3,252 Comments Posted on by Vanessa Skim

How does net neutrality affect online streaming?

Net neutrality: by now, you’ve probably heard the phrase many times. Two months ago, popular websites such as Reddit, Kickstarter, Tumblr and Etsy took part in a “Day of Action”, where they showcased the debate prominently on their sites. The aim was to drive visitors to contact the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Congress and the White House.

But what exactly is net neutrality? How does it affect you, the consumer? Don’t be afraid of the abstract-sounding term: it’s actually rather easy to understand! Check out the following one-minute video from Mashable, or take a look at the beautiful infographic after the cut.

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3,391 Comments Posted on by Hongfei Read

Will Netflix dominate the movie industry as well?

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After acquiring right to popular Chinese movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, does Netflix want to dominate the movie industry as well?

Ronak Hegde

Netflix is one of the rare companies who have not only managed to renew their business propositions but also reinvent themselves from time and again. It is remarkable to see a DVD-Mail-Delivery start-up achieve such economies of scales from constantly evolving and adapting to the changing times. Continue reading →

3,302 Comments Posted on by Ning Read

The Evolution of TV Advertising, from Offline to Online

by Norah Ababatain

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The very first TV ad appeared in 1941 during a baseball game on a local New York channel. The 10-second ad cost a four dollars and completely revolutionized television! It was an ad for a luxury watch company called Bulova. Due to the great success of the Bulova advertisement, other companies began to realize that they needed to jump on board with their marketing and started creating TV ads as well. By 1948, many additional advertisers were using television spots to reach the large audience on television.

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Leave a comment Posted on by Olivia Read

The MUST-WATCH shows of the season

Good news my dear TV-lovers. With all those new shows out there, I know you might feel a bit lost, a bit overwhelmed and just a tiny bit tempted to throw your homework out the window, call in sick at work, or worse – decline your friends’ calls so you have enough time to check out every. single. new. premiere.

Anti-social much?

I sympathize. How, oh how, are we supposed to see EVERYTHING? I mean, we need to sleep at some point, right?

Well, we can’t see everything. But together, we can easily narrow down what’s worth our time and what… isn’t. So let’s not waste any more time! Read ahead for some special insider analysis.  A warm thank you to this week’s contributor, Katharina Kandt, for providing AntennaFree with her perspective on which shows deserve a chance. 

Ready? Here are Katharina’s top 3 MUST-WATCH shows of this fall season:

Procrastination is on… again! Instead of studying, I’ll admit that I spent my whole weekend devoted to watching this fall’s TV shows for you guys. So here we go with three shows you must switch on. Right now. Trust me, I’ve seen them all!

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1. How To Get Away With Murder

The first must-watch is the most highly anticipated ABC fall TV thriller, “How To Get Away With Murder.” Created by Peter Nowalk and produced by Shonda Rhimes (also the producer of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal). The show is aired on Thursday’s just after Scandal, at 10:00 p.m.

Absurd, jaw-dropping and stylish, HTGAWM does not disappoint. Without being as cautious as “The Good Wife,” it will instantly suck you in with Viola Davis owning the show, supported by an equally promising cast and a crazy, but great, storyline.

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2,569 Comments Posted on by Vanessa Read

To cancel or not to cancel?

by Gabrielle de Mijolla

ABC’s Manhattan Love Story, cancelled after four whole episodes had aired.

Lately everyone has been wondering why no new shows have been cancelled so far for the fall 2014/2015 TV season. Various theories have been aired. Some believe that the reason why a lot of networks have been clinging on to tanking new shows is that there is a lack of confidence in mid-season replacement shows. In other words, some of the other shows in store might just be worse than those that have already premiered.

Another theory posited is that some of the shows that are bombing are bombing in one-hour blocks, making it more difficult to cancel one show without cancelling the second one. For instance, ABC’s Manhattan Love Story, which has received a lot of backlash, airs just before the equally unpopular Selfie.

By far the most widely accepted reason for this absence of cancelling is the role DVR plays in shaping networks’ decisions. DVR numbers can take a few weeks to come in which explains why networks are taking longer to evaluate their shows. While delayed viewing is something to take into consideration, it also seems like some networks are using it as an excuse to postpone the cancellation of shows that are clearly of substandard quality.

Take a look at our gallery of shows that are likely to be cancelled below.

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3,577 Comments Posted on by Ning Watch Video

Word on the Street: Gabrielle’s Choice

Word on the Street Episode III: Gabrielle talking about her Sophie’s choice!

This time, “Word on the Street” offered you a sit-down talk with one distinguished guest, one of the most popular lecturers in SciecesPo Paris, Gabrielle Longmate. She is lecturer of “Networking the net: How social media, blogs and the Web 2.0 engage an active audience?” at Sciences Po Paris, and she is a well-known blogger and creative writer as well.

Let’s watch her talking about TV that she knows.

Leave a comment Posted on by Olivia Read

HBO vs Cable Bundling: What does this mean for the future of cable television?

Read ahead to find out what we think about HBO’s new stand-alone service and learn why you should care. And don’t forget to test your HBO savviness below… you might just be surprised!

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You may have heard, you may have not – but for all those cable television subscribers out there who are simply sick and tired of having to pay for hundreds of channels that you never watch – the time has come!

Attention my fellow cord-cutters and cord-nevers, I have some news.

HBO CEO Richard Plepler recently announced that the company will be launching its very own “stand-alone, over-the-top HBO service in the United States” next year!

Next year guys. 2015.

What does this mean for us? Basically that you’ll be able to buy HBO without having to pay for a cable subscription – so go ahead and say it: SAYONARA Dish Network, Comcast, DirecTV!

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Or wait a second… maybe cable companies shouldn’t start digging their own graves quite yet.  Continue reading →

3,231 Comments Posted on by Vanessa Read

Online TV providers: serving ads, serving food

Ads.

Ah, that terrible, terrible word. Who hasn’t researched a million ways online to try to avoid those little interruptions during their season catch-up binge-watch?

The fact is, online video ads are here to stay. Not only are people apparently more receptive to them, but they also have a higher impact on viewers. This makes them great for marketing folks at your lovely local conglomerate. In fact, online video ad revenue spend is growing faster and faster, having overtaken broadcast TV in April this year (and cable TV before that).

Honestly, though, most of us wouldn’t mind a few strategically placed, well-targeted, or entertaining ads. After all, we understand that the episode that we’re streaming free has to be paid by someone, somewhere, and ads are a relatively harmless form of currency.

Still, that doesn’t excuse advertisers for just slapping them on every available surface — or even, at times, creating artificial breaks in episodes just to serve ads. Continue reading →

1,534 Comments Posted on by Ning Watch Video

Word on the Street: Shows to keep an eye on – Emilie

Word on the Street is BACK!

TOPIC OF THE WEEK: SHOWS to keep an eye on!

This time we are happy to have Emilie Stanton, student at Sciences Po Paris, talk to us about her favorite TV shows that are returning for yet another season, and a few new series that we’ve been hearing a lot about!

Which of the following TV shows that Emilie talked about you would like to watch?

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Where to find the TV shows you like? How to watch them the easiest way? Also read this: ….