New York — Comcast and Time Warner Inc. will attempt to synthesize their approaches to delivering cable TV programming via the Web starting with a nationwide trial involving 5,000 of the operator’s customers.

In the industry’s first national “TV Everywhere” trial, set to kick off in July, Comcast will deliver new and recent episodes from top TNT and TBS series, available through the operator’s Comcast.net and Fancast portals, for no extra cost to customers who subscribe to both TV and broadband services.
Full Article…

2008 was the year that big media learned to stop worrying and love—or at least accept—online video.

Full Article…

NAB, LAS VEGAS, NV and AMERICAN FORK, UT – April 22, 2009 – Move Networks, a leading provider of Internet television services, today announced that it has acquired Inuk Networks, a leading triple-play service provider based in the UK. Inuk has developed a next generation television platform, which builds on the traditional television experience, but opens new opportunities for monetizing customers with targeted advertising, converged applications and a unique PC/Mac multi-room solution. Through the acquisition of Inuk, Move Networks is accelerating the realization of TV everywhere by enabling television experiences on PCs and broadband enabled devices.

Today, Move Networks enables leading broadcasters including ABC, FOX, The CW, ESPN360, ProSieben, and Televisa to deliver live and on-demand high-quality video to PCs and other web-enabled devices with a fast start, high-fidelity images, and no buffering—giving viewers the highest-quality viewing experience on the Web.

Inuk’s wholesale IPTV platform can be white-labeled by any service provider or retail brand aspiring to deliver a TV service to its customers and the “igloo” virtual Set-Top Box application provides a multi-room solution for PCs and Macs.

By adding Inuk’s IPTV platform and virtual Set-Top Box solution for PCs and Macs to its video publishing system and adaptive streaming technologies, Move Networks is able to deliver service providers, broadcasters and consumers a true TV experience over the open Internet and closed networks, using a mix of both multicast and rate adaptive video delivery. This HD and SD video processing platform will be the most complete IPTV solution combining high-fidelity viewing, functionality, and enhanced features. Broadcasters and operators will be able to offer viewers an Internet television experience with high-definition video and no buffering or skipping, in a TV-like interface with features you would expect on a digital TV service such as immediate channel change, Electronic Program Guide (EPG), on-screen overlays, reminders, PVR and access to a VOD menu.

“Inuk’s IPTV platform is well positioned to deliver these new consumer expectations and Move Networks proprietary adaptive streaming and video publishing platform delivers an HD viewing experience via the current Internet infrastructure today,” said John Edwards, executive chairman of the board for Move Networks. “This means Move Networks and Inuk have the critical components in place to support commercial deployments.

“The Move-Inuk combination is a perfect marriage of technologies and business models,” said Marcus Liassides, CEO and President of Inuk Networks.  “We will offer a solution that augments traditional linear-based programming allowing more consumers to experience television on their own schedules for a personalized viewing experience. We are excited to serve those consumers with a true two-way interactive television service.”

Inuk also provides IPTV services through its branded platform Freewire to the on-campus, halls of residence market at universities in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada. Move Networks is committed to developing and growing the Freewire platform, which will launches in the USA and Nordic region later in 2009.

About Inuk Networks
Inuk Networks Limited is a triple-play service provider which has capitalized on the rapid growth of broadband technologies by developing a platform for the distribution of broadcast quality TV and carrier-class telephony over closed IP-based networks. Please visit www.inuknetworks.com for more information.

About Move Networks
Move Networks, Inc. is a leading provider of Internet television services that drive the growth and support of online audiences for leading broadcasters and publishers including ABC, FOX, the CW, ProSieben, and Televisa. The video technologies and services developed and managed by Move Networks enable leading brands to deliver live and on-demand programming to millions of people without the buffering, stalling, and low-quality viewing experiences common with competing technologies.

March 24, 2009 - American Fork, UT -Move Networks, a leading provider of Internet television services, has appointed former president of Symantec’s Altiris Business Unit Greg Butterfield as an independent director.

Mr. Butterfield is a true leader in systems management, bringing more than 22 years of executive experience in the software industry to his position as a member of the board of directors of Move Networks. Many of these years were spent building IT service management businesses into category-leading giants, most notably as chairman of the board, president and CEO of systems management pioneer Altiris (acquired by Symantec in 2007). During his tenure at Altiris, he led the company to eight consecutive years of revenue growth and profitability, growing annual revenues from $3 million to $229 million. Mr. Butterfield also held executive positions in the software industry with companies such as Vinca Corporation, Novell and WordPerfect Corporation.

“We are extremely pleased to have Greg join Move Networks as a board member,” said John Edwards, executive chairman of the Move Networks board of directors. “He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge that we foresee will assist us in reaching our aggressive financial and business milestones. Greg enhances our already exceptionally strong set of directors and his guidance, insight, and advice will be a tremendous asset to the Company.”

Mr. Butterfield won the 2002 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award and served as the chairman of the board of the Utah Information Technology Association from 2003 to 2005. He received a bachelors of science in business administration, finance from Brigham Young University.

Mr. Butterfield is currently managing partner of SageCreek Partners, a world-wide network of executives focused on accelerating business development, routes to market, and capital strategies for early and mid-sized technology companies.

“I am excited to join the Move Networks board of directors and look forward to working closely with the Company as an advisor,” said Butterfield.  ”There are very few companies that address the large potential Internet television market with a proven and proprietary technology. Move Networks is one of these companies and I believe it has excellent potential.”

While most people watched the telecast 51st Annual Grammy Awards starting at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS last night, there was a whole three hours of non-televised content that viewers could only watch live online.

The Grammy Awards Pre-Telecast, which includes nearly 100 categories of Grammy awards that don’t make the televised awards program, was brought online with production and technical expertise from Springboard Productions, iStreamPlanet Co. , Move Networks Inc. , and AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T).

Full Article…

The 51st annual Grammy Awards telecast this year had 24 artists performing nearly 30 songs over three-and-a-half hours. But the “pre-tel” awards ceremony, where more than 100 other awards are given to several hundred recipients, was traditionally an obscure, invitation-only affair, held in the Los Angeles Convention Center adjacent to the Staples Center where the televised show originates from. That changed in 2008 when the Recording Academy green-lighted a beta trial of live-streaming the pre-tel ceremony. . .

The transfer rate this year is up to 1.4Mbps, using Move Networks’ Move Media Player, whose adaptive streaming technology will automatically query each viewer’s computer to determine its connection and processor speed and type, and then optimize the stream for that user. AT&T was the CDN provider.

Sounds Good
In the world of streaming, the focus tends to be on the picture, with smooth, unbuffered motion the ultimate goal. However, this webcast was part of the Grammy experience, the music industry’s most important yearly broadcast event. The audio would warrant some attention of its own.

Although Move’s media player is essentially a black-box solution, with the adaptive streaming and other parameter optimization taking place based on preset profiles, Mark East, director of managed webcasting for iStreamPlanet and the producer of the pre-tel Grammy webcast, is a fan of how Move’s player sounds out of the box. “They have a really nice mix of profiles in their default settings. In the upper ranges especially, it’s great-sounding audio,” he says. The adaptive streaming adjusts for both audio and video. “The low-end will not drop below 64kbps and will scale up to 96kbps at higher profiles,” David Rice, Move Networks’ v.p. of marketing, explains.

Full Article…

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - February 9, 2009 - The Recording Academy expanded the impact of the Pre-Telecast Awards of the 51^st Annual GRAMMY, aired Feb. 8, through strategic alliances with Springboard Productions, iStreamPlanet, AT&T and Move Networks. Together, these companies delivered a TV-quality experience for online viewers, the highest quality pre-telecast of the awards to date. The non-televised portion of the GRAMMY Awards, hosted by Wayne Brady and Tia Carrere, featured nearly 100 categories as well as live music performances. For the first time, the broadcast will be available on-demand for one month at www.grammys.com.

“As the number of award categories grow, so does the popularity of our Pre-Telecast awards ceremony. By hosting a live stream on Grammy.com, we’re able to open the event up to our expanding worldwide audience,” said Evan Greene, chief marketing officer of The Recording Academy. “Therefore, it’s critical that we collaborate with the industry’s best technology companies each year to improve the online viewing experience.”

The live stream of the GRAMMYs Pre-Telecast from the Staples Center in Los Angeles was delivered by iStreamPlanet in conjunction with Springboard Productions. With Springboard producing the content, iStreamPlanet managed onsite content acquisition; onsite encoding and transcoding; building the rich media player experience that incorporated adaptive streaming from Move Networks; content integration with the GRAMMYs Web site; and ingestion into AT&T’s Content Delivery Network for distribution.

Springboard Productions (http://www.springboardproductions.net/) delivers groundbreaking new media solutions at high-profile live events for broadcast, broadband, mobile, and IPTV. “Springboard consistently combines the highest quality with just the right technology to best realize our clients’ presentation goals,” said Hank Neuberger, founder of Springboard Productions and Grammy-winning producer. “Given this, together with iStreamPlanet, we lined up a stellar group of partners this year that worked together seamlessly to deliver a flawless broadcast.”

iStreamPlanet® (http://www.istreamplanet.com/), an innovator of digital media strategy, managed webcasting services, and Rich Internet Applications, fully managed the live and on-demand streaming media webcast. “Managing a high-profile event like the Pre-Telecast of the GRAMMYs was exciting for all of us at iStreamPlanet, especially as it came on the heels of managing the official presidential inauguration webcast,” said Mio Babic, founder and CEO of iStreamPlanet. “By incorporating adaptive streaming technology from Move Networks into the webcast and using AT&T’s global CDN service, we were able to transcend the unpredictable nature of the Internet and create a high quality viewing experience for music fans worldwide.”

AT&T (http://www.att.com/) provided its Content Delivery Network (CDN) for the Pre-Telecast. AT&T’s Intelligent Content Distribution^SM service, a network-based CDN service used by media and enterprise companies alike, replicates information across the Internet for a better end-user experience. “The increasing popularity of the Pre-Telecast GRAMMY awards meant more people watching the event online than ever before so it was critical for the Recording Academy to work with a CDN provider able to perform under high traffic conditions,” said Roman Pacewicz, senior vice president of business strategy and application services for AT&T‘s Business Marketing organization.  ”AT&T’s service works to significantly improve Web site capacity, reliability and performance, including the live video and the video on-demand currently available on Grammy.com.”

Move Networks (http://www.movenetwork.com/), the leader in Internet television services, powered the Pre-Telecast with its Move Adaptive Stream technology. a revolutionary transport protocol that delivers video with a near-instantaneous start, minimizing packet loss and latency by optimizing TCP connections. “This is the first year that the GRAMMYs and Grammy.com have used our adaptive streaming technology,” said John Edwards, CEO of Move Networks. “It delivered a TV-like viewing experience without the buffering and stalling frequently associated with Internet webcasts. We are honored to have helped enable a superior broadcast.”

About the Companies:

The Recording Academy

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards - the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music - The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com.

Springboard Productions

SPRINGBOARD is a unique production resource. Founded by Grammy-winning producer Hank Neuberger in 2007, the company has delivered groundbreaking new media solutions at high-profile live events for broadcast, broadband, mobile, and IPTV. Springboard consistently combines the highest quality with just the right technology to best realize its clients’ presentation goals. More information is available by visiting http://www.springboardproductions.net.

iStreamPlanet

iStreamPlanet® develops and provides digital media strategy, managed webcasting services, and Rich Internet Applications. The company successfully integrates managed services and SaaS-based digital media applications that cover all aspects of a media delivery, enabling enterprises and other content owners to distribute and monetize their digital media across multiple platforms. iStreamPlanet’s team of digital media and broadcast experts has managed and enabled the deployment of more than 1,000 large live events viewed online by millions. The world’s top business leaders (American Express, AT&T, Caterpillar, Microsoft), trendiest music festivals (Bonnaroo, Coachella, SXSW), most popular sporting events (Masters Golf Tournament, Phoenix Suns, World Series of Poker), and major broadcasters (CBS Television, Cablevision, Fox International) rely on iStreamPlanet’s digital media solutions. Through its partnership with Smart City, iStreamPlanet also supports over 60 of the largest U.S. convention centers and event facilities. Founded in 2000, the privately held company is headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in Orlando, Florida; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Washington, D.C. More information is available by calling 702-492-5900 or visiting http://www.istreamplanet.com.

Move Networks

Move Networks, Inc. is a leading provider of Internet television services that drive the growth and support of online audiences for leading broadcasters and publishers including Fox, ABC, the CW, and Discovery. The video technologies and services developed and managed by Move Networks enable leading brands to deliver live and on-demand programming to millions of people without the buffering, stalling, and low-quality viewing experiences common with competing technologies. More info is at http://www.movenetworks.com.

AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world’s most advanced IP-based business communications services, the nation’s fastest 3G network and the best wireless coverage worldwide, and the nation’s leading high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of their three-screen integration strategy, AT&T operating companies are expanding their TV entertainment offerings. In 2008, AT&T again ranked No. 1 in the telecommunications industry on FORTUNE® magazine’s lists of the World’s Most Admired Companies and America’s Most Admired Companies. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.

©2009 GRAMMY is a registered trademark of The Recording Academy in the United States and/or other countries. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Information is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved.

# # #

Media Contacts:

Lisa Hawes
Sterling Communications for iStreamPlanet
408-884-5155
lhawes@sterlingpr.com

Hank Neuberger
Springboard Productions
(847) 475-1562
hank@springboardproductions.net

Mary Kay Crocker
Move Networks
801-592-5575
mkcrocker@movenetworks.com

Janet Wyles
AT&T Public Relations
908-234-6067
wyles@att.com

The live stream will be  delivered by iStreamPlanet in conjunction with Springboard Productions. With Springboard producing the content, iStreamPlanet will manage onsite content acquisition; onsite encoding and transcoding; building the rich media player experience that incorporated adaptive streaming from Move Networks; content integration with the Grammy Web site; and ingestion into AT&T’s Content Delivery Network for distribution.

Full Article…

The emergence of Hulu and other free sources of TV online has prompted some breathless talk about consumers dumping their cable subscriptions in favor of Internet-connected TVs. That’s a nice sentiment, but cable and satellite services still have some features the streaming TV sites don’t. One is high-definition programming in abundance, although that gap is closing thanks to technologies from the likes of Move Networks and Vusion.

Full Article…

InformITV | January 22, 2009

CNN served a record 1.3 million concurrent live video streams in the moments leading up to the inaugural address of American President Barack Obama. That may be partly down to using peer-assisted distribution, or not. The consensus was that CBS provided the best quality experience. The BBC was among a number of other broadcaster sites that failed to meet demand for live streams.

The CNN online video audience at its peak nearly doubled the previous internet record of 700,000 concurrent live streams served during a YouTube event. In all, CNN.com served 26.9 million live video streams during the day.

. . . CBS had the best offering according to some online observers, with multiple feeds using streaming technology from Move Networks.

Full Article…