Lala is readying an iPhone app that will serve as a portal for the company's music services, according to the Associated Press. The app will allow users to purchase the right to stream songs for $0.10 each, which pays for an unlimited number of plays. The sound quality, however, is lower than standard iTunes MP3s.
Comcast is continuing to expand its On Demand Online portal for streaming TV shows, although the service will only be available to the company's own broadband subscribers, according to the Associated Press. The web-based content is said to eventually match the on-demand capabilities available through certain set-top boxes.
mSpot has launched its latest mobile service, enabling users to rent full-length movies directly from their iPhone or other handset. Content is streamed directly to the device, eliminating the need to wait for downloads or sync to a computer. The company currently has agreements with Paramount Studios and Universal Studios, although more partners will be added later in the year.
Akamai on Tuesday announced it will soon launch the Akamai HD Network that will be capable of delivering HD video to hundreds of thousands of people using Adobe Flash, Microsoft Silverlight and, eventually, the iPhone. The Akamai HD Network will support both live and on-demand streaming. It will run on Adamai's global EdgePlatform network platform composed of over 50,000 servers, allowing content providers with a reach to some 70 countries.
Livestream has launched a new broadcasting system that enables wireless live-streaming of HD video, Livepack. The device is designed for situations where users don’t have a reliable fixed internet connection, but want to broadcast events such as weddings, ceremonies or send transmissions from a moving car. The device features six built-in 3G modems to help deliver a strong internet connection, and records all data to the Livestream server. Livepack comes complete with everything needed for live video streaming including encoding hardware, FireWire cable and 30-hours of streaming uplink per month.
Telestream and Wowza Media Systems have announced a new platform for streaming live media to the iPhone and other web players. Using Telestream's Wirecast production software alongside Wowza's soon-to-ship Media Server 2 Advanced, which has expanded beyond Flash by adding H.264 support, users can stream high-quality video to the iPhones or iPod touch, Silverlight, Flash, QuickTime and IPTV-based set-top boxes.
Qik has announced its video streaming application is now available to download for the iPhone 3G S. Qik allows users to take videos directly from the iPhone 3G S camera roll, and upload them onto their favourite blog or website. All videos are automatically archived to Qik.com, where they can be shared and posted on websites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. When recording a video using the app users also have the ability to frame their footage in either a horizontal or vertical style.
Apple is ready to broadcast its first iPhone live stream of a concert event, debuting with the UK techno group Underworld playing at 9 p.m. from Oakland. AT&T has allegedly remained fairly quiet regarding the event, likely as a precaution to prevent network strain, according to NewTeeVee.
Sonic on Wednesday announced CineVision Adaptive HD, a codec developed specifically for streaming HD video content to Internet-connected devices. The technology combines the CineVision HD encoding process, claimed to be used for Blu-ray production, with Widevine's adaptive streaming system.
News Corp.'s new chief digital officer, Jonathan Miller, has claimed that he foresees the future of the company's Hulu service to include paid content, according to DailyFinance. Most of the content likely would remain free, although a portion of the TV shows and movies could only be accessible with a subscription.
SpeedBit has launched the SpeedBit Video Accelerator for Mac, porting over the previously PC-only software for accelerating downloads and video streams. The software accelerates playback and downloads for YouTube, iTunes, MySpace, Facebook, ESPN and more. It uses multiple sources to achieve higher download and streaming speeds to better utilize the full bandwidth of an Internet connection.
Hulu has pulled all of its streaming videos from Boxee and CBS Interactive's TV.com. Boxee's blog expressed disappointment with the situation, especially considering the 100,000 Hulu streams it generated just last week. The problems reportedly began a few weeks ago when Hulu's content partners began asking for the service to be removed from Boxee. Despite Boxee's pleads to keep the streaming videos, the company will remove the content on Friday.
The Participatory Culture Foundation (PCF) has released an update to its media player, Miro 2.0. A fresh widget-based interface has been added, with an option to play any video in an external window. The developers claim that the update is faster, more responsive and uses less system memory than the previous version. Users can add streaming sites such as Hulu to the sidebar, along with download sites including Archive.org and legaltorrents.com. Playlists, list views and audio support have also been improved.
Netflix, the online movie rental service, is launching Mac support for internet streaming movies utilizing Microsoft's Silverlight, a web-browser plug-in that features animation and audio-video capabilities similar to Adobe's Flash software. The deployment of the capabilities will start with a small number of subscribers, expanding to all subscribers by year's end. Silverlight features cross-platform and cross-browser support, as well as Play Ready DRM, a pivotal factor in Netflix being able to stream copy-write-protected content to subscribers on both Macs and PCs.
MySimBook on Monday unveiled Radiolicious, a new iPhone and iPod touch application that allows users to tap into their favorite local radio stations, while allowing broadcasters to potentially advertise to millions around the globe. The entire software setup is free to use for both radio stations and users, with MySimBook paying any costs involved, save for a small service fee for the station to be part of the advertising network.
StreamAudio has announced a new service, Multi-Format Streaming to its Premium Broadcaster package. StreamAudio's hosts a broadcasting system that allows radio stations to stream music in multiple formats (MP3, WMA, AAC, AAC Plus, OGG) to users on Macs, Windows, Linux and mobile users as well. Advertising and ad metrics are also supported. The service allows broadcasters to stream feeds from a single computer, via a single source stream, to StreamAudio, where the music and ads are converted to numerous filetypes and transmitted to listeners on differing platforms.
Cynical Peak Software has released Rivet 1.1, a new version of that software that enables users to stream video, music, and photos from Mac OS X to an Xbox 360 over your home network. 1.1 adds better media browsing support and fixes performance and stability issues. Your Mac's folder structure and organization is completely reproduced to allow you to find what you want to view. Features include music streaming of your iTunes library, photo streaming of your iPhoto library and user defined folders, video streaming from user defines folders and full organization support
Apple today was granted four patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office, pertaining to the dock for the new iPod shuffle, QuickTime, measuring bandwidth, and media serving. Simply filed as "Stand", Apple wrote that "the stand, which can be utilized as a dock, is used to support an electronic device, such as a media player, media storage device, cellular phone, PDA and/or the like." The stand was later revealed to be the syncing mechanism for the now USB-less Shuffle.
Rivet 1.0 has been released, enabling users to stream video, music, and photos from Mac OS X to an Xbox 360 over a home network. Rivet allows users to quickly browse and view their entire collection of digital media from from anywhere in the house on their Xbox 360. The Mac OS X folder structure and organization is completely reproduced to allow you to quickly find the appropriate media. Features include: Music streaming of your iTunes library; Photo streaming of your iPhoto library and user defined folders; Video streaming from user defines folders; Full organization support, your mac is recreated on the Xbox 360 and quick automatic updating on the Xbox 360 when files are added, deleted, or moved. The tool requires Mac OS X v10.5 or later, uses iTunes for music sharing and requires a networked Xbox 360. Rivet is priced at $19.
A London-based web technology firm has developed a server-based video streaming technology, capable of sending video feeds to factory-condition iPhones. Guardian.co.uk reports that the server technology – called Millicent by developer Best Before – would allow broadcasters to provide edited video feeds for the iPhone, and allegedly already has two UK broadcasters interested in what the architecture can offer.
iPodHackers.net today announced the completion of a Bluetooth-enabled fifth generation iPod with video, allowing it to function with streaming Bluetooth audio devices. The hack requires the use of soldering, so enthusiast Fstedie recommends that users be comfortable taking such an action. He also recommends performing a Compact Flash modification or using a thicker backing, giving the user extra space inside the slender unit to pull off the hack.
El Gato's EyeTV 3 software vastly improves the company's hardware analogue video converters, adding remote programmability, as well as many other advanced features. The software can be configured through a local or wide area network connection, allowing users to record television content without requiring direct access. The upgrade to EyeTV 3 costs $40, and is included with all new products. New licenses are priced at $80. [corrected]
Philips today introduced several new home and personal audio products, also a new line of LCD TVs. Pairing up with RealNetworks, the company’s new Streamium NP1100 relies on the 4.5 million track collection offered by Real’s Rhapsody network, as well as internet radio, and PC music libraries to bring audio to the home environment. The device uses a black and white display to show track information, and has a built-in WiFi receiver to connect with users’ home wireless networks. Philips expects to ship the NP1100 in May for $150.
Aerielle today launched its i2i Stream Digital Music Broadcaster, a device that allows users to listen to music wirelessly by streaming music content from any audio device. The company will demonstrate the device streaming CD quality sound for the first time at CES next week. "Whether it's friends hanging out and listening to a single iPod or the desire to stream music wirelessly to speakers in the home, the i2i Stream is the perfect solution," said Art Cohen, president and CEO of Aerielle. The i2i Stream is already available for $70, with 2-packs priced at $130.
Online DVD rental service Netflix and Korean electronics-giant LG have announced that they are working on a set-top box designed to stream movie content directly over the internet to a television. Netflix has long said it wishes to branch out its internet movie delivery feature, which allows members to play content on their PC from a library of over 6000 movies and TV shows. Reuters reports that the device will function in a similar fashion to the PC internet streaming, where users that subscribe to Netflix’ DVD rental service would also get access to the TV streaming service. LG says that the Netflix set-top box will be available at some point during the second half of 2008.
The new breed of retail-based internet video delivery devices which has emerged over the last few years is currently led by Apple's set top box -- Apple TV -- according to a new study by ABI Research. What's more, the firm says devices like Apple TV will see shipments of 1.2 million next year. Apple unveiled its wireless media streaming device on September 12th of 2006 during a special event in San Francisco. The device has seen limited success since it began shipping on March 21st of this year, and Apple has turned most of its attention to other areas -- primarily its iPhone cellular handset.
Apple has released QuickTime Broadcaster 1.5.2, an application combining the power of QuickTime with Apple's ease of use that allows average users to produce a live broadcast event. The update offers H.264 (MPEG-4 Part 10 video) live broadcasting, as well as 3G streaming support for sending live broadcasts to multimedia-enabled cellular phones. QuickTime Broadcaster 1.5.2 requires Mac OS X 10.4.10 or later.
Simplify Media today released Simplify Media Mobile, a new native application for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch that allows users to access entire music collections from any Wi-Fi hot spot. "Unlike websites and web-streaming, you can listen to remote music and can still surf the Web," the company touts. "Play song after song without having to stop to select a new one." The download is free, and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later with iTunes 7.x or newer.
Adobe has taken wraps off the Flash Media Server 3 series of products, consisting of two offerings: Adobe Flash Media Streaming Server 3 for live and on-demand video streaming and Adobe Flash Media Interactive Server 3 for scalable video streaming services and social media applications. The new releases support nearly double the amount of streams per server; support for industry standard H.264 video and HE-AAC audio in Adobe Flash Player 9 ; upgrades to Adobe’s patented protocol for delivering protected content; and enhanced live video support. In addition, Adobe Flash Media Server 3 supports both prerecorded and live streaming to Adobe Flash Lite 3.
