Distribution

KCRW has launched a very cool new web player (BETA!). This should be a model for every station (and TV station, for that matter).

_Listen Live
_Sort/browse by subject:Music/News or Program
_Create playlists
_Share/embed
_RSS subscriptions
_Embedded E-commerce-buy the currently playing music from Amazon or iTunes.

An excellent precedent, and an interesting business move by CBS, even if you have no interest in the NCAA Tournament. Via Silicon Alley Insider.

The NCAA tournament has been one of CBS’s most successful forays on the web, drawing nearly 1.4 million users last year. And putting the games online is one of those moves that’s incredibly sensible, yet hard for big media companies to pull off: Most online viewing goes on at work, so it’s hard to argue that the Web will cannibalize TV audiences. And anyone who could watch the games on TV instead of a PC is obviously going to do so.

A developer has released a beta plugin for Windows Media Center that allows you to edit your queue, browse titles, and watch Netflix streams. More details at the developer’s site.

It’s really a shame that Apple hasn’t opened the AppleTV (officially) to such development. WTF?

Miro, the open-source podcatcher/mediaplayer from the Participatory Culture Foundation, has launched a “branded” version, pre-loaded/subscribed with content from TED.

Youtube’s launching a complete mobile (3G) version, including uploads and a downloadable Java app for supported devices, at m.youtube.com. SAI has the business/financial angle.

RELATED: 3 New Mashups for Finding Music Videos.

It seems MSNBC really hit a home-run with it’s new embed-able player. Nicely designed, and the video quality might be the best of any of the networks’ offerings, rivaling CNN.

The two most interesting aspects of iTunes offering rentals—

_The implications for Apple TV—expect at least a software update to support the new functionality. Accessing the iTunes store from the living room is certainly one good step in reviving/re-inventing a cool product suffering neglect and lackluster adoption. A little more computing muscle/storage and the addition of disc burning/playing might also help position it and increase interest. Even with poor sales, the Apple TV is still miles ahead of budding competitors like Sansa’s TakeTV in functionality and user experience.

_”iPod compatible” versions of movies included on forthcoming DVDs. Part of the supposed agreement with Fox is the studio’s inclusion of “iPod compatible” files on forthcoming DVDs (haven’t checked whether this includes HD discs as well). It seems like it wouldn’t be a big jump to the inclusion iPod-only exclusive extras/additional content/etc. How about including an Apple TV-compatible HD version?

Silicon Alley Insider has the winners and losers.

A couple of interesting Radio/Music/Interweb mashups—

The Pirate Bay has launched a music discovery section, utilizing LastFM data. Probably could use a decent interface, but a nice idea.

KEXP in Seattle has launched Kexplorer, a music discovery/sharing app built around it’s program stream. Kexplorer allows you to tag songs while listening to the stream, and allows you to retrieve song/artist info via SMS. More info at Programmable Web.

Also, check out these 36 LastFM Mashups.

Adobe released a public beta of it’s anticipated Media Player. Content partners include CBS, Yahoo Video, PBS and Blip.tv among others. In addition to Flash video (flv) playback, it also catalogs, saves, and implements Media RSS feeds, as well as DRM. AMP is an AIR application, requiring the installation of the AIR runtime.

Adobe Press release.

Download the Adobe AIR runtime.
Download Adobe Media Player.

in other Adobe news, they also released an update to the mobile Flash plugin, Flash Lite.

Jaman, the online community for World-Cinema downloads, distribution and discovery, has released instructions on viewing/syncing Jaman downloads (supposedly including rentals) with AppleTV. This was rumored/announced back in June.

The hack/mod is explained in-depth at AppleTV hacks.

I’m looking forward to getting an AppleTV to hack/play with. Thinking about the possiblity of integrating it into a forthcoming project.

Notes on the public beta of the Amazon Digital Music Store—

_They’ve gone out of their way to make it as x-platform as possible-even a Linux version on the way.

_Automatically adds downloaded tracks to a user’s iTunes or Windows Media Player library

_No re-downloading.

_The user interface needs some(much) work. While your at it, do the whole Amazon site. K, thx.

_Need to use the download client to download whole albums.

_Imagine mashing some LastFM data or some such for recommendations and filtering. I can see lots of cool stuff on the horizon utilizing Amazon’s web services. How about a customizable/embed/sharable Flash UI/widget to the store for bands/labels? Or how about something like that for Amazon Affiliates? A widget like this could also possibly power a “mobile/wireless” store.

_The big question: WILL THIS WORK ON AN IPHONE?

no.

The site let me go through the entire purchasing process (including payment) w/o warning or re-directing me about using an iPhone. (I did get a popup on the Amazon home page with a link to the “beta” Amazon iPhone site.)

Poor usability/contingency design.

A link roundup. Gettin better.

Record Labels Use Piracy Data to Please Fans

Most people assume that record labels hate filesharing, but it seems that some companies actually use it as a research tool. We found out that Interscope records, and probably other record companies as well, use P2P data to determine which tracks they will release as their next single.

Anti-P2P Company Gets Bit by the Torrent

P2P sites ridicule MediaDefender takedown notices in wake of e-mail leak

MiiVi Admit They Will Report Pirates to ‘Proper Authorities’

Snips+notes on Adobe’s implementation of H.264 video in Flash—

* This is a pretty big step in the direction of interoperability of digital video platforms—Web Video/Settops/IPTV/Digital TV/mobile “hardware acceleration” for Web video will be a boon to the adoption of HD-ish quality video via the Innertubes.

ISPs better step it up. Cable’s Bandwidth Shortage.

* Adobe has licensed the x86, PowerPC and ARM (ARM=iPhone) versions of MainConcept’s H.264 and AAC decoders. (source)

* On2: making a move toward embedded/hardware decoding: Flash coming to a settop near you. (source)

* Beta now available: http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/flashplayer9.html

* Metadata: Get those Video search/discovery startups ready:support for ‘covr’ (and other) metadata from iTunes

* ability to decode Base, Mainline and High profiles

You can load and play .mp4,.m4v,.m4a,.mov and .3gp files using the same NetStream API you use to load FLV files now. We did not add any sort of new API in the Flash Player. All your existing video playback front ends will work as they are.

* Xvid, DivX not supported

* Decoder is from Mainconcept

* multichannel AAC files are downmixed

* support for sampling rates from 8Khz to 96Khz

* Fairplay-iTunes DRM- not supported

* Commerical use of H.264 and AAC requires licensing fees.

(source)

Story at ZDNet. More at Beet TV.

We’re announcing a new update to the Flash Player today code named “Moviestar” and it includes support for the widely used industry standard H.264 codec as well as High Efficiency AAC audio support. The update will also be a part of Adobe AIR.

Undoubtedly a move in preparation for adding DRM for Flash Video, as well as supporting more manageable playback of HD content.