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ESPN, Discovery getting 3D in 2010

by Brian Blank on January 5, 2010

Looks like 3D TV will be making a huge push in 2010 with the news coming out today ESPN and Discovery are launching 3D programming this year. Discovery has already been involved with incredible IMAX programming over the recent years and the move to the small screen seems logical.

Sports on HDTV has brought an incredible element to live broadcast events and the announcement by ESPN adds more to the overall “being on the sideline” feel and will surely be a welcome addition to both casual Super Bowl viewers to hardcore sports enthusiasts.

ESPN plans on bringing its first live 3D event during the first 2010 FIFA World Cup match between host South Africa and Mexico on June 11. Other events planned for 3D include the 2011 BCS National Championship Game, college basketball and football contests, up to 25 World Cup matches and the Summer X Games.

As of now, you will need to have an HDTV with built-in 3D technology to be able to enjoy 3D programming, with plenty of manufacturers showcasing the new sets at CES this week. For those who haven’t jumped into the HDTV arena yet, Mashable’s Christina Warren points out a great point, the slow adoption of HDTV may benefit the 3D set vendors as consumers may hold off on their purchase until 3D technology is integrated into the industry.

It’s a long way from my first experience with 3D TV with a local UHF station showing “The Creature From the Black Lagoon” in 3D back in the early ’80s. I remember my Dad having to mess with the TV color controls and wear the old red and blue lens cardboard glasses to get a slight 3D feel. There is truly nothing that can compare with the immersed IMAX 3D experience but I am looking forward to seeing this 3D technology on the small screen version. I am hoping some eyewear designers take notice and offer some more appealing versions of 3D glasses. It would be nice to sport a pair of stylish Oakleys instead of the functional, yet ugly 3D glasses out there right now.

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Hulu Releases Happy Year-End Stats

by Michelle Lentz on December 30, 2009

It’s the end of the year and everyone who is happy is releasing their stats. Those that aren’t happy, well, not so much. Hulu is getting into the stats game with a Thank You blog post letting us all know that TV-via-PC is very much here to stay.

Let’s start with some of the more useful, business-related stats.

  • According to comScore, monthly users of Hulu grew to over 43 million, a 95 percent increase over this time last year.
  • Hulu doubled their content in the last year, now offering 14,000 hours of content. Last year they offered 5,600 and I still depended on them.
  • Here’s an advertising tidbit for you: The number of advertisers/marketers using Hulu has also more than doubled, growing from 166 to 408.
  • Embeds are up too. Over 6.4 million Hulu players were embedded, which is a 237% jump.

Now for some of the more entertaining factoids:

We like comedies, as evidenced by four of the five most popular shows this year: Saturday Night Live, Family Guy, The Office, The Simpsons, and Naruto Shippuden. In line with that, the most popular clip of the year was an SNL Digital Short: Motherlover. Also in that vein, the most popular full episode was Family Guy’s “Stew-Roids.”

Have you switched over to your PC yet for video? By the numbers, it looks like more and more of us have.

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Tweet Michelle @writetechnology, send her technology news at michelle[at]writetech[dot]net, visit her wine blog when you’re thirsty, and drop by her day job.

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Streaming TV on YouTube?

by Michelle Lentz on December 1, 2009

Google is talking about offering first-run TV shows on YouTube for a fee, similar to the Amazon or iTunes model.  For $1.99, you could view the latest episode of your favorite show, the day after it aired on network television.

The catch? It’s a streaming video. Unlike iTunes or Amazon, you have to watch it as a streaming video. The video won’t reside on your hard drive.

Sources say the site’s negotiations with the networks and studios that own the shows are preliminary. But both sides seem optimistic, since models for such deals already exist. No comment from YouTube.

The biggest stumbling block may be consumers. That’s because Google (GOOG) is talking about streaming the shows instead of letting consumers download them to their computers, as both Apple (AAPL) and Amazon (AMZN) do. But the networks and studios, which control pricing, will want to sell the streamed shows at the same price as downloads; they fear that offering them at a different price will force them to go back and rework their existing deals.

Executives at YouTube and TV insist that the disparity is simply a perception problem and cite studies showing that most people who download TV episodes only watch them once, anyway. But that’s a tough sell.

Now, the reason I will occasionally buy shows from iTunes is that I then have the freedom to watch them on my phone, my iPod, my TV, or my laptop. I can watch the show on an airplane because it’s local to my device. Personally, I hate the idea of paying $1.99 for streaming content. So until they figure things out, I’ll definitely stick to free Hulu for the television that I miss and downloading episodes from iTunes for television on the go.

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Tweet Michelle @writetechnology, send her technology news at michelle[at]writetech[dot]net, visit her wine blog when you’re thirsty, and drop by her day job.

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New Apple Ads: Funny or Old?

by Michelle Lentz on August 25, 2009

Last night as my husband was Tivo-ing through the football game and the commercials, I saw an Apple ad go by. We stopped, clicked back a few frames, and watched. It says something about an ad campaign when you stop fast forwarding and make an effort to view the commercial.

Apparently two new Apple ads debuted last night. I’m entertained by the ads, as I always have been. I enjoy John Hodgman and Justin Long – and last night, David Puddy, er, Patrick Warburton. The actors make me smile. I’m also entertained by the Seinfeld thing. Remember when Jerry did those strange commercials for Microsoft? Now we have Puddy shilling for Apple. I find it funny.

The ads seem to have received mixed reviews, however, as some people are just tired of the shtick.

Gizmodo: The ad reiterates the same played-out message we’ve heard in dozens of these ads: PCs get viruses, crash, push your grandparents down the stairs, whatever, so go buy a Mac and be hip or something. Apple’s amassing a really funny cast here; even Justin Long was great in Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and tossing Patrick Warburton in there could have been a golden opportunity to be, you know, funny instead of just smug. Too bad Apple seems content to stick with the status quo.

Cult of Mac: The ad isn’t funny, just like the rest of the ailing series. This joke has definitely run its course. Like Sieinfield itself, it’s time for Apple to pull the plug.

The ads directly target the Microsoft “Laptop Hunters” campaign, using girls who are similar to Microsoft’s (and now HP’s) Lauren. The campaign drives home the fact that Macs are generally virus-free. Now, I know that most of you are smart enough to avoid viruses on your PCs, but that’s you. Every week, we have a different PC in our house that belongs to a member of our family. We’re always stripping them of viruses and malware. I hope my family watches these commercials. I could do with less computer fixing.

Below find both ads embedded from YouTube:

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Tweet Michelle @writetechnology, send her technology news at michelle[at]writetech[dot]net, visit her wine blog when you’re thirsty, and drop by her day job.

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The Art of Elysium Heaven & Hell Gala

by Brian Solis on February 1, 2009

words and pictures by Brian Solis


The Children

I was given a tremendous gift recently, the ability to photograph a very special event that benefited a very special organization.

Relativity Media, LLC CEO, Ryan Kavanaugh and fashion designer Rosetta Millington Getty hosted The Art of Elysium’s 2nd annual black-tie charity gala at the beautiful and historic Vibiana in Los Angeles.

The Art of Elysium is a non-profit organization founded in 1997, that encourages working actors, artists and musicians to dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling serious medical conditions. The organization provides artistic workshops that help children learn and participate in acting, art, comedy, fashion, music, radio, songwriting and creative writing. To contribute your time or donations, please contact them at: info@theartofelysium.org

Vibiana

The occasion served as an event to showcase the multitude of artistic expressions The Art of Elysium shares with hospitalized children on a daily basis.

The visual and conceptual aspects of the theme, “Heaven and Hell,” were created by legendary director, Jim Sheridan (Brothers, My Left Foot, In America), who also received the program’s Visionary award that evening. Following the celebration dinner at Vibrian, guests went followed the hosts to “hell” at the after-party hosted at The Edison.

Eva Mendes received the “Spirit of Elysium” award for her enthusiastic support and active participation in The Art of Elysium’s hospital program over the past two years, as well as her dedication to securing considerable financial support for the program.

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story…

Amber Heard

Brittany Snow

Shannen Doherty and Ryan Kavanaugh

Ryan Kavanaugh, Topher Grace

Zelda Williams

Tobey Maguire and Jennifer Meyer

Ryan Kavanaugh, Amy Smart

Eva Mendes, Milla Jovovich

Rumer Willis, Ryan Kavanaugh

Priscilla Ahn

Ryan Kavanaugh, Sting

Gerard Butler

Ryan Kavanaugh and Kate Bosworth

Cartier Jewels

Priscilla Ahn performs

Ryan Kavanaugh, Jim Sheridan

The Edison

Daniel Lanois

Bonnie Sommerville, Andrew Marcus

Dave Annable

Ali Larter, Milla Jovovich

Kirsten Dunst

Donald Faison, Cacee Cobb

Gala attendants included Sting and wife, Trudie Styler, Gerard Butler, Kirsten Dunst, Aaron Eckhart, Tobey Maguire and Jennifer Meyer, Rosanna Arquette and Patricia Arquette, Joy Bryant, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden, Rumer Willis, Amy Smart, Milla Jovovich, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, Bonnie Sommerville, Dave Annable, Shiva Rose, Charles Roven, Kate Bosworth, Shannen Doherty, Brittany Snow, Marisa Tomei, Sophia Bush, Ali Larter, Elijah Wood, Jared Leto, Rachel Griffiths, Topher Grace, Amber Heard, Paula Wagner and Rick Nicita, Lisa Love, Frederic de Narp and Ben Silverman.

For more pictures, please visit my album on Flickr.

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