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December 20, 2005
The CES Hype Machine Tunes Up
Posted by Dana Blankenhorn
While you're all tucking into your Christmas turkey the hype machine for the next round, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, is already filling media inboxes.
CESlong-ago replaced Comdex as the technology industry's premier trade show.Somewhere between the Internet and the iPod, computing bifurcated into a gadget market, which is CES' bailiwick, and a server market, which doesn't need the trade show hassle.
One 2005 success you've probably got under your tree right now is the games DVD. It may be a sports title, a fashion title, or a trivia title. It sells based on the brand (ESPN, Trivia Pursuit) standing behind the maker (as opposed to a publisher's brand). Play is divided between some sort of game board and the TV, on which the DVD plays the answers.
The next step in that evolution is bringing the Web into the mix, making the whole thing instantly updateable, and providing a continuing revenue stream in terms of new content and Web stores. That's what NetBlender is touting. They sent two PDF press releases here today (the bulk of the site is password-preotected) and the language would make P.T. Barnum proud.
- First of all this is a virtual start-up. Where do you get this "fast becoming the dominant supplier" guff from?
- While they've only got two titles out there this season, a Jeopardy game and PBS piece on Thomas Jefferson, they're throwing terms like XBox 360 around. Sure, you can do a DVD for the XBox that would work with this (supposedly), but show me.
Anyway, maybe this is the greatest thing since sliced cheese. I just wish I didn't feel like I were eating a candy apple in front of three-card monte guy while reading about it.
But that's CES these days. That's the state of the art.
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Dana Blankenhorn has been a business journalist for over 25 years and has covered the online world professionally since 1985. He founded the "Interactive Age Daily" for CMP Media, and has written for the Chicago Tribune, Advertising Age, and dozens of other publications over the years.
1. Matt Borten on December 21, 2005 04:57 PM writes...
Dearest Mr. Blankenhorn,
We cordially invite you to merry ol' Alexandria, VA (or perhaps a meeting at CES) in order for you to partake of a demonstration of our netBlender application to assuage your consternation regarding our claims of seamlessly blending rich media from DVDs with instantly updateable content from the Web, and providing continual revenue streams "in terms of new content and Web stores."
As for our press releases that contain "language would make P.T. Barnum proud," we may be bold in our statements, but we speak the truth.
And yes, we are a virtual start-up, so perhaps it is too early for us to say we are "fast becoming the dominant supplier of the technology, tools and services for converged high resolution video applications;" however, within our niche of the electronics/media realm known as WebDVD or Web-enabled DVD, we have created the easiest-to-use and most reliable application for the creation of WebDVDs. Content creators do not need to know how to write Java or Flash code, just use simple pull-down menus and templates within our developers toolset. And, when talented designers use our application, the finished products they create do exactly what we claim. We are confident that we will soon be the one such developers want to work with.
While it is true that we've only got two titles out there this season (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's "Jeopardy!" DVD and the DVD of the PBS documentary "The Cultivated Life -- Thomas Jefferson & Wine") we are not "throwing terms like XBox 360 around." We are simply stating that our product is platform and delivery method neutral (in fact we are currently porting our application over to the Xbox 360 platform and it will most likely be ready by the time CES happens). We are concentrating on the DVD platform at this time because we know it works, but we will soon be able to provide this same level of content blending between the Internet and VOD/downloadable/streaming media products (we are in talks with several key players in each of these spaces, such as Movielink and the likes).
So, you state: "Sure, you can do a DVD for the XBox that would work with this (supposedly), but show me;" we'd be happy to. Please take us up on our invitation and we will demonstrate just how amazing (no hype, just our opinion of the value and usefulness of our products & services) netBlender really is.
Thanks,
- Matt Borten
VP, Business Development & Professional Services
NetBlender, Inc.
(703) 567-6309 office
(301) 467-5979 mobile
mborten@netblender.com
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