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Sony Planning iTunes-Like Download Store for Movies

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 31, 2005 - 7:31am.
Santa Monica, Calif. -- Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment plans to digitize its top 500 films and make them available from digital online stores similar to iTunes within the next year, CNET News.com reported. Speaking at the Digital Hollywood conference in Los Angeles, Sony Pictures senior vice president Michael Arrieta said Sony will develop its own digital store from which consumers can purchase and download films on their PCs that they will permanently own, and will also make movies available on flash memory cards for mobile phones. "We want to set business models, pricing models, distribution models like (Apple CEO Steve) Jobs did for music, but for the film industry," said Arrieta. "I'm trying to create the new 'anti-Napster.'"
tags: Sony | Movies | Download Store |

Chinese Gamer Stabbed to Death Over Sale of Borrowed Virtual Sword

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 31, 2005 - 7:29am.
Beijing -- A Chinese man has stabbed another man to death over the sale of a virtual sword used in the massively multiplayer online game "Legend of Mir 3," Reuters reported, citing a report in the newspaper China Daily. Qiu Chengwei, 41, stabbed Zhu Caoyuan to death after learning that Zhu had sold the "dragon saber" that Qiu had loaned him -- pocketing about $870 on the deal. Qiu initially went to police when he learned of the sale of the sword, but was told it was not real property and thus not protected under the law. "Zhu promised to hand over the cash but an angry Qui lost patience and attacked Zhu at his home, stabbing him in the left chest with great force and killing him," police told the court.
tags: Death | Chinese Gamer | Virtual Sword |

TiVo Launches New Interactive TV Ad Feature

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 31, 2005 - 7:27am.
Alviso, Calif. -- TiVo, a provider of digital video recorder software and services, has recently begun testing a new advertising feature with a limited number of its subscribers. The ads appear for just a half-second, when users fast-forward through TV commercials; if interested in the ad -- which covers about a quarter of the screen -- viewers can press a button on their TV remotes and be taken to additional marketing materials. TiVo said the new ad format will eventually be available on all of its set-tops, including those deployed by partner DirecTV. CEO Mike Ramsay also recently said the company plans to launch a digital video recorder service in Japan next year, with the establishment of a Japanese division and offices.
tags: TiVo | TV Ad Feature |

Survey: Americans Want New Technologies Like HDTV, but for Right Price

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 31, 2005 - 7:24am.
Rochester, N.Y. -- About 27% of adults say that they are likely to buy a high-definition television set within the next year, the highest percentage among seven electronic devices tested in a new survey by Harris Interactive. And although next-generation DVD players have not yet been marketed in the U.S., 24% of American adults surveyed indicate interest in buying one within the next year. "While considerable proportions of American adults are attracted to these technologies, the survey also shows that their interest may be tempered by the reality of the affordability of those products," said Harris' Greg Durkin.
tags: HDTV | Survey | Price | Americans | New Technologies |

Internet Audience Measurement Firm comScore Expands Into Europe

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 31, 2005 - 7:17am.
Reston, Va. -- comScore Networks, a provider of Internet audience measurement services, on Thursday unveiled plans for a major multinational expansion through a newly consolidated comScore Europe business unit. The company has named Bob Ivins, a veteran of the marketing and media research industries, as the managing director of comScore Europe, based in London. Most recently, Ivins was the director of research for Yahoo Europe. "Client demand for our services in Europe has grown rapidly in recent years, and the time is right to offer an expanded set of capabilities," said Magid Abraham, the president and CEO of comScore. The new unit will deliver consumer research and analysis services to Europe-based clients, as well as serve the European interests of clients based in North America and elsewhere.
tags: Internet | Europe | comScore | Internet Audience | Measurement Firm |

SmartVideo Raises $5 Million in Private Placement of Stock

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 31, 2005 - 7:12am.
Atlanta -- SmartVideo Technologies, a provider of live, on-demand and downloadable content for consumers, has raised $5 million in a private placement of stock with a group of institutional and individual investors. The company sold 2.4 million shares at a price of $2.25 a share. SmartVideo said that it plans to use the investment proceeds to support the roll-out of its mobile TV service platform for cellular telephones, Wi-Fi PDAs and other related devices, marketing the company's products and services and for general working capital.
tags: Deals | VC | SmartVideo | Stock |