How Netflix Is Fixing Hollywood: Netflix’s recommendation system, combined with their more robust movie catalog (aka not just shoving blockbusters at you), is giving customers a more diverse set of movies to see, and thus growing independent movie makers’ audiences and pocketbooks.
easyCinema: From the creators of the no-frills airline easyJet comes the no-frills movie theater chain. There is no box office (only web and phone ordering.. and the earlier you book, the less you pay), and you can bring your own food so you don’t have to pay insane movie theater food prices. Lowering the price to make quantity profitable… genius!
It’s All Free! Music! Movies! TV shows! Millions of people download them every day. Is digital piracy killing the entertainment industry?
This item is not available for rent: Rumor has it that Blockbuster will not be carrying Bowling for Columbine because of some possible Michael Moore blacklisting. There are already mutterings on and off the Web of people not being able to get it.
An Analysis of Netflix’s DVD Allocation System: Netflix uses the number of movies you rented in your previous billing period or periods to determine your priority in getting movies. The more movies you rented during your last billing cycle or cycles, the less chance you have of receiving a movie versus an individual who has rented fewer movies. This report describes how I came to this conclusion using automated data collection on netflix.com. It also lists some open questions.
AgentArts: AgentArts is a leading provider of entertainment recommendation and personalization solutions. Our patented technology automatically profiles consumer preferences, and uses this information to provide highly personalized real-time content recommendations for music and ultimately video and other entertainment related content.
“In an emerging world of unlimited & instant entertainment choice, user friendly context will ultimately become more valuable than content alone…” I couldn’t agree more.
In the Matter of Digital Broadcast Copy Protection: The Motion Picture Association of America has made the claim that if over-the-air HDTV signals are unprotected, then it will be trivial to redistribute that content via electronic mail, shared folders, web sites, or P2P file-sharing software. Jack Valenti, MPAA chairman and CEO, has made this claim: “A 12-year-old, with a click of a mouse, can send a movie hurtling to all of the five continents.” Raffi Krikorian, a graduate student at the MIT Media Lab, tested that statement and found it really isn’t true.
A Mighty Wind: Christopher Guest follows up his acclaimed ensemble comedies Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman with a docu-comedy about three folk groups from the 60s who reunite for a memorial concert in New York City following the death of a legendary folk manager.
Kazaa Sues Movie, Recording Industries: Sharman Networks, the owners of the Kazaa file-sharing network are suing the movie and recording industries, claiming that they don’t understand the digital age and are monopolizing entertainment. Sharman said that the entertainment companies are behind the times and don’t realize that consumers need not buy CDs, DVDs or videotapes to enjoy music or films. Sharman also claimed that movie studios “dominate and, when they act in concert, have monopoly power” for the aftermarket distribution of first-run major motion pictures. Likewise, the company said, recording labels “when they act in concert, have monopoly power in the distribution of recorded music.” Genius! I love it.