Hasta La Gadget!

In recent years, social media has altered the way we interact with each other, and according to a Nielsen study released today, it’s also changing the way we consume media. While it may sound like a common sense conclusion to anyone who witnessed the storm of tweets surrounding the SyFy phenomenon Sharknado, Nielsen has uncovered a statistical link between what people tweet and what people watch. Basically, the more people tweet about a particular show, the more people will watch it. Likewise, the higher a program’s viewership, the more likely people are to discuss it on Twitter in real time. Certain types of programming — reality TV, comedies and sports — showed a higher percentage of ratings changes influenced by social media, while things like scripted dramas showed a smaller but still noticeable uptick. The times are a-changin’, and studies like this one are bound to inspire broadcasters and advertisers to change with them.

Filed under: Internet, HD

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Via: VentureBeat

Source: Nielsen

Back in the dark ages of the internet, if you wanted streaming video you had to deal with too few options and too many janky browser interfaces. But we’ve entered a golden era of streaming; almost every major provider has tablet and phone-friendly apps, meaning you never have to suffer through the malaise of being without on-demand television and movies anywhere you go.

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YouView’s catch-up programming has remained mostly UK-centric so far, but TalkTalk is adding some diversity with a trio of World TV Boosts. The new Arabic TV, JSTV and kykNET TV packs give viewers a combined 16 channels of Afrikaans, Arabic and Japanese content. While the Boosts aren’t cheap at a minimum £10 ($15) per month, they could be vital for ex-pats who want to keep up with news and shows from their home countries.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: YouView

In February, Comcast began testing a pre-paid Xfinity Internet service in a few states, and now has begun doing the same for a pre-paid cable TV service. Thus far, the service provider hasn’t detailed what markets have access to the service, with its “Check Availability” tool not working presently. The plans have been detailed, however, […]

It is sold out at Amazon. It is sold out at Best Buy online. It is sold out at the 16 Best Buy stores closest to my home in North Carolina. The nearest Best Buy availability is in Roanoke, Va. (Amazon and Best Buy are the retail outlets sanctioned by Google.) You can buy it directly from Google at the Play Store, but as of this writing, the wait time for shipping has been extended to three to four weeks.

In a world where people line up for hours to buy a $500 tablet, selling out a $35 dongle isn’t necessarily a milestone, or an indicator of anything significant. But I’ll hammer a prediction stake into the ground: Chromecast will create change in media consumption habits disproportionate to its price. Its power will come partly from its tech-candy pricing, but only partly. This little invention hits a few other sweet spots.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, Google

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