Content Businesses Face Devaluation

If the music business is any indication, digital distribution of content goods is going to change the economics of most parts of the content business, including print and perhaps some parts of the video market as well.

In the print business, there arguably are other forces at work besides "free" online distribution of content. But the expectation of access to quality content online is "devaluing" professionally-produced content, which means there will be less of it produced.

The video market is better placed to resist the commodity pressures that have hit the music business and are now affecting the print content business as well.

The reason video will fare better is that production costs in the print and music businesses are lower than they are in the movie or TV business. It just is harder and more expensive for useful and usable content to be created in the movie and video domains, compared to the music and print businesses.

The point is that the advent of digital distribution has complex impact. In some industries, digital distribution "only" changes distribution channels. Music, TV and news moves from plastic discs and paper to Internet distribution, for example.

In other businesses it undermines the historic business ecosystem. In the print and music business, the revenue and cost structures of producing content are changed.

Face It - In Music, Devaluation Is The New Reality | paidContent

Android Battery Life Victim of Open Approach

"Open and standards-based approaches to creating products are the industry norm, and generally result in faster development times and lower retail prices. But there sometimes is a price. Because it does not take the "open" approach, Apple is able to optimize performance of its hardware and software.

Conversely, open platforms such as Android are not able to take an end-to-end view, all the time. And that seems to be playing out with complaints of limited Android battery life, presumably from users who have downloaded many, or some particular applications.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt himself has taken the liberty to suggest that some of the third party applications offered through the Android Market are not completely efficient at resource management, thus requiring more power from an Android smartphone than they might otherwise need.

As with most other aspects of software and hardware development, there are trade-offs to be made. Android trades control for development speed, lower cost and diversity. Apple trades maximum third-party software development for better user experience.

Your Android suffers from poor battery life? 3rd party apps are to blame! (Phone Arena News):

Tawkon App Provides High RF Level Warnings

If you worry about radio frequency radiation coming from your mobile, and you use some BlackBerry models, you can download a $10 app that provides both a monitor and alerting system if your device is putting out excessively strong signal.

That can happen if you are inside a building with thick walls, if you are far from the closest cell tower, are in a deep signal fade area or even if you are holding the device in a way that increases signal interference.

Google Plans Battle for Tablet Dominance

To the extent that tablet devices are able to carve out a new consumer electronics niche, or perhaps even if all they do is create a new segment within the netbook or notebook product category, they also will create a new canvas for mobile advertisers.

If, as many expect, tablets emerge as content consumption devices, they will feature rich content. And rich content traditionally has meant new advertising venues.

For tablets, including the device Google and others are working on, that will mean a chance to grow a new rich media advertising venue. Historically, media and advertising have grown hand in hand.

It isn't so much the devices, though that is quite important for Apple. For many other contenders, it is the growth of a new advertising medium that likely is most significant about tablets.
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Best Buy Launches Video Service

Best Buy Co. has launched a new digital video service, called "CinemaNow,"  that will provide customers same-day access to new release movies and TV shows available on DVD.

The service will initially be accessible through select connected LG Electronics Blu-ray Disc players and HDTVs, and on most PCs at www.cinemanow.com. Samsung's Internet-connected home theater equipment and Insignia brands also will have the feature.

CinemaNow is also expected to launch on an array of other devices from various manufacturers, including Insignia, later this year.

The first update to the CinemaNow service is expected to release on select devices later this year and will include an advanced user interface and expanded video playback features aimed at further improving the video entertainment experience.

CinemaNow will have "first run" movies for sale as soon as they arrive on DVD, with rentals for $2.99  to $3.99 per movie and purchases at $9.99 to $19.99, including HD titles and some available in 1080p.

The company will be competing against other retail giants such as Walmart and Blockbuster, as well as Netflix and Hulu, among others.

There will be other changes as well, It might now happen for a couple year, but Best Buy has said it will phase out DVD sales as early as 2012.

http://www.bby.com/2010/05/18/best-buy-provides-customers-same-day-instant-access-to-new-release-movies-and-tv-shows-with-launch-of-cinemanow/

Droid Incredible..Is That...

Consumer Satisfaction With Video, Wireless Up, Sprint Gains Most

Customer satisfaction with cable and satellite TV rises to its highest level in 10 years, up five percent, with nearly all companies registering improvements, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Sprint Nextel seems to have made the largest gains over the last two years, jumping by double digits for each of the past two years. That's important as Sprint Nextel's customer service was widely seen as the cause of its high churn over the past several years. The improvement in customer satisfaction is mirrored by steadily better churn performance over the last couple of years.

Both Verizon’s FiOS and AT&T’s U-verse lead the way with scores of 73 and 72, respectively. Satellite TV still leads over traditional cable, with Dish Network soaring 11 percent to 71 to overtake rival DirecTV for the first time since 2005.

DirecTV fell four percent to 68 as aggressive pricing promotions by DISH, coupled with a price increase by DirecTV, has the two satellite TV providers moving in opposite directions.

All four of the largest cable providers show some improvement. Charter Communications makes the biggest leap, gaining 18 percent to 60. The company is now statistically tied with Comcast and Time Warner Cable, both up three percent to 61.  Cox Communications gained two percent to 67 to lead all traditional cable companies for a seventh straight year.

“Having enjoyed near-monopoly status in most areas for many years, cable companies had little incentive to provide quality services at a good price,” says Claes Fornell, founder of the ACSI.  “Now that satellite and fiber-optic TV providers have created a competitive challenge to cable, the cable companies have started to step up customer service and realize some gains in customer satisfaction, but they still remain far behind both satellite and fiber-optics.”  

Traditional local and long distance service improved four percent to 75, the highest level in more than a decade.  AT&T is on top after a six-percent surge to 75, followed closely by Cox Communications, unchanged at 74, and Verizon, up three percent to 73. CenturyLink and Comcast round out the bottom of the industry, with CenturyLink gaining three percent to 70 and Comcast rising two percent to 68.

Customer satisfaction with wireless telephone service set a new all-time high for the second consecutive year, rising four percent to 72.  T-Mobile gained three percent to 73, tying for the lead with Verizon Wireless, which declined one percent.

AT&T Mobility improved three percent to 69. Two years after the iPhone was introduced as an exclusive product, AT&T seems to have made strides to relieve some of the strains on its network caused by the rapid influx of iPhone customers.

Sprint Nextel had the largest improvement, gaining 11 percent to 70 a year after a similarly large 13 percent jump, pushing the wireless carrier from well below to very close to the industry average.

Perhaps the most-intriguing bit of commentary provided by ACSI was the brief note that "with wireless looking to be the future of telephone service, providers are ramping up efforts to provide new services, simplified usage plans, and better pricing." Note the language: "wrieless looking to be the future of telephone service."