5 More Companies That Are Changing Online TV

December 16th, 2009 by Phoebe

It’s hard to miss that TV is changing – increasingly online, on-demand, and personalized. Business models, like consumers habits, are in flux, and the landscape of companies keeps evolving. Mashable recently published an intriguing list of companies that are reinventing online TV. As a response and complement to those selections, here are 5 more companies that, as we see it, take a key role in reinventing online TV.

1. Netflix

Netflix’s popular Instant Watch streaming service has become for many a complement if not a supplement to broadcast and cable TV. With delivery via Roku, Xbox, PS3 and others, Instant Watch provides a comfortable living room experience. Now planning to expand internationally, Netflix is no longer just a DVD rental company, but an important player in online TV.

2. Comcast

Innovation by small startups might make a better story, but there’s no denying that the big players have a big influence on the future of TV. Perhaps none more so than Comcast, who with their recent acquisition of NBCU now have first access to some of the best premium content around, not to mention influence over the popular online service Hulu. With the launch of Fancast Xfinity TV, Comcast is moving at “light speed in cable TV terms” (as Videonuze put it) to provide an online TV experience that enhances - but does not replace - cable service.

3. Blip.tv

What is the place of indie content in the evolving world of online TV? The question has two sides: how many people will watch indie content, and how indie creators will monetize their content so they can continue their work. With even YouTube shifting focus toward more profitable premium content, Blip.tv, the self-described “next generation television network,” provides a model for both sides of the question, extensively syndicating content to viewers around the Web and offering profits to successful creators via a 50/50 ad revenue share. It’s not the only model for how quality indie content can continue to enrich online TV, but it’s one that seems to have staying power.

4. LG

As LG has identified, the next big thing in the world of HDTV is internet capabilities. LG’s NetCast Access Entertainment integrates Yahoo Widget Engine, Netflix, YouTube and Vudu content in selected HDTV models via Ethernet connectivity directly to the television. This looks like the right direction for consumers who demand a simple, seamless experience without set-up, set top boxes, and accessories.

5. Jinni

(Of course!) Unlike typical TV, over-the-top (OTT) models where content is completely on-demand create a challenge for anyone in couch potato mood. “Channel zap” as the simple - and only - way to choose what to watch is a thing of the past. We see Jinni as the next generation TV guide, with a unique focus on the user. Based on our semantic Movie Genome, Jinni creates a one-of-a-kind model for each person’s taste, to enable selection by mood and personal preferences.

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