video
Why your Netflix thumbnails change regularly
A thumbnail is worth a thousand words.
Now Netflix Wants to Conquer Prestige Movies—and the Oscars. Why?
The streaming service’s latest original film, the historical epic ‘Outlaw King,’ looks and sounds like a classic awards-friendly drama. Is it meant to be a jewel in the crown of the fastest-growing empire in entertainment or simply a hood ornament?
Source: Now Netflix Wants to Conquer Prestige Movies—and the Oscars. Why? – The Ringer
Watch Me Play excerpt: What a workday is like for a professional Twitch streamer.
Game livestreaming has entered into popular culture in a big way. Twitch, a platform that boasts having millions of broadcasters producing programs for tens of millions of visitors each day, offers up all kinds of live content 24/7 to viewers around the world. The site hosts a range of shows, from “variety” streamers who broadcast different types of games to massive esports tournaments that pull in hundreds of thousands of viewers over the course of a weekend. You can also find live broadcasts of people making cosplay outfits, cooking, or just streaming everyday life. Livestreaming has become not just a part of game culture, but of our everyday media worlds more broadly. And while a tremendous amount of creative production is happening on the site, big issues remain regarding the governance, regulation, and monetization of user-generated content. While playing games for an enthusiastic audience may seem like a dream job, it can be incredibly hard work that requires a tremendous amount of self-training, skill-up, and hustle. Livestreamers are not only changing the face of gaming and giving us a glimpse into the future of media production, their one-person production studios—and businesses—operated out of their homes sync up all too well with broader trends around labor, online platforms, and the future of work.
Source: Watch Me Play excerpt: What a workday is like for a professional Twitch streamer.
Video Streaming Now Makes Up 58% Of Internet Usage Worldwide
Netflix alone takes up about 15% of all downstream traffic worldwide.
Source: Video Streaming Now Makes Up 58% Of Internet Usage Worldwide – Digg
At what point is a skinny bundle no longer skinny?
Skinny bundles of TV channels have emerged in the last few years as a cheap, streamlined alternative to the bloated and expensive cable packages of old. But those bundles have started to put on a few pounds lately.
Source: At what point is a skinny bundle no longer skinny? – CNN
Are Second Screens Distracting TV Viewers?
Marketers say that users’ fragmented media consumption is disrupting their TV advertising approach.
Source: Are Second Screens Distracting TV Viewers? – eMarketer Trends, Forecasts & Statistics
The Hacking of America
Political and technological destabilization have fed off each other since the nation’s founding. Now they are dangerously out of whack.
Source: Opinion | The Hacking of America – The New York Times
DC Comics releases new streaming service, DC Universe
DC Comics has released its new streaming service, DC Universe. The subscription service costs $7.99 per month or $74.99 annually, and will feature original live action and animated series from the world of DC Comics, along with digital comics and classic TV series and films.
Source: DC Comics releases new streaming service, DC Universe – Business Insider
Skin or CGI? Alita: Battle Angel takes manga to photorealistic levels
Director Robert Rodriguez, producer Jon Landau and actress Rosa Salazar share the challenges of the balancing act of CGI and realism.
Source: Skin or CGI? Alita: Battle Angel takes manga to photorealistic levels – CNET
Apple’s rumored TV service: Everything you need to know
Just where is Apple putting that $1 billion investment in TV programming?
Source: Apple’s rumored TV service: Everything you need to know – CNET
Maps are a serious fake news threat, and bots may be making them now
A new study reveals how maps go viral–and why they’ve become the perfect tool for misinformation.
Source: Maps are a serious fake news threat, and bots may be making them now
Read the research paper: Elements of Viral Cartography
RealNetworks’ Scener is like Twitch for Netflix
Incubated at RealNetworks, Scener lets you watch other people as they watch movies and TV shows.
California is leading the state-by-state fight for net neutrality
States are ready to join the fight for the internet — if the courts let them
Source: California is leading the state-by-state fight for net neutrality – The Verge
How should we regulate facial recognition?
Facial recognition is everywhere — airports, police stations, and built into the largest cloud platforms in the world — but there are few federal rules about how it can be used. Is it time to change that?
Source: How should we regulate facial recognition? – The Verge
No flipping: How smart TVs are getting quite smart about you
Smarter sets could mean more niche programming and fewer annoying ads, says the TV industry. Privacy advocates worry consumers are being kept in the dark.
Source: No flipping: How smart TVs are getting quite smart about you
Spotify expands its $4.99 per month student bundle with Hulu to include Showtime
Spotify today is announcing a new way for students to access its Premium service, along with Hulu and Showtime, for a discounted price of $4.99 per month for all three. The new deal is an expansion of the existing Hulu and Spotify bundle for students, which launched around a year ago at the same price.
Source: Spotify expands its $4.99 per month student bundle with Hulu to include Showtime | TechCrunch
Facebook Watch is launching worldwide
Facebook Watch, the social network’s home to original video content and answer to YouTube, is now becoming available worldwide. The Watch tab had first launched last August, only in the U.S., and now touts over 50 million monthly viewers who watch at least a minute of video within Watch.
Rotten Tomatoes is changing what it looks for in movie critics
It’s making it easier for independent critics to join the platform.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes is changing what it looks for in movie critics
The rise of millennials and the death of television
The results of the first round of a YouGov-Mint Millennial survey show that millennials are using social media networks much more than older cohorts
Source: The rise of millennials and the death of television – Livemint
How Netflix could fix its terrible recommendations
Netflix’s subscriptions are stalling, but tricking users into watching mediocre content is a recipe for disaster.