Google + Puts User Video On the Air by Steve Smith

Is this the new face of personal video broadcasting? Google announced major upgrades to its Google+ social network yesterday, and some of the most important are in the video arena. The Hangouts is for grouping your friends and/or broadcasting in public groups in live video chats. With the new Hangouts on-air feature the user can broadcast the stream. The revision to Google+ lets you record the stream and set it for open public consumption. When on-air, up to nine friends can join the chat itself and anyone can watch the broadcast. ...Read the whole story

  • Comcast CFO: NBC Needs Turnaround Time by David Goetzl

    The day after NBC had an uninspiring first night of the season, Comcast CFO Michael Angelakis reiterated that the company believes it will take a while for the fourth-place network to move up the charts. ...Read the whole story

  • Zipcar Taps Levy For Humorous Take On Urban Life by Karl Greenberg

    Car share company Zipcar has tapped comedian Dan Levy for a video series central to a social media push to promote the Boston-based service as an automotive solution to the frenetic urban life. The effort, "One Crazy Day," is a Facebook-based program where consumers give Levy a series of tasks that have to be completed in one day via Zipcar. ...Read the whole story

  • Tapjoy Adds New In-App Video Format by Mark Walsh

    Mobile ad platform Tapjoy is rolling out a new in-application video ad unit that allows users to interact with the ad without having to leave the app they're in. The goal is to provide a more seamless experience and higher engagement. In return for watching an entire video ad, a user playing a game will be able to earn virtual currency to unlock special features or content within the game. ...Read the whole story

  • Netflix Could Lose More Subs, Redbox Could Benefit by David Goetzl

    As Netflix concedes that pricing increases have cost it customers, consulting firm Frank N. Magid Associates says it is at risk of bleeding even more subscribers. Up to 30% could cancel their memberships -- and RedBox may be the beneficiary. ...Read the whole story

  • Netflix Defends Price Hike As Price Of Doing Business by Wayne Friedman

    Netflix management defended its recent and dramatic business model changes -- price increases, branding shifts -- saying they responded quickly to a changing marketplace. Part of that change is the creation of Qwikster to handle its DVD business. ...Read the whole story

Blockbuster Accused Of Violating Video Privacy Law by Wendy Davis

Blockbuster has been hit with a new privacy lawsuit alleging that it violates a federal law by keeping detailed records about Web users. ...More

  • Is Content Syndication The New SEO? by Raj Amin

    In a world with ad networks and exchanges, where companies are looking to aggregate content and audiences in scale, is the "destination" model still a valid business strategy? The largest destinations will continue to get significant share of media spend -- but for new content players, especially in the video category, syndication can be a critical element in getting scale -- arguably much more than SEO. In fact, comScore's latest VideoMetrix rankings, released this week, show that online syndicatosrs are creating scale and gaining traction in many categories. ...More

  • Netflix: Weathering A Storm Or Causing A Tempest In A Teacup? by Sam Vasisht

    Netflix was the darling of video innovation, becoming the largest paid video subscription service in the U.S. (by subscriber count) and creating a tsunami of buzz of what the future of video was all about. Then the company implements a price change and suddenly stands to lose a million subscribers. The news is abuzz about them miscalculating the market, being too hasty, ham-handed and even foolish in implementing the price change. Netflix has become a company that seemingly turned dumb overnight. ...More