What Smart TVs Need to Succeed: Three Pillars of Smart TV's

The Internet and TV are finally converging, in a way consumers seem to be responding to.
Intel is trying to brand smart TVs as something different from Internet-connected TVs - poised to be a hot item this holiday season - that have web-based features but fall short of being smart.

In Intel's world,says Wilfred Martis, a smart TV must meet the following three pillars:

Unlimited Content Access: "To do that, you need a browser." This means a smart TV shouldn't be restricted by the apps available to run on it. It should be able to grab any content that lives on the web. The only product that really does that, at the moment, sort of, is Google TV (available on some Sony products and the Logitech Revue).

Extensive Use of Apps: Martis emphasized that the architecture should be easy for app developers to use so apps would be plentiful. Again, this plays into Intel's strengths since its basic architecture is widely used and would allow easy portability of apps from one platform to a smart TV platform. "Creative developers will enhance the way users experience television," he says.

Immersive Experience: OK, this one's kind of obvious, but also one that's difficult to get right. Having used Google TV for a couple of weeks, I'm a little split on how immersive it is. But it is pretty good and the best method I've seen to integrate the web beyond the gated community of apps you will find on devices like a PS3, Roku or most Internet-connected TVs.

For the complete article, please click here.

Technicolor collaborates with Intel for next generation smart set-top boxes

Technicolor announced that it is collaborating with Intel on its latest system on a chip, the Intel® Atom™ processor CE4200, formerly code-named Groveland.

The strategic collaboration will fuel Technicolor's plan to drive into the market a new generation of integrated broadcast and IP set-top boxes, enabling service providers to create exciting new multi-screen, 3D, games and online video user experiences in the home.

The collaboration agreement with Intel has allowed Technicolor to test early prototype silicon, provide technical recommendations to Intel, and prove new STB designs. Technicolor has developed an early 3D Multiview Coding (MVC) and video transcoding demonstration of the chipset capabilities to illustrate its potential in delivering the next generation TV experience. The first devices from Technicolor are expected to be in production early in 2011.

New Content Available from CONNECTIONS 2010 Speakers & Sponsors

The 2010 CONNECTIONS Speakers and Sponsors have shared marketing materials, product information, company media kits, and lots more.

The U.S CONNECTIONS Sponsors include Verizon Wireless, Cisco, Intel, Accenture, ActiveVideo Networks, Allegro, DivX, D-Link, Gigle Networks, Intamac, ProVision Communications, PacketVideo, RedMere, Rovi, Support.com, 4Home, Accedo Broadband, Affinegy, AlertMe, Arxan, IBM, iTOK, LEVEL Studios, PlumChoice, Vuze, Zenverge, and Roxio.

Speakers (that submitted information to share) include Cedric Arnaud-Battandier, VP, Strategy & Corporate Development, Technicolor; Cathy Bradley, Global Lead, Customer Contact Business Process Outsourcing Services, Accenture; Savinay Berry, Vice President, Granite Ventures; William C. Brown, Assoc. VP Technology and GM, Service Provider Business Unit, North America, D-Link; Mike Buckingham, Director of Marketing, SmartLabs, Inc.; Alfredo Choperena, President, SimpleHomeNet; Martin Flusberg, CEO, Powerhouse Dynamics; Todd Hinders, Senior Vice President, ExtendMedia; Scott Hublou, Co-Founder, SVP of Products, EcoFactor; Tony Masterson, COO, CTO and Co-founder, Zenverge; Kevin Meagher, CEO, Intamac Systems; Andy Melder, Vice President Business Development, Gigle Networks; Kevin Morgan, CTO, Arxan Technologies, Inc.; Tom Pollard, Director of Product Management, Verimatrix Inc.; Yaron Raz, Director of Video Solutions Marketing, BigBand Networks; Rick Schwartz, Senior Product Manager, PacketVideo (PV); Loren Shade, VP Marketing, Allegro Software Development Corporation; Melissa Simpler, CEO, Affinegy; Peter Smyth, CEO, RedMere; Steve Tranter, VP Interactive and Broadband, NDS; Edgar Villalpando, SVP, Marketing, ActiveVideo Networks; Dr. Kenneth Wacks, Member, GridWise Architecture Council, U.S. Department of Energy; and Nate Williams, CMO, 4Home.

To view all materials, click here.

Thank you 2010 U.S. Sponsors!

Parks Associates wanted to thank all of the U.S. CONNECTIONS sponsors for helping make 2010 another great event!

Reception: Verizon Wireless

Gold: Cisco, Intel

Silver: Accenture, ActiveVideo Networks, Allegro, DivX, D-Link, Gigle Networks, Intamac, ProVision Communications, PacketVideo, RedMere, Rovi, support.com

Bronze: 4Home, Accedo Broadband, Affinegy, AlertMe, Arxan, IBM, iTOK, LEVEL Studios, PlumChoice, Vuze, Zenverge

Breakfast: Roxio

Thank you again for your continued support!

CONNECTIONS 2010 Wrap Up

CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference & Showcase concluded last week following multiple sessions focused on value-added services, new platforms and distribution models, and digital media consumption. Industry leaders affirmed consumer demand for online video and proliferation of connected CE are driving the shift to multiplatform access within the home.

The conference featured keynotes from Sony, Samsung, Verizon, and Intel and research from Parks Associates, including the following insights, as noted in The Viodi View and The Urban Network:

• Annual U.S. revenues for online video from PCs and mobile devices will exceed $1.8 billion by 2014.

• Limited audience reach, the lack of a single-source measurement standard, and lack of format standards are major factors that could impact the growth of online video.

• The total addressable U.S. market for online video is approximately 170.5 million users in 2010 and will grow to 220 million by 2013.

• Consumers are still cautious in their purchasing, and according to Tricia Parks, CEO, Parks Associates, “No company can let its guard down.”

• 3D is here to stay. By 2014, one-third of homes will have a 3DTV, according to data presented by Samsung.

• Energy is moving from a commodity to a service, thanks to the ongoing expansion of the smart grid in the U.S.

• According to Cisco’s Ken Wirt, 91% of all Internet traffic by 2013 will be video bits.
  

In his CONNECTIONS™ keynote “Entertainment in a Connected World,” Mitch Singer, CTO, Sony Pictures Entertainment; President, DECE, discussed current efforts by the DECE to establish a standard for distributed content.

In his keynote “TV Technology in the New Age of Consumer Buying,” Scott Birnbaum, VP, Samsung LCD Business, detailed the evolution of the television and the trends toward thinner, more artistic and eco-friendly set designs.

In his keynote “The Connected Home: Turning SciFi into Non-Fiction,” Joseph Ambeault, Director, Product Development and Management, Video Services, Verizon, discussed the significant potential of the connected home due to the convergence of devices and services.

Wilfred Martis, General Manager, Retail CE, Digital Home Group, Intel, discussed the Era of the Smart TV, plus the need for players to act quickly in this rapidly changing market, in his keynote “Smart TVs: Ready for Primetime,” which also featured Anthony Soohoo, SVP, Entertainment, CBS Interactive.

Archived videos of the keynote addresses are available at www.parksassociates.com/connvideo.

CONNECTIONS focuses on New Media & Digital Content, Entertainment Platforms & Services, Home Controls & Energy Management, and CE

CONNECTIONS™ will feature two pre-show research workshops, “Monetizing the Digital Lifestyle” and “Residential Energy Management: Home Area Networks and the Consumer,” on June 8, prior to the conference. Parks Associates’ research teams will provide insight, analysis, and forecasts, including consumer and industry data, in these interactive workshops.

CONNECTIONS™ keynote sessions will feature executives from Intel, Verizon, Samsung LCD Business, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

CONNECTIONS™ Conference Sessions:

-- Expanding Consumers’ Digital Media Choices
-- Digital Lifestyles: Outlook – A Parks Associates Analyst Roundtable
-- Opening Session - Monetizing Connected CE
-- TV and Online Video Advertising Metrics: Managing the Data
-- Design Elements for Connected CE
-- Mobile Internet and Cloud Services
-- Energy Management as a Key Application for Home Controls
-- Digital Home Technical Support Services
-- DRM, Conditional Access, and Payment Models
-- 3DTV
-- Home Area Network: Architectures and Implications
-- Service Provider Innovation
-- Residential Energy Management
-- Getting Consumers to Care about Home Controls
-- Business Models for Energy Management
-- The Future of the Set-top Box
-- TV Everywhere and Online Video
-- Innovations & Investments: Venture Capitalist Insights

For more information on CONNECTIONS™, visit www.connectionsus.com .

More than 100 industry executives lend insights at CONNECTIONS Conference

CONNECTIONS speakers will deliver insight and recommendations for new business models and opportunities in digital media/content, connected consumer electronics, broadband and value-added services, and home systems. View full agenda here.

Keynote Speakers
Joseph Ambeault, Director, Product Development and Management, Video Services, Verizon
Scott Birnbaum, Vice President, Samsung LCD Business
Wilfred Martis, General Manager, Retail CE, Digital Home Group, Intel Corporation
Mitch Singer, CTO, Sony Pictures Entertainment; President, DECE

Speakers & Panelists
Cedric Arnaud-Battandier, VP, Strategy & Corporate Development, Technicolor
Seth Bailey, CEO, iTOK
David Barclay, Director Energy Management, OpenPeak
Anthony Bay, CEO, MOD Systems
David Bercovich, Vice President of Business Development, AlertMe
Savinay Berry, Vice President, Granite Ventures
Gilles BianRosa, CEO, Vuze, Inc.
Stephen Blum, President, Tellus Venture Associates
Jeff Bonin, Vice President of Business Development, Alticast
Kris Bowring, Senior Director, Emerging Business, Best Buy
Paul Brody, Global Lead, IBM Electronics Industry Strategy Practice, IBM Global Business Services
William C. Brown, Assoc. VP Technology and GM, Service Provider Business Unit, North America, D-Link
Mike Buckingham, Director of Marketing, SmartLabs, Inc.
Thomas Carpenter, VP Operations and Digital Chief of Staff, Epix
Susan Cashen, Vice President Marketing, Control4
David Chechelashvili, Head of Gaming and Retail, XpanD, Inc
Alfredo Choperena, President, SimpleHomeNet
Matthew Choy, Marketing Director, Rsupport Inc.
Albert Chu, Vice President, Marketing and Alliances, ACCESS Systems Americas
Jim Denney, Vice President, General Manager, Product Marketing, TiVo Inc.
Gary Ellison, Chief Security Architect, Intertrust Technologies, representing Marlin
Greg Ennis, Technical Director, Wi-Fi Alliance
Jim Feuille, General Partner, Crosslink Capital
Martin Flusberg, CEO, Powerhouse Dynamics
Paul Fulton, General Manager, Prosumer Business Unit, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Dwight Gibson, VP & GM Connected Home Solutions, Ingersoll Rand
Alexandre Giess, Head of Digital Home - Group Marketing North America, Orange/France Telecom Group
Alex Glass, Vice President, Global Operations, thePlatform
Wynn Grubbs, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, PlumChoice, Inc.
Dave Habiger, President & CEO, Sonic Solutions (Roxio)
Brian Henrichs, Chief Business Development Officer, Actiontec Electronics
Todd Hinders, Senior Vice President, ExtendMedia
Scott Hublou, Co-Founder, SVP of Products, EcoFactor
Richard Irving, Managing Partner, Pond Venture Partners Ltd.
Kanaan Jemili, Vice President of Product Management, DivX, Inc.
Michael Kostainsek, Senior Partner, Account Director, MEC (WPP’s Group M)
Douglas Light, Sr. Vice President of Global Sales and Business Development, Widevine
Steve Linke, Associate Director Consumer Electronics, Verizon Wireless - Open Development
James Lopez, General Manager, Digital Video Surveillance, Logitech
Ajay Luthra, Senior Director of Advanced Technology, Motorola
Letha McLaren, Vice President of Energy Products, iControl Networks
Kevin Meagher, CEO, Intamac Systems
Andy Melder, Vice President Business Development, Gigle Networks
Amir Mobini, President and CEO, Zenverge
Frank Mona III, Executive Director, Sales Execution, Consumer Home Services, AT&T
Kevin Morgan, CTO, Arxan Technologies, Inc.
Malachy Moynihan, VP, Video Strategy, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Macario Namie, Senior Director, Product Marketing, Jasper Wireless
Richard Nesin, Executive Director, HomePNA Alliance
Robert O'Dell, President/CEO, SecurityCoverage, Inc.
Amy Oehler, Senior Manager, Business Development Direct Energy, Direct Energy
Nathan Ota, Solutions Product Marketing Manager, Consumer Solutions, Trilliant
Sean Parham, Executive Vice President & CMO, 2Wire, Inc.
Nash Parker, Director of Emerging Technology & Media, Alcatel-Lucent
Tony Perucca, Senior Director, comScore, Inc.
Tom Pollard, Director of Product Management, Verimatrix Inc.
Drake Pruitt, SVP Business Development, Ascent Media Group
Yaron Raz, Director of Video Solutions Marketing, BigBand Networks
Terri Richardson, Business Integration Manager, Navic at Microsoft
Anthony Rodio, COO, Support.com
Russ Schafer, Senior Director, Global Product Marketing, Yahoo! Connected TV, Yahoo!
Daniel Scheinman, SVP & GM, Cisco Media Solutions Group, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Rick Schwartz, Senior Product Manager, PacketVideo (PV)
Loren Shade, VP Marketing, Allegro Software Development Corporation
Gene Sheridan, CEO, BridgeCo, Inc.
Charley Shoemaker, Director, Product Management, Nielsen Online, The Nielsen Company
Howard Simons, Director of Sales Research, West Division, Comcast Spotlight
Melissa Simpler, CEO, Affinegy
Peter Smyth, CEO, RedMere
Kurt Stammberger, Vice President Marketing, Mocana
Mark Studness, Director E-Commerce, Verizon
Dean Takahashi, Digital Media Lead Writer, VentureBeat
Jim Theberge, Product Management Director, Rovi Corporation
Steve Tranter, VP Interactive and Broadband, NDS
Daren Tsui, CEO, mSpot, Inc
Edgar Villalpando, SVP, Marketing, ActiveVideo Networks
Dr. Kenneth Wacks, Member, GridWise Architecture Council, U.S. Department of Energy
Ian Walsh, VP Business Development, ProVision Communications
Nate Williams, CMO, 4Home
Ken Wirt, Vice President Consumer Marketing, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Tom Woods, VP, User Experience, Rovi Corporation
Mark W. Young, Vice President, Strategy & BD, Mobile, Comcast Interactive Media
Dan Ziegler, Regional Director, Latens Systems

Parks Associates Moderators
Farhan Abid, Research Analyst, Parks Associates
Bill Ablondi, Director, Home Systems Research, Parks Associates
Pietro Macchiarella, Research Analyst, Parks Associates
Tricia Parks, Founder and CEO, Parks Associates
Kurt Scherf, Vice President & Principal Analyst, Parks Associates
Stuart Sikes, President, Parks Associates
Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates
Heather Way, Research Analyst, Parks Associates

Intel Keynote to discuss Smart TV at CONNECTIONS Conference

Parks Associates announced Wilfred Martis, General Manager, Retail CE, Digital Home Group, Intel Corporation, will deliver the keynote “Smart TVs: Ready for Primetime” at CONNECTIONS™ on Thursday, June 10, at 9:00 a.m.

In his keynote, Mr. Martis will discuss Smart TV, a new category of CE devices that will offer consumers an entirely new interactive TV experience. He will discuss newly announced Google TV*, based on Android*, Chrome* and the Intel® Atom™ processor CE4100, which is a premier example of a Smart TV experience that seamlessly integrates television, the Internet and personal content with search capabilities and access to virtually unlimited applications.

Mr. Martis will examine the technological, content, and business factors that have aligned to jumpstart today’s Smart TV Era. He will offer a roadmap and highlight the business strategies necessary to succeed in this rapidly moving market, which will start to show winners and losers in less than 18 months.

CONNECTIONS™ features multiple sessions on the design, business, and marketing challenges for connected CE and the growing demand for interactive entertainment. Sessions include industry-leading consumer research and executive analysis to highlight the next opportunities and future business strategies for video technologies and platforms.

For more information, visit www.connectionsus.com.

CONNECTIONS US sponsors include Verizon Wireless, Cisco, Intel...

Parks Associates announced CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference & Showcase will feature more than 60 sponsors and supporters from the digital living markets. Parks Associates will host CONNECTIONS™ on June 8-10 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, with more than 500 executives focused on new media, home controls and energy management, mobile and entertainment platforms, value-added services, and connected consumer electronics.

Our CONNECTIONS™ sponsors reflect a broad array of companies all adding value to both home networks and access services and helping to create new value from these exciting applications.

CONNECTIONS™ sponsors:

Reception: Verizon Wireless

Gold: Cisco, Intel

Silver: Accenture, ActiveVideo Networks, Allegro, DivX, D-Link, Gigle Networks, Intamac, ProVision Communications, PacketVideo, RedMere, Rovi, support.com

Bronze: 4Home, Accedo Broadband, Affinegy, Arxan, IBM, iTOK, LEVEL Studios, PlumChoice, Vuze, Zenverge

Breakfast: Roxio

Platinum supporting organizations are Churchill Club and JETRO. Supporting organizations include ADMIN, ATIS, CABA, CEDIA, ChinaCCM.com, Circle F Media, Digital Media Pipeline, Electronics Technicians Association, EMA’s GamePlan Summit, ETSI, Experiential Marketing Forum, FTTH Conference & Expo, HomePlug Powerline Alliance, HomePNA, IDMA, MoCA, MPEG Industry Forum, SIP Center, Wi-Fi Alliance, Wi-Fi Technology Forum, Wireless Industry Partnership, and WITI.

Platinum supporting media are Connected Planet, Digital Media Wire, and Home Toys. Supporting media are BoogarLists, Conference Guru, Connect-World, FierceIPTV, FierceMobileContent, FierceOnlineVideo, FierceWireless:Europe, Gadget-t, Global Electronics & Electrical Appliances, HiddenWires, Home Media Magazine, IPTV Industry, OSP, Residential Systems, Screen Digest, TVover.net, VentureBeat, and WiMAX Industry.

50% of U.S. households are interested in home energy monitoring

Home monitoring and controls companies will need to take alternate, more indirect routes to reach mass-market status, according to international research firm Parks Associates.

Almost 50% of U.S. households are very interested in an energy-monitoring device, with nearly 80% willing to pay $100 provided it saves 10-30% on their electricity bill. Energy applications are popular now because of the need for cost savings, but in the end, all home systems will need to be interconnected. By embedding their technologies into energy-related appliances and systems, controls and monitoring companies can get a foothold in the home and start to build traction on a mass scale with consumers.

Controls and monitoring companies can form strategic partnerships with system manufacturers, service providers, and utilities to build these inroads. Many utilities have smart grid programs, which have partnership opportunities, but the popularity of energy solutions has attracted new, nontraditional players. For example, Intel recently announced a sensor that monitors power usage throughout a home and shows the homeowner the amount of power used by different appliances and systems.

CONNECTIONS welcomes 2010 sponsors

Parks Associates is proud to announce the 2010 CONNECTIONS U.S. Sponsors and Supporting Organizations.

CONNECTIONS™ sponsors include 4Home, ActiveVideo Networks, Affinegy, Allegro, Arxan Technologies, Cisco, Gigle Networks, IBM, Intel, iTOK, PacketVideo, ProVision, RedMere, Rovi, Roxio, Verizon Wireless, Vuze and Zenverge.

Supporting organizations include ADMIN, ATIS, CABA, CEDIA, ChinaCCM.com, Circle F Media, Electronics Technicians Association, EMA’s GamePlan Summit, ETSI, Experiential Marketing Forum, HomePlug Powerline Alliance, HomePNA, IDMA, JETRO, MoCA, MPEG Industry Forum, SIP Center, Wi-Fi Alliance, Wi-Fi Technology Forum, Wireless Industry Partnership, and WITI.

Platinum supporting media are Connected Planet, Digital Media Wire, and Home Toys. Supporting media are BoogarLists, Conference Guru, Connect-World, FierceIPTV, FierceMobileContent, FierceOnlineVideo, FierceWireless:Europe, Gadget-t, Global Electronics & Electrical Appliances, HiddenWires, Home Media Magazine, IPTV Industry, OSP, Residential Systems, Screen Digest, TVover.net, VentureBeat, and WiMAX Industry.

Thank you to all the above organizations for their continued support!

Intel, Samsung, Sony Pictures, Verizon to Keynote @ CONNECTIONS

Executives from Intel, Samsung LCD Business, Sony Pictures, and Verizon will present the CONNECTIONS Conference keynotes on topics including TV technology, content protection and cloud media services, and the role of the service provider.

The keynotes include:

Joseph Ambeault, Director, Product Development and Management, Video Services, Verizon

Scott Birnbaum, VP, Samsung LCD Business

Eric B. Kim, Sr. VP, GM, Digital Home Group, Intel Corporation

Mitch Singer, CTO, Sony Pictures Entertainment; President, DECE

To view the full agenda, visit www.CONNECTIONSus.com.

55% of TVs to Be Internet-Connected by 2013

In a recent study, the internet surpassed TV as the “most essential” medium.

By 2013, 55% of all TV models shipped by manufacturers will have a built-in web connection, says Steve Koenig, director of the Consumer Electronics Association.

The internet-connected TVs will not require separate boxes, software or setup. Only 18% of TVs shipped from manufacturers have built-in web connections today.

Partnerships have been developed...Google is in a partnership with Sony and Intel to make televisions act more like PCs, allowing users to access any site they want. In addition, Intel is working with some of the big names in the industry to get its processors into internet-connected TVs. Samsung is working on its own applications platform. Yahoo has built a user interface for internet TV that displays widgets for weather, news, shopping and social networking which run across the bottom of the screen.

Read the full article here.

Google Said to Work on TV With Intel, Sony, Logitech

Google is working to bring Web software to televisions through a partnership with Intel, Sony, and Logitech , according to a recent BusinessWeek article.

Moving beyond the Internet search engine business, Google is now challenging companies like Yahoo, TiVo, Rovi, and Microsoft in delivering the Internet to TVs.

Parks Associates VP of Research, Kurt Scherf is quoted in the article, “it’s a sign of the legitimacy of Internet connectivity moving well beyond the PC and mobile spaces, which Google has tackled already. It completes the third leg of the stool.”

More than one-quarter of TVs purchased by U.S. consumers in January already are capable of linking to the Web through a Wi- Fi or Ethernet connection, according to another research company.

Web-enabled TVs currently on the market allow users to watch YouTube videos, view online photo albums, play games and stream movies from Netflix Inc.

To read the full article, click here.

New services, experiences, options for advanced TV, video, and multimedia a key focus at CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference & Showcase

Parks Associates has announced the speakers in the Content and Services track at CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference & Showcase, which features a keynote from Verizon and sessions focused on the future of the set-top box, Web TV, advertising, and interactive services.

Parks Associates research shows the number of broadband households worldwide now exceeds 400 million. In addition, more than 200 million households have a data network, and 73 million have a residential gateway.

Joseph Ambeault, Director, Product Development and Management, Video Services, Verizon, will deliver the opening keynote, FiOS TV: Changing TV for Good, on June 3 at 10:00 a.m.

TV 2.0 – The Future of the Set-Top Box, June 3 at 11:15 a.m., discusses changes in the set-top and its impact on other CE and networking devices. Speakers include:

Seale Moorer, CEO, Exceptional Innovation
Mike Noonen, SVP, Sales and Marketing, NXP Semiconductors
Jan Steenkamp, Founder Member, Head Market Development, Irdeto
Steve Tranter, VP Interactive and Broadband, NDS
Derek Turner, Senior Product Mgr, TV, Video & Music Business, Microsoft

WebTV: Extreme TV Makeover?, June 3 at 1:30 p.m., examines the online video space and its impact on traditional TV services as well as opportunities to distribute Web content throughout the home. Speakers include:

Ajay Dugar, Executive Director, Paramount Digital Entertainment
Pankaj Gupta, Manager, Market Management - Service Providers, Cisco
Wilfred Martis, Dir., Platform Strategy & Planning, Digital Home Grp, Intel
Avner Ronen, CEO & Co-Founder, Boxee
Edgar Villalpando, SVP, Marketing, ActiveVideo Networks

Interactive Services: Engaging the Consumer, June 3 at 2:30 p.m., examines the worldwide pay television market and consumer adoption of broadband video, including willingness to pay for advanced television features. Speakers include:

Sean Besser, VP, Business Development, Macrovision
Jeff Bonin, VP, GM, Alticast
Brandon Brown, CEO, Zodiac Interactive
Vibha Rustagi, CEO & President, itaas, Inc.

Multimedia on Mobile Devices, June 4 at 11:15 a.m., discusses emerging mobile multimedia applications and future business strategies. Speakers include:

Jackson Gates, Director, Business Development, Pandora
Brian Johnson, SVP, Americas and Asia Pacific, mBlox, Inc.
Craig Lee, VP Marketing, Ortiva Wireless
Rick Schwartz, Product Manager, DLNA, PacketVideo
Scot Zarkiewicz, CEO, SingleClick Systems

To view the full press release, click here.

Gaming Consoles Follow up Interview with Intel's Randy Stude

Thank you Randy Stude, Director, Intel for participating on the "Connected Game Consoles: King of the Digital Home" at the CONNECTIONS Summit at CES.

Which of the three game console vendors is in the best position to lead in the content and value-added services offerings?

Sony. Sony’s platform is much better equipped by way of its support of Blu-ray. Consumers buying new consoles are connecting them (or will be soon) to high definition tv’s and are looking for high definition content to play on them. The combined sku (gaming & Blu-ray) offer the PS3 a unique long term advantage. Additionally, if Sony is successful in bringing its Movie, Television and Music content to the PS3 they will have an even deeper advantage vs Microsoft who does not own or distribute content directly.

Which of the console vendors is most closely aligned with service providers?

None of the above. Microsoft has strong relationships with Telcos who are developing IP/TV services, but the Telcos don’t want to support consoles directly as they don’t offer a turnkey solution (set top box + services) business model.

Will console manufacturers continue to add value-added functionality such as home monitoring, home controls, home productivity functions (budget software, health and wellness utilities), essentially becoming an infotainment platform alternative to the PC?

Why would they. PC’s are much more adept at performing these functions. The ability to perform these functions is not something inherent to a television…

Hot Topic for CONNECTIONS™ 2009: Widgets on the TV

CONNECTIONS™ has followed developments in interactive and digital entertainment for several years, and at each event, we highlight the new television features the industry is offering to consumers. This year CONNECTIONS™ will feature multiple sessions on the key TV 2.0 applications generating market attention – and widgets (and, more broadly, customization and Web-based applications) will be a key point of interest in 2009.

Parks Associates, the host of CONNECTIONS™, recently completed TV 2.0: The Consumer Perspective, a study examining, among other things, consumer attitudes toward new television services. The study, which will figure prominently in several upcoming CONNECTIONS™ sessions, finds that a fair number of consumers are interested in the ability to have Internet-like experiences on their televisions. Twenty percent of U.S. adults in broadband households express a strong interest in having widgets on their TVs. These widgets would allow them to customize on-screen tickers to display information such as news, sports, weather, and traffic. In addition, 23% want media-sharing capability on their TVs (for example, the ability to view pictures from a photo-sharing site).

Consumers also want to interact with one another via their TVs. Again, TV 2.0: The Consumer Perspective finds 14% of consumers are interested in the ability to chat with other people viewing the same program (25% of 18-24 year olds) and 13% like the ability to recommend (and receive recommendations) about programs (22% of 18-24 year olds).

Needless to say, bringing Internet features to the TV is a gamble, as Microsoft, Apple, Sony, and many others will attest. However, the idea has merit and can be successful with consumers if the provider offers the right features. Yahoo! and Intel are moving in the right general direction, and many similar products will be unveiled in the near future. At CONNECTIONS™, we will drill down further into this topic, but at the outset, companies contemplating such products and services must keep a few things in mind if they are to have a winning strategy:

1. New services must be very simple to set up and use
2. Every service/function must have a distinct purpose that makes the lives of customers easier
3. The company (or companies) behind the launch must have a solid business model to accompany every new service

At CONNECTIONS™, we will look further into widgets and other TV 2.0 topics – and you will be able to see what other companies are planning in this space!

Is your company planning or about to launch a new TV 2.0 feature? Sponsor CONNECTIONS™, and you can show your new offering at the CONNECTIONS™ Showcase.