Wednesday, July 30, 2008

DIRECTV to Offer HD Local Channels in 121 Markets by Year-End


With Launch of 44 New HD Markets More Than 88 Percent of U.S. Television Homes Will Have Access to Local HD Channels from DIRECTV

DIRECTV, Inc., the satellite television service provider, continues to strengthen its HD presence with the addition of 44 new HD local channel markets. By the end of 2008, DIRECTV will provide local HD broadcast channels in 121 cities, representing more than 88 percent of U.S. TV households. DIRECTV will begin the rollout of the new HD local markets in August and continue through the end of the year. The new markets include:

  • Augusta, Ga.
  • Harrisonburg, Va.
  • Bangor, Maine

  • La Crosse-Eau Claire, Wis.
  • Baton Rouge, La.

  • Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Ark.
  • Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas

  • Lincoln-Hastings, Neb.
  • Boise, Idaho

  • Macon, Ga.
  • Burlington, Vt.-Plattsburgh, N.Y.

  • Mobile AL-Pensacola, Fla.
  • Butte-Bozeman, Mont.

  • Myrtle Beach-Florence, S.C.
  • Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, Ill.

  • Norfolk-Newport News, Va.
  • Charleston, S.C.

  • Palm Springs, Calif.
  • Chattanooga, Tenn.

  • Peoria-Bloomington, Ill.
  • Colorado Springs-Pueblo, Colo.

  • Richmond-Petersburg, Va.
  • Columbia-Jefferson City, Mo.

  • Rockford, Ill.
  • Davenport, Iowa-Rock Island, Ill., Moline, Ill.

  • Rochester, N.Y.
  • Dayton, Ohio

  • Savannah, Ga.
  • Des Moines-Ames, Iowa

  • Sioux Falls, S.D.
  • Dothan, Ala.

  • South Bend-Elkhart, Ind.
  • El Paso, Texas

  • Springfield-Holyoke, Mass.
  • Evansville, Ind.

  • Syracuse, N.Y.
  • Fort Smith, Ark.

  • Tallahassee, Fla.
  • Fort Wayne, Ind.

  • Toledo, Ohio
  • Greenville-New Bern-Washington, N.C.

  • Traverse City-Cadillac, Mich.
  • Harlingen-Brownsville, Texas

  • Youngstown, Ohio

With the rollout of 44 new HD local markets, DIRECTV continues to strengthen its position as the leading provider of quality HD programming among cable and satellite competitors nationwide, said Derek Chang, executive vice president, Content Strategy and Development, DIRECTV, Inc. Our DIRECTV 11 satellite has recently begun operations and significantly expands our capacity for more national and local HD channels. And as we have with the SuperFan® service for MLB EXTRA INNINGS® and NFL SUNDAY TICKET and our multi-screen coverage of US Open golf, we will continue to use HD to enhance our unique interactive services to provide our customers with more of what they want and expect from us the best television experience available.

DIRECTV will deliver HD programming from the primary broadcast networks ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC where available and authorized, to customers who subscribe to any TOTAL CHOICE® programming package that offers local channels. DIRECTV HD customers will continue to pay only a $9.99 access fee, allowing them to receive DIRECTVs premier HD technology and all channels broadcast in HD that are tied to their particular base programming package.

Customers should visit directv.com to learn more about the full complement of DIRECTVs HD programming lineup including existing channels, new channels, details on equipment required for the new DIRECTV HD services and updates on when the new markets will launch.

With the DIRECTV 11 satellite just introduced to the fleet and the launch of the DIRECTV 12 satellite next year, DIRECTV will have the capacity to deliver 200 national HD channels and 1,500 local HD and digital channels in addition to new advanced programming services for customers nationwide.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

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Friday, July 25, 2008

ValueClick Media Launches Predictive Behavioral Targeting


Precision BT Suite Delivers Increased Behavioral Targeting Performance at Scale

ValueClick Media, a division of ValueClick, Inc. , announced the availability of its Precision BT suite today, combining access to a wealth of anonymous consumer online behavior with an innovative predictive technology to create the most robust and scalable behavioral targeting solution available to marketers.

The Precision BT suite contains two products, including Precision Retargeting, an enhanced version of the user retargeting capabilities offered by ValueClick Media since 2005, and Precision Profiles, which uses a proprietary predictive algorithm to identify a marketers best prospects in hundreds of consumer interest segments.

Until now, predictive algorithms have rarely been applied to behavioral targeting, compared to the common cluster and custom business rules approaches popularized by Tacoda and Revenue Science, respectively. Predictive analytics includes only the best consumers in each segment at any given time, based on a marketers intended objective and the consumers likelihood to take action in the future.

What makes Precision Profiles unique is our access to a critical mass of anonymous consumer online experiences and the way our technology dynamically categorizes and transforms them into hundreds of interest segments, said Matthew Boyd, senior vice president, ValueClick Media. Combined with the ability for our optimization technology to identify the best possible context in which to serve an ad, we have assembled the most scalable, data-driven audience targeting platform for marketers to achieve their brand and direct response objectives.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Over 50% of US Population Watches Video Online – Are You Missing the Advertising Opportunity?


More than a Quarter of Advertisers Use Online Video for Product and Service Promotion

It is projected that US marketers will spend over $4.3 billion to reach the online video audience in 2011, citing the high engagement factor and the Internet's superior tracking and targeting capabilities as a valuable revenue stream and a highly accountable method for advertisers to sway target audiences.

As such, The ClickZ Network, the largest resource for interactive marketing news, information, commentary, advice, opinion, research, and reference in the world, is hosting a one-day forum on Online Video Advertising tomorrow, July 22, 2008, at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York. This fast-paced, full-day forum is geared for senior advertisers, marketers, publishers, and content providers who are using or considering this fast-moving medium.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

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Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Internet TV Leaps Ahead in China


UUSee.com becomes the first online peer-to-peer TV operator to receive China's SARFT video license and Olympic broadcasting rights

With its announcement that it has secured Internet TV broadcasting rights to this summer's Olympic Games, UUSee is on the verge of orchestrating one of the world's largest real-time interactive TV events. UUSee, the leading Internet TV and interactive broadcasting service operator in China with almost 100 million users, is partnering with CCTV.com, China's largest TV network and the only authorized Olympic TV channel in Greater China. UUSee will broadcast live the opening ceremony, closing ceremony and all the important sporting action of the 2008 Olympic Games via the Internet in China.
"Since 2005 we have successfully collaborated with UUSee to broadcast TV content and distribute breaking news over the Internet," said Wenbin Wang, the General Manager of CCTV.com. "Expanding this partnership to include live broadcasting of the 2008 Olympic Games will be a major digital media milestone in the history of the Olympics."

"Broadcasting the 2008 Olympic Games is expected to give a huge boost to UUSee and Internet TV in China," added Mr. Zhu Li, CEO of UUSee. "Through our robust network platform, UUSee's nearly 100 million users will enjoy a reliable, smooth and clear online video experience."

Monday, July 14, 2008

Time Warner Cable to Sell Certain Non-Core Cable Systems


Time Warner Cable today announced that it entered into an agreement to sell a group of small cable systems to Windjammer Communications, a venture between MAST Capital Management, LLC and Communications Construction Services (CCS). The systems serve approximately 80,000 basic video subscribers and 120,000 revenue generating units spread across more than 125 head-ends in 25 states and located in areas outside of the Companys core geographic clusters. The sale of these systems is not expected to have a material impact on the Companys ongoing financial results, but Time Warner Cables second quarter results will reflect a pretax, non-cash loss on the sale of these systems of approximately $45 million, which will be included as a component of Operating Income.

The sale to Windjammer Communications is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2008, subject to obtaining customary regulatory approvals.

Friday, July 11, 2008

AT&T Kicks Off Sales of iPhone 3G


Variety of Attractive Plans Combine Voice and Unlimited Data

AT&T begins selling iPhone 3G today in its retail stores at 8 a.m. local time across the United States, along with a variety of attractive monthly plans that combine voice and unlimited data use. iPhone 3G uses the nation's fastest 3G wireless network, which reaches 300 major metropolitan areas.

AT&T Inc. has announced that AT&T is making it easy for customers to prepare for their iPhone 3G purchase by posting "Get iReady" tips and frequently asked questions at www.att.com/iphone. The site also includes a link for customers to check their upgrade eligibility and other wireless account information.