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Viodi View – 03/03/2011

OTT Conference is Over the Top

Over the top video is a hot topic, at least if the turnout from at the Over-the-Top TV/Video Conference in San Jose this week is an indication. The event was packed and there was literally a buzz of conversation in the hallway about trends regarding delivery of content to the home. One of the most impressive things I saw at this conference is the independent telco presence at this event; distributors, associations, suppliers and telcos.  Click here to read some of the observations from this conference where simplifying the customer experience was a common theme.


Batter up at MTAViodiTV at MTA – Get Your Message out on the Hotel Channel – Sponsorship Opportunities (adv)

ViodiTV will be on the hotel channel at the Minnesota Telecom Alliance Convention in Minneapolis, March 28 to 30.  This annual event is a great way to get in front of hundreds of independent communications companies.  The program is always relevant, particularly this year in the light of the recent movement by the FCC regarding the evolving Connect America Fund.  To sponsor ViodiTV, reply to this email or contact us.   To see an overview of previous ViodiTV coverage of the MTA Convention, check out this video.


Roy Perry of CableLabs
Roy Perry of CableLabs

Economy of Scope of Key to Residential Energy Management

“Economy of scope” may be the thing that makes the residential connected grid work. Roy Perry of CableLabs uses this term to describe the idea that, thanks to a common IP infrastructure, multiple services help share the cost of infrastructure. In this video interview, he refers to a white paper he co-authored suggesting that a more efficient way to meet the energy savings of a smart-grid would be to focus on the low-hanging fruit.  Click here to view our video interview with Mr. Perry.


Kevin Messner of AHAM
Kevin Messner of AHAM

From Smart Appliances to the Smart Grid

Wringing out efficiencies in the grid is big business, with AHAM (The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers) suggesting a $900M annual savings by shifting just 5% of power consumption from peak to off-peak times. One way to realize this sort of improved efficiency is by controlling the load through communication with so-called smart appliances. Click here to view this exclusive video interview with Kevin Messner, Vice President of Government Relations for AHAM, who discusses the technical, regulatory and financial challenges of deploying smart appliances in the smart grid.


Broadband Property Summit – Discounted Registration & ViodiTV Sponsorships Available – Registration Code – “viodifriend” (adv)

ViodiTV will be on the Hotel TV channel again at the Broadband Properties 2011 Summit. Check out this video for highlights from last year, what to expect in 2011 and to consider sponsorships. ViodiTV will produce daily show coverage and interviews for a daily TV program, and for streaming on Viodi.tv and bbpmag.com after the summit. Contact us or Diane at broadbandproperties dot com for some very unique sponsorship opportunities.

To receive a discount registration for this great event, go to this link, check the “VIP” bubble and use registration code “viodifriend” to get an extremely reduced registration rate.


Reality Check: WiMAX on Track to Cover One Billion by EOY 2011 by Alan Weissberger

The WiMAX Forum claims that “WiMAX service providers around the globe today have networks covering more than 823 million people (or POPs) in approximately 149 countries and are on track to reach one billion POPs by the end of 2011. This estimate is a growth of 215 million POPs since December 2009 and surpasses the forecasted growth during that time period.”  But doesn’t everyone think that mobile WiMAX is dead?  Click here to read Weissberger’s insight on this question.


Can U.S. Reverse the Decline in R&D Spending: Global Competitiveness at Risk! by Alan Weissberger

A R&D crisis is brewing in the U.S. It’s not only the demise of Bell Labs and the huge cutbacks in pure research at companies like IBM, GE, AT&T, Verizon and others. But also the decline in U.S. federal government R &D spending, especially as a percentage of GDP. Compounding this problem, a recent report from Ernst & Young, states that companies in developed nations increasingly plan to turn to emerging markets for core research and development. That means even less R & D will be done in the U.S. in coming years.  Click here to read the rest of the post and the commentary that follows.


What makes Silicon Valley special for digital innovation? Good article/interview by Nicolas Bry of Orange with his colleague, Georges Nahon, who is Orange’s Corproate Vice President of North America for Orange and CEO of Orange Labs in San Francisco.  Like his fellow Frenchman, de Tocqueville, who, in the 19th century, gave an outsider’s perspective on America’s unique experiment in democracy, Nahon offers insight as to what makes the Silicon Valley state of mind special.

“It is also a place where optimism, generosity, altruism and communities drive the behaviors rather than individualism, egocentricity and cynism.  The Valley places a premium on alternatives to top-down, hierarchical sources of support. Governmental subsidy is seen as toxic to innovation funded by private investors. Smart risks are the norm.”

Click here to read the entire interview.


Some Tweets and Short Thoughts

  • Jeremy Toeman @ OTT Con, “Even Kabletown is innovating” – funny comment for those of who watch 30 Rock. Pace of innovation is increasing.
  • Good quote from Brian Roberts of Comcast in WSJ – “What used to be ‘reruns’ on television is now called Netflix.”
  • IPTV in disguise -Telstra to use thePlatform as cloud-based video publishing system across TVs, set-top boxes, and web

Monica Witt of Zero1.tv
Monica Witt of Zero1.tv

The Korner – A Universal Remote via the iTouch

Walt Mossberg reviewed the Peel in today’s issue of the Wall Street Journal , a device that turns the iPhone into a universal remote control via a WiFi and a Zigbee-connected infrared blaster.   One advantage to this approach is there is no hardware additions to the actual iPhone or iTouch.  This device will be available on the Apple Store March 8th.

The Peel isn’t the only approach to making a better remote, however.  We had a chance to take a look at the Voomote One from Zero1.tv.  The Voomote One is a hardware add-on that integrates an IR emitter, turning an iPod Touch or iPhone into a universal remote control.  Although we saw a working model at CES 2011, it appears as if it is still in pre-order mode, based on their web site.

It is the associated software applications that will give these hardware accessories the edge over traditional remote controls.  For instance, the Peel’s first product was a no-cost app that helps viewers discover and find preferred TV programs.  Devices like the Peel and the Voomote One promise to simplify the customer experience and are the kind of change that was the topic of many of the conversations at this week’s Over-the-Top TV/Video Conference.

Author Ken Pyle, Managing Editor

By Ken Pyle, Managing Editor

Ken Pyle is Marketing Director for the Broadband Forum. The mission of this 25+-year-old non-profit “is to unlock the potential for new markets and profitable revenue growth by leveraging new technologies and standards in the home, intelligent small business, and multi-user infrastructure of the broadband network.”

He is also co-founder of Viodi, LLC and Managing Editor of the Viodi View, a publication focused on the rural broadband ecosystem, autonomous vehicles, and electric aviation. He has edited and produced numerous multimedia projects for NTCA, US Telecom and Viodi. Pyle is the producer of Viodi’s Local Content Workshop, the Video Production Crash Course at NAB, as well as ViodiTV. He has been intimately involved in Viodi’s consulting projects and has created processes for clients to use for their PPV and VOD operations, as well authored reports on the independent telco market.

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