Ed Vaizey MP, the former Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy, will be among the keynote speakers at the launch of a series of Media Summits to explore the effect of ‘Brexit’ on the media and communications sector. The Brexit Briefing launches in London on 21 November, setting the scene for a series of Media Summits to be held over the next year.
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Movies Anywhere, led by Disney, is the latest initiative to provide online access in one place to movies from multiple studios purchased through participating retailers. It brings together five major studios and digital retailers: Amazon, Google, Apple and Vudu. Think of it as UltraViolet done better, if a little late.
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Video-on-demand viewing in 2020 will almost equal live and scheduled programming, and half of all viewing will be on a mobile screen. Meanwhile the average time spent searching for something to watch has increased to almost an hour a day. These are among the extraordinary conclusions of the eighth annual Ericsson ConsumerLab study.
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Sky is extending the voice control on its Sky Q touch remote, allowing viewers to use a range of spoken commands to change channels or play programmes. It adds to the existing voice search function. Sky Q also finally gets a favourite channels feature. This all adds to the usability of Sky Q in the face of increasing competition.
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Netflix is raising its prices for some subscribers, testing the elasticity of demand for the service. Investors reacted positively. So far, subscribers have tolerated price increases on the basis that the subscription video service appears to offer good value compared to alternatives. How long will it be before customers are complaining about the cost of their Netflix subscription as much as their cable bill?
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Roku will release a new version of its operating system, with a focus on bridging the gap between free, local broadcast television and streaming, at least in the United States. A new Smart Guide will provide over the air broadcast and streaming options, together with improved search and voice control, and single-sign-on for television everywhere services.
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