Digital Entertainment in the Home: The Home Computer & Connectivity

This white paper analyzes the market for home multimedia network products and services. In addition to drawing on Parks Associates’ primary consumer research, it provides an industry overview of the drivers and inhibitors to multimedia networking from the perspective of the content providers to the home and the developers of networking hardware and equipment in the home.

Spotlight

KVRX-FM

91.7 KVRX-FM stands alone in the "Live Music Capital of the World"​ as the consummate source for indie and underrepresented music. Its student-produced programming is a true alternative station and consequently boasts a wide array of listeners near and far. KVRX maintains a substantial "new music bin"​ including hip-hop, blues, jazz, folk, country, techno and metal genres. Listeners enjoy at least five different genres and two Texas bands each hour. Most recently, The 'Austin Chronicle'​ recognized KVRX’s programming as the Best in Austin and its weekly "Local Live"​ program as the third Best Music Program.

OTHER ARTICLES
Solutions, Business

What are the most popular types of YouTube videos in 2021?

Article | July 7, 2022

Withover two billion userslogging onto YouTube every month, brands would be remiss to ignore the platform in their marketing strategy. However, like any marketing initiative, simply uploading a video to YouTube isn’t going to guarantee views, shares, likes, or success. Success comes down to creating therightcontent. A big part of this is understanding the type of content that historically does really well on the platform; in this case, the different kinds of YouTube videos get viewed most, especially by your audience. Mediakix, an influencer marketing agency, broke down the top 16 most popular types of videos on YouTube in a handy infographic below, but is this the right content for marketing your business?

Read More
Technologies, Virtualization

FILM PRODUCERS FLIP BARGAINING TABLE WITH UNIONIZING EFFORT

Article | July 27, 2022

Movie producers often find themselves negotiating with talent and crew members, and/or their production union representatives, over pay and benefits. But a group of 108 producers flipped the script Thursday in announcing they were looking to form a union of their own.Higher minimum pay and health benefits were cited as the two major reasons. While the group, called the Producers Union, boasts some heavy hitters such as Chris Moore (Manchester by the Sea) and Rebecca Green (It Follows), they made it clear that the traditional image of a Hollywood producer is misleading. Many are just getting by, project to project, looking for a breakout hit to up their quote. According to a survey released this year, 41% of producers made less than $25,000 in the pre-pandemic boom times of 2019. The Producers Union has developed a constitution with provisions for dues and diversity initiatives, with the aim of eventually negotiating a collective bargaining agreement with distributors and other film financiers. Previous efforts by producers to unionize have been thwarted by the courts and the National Labor Relations Board, according to Variety, as the NLRB saw them as supervisors and employers – which creates a high barrier to organizing.

Read More
Technologies, Virtualization

The crowd still matters for live sports broadcasting

Article | August 2, 2022

At opposite sides of the globe, two top-flight international football events have kicked off over the last week. In semi-vaccinated Europe the month-long Euro 2020 tournament began on Friday June 11th, with 11 countries hosting the competition across Europe. On Sunday June 13th in Brazil (a country which had now lost nearly half a million lives to COVID-19) the 2021 Copa America kicked off, with the final taking place on July 10th2021. While Euro 2020 is taking place in front of reduced capacity crowds of fans in stadiums, the Copa America is being played behind closed doors with entire participating national delegations required to be vaccinated, and delegations limited to 65 members. Euro 2020’s official motto ‘Live it. For Real’ can be taken as a declaration of intent to host a top-flight mass sporting event as close to pre-pandemic conditions as feasibly possible. The criteria for live spectator participation for UEFA (the event organisers) was key to this. UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin confirmed the importance of live spectators at matches in an interview back in March where he stated "We have several scenarios, but the one guarantee we can make is that the option of playing any Euro 2020 match in an empty stadium is off the table. Every host must guarantee there will be fans at their games."

Read More

Stride Is Mirror’s Edge VR In Everything But Name

Article | April 27, 2020

Ever since the Oculus Rift was first introduced, people have wanted a Mirror’s Edge VR game. Years later, Stride looks to deliver where EA hasn’t. The first footage for Stride, which debuted over the weekend, promises essentially a VR doppelganger of DICE’s beloved series. Players hop between rooftops using parkour, avoiding enemy gunfire and taking opponents down as they go. But while the game sounds similar to Mirror’s Edge, it looks practically identical; bleached-white buildings are peppered with vibrantly-highlighted objects you can use for progression.

Read More

Spotlight

KVRX-FM

91.7 KVRX-FM stands alone in the "Live Music Capital of the World"​ as the consummate source for indie and underrepresented music. Its student-produced programming is a true alternative station and consequently boasts a wide array of listeners near and far. KVRX maintains a substantial "new music bin"​ including hip-hop, blues, jazz, folk, country, techno and metal genres. Listeners enjoy at least five different genres and two Texas bands each hour. Most recently, The 'Austin Chronicle'​ recognized KVRX’s programming as the Best in Austin and its weekly "Local Live"​ program as the third Best Music Program.

Related News

Applications

ComingSoon Expands Entertainment News Coverage

PR Newswire | October 05, 2023

Evolve Media LLC, a passion-based publisher of some of the most influential internet brands since 1996, announced that its marquee entertainment site ComingSoon is continuing to grow and expand its coverage areas. ComingSoon will expand to new coverage areas, including Bollywood With traffic up 79 percent since April 2023, ComingSoon is expanding in order to continue its rapid growth since a redesign was launched in December 2022. The site is now broadening its entertainment coverage into new areas, including Indian films and television, Korean dramas, reality television, documentaries, and true crime. All of these new verticals will be easily accessible in the site's revamped navigation bar as coverage is rolled out. ComingSoon will also further commit resources to delivering top-notch anime, documentary and horror coverage, which have become key elements of the entertainment site. It will also continue to produce top-quality features and reviews that are just as engaging as they are informative, while also conducting interviews with some of Hollywood's biggest directors and stars. "Our goal is to make ComingSoon a one-stop destination for media consumers all over the world," said Todd Jacobs, Director of Content & Operations at Evolve Media. "With these strategic investments, ComingSoon will exponentially expand their global audience." "Thanks to streaming, we've seen entertainment around the globe become pop culture phenomenons," said Tyler Treese, Frontpage Editorial Manager of Evolve Media's Entertainment and Gaming Division. "International hits like Squid Game and Jawan have shown that Korea and India are producing incredible content, while anime continues to grow in popularity. We'll finally be able to cover these areas with the news coverage they deserve, and help fans figure out the next show to binge or what film to invite their friends over to watch." About Evolve Media, LLC Evolve Media is a premium publisher of leading enthusiast destinations for influential men and women. Leveraging proprietary advertising and publishing technologies, as well as hundreds of talented content professionals, Evolve Media offers premium and engaging content to its readers, while offering marketers the tools needed to execute custom, content-led marketing solutions that reach its audience of over 78 million people globally each month.

Read More

Technologies, Solutions

Paysafe launches upgraded Skrill digital wallet for iGaming in Ontario

Businesswire | May 11, 2023

Paysafe (NYSE: PSFE), a leading payments platform, today announced the launch of its revamped Skrill digital wallet for online betting in the Canadian province of Ontario. Developed specifically to meet the payment preferences of iGaming players, the upgraded Skrill wallet allows Ontarians to instantly fund wagers and effortlessly cash-out winnings while enjoying a streamlined and intuitive user experience (UX). Launched in the U.S. in 2021 and available across all 26 American iGaming jurisdictions where Paysafe supports operators, the upgraded Skrill wallet is now live in Ontario, Canada’s most populated province (14.2m residents) which launched an expanded market for private operators in April 2022. With Paysafe’s 2023 All the ways players pay research revealing that 73% of Ontarian online sports bettors have deposited at sportsbooks using a digital wallet, the latest Skrill innovations will allow operators to better serve these customers, who favour wallets for their transactional security and speed. Now, after a streamlined registration process with Skrill that links Ontarians’ bank accounts to the wallet and takes just seconds, players can use Skrill to deposit instantly yet securely into sportsbook accounts via online bank transfer. Alternatively, online bettors can load funds to their Skrill wallet balance using the Paysafecash eCash solution. For returning Skrill users, the redeposit process is even more rapid, skipping log-in (when ‘remember me’ is activated) to deposit with a single click. Ontarians will also enjoy the wallet’s state-of-the-art ‘look and feel’, with Skrill boasting a seamless UX across desktop, iOS and Android apps that meets the transactional expectations of casual players to high-stakes VIP sports bettors moving money across multiple sportsbooks. Through a ‘tiled’ display, all the info a player needs is centralized, ensuring an uninterrupted depositing process. Cashing-out is just as simple, with funds accessible in players’ Skrill accounts in real time. Winnings can either be spent online using Skrill at supporting merchants or transferred to players’ linked bank accounts. Zak Cutler, President of Global Gaming at Paysafe, said: “Since we first rolled-out the new Skrill in the U.S. two years ago, we feel it’s been a game changer for the payments experience of American players. We expect the upgraded wallet to be just as well received north of the border, with Skrill giving Ontarian operators a competitive edge when it comes to acquiring and retaining their customers.” About Paysafe Paysafe Limited (“Paysafe”) (NYSE: PSFE) (PSFE.WS) is a leading payments platform with an extensive track record of serving merchants and consumers in the global entertainment sectors. Its core purpose is to enable businesses and consumers to connect and transact seamlessly through industry-leading capabilities in payment processing, digital wallet, and online cash solutions. With 25 years of online payment experience, an annualized transactional volume of over $130 billion in 2022, and approximately 3,300 employees located in 12+ countries, Paysafe connects businesses and consumers across more than 250 payment types in over 40 currencies around the world. Delivered through an integrated platform, Paysafe solutions are geared toward mobile-initiated transactions, real-time analytics and the convergence between brick-and-mortar and online payments. Further information is available at www.paysafe.com. About Paysafe iGaming Paysafe brings over two decades of specialized payments experience supporting the global iGaming and sports-betting sectors and provides operators with a comprehensive suite of traditional and alternative payment methods through a single, streamlined API integration. Paysafe is also a leader in digital and affiliate marketing technology and services for iGaming operators through its Income Access business unit. Since the opening-up of the U.S. iGaming market in May 2018, Paysafe has consistently stated its ambitions to be the payments leader in the fast-growing sector, building on its leadership in Canada and Europe. As of May 10th, 2023, the company supports 75% of operators in the country with payments or marketing solutions across 26 jurisdictions. In Canada, Paysafe also has a leading position and partners with the majority of regulated iLottery and gaming brands.

Read More

Hiber raises $2.25 million for user-generated web game platform

Hiber | August 21, 2020

Hiber has raised $2.25 million in a second round of seed funding for its web platform that makes it easy to create user-generated games. The company says it is at the intersection of connected devices, AI, and creator-focused entertainment. The Gothenberg, Sweden-based company has quietly amassed more than 300,000 games from 250,000 monthly active users for its HiberWorld platform. Those players are creating 3D games without the need to learn any coding. The company says it is enabling users to create and express themselves through bite-sized games and is giving a generation a new way to communicate. The social nature of the games puts it somewhere akin to Snapchat or TikTok, with people expressing themselves with what they create.

Read More

Applications

ComingSoon Expands Entertainment News Coverage

PR Newswire | October 05, 2023

Evolve Media LLC, a passion-based publisher of some of the most influential internet brands since 1996, announced that its marquee entertainment site ComingSoon is continuing to grow and expand its coverage areas. ComingSoon will expand to new coverage areas, including Bollywood With traffic up 79 percent since April 2023, ComingSoon is expanding in order to continue its rapid growth since a redesign was launched in December 2022. The site is now broadening its entertainment coverage into new areas, including Indian films and television, Korean dramas, reality television, documentaries, and true crime. All of these new verticals will be easily accessible in the site's revamped navigation bar as coverage is rolled out. ComingSoon will also further commit resources to delivering top-notch anime, documentary and horror coverage, which have become key elements of the entertainment site. It will also continue to produce top-quality features and reviews that are just as engaging as they are informative, while also conducting interviews with some of Hollywood's biggest directors and stars. "Our goal is to make ComingSoon a one-stop destination for media consumers all over the world," said Todd Jacobs, Director of Content & Operations at Evolve Media. "With these strategic investments, ComingSoon will exponentially expand their global audience." "Thanks to streaming, we've seen entertainment around the globe become pop culture phenomenons," said Tyler Treese, Frontpage Editorial Manager of Evolve Media's Entertainment and Gaming Division. "International hits like Squid Game and Jawan have shown that Korea and India are producing incredible content, while anime continues to grow in popularity. We'll finally be able to cover these areas with the news coverage they deserve, and help fans figure out the next show to binge or what film to invite their friends over to watch." About Evolve Media, LLC Evolve Media is a premium publisher of leading enthusiast destinations for influential men and women. Leveraging proprietary advertising and publishing technologies, as well as hundreds of talented content professionals, Evolve Media offers premium and engaging content to its readers, while offering marketers the tools needed to execute custom, content-led marketing solutions that reach its audience of over 78 million people globally each month.

Read More

Technologies, Solutions

Paysafe launches upgraded Skrill digital wallet for iGaming in Ontario

Businesswire | May 11, 2023

Paysafe (NYSE: PSFE), a leading payments platform, today announced the launch of its revamped Skrill digital wallet for online betting in the Canadian province of Ontario. Developed specifically to meet the payment preferences of iGaming players, the upgraded Skrill wallet allows Ontarians to instantly fund wagers and effortlessly cash-out winnings while enjoying a streamlined and intuitive user experience (UX). Launched in the U.S. in 2021 and available across all 26 American iGaming jurisdictions where Paysafe supports operators, the upgraded Skrill wallet is now live in Ontario, Canada’s most populated province (14.2m residents) which launched an expanded market for private operators in April 2022. With Paysafe’s 2023 All the ways players pay research revealing that 73% of Ontarian online sports bettors have deposited at sportsbooks using a digital wallet, the latest Skrill innovations will allow operators to better serve these customers, who favour wallets for their transactional security and speed. Now, after a streamlined registration process with Skrill that links Ontarians’ bank accounts to the wallet and takes just seconds, players can use Skrill to deposit instantly yet securely into sportsbook accounts via online bank transfer. Alternatively, online bettors can load funds to their Skrill wallet balance using the Paysafecash eCash solution. For returning Skrill users, the redeposit process is even more rapid, skipping log-in (when ‘remember me’ is activated) to deposit with a single click. Ontarians will also enjoy the wallet’s state-of-the-art ‘look and feel’, with Skrill boasting a seamless UX across desktop, iOS and Android apps that meets the transactional expectations of casual players to high-stakes VIP sports bettors moving money across multiple sportsbooks. Through a ‘tiled’ display, all the info a player needs is centralized, ensuring an uninterrupted depositing process. Cashing-out is just as simple, with funds accessible in players’ Skrill accounts in real time. Winnings can either be spent online using Skrill at supporting merchants or transferred to players’ linked bank accounts. Zak Cutler, President of Global Gaming at Paysafe, said: “Since we first rolled-out the new Skrill in the U.S. two years ago, we feel it’s been a game changer for the payments experience of American players. We expect the upgraded wallet to be just as well received north of the border, with Skrill giving Ontarian operators a competitive edge when it comes to acquiring and retaining their customers.” About Paysafe Paysafe Limited (“Paysafe”) (NYSE: PSFE) (PSFE.WS) is a leading payments platform with an extensive track record of serving merchants and consumers in the global entertainment sectors. Its core purpose is to enable businesses and consumers to connect and transact seamlessly through industry-leading capabilities in payment processing, digital wallet, and online cash solutions. With 25 years of online payment experience, an annualized transactional volume of over $130 billion in 2022, and approximately 3,300 employees located in 12+ countries, Paysafe connects businesses and consumers across more than 250 payment types in over 40 currencies around the world. Delivered through an integrated platform, Paysafe solutions are geared toward mobile-initiated transactions, real-time analytics and the convergence between brick-and-mortar and online payments. Further information is available at www.paysafe.com. About Paysafe iGaming Paysafe brings over two decades of specialized payments experience supporting the global iGaming and sports-betting sectors and provides operators with a comprehensive suite of traditional and alternative payment methods through a single, streamlined API integration. Paysafe is also a leader in digital and affiliate marketing technology and services for iGaming operators through its Income Access business unit. Since the opening-up of the U.S. iGaming market in May 2018, Paysafe has consistently stated its ambitions to be the payments leader in the fast-growing sector, building on its leadership in Canada and Europe. As of May 10th, 2023, the company supports 75% of operators in the country with payments or marketing solutions across 26 jurisdictions. In Canada, Paysafe also has a leading position and partners with the majority of regulated iLottery and gaming brands.

Read More

Hiber raises $2.25 million for user-generated web game platform

Hiber | August 21, 2020

Hiber has raised $2.25 million in a second round of seed funding for its web platform that makes it easy to create user-generated games. The company says it is at the intersection of connected devices, AI, and creator-focused entertainment. The Gothenberg, Sweden-based company has quietly amassed more than 300,000 games from 250,000 monthly active users for its HiberWorld platform. Those players are creating 3D games without the need to learn any coding. The company says it is enabling users to create and express themselves through bite-sized games and is giving a generation a new way to communicate. The social nature of the games puts it somewhere akin to Snapchat or TikTok, with people expressing themselves with what they create.

Read More

Events