Online Delivery of Digital Products, Entertainment, and Media (2)
Internet TV and Internet Radio
Two similar streaming technologies are popular on the Web: Internet TV and Internet Radio.
Internet TV
Internet TV is the delivery of TV content via the Internet by video streaming technologies. The content includes TV shows, sporting events, mov- ies, and other videos. Several video-on-demand and subscription services, such as netflix.com, hulu.com and hulu.com/plus, as well as amazon. com/Prime-Instant-Video/b?node=2676882011 offer this service. For a comprehensive description of Internet TV, see wisegeek.org/what-is-inter- net-tv.htm. The major advantage is the ability to select what and when to view content and the abil- ity to do so from computers, tablets, smartphones, Blue-Ray consoles, Apple TV (apple.com/ appletv), Roku (roku.com), Google Chromecast (google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/chrome- cast), Aereo (aereo.com), and so forth In order to compete with other channels, such as HBO (hbo. com). In 2012, Netflix began to air its own original programming (see techradar.com/us/news/inter- net/netflix-begins-broadcasting-first-original- series-1061339). As of February 2014, Netflix is showing 10 new and returning original series (see uproxx.com/tv/2014/02/10-original-series-com- ing-netflix-2014). Since Internet TV can be streamed at low or no cost, the issue of copyright is of major concern. In January 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to hear the case of ABC Television Stations vs. Aereo
Internet Radio
Known by several other names, Internet radio refers to audio content transmitted live via the Internet. It is a broadcasting service that enables users to listen online to thousands of radio sta- tions (e.g., over 4,000 in Europe, see listenlive.eu). The service can broadcast anything that is on the radio stations plus broadcasts from organizations, governments, and even individuals. For details, see Beller (2001) and radio.about.com/od/ listentoradioonline/qt/bl-InternetRadio.htm. Internet radio has the same copyright issues as those of Internet TV. Note that, in many cases, there is an agreement between the content cre- ators and the distributors (e.g., Warner Music and
Apple reached an iTunes Radio deal in 2013; see
cnet.com/news/apple-reaches-iradio-deal- with-warner-music-suggesting-wwdc-launch and apple.com/itunes/itunes-radio).
Pandora Radio
Pandora is a leading free Internet radio that deliv- ers music not only from radio stations but from many other sources. The core of the service is the Music Genome Project. According to pandora. com/about, the project is an inclusive analysis of thousands of musical pieces. All the music in the project is available on Pandora for your listening pleasure.
Pandora is actually a music streaming and automated music recommendation service that in 2014 is available only in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand. Users can create up to 100 person- alized stations that play pre-arranged selections. In February 2014, the company opened up its content submission process to independent artists (see submit.pandora.com, help.pandora. com/customer/portal/articles/24802-informa- tion-for-artists-submitting-to-pandora and Hockenson 2014). For Pandora’s Help Center, see help.pandora.com.
Various e-tailers offer songs for sale to Pandora’s listeners. You can access Pandora through many streaming media devices. You can enjoy Pandora for free on the Web, on home-lis- tening devices, and most mobile devices. Pandora One (pandora.com/one) has a monthly fee, but the benefits include ad-free service and higher quality audio. Pandora is a profitable business. Its subscriber base continues to grow; in March of 2014, it had 75.3 million active listeners
