Ted Sarandos, Mitch Hurwitz and Will Arnett wax poetic about creating content for the internet

Posted on 12/02/2013 by Darren Murph

Look, Will Arnett is hilarious. His gravely tones are also just as romantic in person as they are on television. And he took the stage here at D:Dive Into Media 2013 alongside Mitch Hurwitz (creator of Arrested Development) and Ted Sarandos (Chief Content Officer & VP of Content at Netflix) in order to talk about the changing world of original content production. Outside of making jokes about premiums paid for getting props back in order to create a new generation of Arrested Development (seriously, they sold the Aztec Tomb "immediately," per Arnett), Hurwitz and Arnett both agreed that it's a completely different dynamic in creating television for the internet.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Eric Kessler announces AirPlay support for HBO Go and Max Go apps, says à la carte HBO access still isn’t economically viable

Posted on 12/02/2013 by Darren Murph

Eric Kessler, President & COO at HBO, just announced that a long-awaited feature will be going live today during his interview at D:Dive Into Media 2013. HBO Go and Max Go users with Apple products filling the home will now be able to enjoy AirPlay beaming. Straight from the man himself:

"Our long-term goal for Go is to be on all platforms and all devices. Effective today, we will be enabling AirPlay -- any device that allows users to watch on the big screen is great. You can play HBO Go on your iPhone or iPad, and then beam that to your HDTV via an Apple TV using AirPlay."

It appears that neither app has seen an update in Apple's App Store just yet, but we're guessing it's only a matter of time before both are refreshed. [Update: Looks as if both updates are now live!] Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that HBO will be on Apple TV for some time yet. Host Kara Swisher asked Kessler what the problem was in getting 'em on there. His reply? "We will get on Apple TV -- there is no problem. These things take time."

We spoke firsthand with Kessler following his interview, and he affirmed that there's no 30 percent revenue cut to worry about with Apple TV like there is for conventional apps on the App Store. It seemed that HBO simply viewed this as a lower priority now that AirPlay is a reality, and it may go a long way to explaining why so many other video apps are opting for AirPlay inclusion rather than focusing efforts on a dedicated Apple TV app.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Apple

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Source: iTunes (HBO Go), (Max Go)

Sony Entertainment’s Michael Lynton praises the DVR for enabling an ‘explosion in creativity’

Posted on 12/02/2013 by Darren Murph

Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Entertainment, has taken the stage here in Dana Point, California for this year's D:Dive Into Media, speaking candidly about his outfit's use of social media to advertise, and more importantly, how modern technology is impacting meaningful change on the creative side of things. Citing shows like Sons of Anarchy, Mad Men and Breaking Bad -- ones that he's obviously a fan of -- he noted that the proliferation of DVR technology has enabled a lot of it.

"I personally believe that this explosion in creativity you're seeing right now is due to the fact that you can create 13 episode, long-form narratives and then watch it whenever you want. It even brings better directors and writers who don't think that they can tell their stories in the two-hour frame of a major motion picture. I think this is a direct effect of technology. It's the first time I've seen it -- there was always talk about how technology would impact creative, and this is it."

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony

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Intel confirms new internet-based television streaming product, ‘working with entire industry’ to launch this year

Posted on 12/02/2013 by Darren Murph

Welp, the rumors are true. Erik Huggers, Corporate VP & GM for Intel Media, just sat down here at D:Dive Into Media 2013 in order to confirm that Intel's getting into the set-top / TV provider business, and everything will be delivered to your home using your existing broadband internet connection. Straight from the man's mouth:

"We have been working for around a year now to setup Intel Media -- it's a new division that includes a lot of people from outside of the company. We've hired people from Apple, Netflix, Google, BBC, etc. We're aiming to develop an internet television platform. My opinion is that not many of those rivals have cracked it -- have truly delivered.

For the first time, we'll deliver a few things to consumers. We'll deliver a new consumer electronics product under a new brand. It's associated with Intel, but you'll have to wait to hear what exactly that is. It'll be an Intel-powered device with beautiful industrial design. Where it really gets interesting is here -- we're working with the entire industry. It's an over-the-top service, delivering network channels, pay-TV channels, catch-up television, on-demand, and a host of applications."

He also affirmed that the box (and service) would launch "this year," and while the box won't provide Intel's "entire vision" at launch, a fair amount will be. That should include live television, on-demand, and catch-up. We're guessing it's the app ecosystem that'll take some time to truly develop.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Intel

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Dan Rose talks about Facebook’s ecosystem evolution, path to go ‘mobile best’ in 2013

Posted on 12/02/2013 by Darren Murph

Dan Rose, vice president of Partnerships at Facebook, just took the stage with host Mike Issac here at D:Dive Into Media 2013. In a nutshell, Rose is responsible for relationships with the myriad developers that end up in News Feeds in some way -- regardless of whether the program is built for Facebook, or simply a program that shows interactions on Facebook. Right out of the gate, Issac asked about the ever-changing News Feed, and what users can expect from that in the future.

Rose noted that Facebook is constantly "trying to find that perfect equilibrium between a great user experience, while still being enticing to developers. We listen to users on Feedback who tell us if something is valuable. Hiding a post is negative, while Liking or commenting on a post would be positive -- sometimes our algorithms don't hear the user signal fast enough. In those cases, we work closely with our partners so that they understand why we're making those changes. We want people to continue using Facebook, and the only way we do that is if we keep things interesting and we respond to user input." In other words, it's a constant battle between users who don't want to be spammed by pitches in their feeds, and developers who want to get as much visibility as possible by getting into those very feeds.

He continued: "If a developer says 'What's the one thing I should focus on?', the answer is simple: create great content. We're spending a lot more time focusing on that, particularly on media content. Recently, we increased the size of photos for news sites -- that's a much better experience. That image needs to be large so that it captures the essence of the brand, rather than a thumbnail. With those larger images, people click more often (around 15 percent more). It does a better job of honoring their content."

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Facebook

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Hearst president David Carey: Apple taught people ‘how to buy digital content’

Posted on 12/02/2013 by Darren Murph

David Carey, president of Hearst Magazines, sat down with AllThingsD's Peter Kafka to kick off Day 2 of D:Dive Into Media here in Dana Point, California, with the interview centering on Carey's take on how digital magazines are working out in a world that seems less and less intrigued by physical books. Carey confirmed that 40 percent of its total unique views [on magazine websites] are mobile, with the majority of those coming from smartphones, and presently, it has around 900,000 paid magazine subscribers (on the digital front) here in America. That's around 100,000 short of the company's goal to hit a million by the end of 2012, but it's now gunning to secure 3 million paid subscribers by 2016.

Moving on to the topic of Apple, Carey noted that Steve Jobs doesn't get nearly the credit he deserves for accomplishing one thing in particular -- "teaching consumers how to buy digital content." He continued: "It used to be something that people would steal, but if you make it easy for them, they'll buy it. More than 70 percent [of Hearst's customers] renew because it's easy. On the traditional side, the most frustrating thing is how difficult it is to get people to resubscribe through mailers."

Filed under: Tablets, Apple

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Samsung details Innovation Centers in San Francisco and New York, focusing hard on software + hardware marriage

Posted on 12/02/2013 by Darren Murph

David Eun, presently serving as EVP at Samsung's Open Innovation Center after stints at AOL, Google, Time Warner and NBC Entertainment, just took the stage here in Dana Point, California during the opening night of D:Dive Into Media 2013. Given the media / content focus of the event, the conversation between Eun and host Kara Swisher revolved almost entirely around Samsung's role in the world of content, production, connectedness and distribution. Starting things off with a bang, he affirmed that Samsung is opening two new Innovation Centers that'll act as idea accelerators. In a way, this is Samsung getting into the funding game, which certainly adds a new twist to an industry that has largely been dominated by angels that aren't necessarily a part of a major corporation.

Initially, one will be opening up in the Bay Area, while the other gets planted at an undisclosed location in New York City. Eun noted that in the past, Samsung was "focused on manufacturing hardware," but it realized some time ago that you "have to get both hardware and software right." He stated that the company as a whole has been "investing quite significantly over the past few years on software," and turning to how it impacts content, he explained an internal company process that aims to gather insight about consumers. Not necessarily in the creepy, privacy-invading kind of insight, but in the way of discovering what consumers want, but don't yet have in the marketplace.

Gallery: Samsung's David Eun at D:Dive Into Media 2013

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Samsung

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Samsung’s David Eun: ongoing Apple v. Samsung litigation ‘a loss’ for innovation

Posted on 12/02/2013 by Darren Murph

David Eun, presently serving as EVP at Samsung's Open Innovation Center after stints at AOL, Google, Time Warner and NBC Entertainment, just took the stage here in Dana Point, California during the opening night of D:Dive Into Media 2013. While the interview was certainly a wide-ranging one, one particular diversion caught our ear. Breaking from discussions on Eun's view of Samsung as a content company, Swisher asked Eun quite pointedly about its relationship with Apple. Eun chuckled a bit, making quite clear that he himself was not the whole of Samsung. While Eun wouldn't comment on the specifics of the ongoing litigation, he did note that as a evangelist of Silicon Valley and a consumer of technology, he views the deadlock as "a loss."

It was actually a pretty candid response, and it was clear from his body language that he truly is less than thrilled that the legal struggles are ongoing. As Eun noted, Samsung makes money each time an iPhone is sold, yet the two companies are indeed competitors on some levels. Eun confessed that he'd simply have to let the lawyers battle it out, but it was quite refreshing to hear a Samsung executive admit what most laypeople have long since believed: that the patent quibbles are hindering innovation on the whole.

We'll be reporting live from D:Dive Into Media as it continues on February 11-12. You can follow our coverage by using the "dmedia2013" tag.

Filed under: Cellphones, Apple, Samsung

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Microsoft talks plans for premium content production, details Xbox 360’s transition to an ‘entertainment console’

Posted on 12/02/2013 by Darren Murph

Yusuf Mehdi, senior vice president of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business, just sat down alongside Nancy Tellem, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft LA Studios, to kick off this year's rendition of D:Dive Into Media here in Dana Point, Calif. The first session of the evening is being piloted by AllThingsD's Peter Kafka, and naturally, the topic of conversation is Xbox. For starters, Mehdi affirmed that Microsoft is witnessing an unmistakable transition of the Xbox 360 "from a gaming console to an entertainment console." At present, the install base is up to 76 million (up from around 70 million at the close of September 2012), with US-based users using the console for some 87 hours per month.

In fact, he stated that 18 billion (yeah, with a "B") hours of entertainment have been consumed on Xbox, and while Netflix is obviously the driving force, it might not be that way for much longer. He was quick to claim that Sony's PlayStation 3 "isn't as good of an entertainment console" -- something he feels that "everybody knows" -- and insinuated that the next-generation Xbox will stick to "big and premium." In other words, don't expect Microsoft to kick out a $50 Roku-style content box. Mehdi wants to ensure that the future of Xbox enables voice control, interactivity, and "other stuff that's big and beautiful."

Gallery: Microsoft's Yusuf Mehdi and Nancy Tellem at D:Dive Into Media 2013