Setting the Record Straight on Set Top Boxes
Senators Edward Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) recently repeated a number of claimsabout the state of the marketplace for video devices and the presumed effects of last year’s STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014 (STELAR) on retail set-top boxes. Regrettably, however, their claims misread the STELAR statute, the impact of changes that were supported on a bipartisan basis, and the state of the video device marketplace. It’s simply not accurate to say that “cable companies will no longer be required to make their services compatible with outside set-top boxes, like TiVo for example
On the Go? Watch TV Everywhere
With summer in full swing and millions of consumers heading off to their favorite vacation spot, watching your favorite TV shows is one routine that can now travel with you. That is if you are taking advantage of the TV Everywhere services that many popular networks and cable providers offer. TV Everywhere, for the uninitiated, is the ability to watch television on a web-connected device like a smartphone or a tablet outside of the home. No more being tied to the living room couch in order to watch your favorite TV show. Best of all, TV Everywhere is a complementary service as part of your
Wi-Fi and Mobile TV: A RomCom with a Happy Ending?
It’s predicted that in less than two years, the average person will own five Wi-Fi enabled devices and that 86 percent of all in-home broadband usage will be via a Wi-Fi connection. Many of us already have many more than five devices and live in homes where 100 percent of broadband usage is dependent on Wi-Fi. So it’s no surprise that the just-released 2015 ARRIS Consumer Entertainment Index offers some revealing data on not only changes in TV watching trends via Wi-Fi devices, but how consumers perceive how their home Wi-Fi is holding up under the added pressure of streaming video. The ARRIS
Drone Technology is Changing the Way We Watch Sports
It’s been a notable year for drones in professional sports as TV networks continue to expand the use of the technology. From golf tournaments to motorcycle races, these unmanned aircrafts are populating the skies of distinguished athletic competitions, giving sports coverage wings it didn’t have before. Back in January of this year, ESPN captured video footage from drones at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo. Then in the Spring, Fox Sports took to airborne coverage when the network tested propeller drones in Indianapolis during the Monster Energy AMA Supercross motorcycle series. NBC Sports
Why Does Cable Programming Do So Well at the Emmys?
As we mentioned last week, the 67th Primetime Emmy nominations were announced and cable shows are running away with the majority of nominations. This week, we take a closer look at what’s behind this dominance, and why some of the best storytelling and actors come from cable. Let’s start with the clear frontrunner, Game of Thrones, which leads the pack with 24 nominations. HBO didn’t have a hard time getting this one to take off. Fans of the book series tuned into their TVs in droves to watch the show, with viewership increasing every year since its television debut in 2011. Last season’s
"Digital Enthusiasts" Redefining What It Means to Watch TV
Today’s TV viewers want choices. Just like today’s consumers demand customized experiences when it comes to how they get their news, spend their money, or interact with others, we expect to be able to watch our favorite shows or news programs in the medium that we choose, depending on the time of day, our moods, or current location. The results of a new study on TV viewing by GfK MRI, a global research company that specializes in market and consumer data, speak to a lot of these behaviors. This is the first of four studies in a series called “TV Share of Clock” launched by GfK, which examine
Cable Dominates Emmy Nominations, HBO Tops List
The 67th Primetime Emmy nominations were announced today and cable programming sits atop the podium with over half of all nominations – 315 of the available 567. Leading the way for cable was (not surprisingly) HBO with 126 noms. The always competitive drama categories were lead by cable hits, taking a large share of the slots. Cable also has a good number of nods in the comedy categories, including shows from HBO, Comedy Central, and FX. This year’s nominations reinforce the trend of the world’s top writers, directors and actors moving to cable and producing cinema-quality programing that
Today's Specials Include Incredible Television
Today, you can watch premium TV with a cable package, through OTT services like Netflix and Hulu, or by buying single episodes and full season passes of your favorite shows on iTunes or Amazon. No matter how you watch it, it’s going to be great content. But if you’re looking for value, the way to go is the cable package. It’s simply more content for less money.
Fierce Competition in the Video Marketplace
Over the last two decades, we’ve gone from relatively few ways to get video at home to literally dozens of choices. See how much the marketplace has changed:
You Really Like Watching TV, Don't You?
People like streaming movies, listening to music, and playing video games online. Groundbreaking, we know. Take a look at the illustration below for a quantifiable look at just how all-consuming our passion for entertainment has become. It is, by a wide margin, our favorite thing to do with a broadband connection. So keep watching, listening, and playing. That’s what broadband is for!