nbc Archive

Broadband advertising network YuMe is announcing that they will be powering the ads within the NBC Direct service. If you haven’t heard of NBC Direct, it’ allows consumers to directly download full length episodes for viewing on Windows based PCs. This partnership comes a couple of months after their deal with Microsoft to power the ads on Microsoft Interactive TV.

From the release, "YuMe’s platform can dynamically deliver a package of fresh advertising creative so that each time a user plays the downloaded content a new ad may appear in designated positions. Previously, advertising campaigns could only be refreshed in streaming content. YuMe also for the first time delivers real metrics on viewership and ad performance in download playback, in addition to streaming playback. After viewers have come to the site, downloaded and disconnected, YuMe continues to capture viewing metrics and updates its system the next time the computer connects to the Internet."

This is pretty interesting – I have heard of companies who can provide ads in videos viewed offline, but I believe this is the first I am hearing about stats being stored locally and sent back to YuMe once the media player is connected to the Internet.

Will anyone use the NBC Direct service if Hulu continues to grow in content and distribution?

Just received news out of NBC Universal that they have selected Microsoft to host the online video portal for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The site will be available at NBCOlympics.com and will be powered by Microsoft’s Silverlight platform.

While NBC notes quickly that this online option is a complement to its broadcast programming for the Olympics, they also note that will deliver thousands of hours of competition video in both live and on-demand formats.

Here are the important notes from the press release, "As a result of this unprecedented alliance, "NBCOlympics.com on MSN" will deliver:

• 2,200 hours of live event video coverage, with more than 20 simultaneous live video streams at peak times
• More than 3,000 hours of on-demand video content including full-event replays, highlights, features, interviews and encore packages.
• An "enhanced playback mode" powered by Silverlight that gives users the choice of a high-quality full screen viewing experience that is as good or better than anything on the Internet today
• Unique metadata overlays powered by Silverlight that enable fans to have access not only to high quality video, but also to the wealth of related content including results, statistics, comprehensive bios, rules and expert analysis from NBC’s Olympic digital media team in Beijing
• Live video alerts so fans can stay connected to the events and teams they care most about
• Social networking features that enable fans to share aspects of their Olympic experience with friends

Certainly more interactive than when I was responsible for the Wimbledon tennis tourney back in the mid-90s.

So this (I believe) is the first time I have reviewed a TV show. Yep, an actual television show. Remember Office Space? This was a movie that actually made sense for techies, geeks and nerds. No matter how many times they run it on TBS, I find myself watching it. Why? No not because the boss asked me to come in on Sunday but because they actually took the time to think about what techies are like when they created the movie. So many others didn’t take the time and bombed.

Tonight a new series premiered on NBC named "Chuck." The premise is pretty simple. Chuck has some computer in his head from a friend and now he sees things and an attractive blonde woman who is the Jackie Chan of the series from the CIA and together they will protect the country. The tech jokes are funny, the fake bestbuy store is funny and there’s just enough action to keep it going.

It’s a combo of Office Space, Can’t Buy Me Love and Rush Hour. I rarely enjoy any TV shows, but this is now on my dvr. There’s a message board and a live blog while the show is airing. Anyway check it out for some good nerd humor.

Update: Dan Lewis, VP Business Development and General Counsel at Wikia just skype’d over a note that they have a Chuck Wikia page.

NBC has announced today that they will offer free, ad-supported full downloads of their fall season’s most popular shows. Called "NBC Direct," it will allow users to download and view NBC’s popular primetime and late-night entertainment programming on their desktops for up to one week after broadcast.

Sorry Mac people, it’s only for Windows-based machines. Guess you will need your parallels.

From the NBC release:

The first version of this new feature, which will begin beta testing in October, will allow users to download full length episodes for viewing on Windows based PCs. Each original episode will be licensed to users for viewing through "NBC Direct" for one week following broadcast and will then expire. The downloaded file will provide users with an improved overall viewing experience compared to traditional streaming video.

The list of programs available at launch will include "Heroes," "The Office," "Life," "Bionic Woman," "30 Rock," "Friday Night Lights," "Late Night with Conan O’Brien" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."Later in the beta launch, users will be provided the free subscription option that will allow them to pre-select their favorite NBC programs they want to watch. Those shows will be automatically delivered to their computers as soon as they are available after the original broadcast. The downloadable player will also have filtering technology, which will prevent it from playing any stolen copyrighted material.

This just in… the un-named online video venture from News Corp. and NBC Universal now has a name: Hulu. What is it with these "Hawaiian" sounding names? First Mahalo for a search engine and now hulu for a video service? From GoHawaii: Hulu, Hawaiian for “feather/plumage,” also means “choice and precious” and, at a symbolic level, stands for an esteemed kupuna (elder).

Hulu explains the name, "Why Hulu? Objectively, Hulu is short, easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and rhymes with itself. Subjectively, Hulu strikes us as an inherently fun name, one that captures the spirit of the service we’re building." Seems to make me think of a hula hoop. One that goes round and round but never actually goes anywhere. It is a fun sounding name.

Details are just coming in but here is the release:

Los Angeles, California — Aug. 29, 2007 — News Corp. and NBC Universal today announced that "Hulu" is the official name of their online video joint venture and that the private beta will be available in October.

Starting today, interested users can submit their email address at hulu.com to be included in an invite list for the private beta.  The Hulu beta is expected to be open to a limited number of users and continue to grow as the Hulu development team continues to scale the site and address user feedback.

Visit http://hulu.com and click on the "Find out more" link to read a message from the CEO, Jason Kilar. Ongoing details and updates about Hulu will also be made available on http://hulu.com.

Update: Om has some good additional details on the name on NewTeeVee.

NBC has announced today that beginning this summer they will begin to roll out social networking features on NBC.com. The announcements were made by Vivi Zigler, Executive Vice President, NBC Digital Entertainment.

From the press release, "We are the first network to marry gold-standard content with social networking," said Zigler.  "We've listened to our users through message boards and focus groups and are building them the playground they've asked for."

Beginning in September, NBC.com users will find social networking tools on the site.  These new features, which will roll-out over the next few months, will enable users to create modular, customizable profiles rich with user-generated content; participate in an online community where fans can interact with NBC personalities and each other; gain access to exclusive content and live interactive events; create blogs, photo galleries, and video galleries; join groups to discuss their favorite shows; grab widgets for all of their social networking profiles and blogs and keep track of all the games they play and the contests they've entered.  MyNBC gives users one convenient place to experience their favorite entertainment.

How will this work with the new NBC/Fox video startup? Why not create one site for users vs. a MyNBC and a MyNewCo, etc.?