Hey everyone,
I hope you had a
wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, and to our friends in the UK, yes, it's a
real holiday!
Our end of the year bash
will be coupled with an really interesting seminar that we are co-producing
with the PGA East,
December 13, 2004 -
Back to the
Alley: 5 Years After, A Refresh on the Dot-Com Darlings of New York’s
Silicon Alley.
Also, if you're headed to CES we're doing a dinner and a floor tour.
Space is limited - see details below.
As I told you last week,
we appointed several sub-committee chairs to help us move the organization
forward at the November meeting: Administrative Rick
Sherrill, Editorial Leo
Borovsky, Membership Darrell
DeMakes, Research Lydia
Loizides, Sponsorship Kamron
Hinatsu, Technology Tim Halle,
Website Frank Coleman. If you
wish to join any of the sub-committees, please click on a name above and
send them an email. Please volunteer, we need you!
We will be drinking and
schmoozing this Tuesday, November 30, 2004 at Shelly's New York (57th
Street, just west of 6th Ave) from 6:30 -8:30pm at the 2nd floor bar.
Somewhere around 7:45 a large group breaks off and hits the Burger Joint at
the Parker Meridian (next door) for burgers & more beers - beer seems to
be a constant advanced media theme ... humm?
Please note: If I'm not there, please
look for Leo Barofskiy, Alan Kalman or Kamron Hinatsu -
these guys will be drinking with or without me! Leo is young, tall and
he's taking his job as surrogate host very, very seriously - so be nice to
Leo!
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As a Thanksgiving
gift, last week's question was: How did the Emmy get its name? AMC
member, Bob Hammer was the first of 533 correct responses.
The name Emmy is a feminization of “Immy”,
a term commonly used for the early image orthicon camera tube. The statue
was designed by Louis McManus, an engineer at Culver City's Cascade
Pictures. He used his wife, Dorothy, as his model. McManus's design was the
last of 48 entries in an Emmy design competition. His prize was a plaque of
appreciation, not an Emmy.
This week, for a broken one-chip
camera and a bag of donuts, which character(s) in the famed Star Trek
original series (or TOS as it is known to hardcore Trekkers) said: "Beam me
up Scotty." Send your answers and any challenges you wish to pose to the group to
shelly@palmer.net
BTW, I need you to join the Academy
right now:
Click
here. For more information, please visit
http://www.AdvancedMediaCommittee.com I'm looking forward to seeing you
soon.
:) Shelly
Palmer, President/CEO,
Palmer Advanced Media
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The Week In Review
Unfair Competition ... Verizon Must Be Kidding!!!
A proposed Pennsylvania law now on its way to the governor's desk could pose a hurdle for the city of Philadelphia's ambitious plan to provide broadband service throughout the city via Wi-Fi.
One provision of House Bill 30 (HB30), a wide-ranging telecommunications regulation bill that earned final approval by the state House and Senate on Friday, would prohibit a government or any entity it creates from offering broadband for a fee.
Philadelphia's city government is studying plans to deploy Wi-Fi wireless LAN access points throughout the city, each offering IEEE 802.11b access and linked to others via a wireless mesh network, said Dinanah Neff, the city's chief information officer. Deployment is set to begin in June 2005 and should be completed by June 2006. Read the full story on MacWorld.com.
This one really bothers me. The reason we have a zillion telephone companies is that the government was "convinced" by certain parties that the Bell System was too big and not good for business. It needed competition! Yes, the Baby Bells or, RBOCs (Regional Bell Operating Companies) came to be at a time when not many people were thinking that the voice telephony biz was going to suck and that data was the future. Believe me, there were people who knew where the money was going to come from, just not government officials in charge of the process.
This particular issues requires your assistance. It is time for you to get your informed consumer hat on and take a stand. Once again, we're facing an issue where you must contact your elected officials and tell them what they need to know. The FCC wants to hear from you. The congress wants to hear from you. I want to hear from you.
JVC Camcorders with Hard Drives
You know I like to tell you about stuff that will change the way we do business. Here are the first consumer camcorders that use Hard Drives instead of Videotape. What with Moore's law and cost per gigabyte getting so cheap, you'd think that this is a natural, "the passing of the magnetic-tape era," proclaimed the New York Times. Well, not exactly - but the news is still wonderful.
The new Everio GZ-MC100, top, and GZ-MC200 are JVC camcorders that store video onto a tiny removable hard drive.
The hard drives are 4GB, that's .7 GB less than a current recordable DVD. The camcorders will cost somewhere around $1,200 and the hard drives will cost about $200 each.
Good news, bad news. The good news is that these little guys mark the beginning of the way video should be acquired - IF you're going to edit! Yes, if you are going to edit, this is the only way to fly. No encoding time, just hook the camera or drive up to your computer and start to edit. If, on the other hand, you are
shooting for archival purposes or you just never edit your stuff, this is a terrible idea. You'll fill up 4GB in about a nanosecond and then you will be forced to transfer the contents to your computer for storage or to a DVD recorder or to tape, you get the point.
So, prosumers, your day has come. If you run out and buy one of these, the manufacturers will get the idea that there is a market for semi-pro, hard drive camcorders, they'll all start to make them and they'll get cheap! This little experiment is going to teach us alot about who buys camcorders and why. Remember, the vast number of camcorders are used to record grandma in front of the Empire State Building - which requires a slightly lesser feature set.
Thanksgiving 2004
With each moment shorter than those before it, the psychological arrow of time knows only one direction. Forward.
The days are long, the years are short - the past re-imagined, living only remembered. Inward.
The future gives us hope, the past ... wisdom, our friends give us strength, our families, reason. Upward.
Today is introspective, tomorrow pre-imagined, living only in our dreams. Outward.
Thanksgiving takes pleasure in our posterity - I am humbled by that which is truly good. Onward.
Gadget Lovers ... Datexx Portable Media Player
It's Thanksgiving Eve and that makes me
think about Black Friday (the biggest shopping day of the year) and that makes me think GADGETS!!!!! If you have to have the latest, greatest, most sought-after toy in TV-land, look no further! The new Datexx Pavio Model PVR30T Portable Digital Theater features a 30GB hard drive and a 3.5 inch screen. The PVP features a TV tuner in the Docking station and direct recording capability. It can be used as a photo viewer. The player supports MP4 video format and MP3, WAV audio formats. The Pavio features USB 2.0. The bundled software includes Dr. Divx and Musicmatch. A remote control is also part of the package. The Datexx Pavio PVR30T reads SD and CF memory cards. The unit measures 5.5"(L) x 3.13"(H) x 1"(W) and weighs 12oz.
Nintendo DS Changes the Rules of the Game
With Nintendo DS, dual screens and touch-screen technology allow you to interact with games like never before. Wireless communication allows you to experience real-time multiplayer gameplay, while built-in PictoChat software gives you the power to draw, write and send messages wirelessly. Nintendo DS revolutionizes the way games are played.
There's a nice write-up in USA today.
So, what's the big deal? Another handheld kids game out in time for the holidays. True enough, but this one is special. First of all, its street price is around $150 and, for what this is, it's amazing. Dual screen (one of them touch-screen) and wireless. Just how cheap can this stuff actually get? If you believe the guys from Intel - there is no downward limit. We're going to see much more handheld technology and as the feature sets grow, it is going to change the way we live. Wi-Fi, Wi-Max and RFID alone have the capacity for monumental change - add some computing horse-power and it's a new ball game. When we look back on the early days of the transition ... this class of "toy" will be considered a tipping point.
I Want My Tube TV!
SAN FRANCISCO--New television-tube technology promises to shed several inches from the bulky displays and challenge rival flat panels at their own game--being thin.
Executives at a display conference here said Thursday that significantly thinner CRT (cathode ray tube) displays will be available next year and are expected to be less expensive than trendy flat panels that use newer technologies such as LCD--liquid crystal display--and plasma displays. Read the whole story on CNET.
This is the kind of story I really like! Old technology guys fighting to the death with the new technology guys. It warms the heart. "... you will pry their way of life from their cold, dry, bloody fingers." is a favorite quote of mine. And, here we see the CRT guys ready for battle.
As it turns out, this technology is far from dead and we are going to learn a great deal about the speed of consumer HD uptake in the next five weeks. In fact, the next two months are going to really tell us something, because when they get their new big screen TV's home, they're going to hate the way SD looks on them. And, for the record, 99% of television is still delivered in SD. HD sets have way too much resolution to do justice to an SD signal and consumers are going to wonder just why they spent the money. You know, fool me once ...
So, let's see how the thin CRT's do when they hit the market. My guess is that, people are going to love them!
Site of the Week
http://msad.msfc.nasa.gov/resources/acronymlist.html - You think
advanced media has its own language? I love this site!
Send your sites, suggestions and comments to
shelly@palmer.net
NEW DISABILITY
ACCIDENT BENEFIT
of importance to
Advanced Media Committee Members
An important new benefit just added to
John Hancock’s under age 65 long term care,
is disability accident coverage.
No income documentation required!
Get full details on this special benefit of NATAS membership at:
www.BenefitsDoMatter.com
Lexicon of Technobable
"Every profession is a conspiracy against the laity" -
Oscar Wilde
SHIVA, Spaceflight Holography
Investigation in a Virtual Apparatus. Believe it
or not, this could be the technology that brings you moving 3D Holographic
pictures.
Have some technobable to add to our
collection, email
shelly@palmer.net I'll put it in next week's newsletter.
Upcoming Events
November 30, 2004 The Producers Guild of
America East Presents:
DEVELOPING FOR PRIMETIME TELEVISION
So you have a great idea for a primetime series. Now what?
Here's your chance to learn from top-notch producers how shows get developed
and sold. Our guests are currently executive producers of “Hope and Faith”
and are veterans in the production and development trenches. They will share
their insights into what it takes to turn a great idea into a great pilot,
and a great pilot into a successful series.
Emile Levisetti - As head of television for Industry Entertainment from the
summer of 2000 to the spring of 2004, Mr. Levisetti developed and served as
executive producer on "Hope & Faith," "Threat Matrix" (ABC), "Haunted" (UPN),
the telefilm "War Stories," (NBC) and producer on "The Education of Max
Bickford" (CBS). Prior to that he worked in comedy development at Columbia
Pictures TV and at 20th Century Fox Television.
Gil Junger - Mr. Junger has a development deal with Disney and recently sold
3 comedies and 3 one hours. He has directed “8 Simple Rules”, “According to
Jim”, and “Action”, to name a few. He also produced the television series
“Movie Stars”, “Two of a Kind” and “Empty Nest”. He was nominated for an
Emmy and a Director's Guild Award for directing the episode of “Ellen" in
which DeGeneres’s character reveals that she is a lesbian.
Peter Murrieta Mr. Murrieta is a writer/producer and is currently developing
a sitcom for John Leguizamo. He created and executive produced the
television series "Greetings from Tucson”, the first television comedy
featuring a Latino family written from the personal experience of a
Mexican-American, as well as "All About the Andersons."
The discussion will be moderated by Georg Szalai, Business Editor of The
Hollywood Reporter.
DATE: Tuesday, November 30, 2004
TIME: 6:30pm to 7:00pm Networking
7:00pm to 8:30pm Panel
LOCATION: The New York Improv
318 West 53rd Street at 8th Avenue
COST: RSVP REQUIRED: Seating is limited.
RSVP to PGA-NY@producersguild.org
Bring your membership or student ID cards
Free to PGA members
$5.00 for NATAS/Advanced Media Committee Members (no card required)
$5.00 for NYWIFT members
$5.00 for MediaGrrls
$5.00 for IFP-NY
$5.00 for Students
$15.00 for non-members
Subway Directions:
Take C or E train to 50th St. and walk three blocks north to 53rd St.
Take 1 or 9 train to 50th St. and walk three blocks north to 53rd St. Turn
west on 53rd St. and walk to Eighth Ave.
Take N, R, W, or Q train to 57th St. exit at the 55th St. exit, walk two
blocks south to 53rd St, then go west until you hit Eighth Ave.
Take B or D train to Seventh Ave. and walk west on 53rd St. just past Eighth
Ave.
December 13, 2004 -
Holiday Party - We're going to have our holiday party right after this AMC/PGA
co-produced event:
Back to the
Alley: 5 Years After, A Refresh on the Dot-Com Darlings of New York’s
Silicon Alley.
In 1999, the soaring valuations and unlimited aspirations of several
high-profile, New York-based interactive agencies and new media production
companies vaulted the names of heretofore-unknown designers, executives, and
journalists to media superstar status. Now, five years after the apex of
Silicon Alley’s Internet bubble mania, the Producers Guild of America (PGA)
East presents a refresh on the SoHo scene of the late-‘90s with some of its
leading lights, including Razorfish’s Jeffrey Dachis, MTVi/SonicNet’s
Nicholas Butterworth with former editor and founder of Silicon Alley
Reporter magazine, Jason McCabe Calacanis moderating the panel. To be held
on Monday December 13th at
The
Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University
in Manhattan.
“Back to the Alley: 5 Years After” will examine what the interactive media
industry looks like in New York these days; what lessons were learned from
the late-‘90s (and, more importantly, how they are being applied to today’s
work), and what the individual “dot-com darlings” are doing with their
precious nanoseconds in late-2004 and beyond. Don’t miss the first
retrospective industry event to examine the Silicon Alley scene of 1999.
Click to
www.producersguild.org for ticket information and updates. RSVP to
nyevents@producersguild.org
The Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University is located at
One Pace Plaza, opposite City Hall Park in lower Manhattan. The box office
and Theatre entrance are located on Spruce Street, east of Park Row, near
the corner of Gold Street. Box office phone is 212-346-1715.
Co-sponsored and co-produced with Mark Scarpa and the
New Media Council of the PGA East
January 6-9, 2005 -
CES -
Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV
(AMC Floor Tour January 7th @ 2pm,
click
here to request an invitation - space is limited)
January 19, 2005 - AMC
Meeting 6:30-8:30pm
January 25-27, 2005 -
NATPE -
Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
Click here to see a complete listing of upcoming events.
Join the
Academy Right Now!!!
Are you an NTA member? If not, the
National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences wants you! The process is very
simple, just click here -
http://www.nyemmys.org/membership.home.asp and
fill in the form. Your sponsors are, Shelly Palmer, member number 5971
and Jerry Romano, member number 2437. If you live outside of the New
York Metro, please contact me and I'll forward you information about your
local chapter.
It is very important for everyone in the
Advanced Media Community to join the organization. Your membership
entitles you to vote in the upcoming Emmy process, run for office
(governor and trustee), chair committees, attend seminars and drop-in
lunches, enjoy screenings and, more importantly, it helps the Academy grow -
we are a membership organization. BTW, if you are already a member,
it's time to renew for 2004 - http://www.nyemmys.org/membershiprenewal.asp
CALL FOR
PAPERS -- Interactive TV
The ACM Computers in
Entertainment online magazine (http://www.acmcie.org)
covers a wide range of theoretical and practical computer applications in
the field of entertainment. It features video interviews of leading
professionals. It publishes high-quality papers on the latest development in
software, hardware, and business policies that improve existing mainstream
entertainment and that create new genres of entertainment. The ACM
magazine is seeking articles and research papers for an upcoming
special issue on Interactive
TV. Deadline: December 31, 2004.
GUIDELINE FOR AUTHORS
Papers should be
submitted to the editor-in-chief
newton.lee@acm.org
via email, preferably in MS Word or PDF format. Rich media such as MP3, WMV,
QuickTime, and Flash movies are also acceptable. Manuscripts should contain
no more than 10,000 words. Submissions should include the paper title,
abstract, keywords, classification (www.acm.org/class/1998/overview.html),
name of authors, their affiliation, email, and postal address.
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AP News — Several ABC affiliates have announced that they won't take part in the network's Veterans Day airing of "Saving Private Ryan," saying the acclaimed film's violence and language could draw sanctions from the Federal Communications Commission.
