In "The Hulu Effect at Fox TV? Less is More in TV Advertising" last December, I observed that Fox television appeared to be following the lead of online video services like Hulu in running fewer ads per show. By having shorter commercial breaks -- and communicating at the outset that the program would, for example, … Continue reading Maybe More Really is More in TV Advertising
Category: Media Trends
Battle of the In-Betweens: Redbox and Netflix
"Little-Known Redbox Proves the Power of In-Between Technology" in the current issue of Fast Company describes the rapid rise of video rental kiosk vendor Redbox. As indicated by the title, the article underscores how Redbox has succeeded using "in-between" technology, focusing on what works now rather than chasing the latest vision of the high-tech future: … Continue reading Battle of the In-Betweens: Redbox and Netflix
IMAX Brand Blur
As IMAX Screens Get Smaller, the Competition is Getting Bigger As noted previously, IMAX is extending -- some would say blurring -- the IMAX brand by retrofitting existing multiplex theaters with larger screens and upgraded sound systems. The Wall Street Journal reports that competitors are moving into the territory of what might be termed "low-end … Continue reading IMAX Brand Blur
Dots and Lines
Why 2048 (More or Less) Equals 1080 in Digital Video When industries converge, there is often a collision of terminologies. Different traditions have their own ways of describing the same thing. In the latter half of the 1980s, personal computing converged with the typesetting industry. While the latter talked about points and picas, the former … Continue reading Dots and Lines