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fancast

Comcast CEO: We are not a dead duck

SAN FRANCISCO--Cable companies get a lot of criticism from the Silicon Valley set for being some of the ultimate 20th century corporate dinosaurs. Or, as Web 2.0 Summit conference organizer John Battelle put it, "a dead duck."

So the head of Comcast, a company that's taken loads of heat from tech experts--for imposing bandwidth caps, poor customer service, and an alleged failure to innovate on both broadband speeds and the convergence between television and the Web--was an interesting choice to kick off the summit event here on Tuesday. But Comcast CEO Brian Roberts spun his company … Read more

Record Fancast streams for easy iPhone viewing

Like most folks, I'm eagerly awaiting the Hulu app that's rumored to be heading to the iPhone. (I need my daily "Daily Show" fix!)

Of course, if and when it lands, it'll require a live Internet connection to stream content--and those are still pretty hard to come by in places like airplanes and underground government bunkers (sorry, I've been watching a lot of "Chuck"). That's why I'm using Replay Media Catcher to record shows off Fancast, not unlike a DVR records from cable.

Before you ask, no, RMC doesn't … Read more

Comcast tries to stay relevant in online world

As more entertainment content makes it way online, Comcast is looking for new ways to remain relevant to its subscribers.

Specifically, the cable giant is launching a bunch of new initiatives to bring more interactive content to its services and keep its subscribers hooked on cable. First on the list is the company's proposed free online video-on-demand service. The service, which will be offered as part of Comcast's Fancast video site, has been discussed publicly for the past couple of months. But the company has kept the details, such as when it will launch and what content will … Read more

The Digital Home Video: User-generated video is useless -- right now

User-generated video is great, but there aren't any opportunities for making money, which makes it useless to video services. Find out why in my latest video.

Even better news: you can now subscribe to this show. Just add it up right here!

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Hulu enjoys first birthday, brags about its success

Hulu, the free video streaming service backed by NBC Universal and Fox, announced that it's celebrating its first birthday Wednesday, and along with that celebration, it released some internal survey results to give users an update on where the service stands today.

Much of the data Hulu provided comes from a survey it commissioned from July 2008 to August 2008, as well as an online study in October 2008 that features results from 2,500 adults over the age of 18.

Citing Nielsen VideoCensus figures, Hulu claims it streamed 142 million videos last month and was the sixth-most popular … Read more

Comcast's Fancast: For those of us who are obsessed with media

While the Writers Guild of America is on strike, Hollywood is giving us plenty of opportunities to catch up on content that we haven't seen. Fancast features full episodes of TV shows, TV listings, and news on TV, movies, and celebrities. Comcast's Fancast may look like the latest entrant into the web video scene, but the truth is that it packs a much bigger punch.

Much of the content for full episodes on Fancast is provided by Hulu, with additional content from CBS, MTV, and BET thrown in for good measure. The viewing experience is what you have … Read more