Blogs

Connecting television: the struggle to control the living room

August 14, 2014

There’s a battle taking place in living rooms all around the world. Smart TV makers are fighting set-top box manufacturers, who in turn are fending off advances from over-the-top players and traditional pay TV operators. They’re all vying for the Holy Grail that is consumer attention, and while there is no clearly defined victor at present it’s only a matter of time before one emerges. The winner will be the platform capable of becoming a...

VOXTOK and QOBUZ Enter Worldwide Partnership for High Quality Music Streaming and Download Service

May 13, 2014

Voxtok and Qobuz, the first high-fidelity music service, partner to provide streaming, purchasing and downloading of music to Voxtox’s new easy-to-use audiophile products. This system is made of three main elements: - A Voxtok Hi-Fi device which includes an audiophile player, a home music server and local storage. - A set of cloud services based on both Qobuz (streaming, purchasing and music storage) and Voxtok’s (local and on-the-go streaming) infrastructures. - Voxtok’s app for mobiles,...

Mobile Marketing Forum 2014 - Ignore Mobile at your Peril!

May 07, 2014

I've been attending MMA 2014 - the Mobile Marketing Association Forum in NYC - where the linkages between connected TVs and mobile marketing are starting to come into focus. Watched a great session from Tremor Video's Doron Wesly ( @sabredutch ) about the marketing opportunity for Connected TVs (which he calls "CTV"). Likewise, a session on best practices for push notification by Urban Airship got me thinking about how push could incorporate the Connected TV...

Voxtok redefines Hi-Fi by combining High-Quality Audio and modern connectivity

May 07, 2014

Voxtok aims to end the accumulation of audio devices at home, reduce the number of wires, save space, and make sharing music at home or on-the-go flawless, all without sacrificing audio quality. To realize our vision, Voxtok has adopted a unique approach: combine a high-end audiophile-grade player, audio server, CD ripper and massive local storage, all in the same box. The Voxtok box is entirely controlled by a tablet or mobile app, which can be...

Zodiac Interactive Adds Video Broadcast System to PowerUp Suite

April 29, 2014

Industry’s First Hybrid QAM/IP Software Stack to Power Legacy, tru2way, and Next-generation HTML5 Ecosystems, Unshackles Service Providers, and Unifies All Connected Devices and Generations of Platforms Today from the 2014 NCTA Cable Show, Zodiac Interactive ( http://www.zodiac.tv ), an Emmy® award-winning developer of software for interactive television (iTV), announced the general availability of the PowerUp Video Broadcast Solution (PVBS), the industry’s first hybrid QAM/IP Digital Video Broadcast System capable of powering legacy, tru2way, and next...

Voxtok: High-Quality Audio For Everyone

April 23, 2014

Voxtok is announcing its audiophile products that are easy to use, feature-rich, and cost effective. The Voxtok products are offered in two configurations: 1. Voxtok Hi-Fi System : a complete commercial, hi-fi system including an audiophile-grade device (VXK Capsule), an app (for phones, tablets, computers, Smart TVs) and a set of cloud services. 2. Voxtok DIY Kit : a software-only solution, based on the Raspberry Pi, to create similar services as the commercial Hi-Fi System...

BITE OF SUPER SEARCH ME!: Recommendations Evolve

February 17, 2014

Recommendations are a time-tested, familiar way of spurring consumption. Amazon recognized the power of recommendation early on with its ‘People who bought x also bought y” suggestions. But we can no longer live by recommendations alone. The full entertainment discovery experience is evolving to include search and browse. This multi-pronged approach allows for a comprehensive experience that reflects the natural way than people think, feel and communicate about entertainment. The robustness of the feature set...

2014 is the Year of Smart TV’s

February 11, 2014

CEO and Founder of Furious-Minds, Ashley J. Swartz discusses how a 55% increase in Smart TV shipments in 2013, is shaping 2014 to be the year for Smart TV's.Not only does she believe so, but sentiment around Charter's latest attempt to buy TWC suggests that the cable industry is betting more and more on the strategic importance of the internet in the living room.

SES Platform Services selects Xstream to enhance Video on Demand platform delivery

January 22, 2014

Xstream, the premium provider of OTT and TV Everywhere services, today announced that SES Platform Services, a leading service provider of play-out and content management services for broadcasters and media companies has selected Xstream’s award winning management system, Xstream MediaMaker™, to power their existing Video on Demand delivery platform. The OTT video solution created by Xstream will enable SES Platform Services to offer their customers the market’s most flexible multi-tenant platform for the delivery of...

Legacy TV Leaders Not Incentivized To Change

November 12, 2013

The legacy leaders in television have made it clear they are not incentivized to change their business models according to Ashley J. Swartz , CEO & Founder of Furious-Minds. Even as audiences continue to voice their desire for a la carte options, industry leaders still act surprised by these demands, point in case Charter’s CEO response to his customers increasing demand for broadband only service. “This is not an industry of limitless price elasticity and...