Playboy CEO Christie Hefner announced yesterday plans to shut down its DVD business and focus on Internet video: It is unavoidable that we reduce our cost structure to reflect current economic realities even as we continue to invest in our growth businesses. We will also respond to changes in how consumers access content and advertisers use […]

YouTube co-founder and CEO Chad Hurley spoke yesterday at MIPCOM, an international media conference. Highlights of his speech: There was a time when a centralized distribution model was relevant and effective. But if you listen to your audience; if you hear what they are telling you; you will understand that the days of the centralized distribution […]

Internet video site Joost today launched its new Flash-based web video service and introduced social networking tools designed to make it easier to share and find videos. “People have always relied on their friends’ recommendations to figure out which movies they want to watch, or talked about their favorite TV shows and moments with friends […]

While the pundits may still be debating who the political fallout of the Biden/Palin Vice Presidential Candidate Debate, it looks like Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live and new media are the real winners.  Tina Fey’s impression of Sarah Palin has been hugely popular, big enough to influence the future of television. According to Integrated Media Measurement (IMMI), […]

The New York Times reports that CBS anchor Katie Couric is getting a bump from her presence on the Internet: Katie Couric has been the most watched, most talked-about network news anchor this election season. Just not necessarily on CBS. Consider that the three most popular YouTube videos of her interviews with Gov. Sarah Palin […]

This is an unsubstantiated rumor – but at least it’s an interesting one.  CNet’s Nate Lanxon reports, via Jason Calacanis, that Apple is working on a networked television. The rumored Apple Television will be fully networked LCD HDTVs, with the ability to stream all your iTunes content from your Mac or PC. In a nutshell,the Apple Television […]

The Wall Street Journal reports that people are starting to drop their cable subscriptions for Internet video: “I’m saving a lot of money,” says Tony Leach, a product manager at an online stock brokerage firm in the Bay Area. Mr. Leach canceled his $60-a-month cable subscription two years ago and has watched all of his […]

Popular Internet television site Hulu today introduced two new features. The first, Channels, aims to simplify navigation, while the second, Discussion Boards, introduces a social media aspect to the site.

Yesterday, we noted that it looked like proprietary video viewers are dead, because Joost and blinkx were focusing on delivering video to your Web browser.  It looks like Veoh is moving in the same direction.  NewTeeVee reports that Veoh plans to release a browser plug-in that’s “significantly lighter than the VeohTV app.” “We continue to […]

It looks like proprietary web video viewers are dead. Today, both blinkx and Joost announced that they were following the lead of YouTube, Hulu and others and focusing on delivering Internet content straight to your Web browser: blinkx announced that blinkx BBTV will now be available without download, straight from your browser. BBTV simultaneously delivers […]