, WMG has selected Windows Media Format as a primary format for commercial music download initiatives in the United States and Canada, with security provided by Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM).
12/15/00 - ONLINE music seller Soundbuzz has snagged a deal with major record label BMG to sell the music of artists; allowing purchase music in digital-file format for immediate download to their hard disk. using Intertrust and Liquid Audio to provide encryption and digital-rights management.
Jan 22, 2001 - IBM to Offer New Technology to Prevent Unauthorized Music Distribution on Web & IBM/e.Digital Player and Toshiba/IBM - EMMS .
http://www.ibm.com/Press/prnews.nsf/jan/E07957156C96DBD7852569DC0051460E
http://www.storage.ibm.com/press/hdd/micro/edigital.htm
http://www.ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=EDIG&read=595047
<B>Toshiba and IBM’s EMMS.</B> http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=EDIG&read=642853
NEW YORK, Jan. 16 2001 -- BMG Entertainment announced today a substantial expansion of its digital music offerings In addition, BMG announced that its labels are now making new releases simultaneously available as Digital Downloads.
http://www.ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=EDIG&read=589017
http://www.ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=EDIG&read=572601
January 11, 2001 - AOL Time Warner could tap music, video wealth
http://www.ragingbull.altavista.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=EDIG&read=586419
Feb. 22, 2001 - Vivendi/Universal, Sony team up for online Music site
http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=EDIG&read=622436
Feb 05, 01 - Qualcomm, MP3.com, Samsung To Stream Tunes To Phones.
http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=EDIG&read=607773
DALLAS, Feb 27 - Blockbuster Inc. & Universal Pictures films via its video on-demand service include RadioShack its stores for in-home entertainment, in whatever form our consumers want it delivered.
http://www.agoracom.com/nonmemforum/msgreview.asp?id=67262&refid=0&orig=67262
Feb. 27, 2001 - Warner Music to Sell Downloadable Albums Beginning Next Week.
http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=EDIG&read=625247
March 14, 2001 - Hard Rock Cafe Teams Up With Liquid Audio to Launch Commercial And Promotional Digital Downloads on hardrock.com
http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=EDIG&read=637683
Mar 16, 2001 - Sony Marketing Asia-Pacific, PlanetMG uses Sony's ATRAC3 compression technology for secure music downloads and to prevent piracy.
http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=EDIG&read=638941
March 20, 2001 - Samsung and Sprint PCS Announce Agreement to Bring Compact, Full-Color PDA Phone to Market.
http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=EDIG&read=642134
March 19, 2001 - Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest wireless carrier, and Lucent Technologies today announced a three-year, $5 billion contract which positions Lucent to become the largest supplier of Verizon (3G) mobile network infrastructure. Verizon will purchase multiple products and systems from Lucent's designed to expand wireless coverage, increase capacity, and support high-speed data and mobile Internet applications. IMO - This is excellent news for ePAC http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=EDIG&read=640314
March 26, 2001 - MTV is negotiating with the major record label groups to license secure music downloads that MTV viewers could download for a fee.
http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=EDIG&read=649488
April 2, 2001 - RealNetworks and America Online Each to Launch Consumer Subscription Services Powered by MusicNet to Offer Extensive Collection of Secure Downloadable and Streaming Music. http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=EDIG&read=653048
April 4, 2001 - In a Landmark digital-music announcement today, the MTV music network said that it had forged the first agreement that licenses music from all five major record labels for download off the Internet.
http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=EDIG&read=654745
April 5, 2001 - Yahoo! and Duet Announce an Alliance to Present and
Market the On-Demand Music Subscription Service Created
by Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group.
http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=EDIG&read=655253
April 5, 2001 - HitHive's deal with EMI: music via cell phones
http://www.investorshub.com/beta/read_msg.asp?message_id=71535
QDesign Corporation Opens Silicon Valley Office
SVP Paul Goldberg to Lead Professional Product & Intellectual Property Activities
April 2, 2001 - Vancouver, BC -- QDesign Corporation, a leading provider of advanced digital audio compression solutions for the Internet delivery, broadcast and new media markets, has established an office in Mountain View, California, to support the company’s rapidly expanding business development and sales engineering activities.
Senior Vice President of Professional Products Paul Goldberg, responsible for directing product development, marketing and commercial deployment of the QDesign professional product family, will also direct and manage QDesign’s Intellectual Property activities from the new location.
“We are extremely pleased and excited at these developments,” said Richard J. Beaton, President of QDesign Corp. “A base of operations in Silicon Valley will makes us more accessible to a vast rapidly growing number of our existing current and potential licensees, as well as provide a home for our American U.S. engineering team, as we continue our expansion in there.”
QDesign’s recent acquisition of media security intellectual property complements the company’s existing portfolio of state-of-the-art digital audio compression technologies and dovetails perfectly with Paul Goldberg’s arrival. Added Mr. Beaton, “Paul’s wealth of experience adds considerably to our existing knowledge base, and he will be invaluable in attracting engineers of the highest caliber for our Silicon Valley Group. His decision to join us was a strong vote of confidence in our ability to provide the most flexible platform for the secure, profitable delivery of high quality digital audio over any wired or wireless network and on any physical media.”
Mr. Goldberg recently joined QDesign from Zoran Corporation, where he was Vice President of Audio Products and Intellectual Properties. His experience there and at Dolby Laboratories, where he was responsible for directing the research, development and commercialization of the Dolby Digital sound on film system, firmly supports QDesign’s objective: to provide the secure technologies needed to move the music industry from a distribution model based on non-secure physical media to one based on the combination of secure physical media and secure electronic distribution.
Mr. Goldberg holds a total of seventeen patents in film sound, optical data storage, video image printing, medical ultrasonic imaging and medical diagnostics. Seven additional patents, six related to the secure distribution of entertainment content and one associated with the virtualization of multichannel audio signals, are pending. He is an active member of AES, SID and SMPTE.
About QDesign
With the release of the world's first real-time MPEG-2 audio compression software in 1996 and the subsequent introduction of its own MP3, QDesign Music and QDX technologies, QDesign has established itself as a leading provider of the most advanced audio compression solutions in the broadcast, new media and Internet delivery markets. From the inclusion of the QDesign Music Codec in Apple QuickTime as the audio compression solution for Internet streaming, multimedia authoring and digital music, to the cross-platform MVP jukebox application, QDesign has received numerous industry accolades for delivering the best web audio technology. QDesign's audio technologies appear in hardware processors, digital audio production, automation and distribution systems as well as consumer multimedia software. QDesign is a founding member of the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI). For more information on QDesign and its products, please visit: www.qdesign.com.
Two codecs ported to TI DSPs - Gota wonder where we fit in
February 23, 2001 (12:50 p.m. EST)
Texas Instruments has extended its
partnership with Microsoft by TI agreeing
to port Windows Media on to its DSP
based OMAP applications processors.
The move will allow manufacturers of
GSM and third generation handsets
designed around the TI OMAP processor
to support the playback of Windows Media
audio and video formats. It also quickens
the pace for delivering streaming
multimedia to mobile Internet appliances,
2.5G and 3G enabled smart phones.
Alain Mutricy, director of the wireless
business unit at TI, told
commsdesign.com:
"Windows Media is a leader in offering high-quality audio and video
using very small bandwidth or file sizes. Extending integrated
Windows Media and Audio and Video support on our DSP-based
OMAP processors will help enable a new wireless age for rich media
services".
TI's support for the Microsoft system on its C500x range of DSPs has
already helped fuel the use of CD quality music at half the file size
of
MP3.Windows Media is now used on over 60 consumer devices, from
portable MP3 players to digital home stereos.
The collaboration should speed the industry's already rapid embrace
of wireless delivery of streaming music and video.In addition to
Microsoft, TI also supports software from Packet Video and Real
Networks on its processors and development programmes.
November 15, 2000, 7:00 am ET
Despite many trials, investments, announcements, and strategic alliances a new standard for digital audio has yet to emerge -- QDesign Corp. plans on changing that with QDX.
"The game is far from over," Ken Ashdown, QDesign's vice president of marketing, told MacCentral. "The ultimate winner will be the format to offer a truly seamless music experience. To earn consumer confidence, technology must provide 'anywhere, anytime' quality and ease-of-use across the widest array of hardware and software platforms."
QDesign is promoting QDX, which they describe as the "first truly scalable, secure digital music platform," at this week's Webnoize 2000, an annual summit meeting for music industry reps and technology people.
"The topic that consistently makes the rounds at such meetings is that the public has spoken, and there is a future for digital music," Ashdown said. "The question is how can we make it easier for consumers so that they enjoy the experience. We don't need a complex or painful way to get digital music. But there are more and more hardware devices, more and more modes (both wired and wireless) -- and storage media proliferates. But consumers need to be able to get music in a seamless and easy-to-use way. We think QDX is the answer."
QDX is a dynamically scalable digital music platform solution that offers exclusive user-friendly features and enables new products, services, revenue streams, and business models, said Ashdown. Unlike other formats, a single QDX source (master) file can be streamed or downloaded at any equal or lower data rate without transcoding, while maintaining exceptional quality and resulting in significant asset management savings."
QDX means you're no longer limited to music-only downloads, subscription or ad-based streaming models, according to QDesign. They say that its enhanced security protects your copyrights; that it guarantees optimal quality over any network, any bandwidth, and any modem speed; and that QDX offers genuine dynamic "on-the-fly" scalability.
QDX also sports Fit-to-Media and Fit-to-Stream features, which are designed to dynamically and automatically scale music files to the smallest increments. Fit-To-Media can purportedly store up to five times more music on a portable device (2.5 hours per 32 MB memory). The Fit-to-Stream feature means that music can be streamed and/or downloaded to cell phones, PDAs, office desktops, portable digital devices, car stereos, and in-home systems from just one file, said Ashdown.
"QDX is designed for both streaming and downloading at high and low end rates," he said. "This means that providers can get their music to lots of users without having to store to lots of different files for each song. For consumers, this means they can get the very best quality music for their particular type of online connection. It will also make it easy for consumers to transfer music they have bought and paid for from one device to another."
The QDesign and Apple QuickTime teams are working to make sure that QDX and Apple's multimedia technologies work together flawlessly, said Ashdown. Whether this results in QDX plug-ins for QuickTime 5 or making QDX "native" to QT is still being determined.
QDX, unveiled in July, is beginning to pick up steam as more companies come aboard, said Ashdown. For instance, Texas Instruments is supporting a version of QDX in two of its chips.
"QDX proper, as we refer to it, has a number of features that are a function of dynamic scalability and need to be implemented in a certain way," Ashdown said. "You can't automatically access all the features just because you can access the format. However, our hope is that as QDX is adopted into streaming architectures and used in more devices, the record companies will see the value of format and it will continue to grow."
MTV Hopes Its Viewers Now Want Multimedia
Bill Carter New York Times Service
Tuesday, March 27, 2001
http://www.iht.com/articles/14802.htm.com/r/sr=news/ss=music;
Music Channel to Merge TV and Web Site
NEW YORK Looking to evolve with its youthful audience, the MTV television
network will integrate its cable channels with its Internet site to create
what its executives call "a multimedia version of the MTV brand."
The new plan aims to take advantage of the recent travails of the
music-sharing Web site operator Napster Inc. by offering viewers, for a fee,
first access to new music. MTV also wants to cable operators to bolster
distribution of its second channel, MTV2, by using its promotional clout to
trumpet the advantages of high-speed Internet connections.
The project, known as MTV360, will be rolled out in the next few months and
is built on research showing younger MTV viewers are already watching
television while communicating on the Internet, MTV executives said.
Indeed, another element of MTV360 calls for adding instant-messaging
capability to the MTV Web site, which will give users another means to keep
watching one of the cable channels while they're online on MTV.com.
MTV, owned by Viacom Inc., intends to schedule programming both across its
cable channels and its Web site, directing them from one location to another,
and selling all three platforms to the same advertisers.
The new strategy will call for a re-emphasis on music, the format that formed
the foundation for MTV when it was created 20 years ago, but which the main
channel has scaled back in recent years in favor of series programs such as
"The Real World" and "Jackass."
Music videos still appear on MTV, but they comprise the entire programming
format at MTV2. And audiences for MTV, built significantly on series
programming, have never been larger.
The channel averaged about 431,000 viewers per minute last year, its best
figures ever, and the main channel's viewership is up 8 percent in the first
quarter of 2001. MTV executives have decided a reliance on music is the key
to maintaining a younger audience.
"We are going to be more music-focused than ever," said Judy McGrath, the
president of MTV Group. Tom Freston, the chairman of MTV Networks, concurred,
saying viewers "are not going to be seeing any more non-music series on MTV.
Any new nonmusic series we do in the future will replace nonmusic shows."
As an example of how the concept will work, the executives cited a recent
appearance by the Dave Matthews Band on MTV's daily music show, "Total
Request Live." During the show, viewers were also directed to MTV2 - which
was playing the band's complete collection of music videos - and to MTV.com,
where the audience could legally download a song from the group's new album
free of charge.
Ms. McGrath said the group's record label, RCA, agreed to the downloading
arrangement because it was looking for a special promotion amid concern about
a new direction the group was taking with its music. The album opened as the
biggest seller in the United States, with more than 700,000 units sold in its
first week of release.
Nicholas Butterworth, the president of MTV's interactive division, said the
company was nearing an accord "with every major record label" to allow what
he called "secure downloading that would protect both the artist and the
label."
Napster, the file-sharing service that made it possible for computer users to
download large quantities of music free, has been sued by major music
companies, which accuse Napster users of stealing intellectual property. A
court injunction in that case requiring Napster to block access to songs the
music industry has identified as copyrighted material has drastically
curtailed the company's activities.
"We will be the beneficiaries of what happened with Napster," Mr. Freston
said, pointing out that after Napster, MTV.com has been the
second-most-popular music site on the Internet.
Mr. Butterworth, who emphasized that MTV had no intention of introducing a
file-sharing system, said its Web site would use new technology that would
enable only the person who ordered a song to play it back.
The channel would charge users a download fee, Mr. Butterworth said, on a
song-by-song basis or through a monthly subscription fee for a particular
quantity of music.
The title MTV360 comes from the term "360," or full circle, used in
skateboarding and surfing, Ms. McGrath said. The choice reflects the
company's continuing effort to maintain its relevance in a market that
changes with almost every high school graduating class.
"This is really all about establishing a deep connection with our audience,"
Mr. Freston said. "Every three years we have a new campaign."
The channel relies heavily on research into youth trends. Betsy Frank, the
executive vice president of research for MTV, said the channel's latest
"leisure-time study" revealed a number of facts that went into the new
strategy, including a doubling of Internet music use and evidence TV and the
Internet were less likely to be competitive than complementary.
"Younger people are not watching less television, they're watching more," Ms.
Frank said. "They are also leading the pack in finding new ways to use the
Web. That's why what we do to reach them should be seamless."
It was essential to incorporate instant messaging into the MTV Web site, Mr.
Butterworth said, because the main thing young viewers are doing on the
Internet while they watch television is communicating with friends.
And somewhere on the screen, Mr. Butterworth said, there is sure to be a
place where users can plug in their ZIP codes to find out what local
companies offer high-speed Internet connection.
That service is aimed at addressing the needs of cable operators who have
invested heavily in that business. Mr. Freston said MTV360 would heavily
promote "the benefits of buying a high-speed cable modem."
The benefits for MTV in that promotion may be increased distribution for
MTV2, available in about 30 million households in the United States, less
than half of MTV's 80 million homes
Please
hai - Crayons to Computers... I can see the Legos - cool
the applications are there....
emit...
I honestly gave e.Digital a solid base between 10-20 rating for 2001. Market looking for new blood - Where's IT! And Duet And MTV360.
Never thought I'd see .70 again... and we could, but people with all those 'in the know' This stock could and will swing up fast with PJB/CELL/PDA complimenting PCs.
IMO -
emit...
CQ DX - HAI Kinda like the White n Blue better than Yellow.
How you doing... the collor seeking robot going ok.
I confused my chat cookie i think
emit...
ck - I like that because fonix and ibm are among its major sponsors.
emit...
You may not login to DigiChat because another member is using the name 'emit' please sellect another.
hmmmm.... beware. Probably unintentional and pertains to another chatroom.
emit...
I understand no bad mannors are allowed here - how about my bad spelling and grammer :)
Make me chatable Tin.
emit...