Hi-Tech and the Cinema

Tech moves fast and we need to keep up with the latest trends and developments which impact the cinema. Here we go.

Echo Dot

Echo Dot

Amazon set the price for its Alexa personal assistant device at a mere $50.  What the Dot does is listen to voice commands and acts upon them via wireless connection.  Alexa can be asked to play news programs, set reminders, provide weather reports, etc. - but you can also order items available for sale on Amazon's website.

Amazon offers a larger version of the Dot, called Echo which can play music and in the future retrieve movies.  Both the Echo and Echo Dot can be connected via Bluetooth to a remote audio system for music playback.

Priced so multiple units can be purchased for various rooms in the home, the Dot has a lot to offer for $50.

Delivery Agent - It Will Survive!

A company manufacturing a device which enables consumers to buy products they view on TV is going bust - or sort of.  Delivery Agent, the San Francisco based company that developed the on-screen purchasing system currently has contracts with dozens of TV networks and pay-TV source providers, which look to Delivery Agent as a way to create a new revenue stream by allowing viewers to purchase merchandise related to what they are viewing.  Problem is the system is so new, consumers have to catch-up with the concept and start using it.

Delivery Agent's platform, called ShopTV, is embedded into over 50 million devices from the likes of Sony, Roku, Samsung, and LG. While its media clients include: Fox, CBS, HBO, Showtime, and Disney. What Delivery Agent needs is marketing, so people will know it exists!  Point-of-sale and instant gratification are what drives purchases.  Impulse buying is what Delivery Agent is about but people need to know what it does and how to use it.

The impact on the cinema from a product like ShopTV could be significant.  People may opt to stay at home and watch a film with the intention of purchasing a product from their favorite film or TV show. On the other hand this technology may be adapted for use within cinemas, where a viewer would order up products that appear in the latest feature film.

I have no doubt that Delivery Agent will get the funding it needs to move forward, there is just too much opportunity for all of the players involved: the consumer (buyer), product providers (sellers), media providers (networks and studios), and internet providers (TV cable, on-line streamers).

Twitter: Finally Streaming

The long awaited time when Twitter would start streaming live action has finally come and it can be viewed on TV or cinema screens.  Twitter launched its new app for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Microsoft XBox One with the first live stream of last Thursday night's NFL football game. Twitter struck a deal with the NFL to stream 10 Thursday night games. It has also inked deals with the MLB (Major League Baseball), the NBA (Natl' Basketball Assoc.), and PAC 12 Networks (college football).

The viewer will be able to watch the live stream while Tweeting at the same time, which will be a big plus for avid sports fans.  The use of large screens is a big deal for Twitter's future growth as more and more consumers are cord-cutting and leaving their cable TV providers.  Twitter emphasized that there new streaming service is free of charge - their revenue coming from the ads viewers will see during the live feeds.

Cinema operators should view this as a huge opportunity for alternative content. Turning a normally slow Thursday night into a big audience magnet.  Get on it!.

Cheddar - But Not Cheese

For those of you who only think of cheddar as a tangy-bite on a cracker - think again. Cheddar is the latest digital financial-news network geared toward younger audiences.  And what better way to reach this younger demographic - aha, Twitter (which inked a deal with Cheddar last week).

Partnering with Cheddar will allow Twitter users access to the day's top news stories and other information 'live' via a free platform.  Similar to the deal Twitter struck with Bloomberg Media, the Cheddar deal calls for live broadcast streaming which can be viewed on a large screen.

Cinemas should be encouraged to use the Cheddar/Twitter content for pre-show. It would be lots better and much more relevant than the insipid (and normally months' old) pre-show 'stuff' now screened in theaters and the best part - it's free!


Best
Jim