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Joining a host of production houses from startups to media powerhouses, Warner Brothers will release a wide offering of original video programming for Internet distribution.

The new programming, expected to be revealed today in greater detail, reverses an initial strategy that aimed to offload production costs onto advertisers.  Instead, as part of revitalized web strategy that includes a television spin off of their site TMZ.com and a planned animation-only video portal (called T-Works) , Warner is planning  to spend at least $3m for web production. 

The slate of content will include at least 24 productions in formats ranging from games and serials to short films. Click to Read More

Next to the Beatles, the most common iTunes rumor has got to be movie rentals.  From the day the first video iPod appeared there has been speculation about it. Now, there is actually evidence beyond “unnamed sources” to suggest it may be a reality soon.

The most definitive proof a rental service may be in the works was accidentally discovered this weekend by a user trying to report a problem with iTunes.  David Watanabe published a screenshot on photo sharing site Flickr that showed an iTunes drop down menu of subject headings that included a rental subsection.  According the reports spreading virally around the net, the image, which explicitly references rentals, was taken from live iTunes installations and confirmed by other users as well.  It has since been removed. (Note: Click the image at right to launch a higher resolution version)

The idea of an iTunes rental store, and its impending arrival, has been widely reported and speculated on for the better part of two years.  As recently as this past June, the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal reported Apple was in talks with several movie studios to offer rentals at a price of $2.99.  They reported Paramount (owned by Viacom) was in favor of such a service but GE’s Universal Studios was opposed.  Speculation has been rampant enough that some were betting the rental store was going to be revealed at last weeks press conference.

While last week wasn’t the time, four factors beyond this recent development add to the likelihood its finally on its way.

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Scooby Doo where are you? …  on T-Works?

In what is yet another effort to cut out or at least limit the power of 3rd party Internet distributors (from YouTube to iTunes) Warner Brothers announced today they will create their own destination. 

The site, called T-Works will house their broad animation holdings.  To populate the site, they will cull from the legendary libraries of Hanna-Barbera, Looney Tunes and DC works.  Everything from Batman, to Bugs Bunny, to Scooby Doo will be at their disposal.

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For a long time, the holy grail of the home movie industry has been true video on demand; the ability to pick what you want to watch, when you want to watch it and have it instantly without having to move from the body cradling comfort of your old worn out couch.  Many have tried to give consumers this kind of control over their programming choices, many have come up with partial solutions, many have come close but none have fully succeeded in making the dream possible, yet. A solution providing deep depth of available content and instantaneous delivery to the TV (not the PC) hasn’t been done.    Vudu, a well funded startup, announced in April to much fanfare that they’d figured out how to do it.  Today, they reveal their efforts.  Today, Vudu officially launches.

Vudu is built around a $399 set-top box with a 250GB hard drive and your high speed Internet connection.  Click to Read More

It’s official. Steve Jobs has taken the stage. He has spoken his gospel. He has pulled back the curtain.  The revelation, the result, the much anticipated Apple announcement:  new iPods.   

As anticipated, and largely predicted (see yesterday’s odds-making) Apple unveiled a reworked iPod product line. They also announced a mobile ring tone store at iTunes and price cuts for the iPhone.

The Nano, long waiting to be re-envisioned, got its makeover.  Leaked pictures of a boxier, wider screened model proved accurate. Click to Read More

Last week, NBC and Apple took off the gloves and brawled in the school yard.   This week, NBC is moving forward into the next round.

Things started out innocently enough.  Positioning for greater pricing flexibility and other concessions, NBC notified Apple that they wouldn’t renew their long term contract when it expired in December.   Somehow that contractually required notice became public.  Labels were applied in the media – good guys / bad guys. Sides were taken.   Details slipped out that NBC was positioning for more pricing flexibility and the option of bundling products.   Sources said Apple wouldn’t budge.  Things escalated.    Apple snapped back and said they wouldn’t make NBC’s upcoming fall line up available.  Things simmered.  Tempers boiled. 

Yesterday, NBC fired back.  In a surprise announcement, they said they had struck a partnership deal with Amazon.  Click to Read More

Is Sony giving up on digital music and instead throwing its significant resources into digital video technology and video downloading services?   They have just shut down their music store; they are revealing video playing MP3 players.  Could it be?  Are they going to create a video store?

An article in the Wall Street Journal is indirectly suggesting as much.  They say CEO Howard Stringer is quietly preparing for a big move.  They hint at news to come.  A competitor to Apple’s iTunes… From Sony? One wonders.

The Journal’s story is big on speculation (fueled by potentially compromised “people close to the situation”) and light on facts.   Still,  there are more than enough  bits of innuendo and circumstantial evidence floating around to suggest the article may not be off the mark even if support is lacking.

Here is a look at a few of the reasons, arguments, and the circumstantial evidence:

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