Downloadable TV: The Low-Cost Producers (Multichannel News)

DL.TV is three months old. The technology show's host is Patrick Norton, formerly of TechTV's The Screen Savers .

So far, only about 50,000 people get the show each time it comes out. That's a far cry from the 1.2 million or so households that might watch Fox News Channel at any given point in the day. But not too far from the 214,000 households that watch Bravo on average.

Norton's show, though, can't be seen on any cable or satellite network. The 50,000 people are all personal-computer users, downloading episodes.

How many actually watch the show is impossible to tell, ...

Cox High Speed Internet Receives PC Magazine's Readers' Choice Award for Third Year in a Row

PHOENIX -- Cox is the largest provider of high-speed Internet in Arizona, growing 28% over last year

Cox Communications today announced that it received its third PC Magazine Readers' Choice Award for its Cox High Speed Internet service. The PC Magazine survey was based on responses by more than 9,000 broadband users, including DSL and satellite customers.

PC Magazine surveyed its readers, nearly 90% of whom use a broadband Internet connection. The survey consisted of ten satisfaction-related questions survey participants evaluated their ISP on a 1-10 scale, ranging from poor to excellent. Customers rated Cox overall as an 8.1, compared to an overall industry average of 7.5. Cox ranked above the industry average in connection speed, connection reliability, ISP-provided e-mail, fees and customer service. The survey results also show that Cox customers gave Cox a score of 8.2 when asked the likelihood of recommending the ISP, compared to the industry average of 7.5.
"Cox has experienced phenomenal growth of our high-speed Internet service over the years, and we know this is in large part due to the customer recommendations," said Steve Rizley. "We appreciate that our customers are vocal about their positive experiences with Cox High Speed Internet service."

PC Magazine's survey showed that cable providers overall are tops in the broadband arena for speed. Part of Cox's success as an Internet service provider can be attributed to its commitment to keeping customers secure online. All Cox High Speed Internet customers can download a free suite of security software including anti-virus, parental controls, anti-spyware, spam blocker, pop-up blocker and firewall, accessible at www.safeisbeautiful.com. Cox's commitment to customer education is also demonstrated through www.cox.com/takecharge -- a Web site that offers valuable information about how customers can "Take Charge" of their Internet safety.

The PC magazine recognition follows recent news that Cox received the highest honor in J.D. Power and Associates' 2005 Internet Service Provider Residential Customer Satisfaction Study(SM). Cox ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among High-Speed Internet Service Providers." J.D. Power and Associates surveyed more than 6,000 cable and DSL high-speed Internet customers nationwide.

Bringing Pay TV to the PC.(VDC Corp. plans to launch subscription based internet television services)

By Matt Stump Internet Startup's 11 Channels Will Include Cable Networks A new Internet-TV company plans to launch a subscription service later this year that will deliver cable networks and video-on-demand programming to PCs in 50 million U.S. homes. Privately held VDC Corp., based in Northbrook, Ill., plans to offer 16 to 20 cable networks for a $11.95 monthly fee to consumers, plus on-demand fare.

The service, which will officially launch at next week's National Show in Atlanta, would require the consumer to have a broadband Internet connection in ...

According to In-Stat Digital Terrestrial TV and Free-to-Air Satellite Services to Drive PC-TV Tuners

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) and Free-to-Air Satellite TV services will give the PC-TV tuner market a huge boost over the next several years, reports In-Stat (http://www.in-stat.com). By 2009, the worldwide retail value of the PC-TV tuner market is expected to reach $3.7 billion, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 42.6%, the high-tech market research firm says.

"Personal computers with a TV tuner provide a wide range of features and functions that enable the emerging market for connected digital homes," said Gerry Kaufhold, In-Stat analyst. "A race among Pay-TV services, consumer electronics manufacturers, and the PC industry eventually favors the PC industry. The PC industry moves more quickly, and can ride Moore's Law and Microsoft's software into more market segments more quickly than the other competitors."

A recent report by In-Stat found the following:

--Microsoft's Media Center Edition (MCE) Multimedia PCs are now gaining market traction in more than 30 countries around the world

--Microsoft's next-generation Longhorn Operating System is likely to have a dramatic impact on the Multimedia PC world similar to what Windows 95 had on the home computer business 10 years ago

--Free-to-Air TV provides "content" that consumers can record to their PC's hard disk drive, edit, and "burn" onto DVDs for personal archiving with no monthly fees

--PC-TV tuner products also enable "capturing" video from camcorders, VCRs, and other sources

--Apple's move to Intel's mobile PC platform sets the stage for intense, head-to-head competition for in-home digital entertainment PCs

--Digital Terrestrial TV services require continual updating and upgrading of PC-TV tuner software, which favors the larger, financially established PC-TV tuner companies

The report, "PC-TV Tuners: Multimedia PCs' Preemptive Strike To Control The Emerging Digital Living Room" (#IN0501862ME), covers the worldwide PC-TV Tuner market. It provides in-depth discussion of 12 major trends that are affecting the industry, and includes forecasts for eight product categories of PC-TV tuner sales and unit shipments by region through 2009. It also contains profiles of vendors in this market.

For more information on this report, please visit: http://www.in-stat.com/catalog/Ccatalogue.asp?id=162 or contact Courtney McEuen at 480-483-4454 or cmceuen@reedbusiness.com. The report price is $3,995.

About In-Stat

In-Stat (www.in-stat.com) is the leading provider of actionable research, assessments and market forecasts of semiconductors and advanced communications equipment and services. Our forecasts, analysis, and insights are derived from both a deep technology understanding and a unique research methodology, which examines each segment of the value chain for each market. Technology vendors, service providers, technology professionals and market specialists, worldwide, rely on In-Stat's tenured, experienced staff and in-depth research to support critical technology, product and success decisions.

In-Stat is a strategic segment of the $8 billion Reed Elsevier global information network, with access to an expansive worldwide electronic network, extensive technology databases and well-informed personnel. In-Stat analysts gain exceptional insight into geographic market places and specific technologies within markets such as electronics, cable and wireless. As a member of Reed Business Information, In-Stat is a division of the largest business-to-business publisher in the United States.