That’s what many consumers will be asking in a few months when UltraViolet, Hollywood’s answer to declining DVD and Blu-ray disc sales, hits online and retail stores. UltraViolet is a new format that lets you store and watch purchased TV shows and movies anytime, anywhere on almost any device from a free “digital entertainment locker” in the cloud. The format was developed by the Digital Entertainment Ecosystem Consortium (DECE), an industry group whose 70 members include the Who’s Who of studios, electronics manufacturers and tech companies. Its mid-2011 debut was announced at the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this month.

According to John Calkins, executive vice president of Global Digital and Commercial Innovation at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, “Ultraviolet will provide consumers an easy way to access their content without the limitations of a physical product, in the same way that the ATM network provides consumers access to their money – anytime, anywhere. It’s a tremendous leap forward in consumer control and flexibility.”
Why Does Hollywood Need UltraViolet?

Because they are losing A LOT of money. DVD and Blu-ray disc sales, often the deciding factor in a movie’s profitability or loss, are losing ground to typically less expensive video-on-demand (VOD) rentals and electronic sell-through (EST) (industry lingo for purchasing and downloading movies or TV content online). According to the Digital Entertainment Group, worldwide sales of DVDs and Blu-ray discs dropped by 8% to $10.9 billion in the first nine months of 2010. A few hundred million in losses? Ouch! The good news is that over the same period, the market for digital distribution (both EST and VOD) grew by 23% to $1.7 billion. UltraViolet is intended to be the industry’s solution to increase digital content purchases in order to offset falling disc purchases, while keeping its intellectual property safe from piracy in a digital locker. Plus, consumers get the added convenience of watching their content across devices regardless of location.

(Read the full article on Tubefilter News.)

You know that feeling when you forget which gadget you downloaded a certain photo, tune or video to? Did you save that special photo on your Android phone, camera, computer or maybe in an album on Facebook? No need to panic anymore. RealNetworks, the folks who brought us RealPlayer for video, has created Unifi, an exciting new way to save (and find) all of your photos, music, and video files across multiple gadgets – in one place. It’s an obvious solution to a growing challenge we mediaphiles have day-to-day. CNET editors were also fans and awarded Unifi a Best of CES show award, which is a big deal in the geek world.

What’s so cool about Unifi is that it doesn’t matter whether you purchased your digital entertainment on iTunes or Amazon, or whether the content you own is on a Mac, PC, Android, iPhone, Facebook or Flickr. Unifi knocks down the walls between your digital libraries and lets you enjoy them no matter where you legally acquired them. For example, you can stream the iTunes selections and playlists you own from Unifi to your Android phone. Awesomeness! It also has an attractive interface for browsing your library. Hopefully, videos stored on Unifi can eventually be streamed directly to an Internet-connected TV.

(Read my full article on Tubefilter News.)

Every year an uber gathering of global geeks and media cognescenti convene at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to preview sexy new gadgets slated to roll out in the coming months. I couldn’t help but hum the famous FAO Schwartz song, Welcome To Our World of Toys as I walked into the expo halls to see these cool new gadgets, or toys as I call them. This year, over 140,000 industry insiders clogged Las Vegas and elbowed their way into the exhibit halls for exclusive sneak peeks (I still have bruises). And you know it’s a hip event when Lady Gaga shows up! With so much exciting news flying out of the show, I’ve pieced together some highlights for Web video fans.

Watch Your Favorite Shows Anytime, Anywhere on Any Device
That’s right! The BIG vision this year is for everyone to be able to watch their favorite web originals, cable and broadcast shows on smart phones, smart TVs (Internet-connected), tablets and on any other gizmos with screens with a shared content library. A “connected” entertainment ecosystem is the ultimate goal. For example, if you buy a TV show on your smartphone and begin watching it, when you get home you can turn on your TV or tablet and pick up exactly where you left off. Vizio, a TV manufacturer, announced its new connected Vizio VIA Plus slate of devices, adding their first tablet and smartphone to build their entertainment ecosystem.

Read my full article on Tubefilter News.

As a  cord cutter (no cable) and admitted periodic moocher of friends who have Showtime, HBO and Starz, my purchase of a Samsung LED TV Series 6400 in September has radically changed my viewing habits.  (Just to be clear, I’m a total TV addict.) Not only do I NOT care what time it is during prime time hours (because I’ll watch my shows on Hulu before the time off for Hulu Plus paying customers),  I’m spending more time watching shows and movies, and discovering new programs via my TV apps. Add to this set-up an appified Blu-ray player, AppleTV, GoogleTV, Roku and/or Boxee Box devices and welcome to TV nirvana!  And if you have a Wii, Xbox Live or PlayStation, look for new content programming to be available as well.

The more entertainment options, the better for consumers – though it will get confusing to track which apps are on which sets or devices. Eventually I’ll add a Web browsing ability to my TV, but I don’t feel an urgency to do this at the moment. Apparently, others don’t either. In fact, Sony Bravia sales with GoogleTV embedded are struggling. (There also serious user experience issues with a complex remote to overcome.)

Next year, I anticipate Internet-connected TV manufacturers with App stores, such as Vizio and Sony Bravia, to begin announcing their app store stats, a la iTunes, as well – though Samsung appears to have taken the lead in selection and downloads.  With industry analyst firm Forrester estimating that 43 million US households will have at least one Internet-enabled TV by 2015, growth is set to take off.

At this year’s NewTeeVee Live Conference by GigaOm, Samsung’s Director of Content, Olivier Manuel talked about their approach and vision for bringing TV apps to their TV’s and across all of the brand’s TV-connected devices.

My Favorite TV Apps
TV Apps I use most include Pandora, YouTube, Netflix ($9.99 monthly subscription), Rovi, Accuweather, TED TV and VUDU (which offers a credit for new users, without having to enter credit card info.) Finally, Hulu Plus now offers a free one week trial period, so I’ll be checking that out to see if a $7.99  monthly subscription is worth it for my particular viewing habits.

TV Apps & Web Series
TV Apps open up a promising new distribution platform for Web series. Let’s face it,  all entertainment looks better on a large HDTV. So when will this happpen? Right now, Internet TV networks Revision3, Blip.tv, and Dailymotion have free TV apps in a variety of TV app stores and devices. (Visit their Web sites for details.) It’s pay-for-play to have a presence in an app store. YouTube also has a strong presence across TV app stores, more so than the Internet TV networks previously listed, but they have deeper pockets than the upstart Internet TV networks thanks to parent company, Google. Give it time.

Get Your Web Series In A TV App
So how can you get your Web series included in one of the Internet TV networks’ TV Apps? Keep in mind that TV apps do not replicate a Web site by offering all of the same content. Just like mobile apps, all content is “curated” or selected because it meets certain quality standards and/or has a large follower base from past episodes or previous series. Since this is a new distribution platform, raise your interest with the networks you’re distributing your show with. If you have an exclusive distribution deal for a set period of time, ask for inclusion in their TV App for that period of time. This gets back to developing a distribution strategyfor your show that will leverage your current fan base, maximize ad views and build buzz to attract online sponsors and earn future series offers for your cast and crew.

Coming up! The 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES)
In January, the geeks convene at the annual CES where consumer electronics giants and content partners preview and announce their hot new consumer products scheduled to roll out in the coming year. I’ll be there again with Tubefilter News, as I was last year, to update you on interesting trends that will excite content creators and fans!

Wishing all of you a very Happy New Year!

Today, the International Academy of Web Television, an independent organization of digital entertainment leaders created to recognize excellence in original episodic Web television programming, announced that Chad Hurley, Co-Founder and CEO of YouTube, the world’s largest video destination, will be the inaugural recipient of the Streamy Visionary Award. The Streamy Visionary Award honors leaders and innovators who have made a significant contribution to the digital entertainment community.

“We are thrilled to recognize Chad Hurley, a true visionary in the worlds of online entertainment and technology, as the first recipient of the prestigious Streamy Visionary Award,” said Brady Brim-DeForest, executive producer of the Streamy Awards. “Chad’s contributions to online entertainment have paved the way for the birth of an entire industry. His vision has revolutionized the Web as an open video entertainment platform that continues to grow and inspire creative expression on a global scale.”

“I’m honored to be recognized with the Visionary Award,” said Chad Hurley, co-founder and CEO of YouTube. “Thanks to the YouTube community, the media platform we created has grown into a destination where billions of people connect and shape the world through video each day. Witnessing YouTube’s evolution has been inspiring and humbling.”

About Chad Hurley
In 2005, YouTube was pushed quickly from a simple idea to cultural phenomenon and, within 18 months from launch, was sold to Google for $1.76 billion. YouTube serves over a billion videos daily and has created a new market for discovering, sharing and distributing videos around the globe.

YouTube was awarded “Best Invention of the Year” by Time Magazine and was the first Web site to receive “Entertainer of the Year” by Entertainment Weekly. From heads of state and major Hollywood studios to local politicians and independent artists, YouTube is an open, democratic platform where anyone can come, connect and share entertainment and experiences. Hurley has received several prestigious honors and acknowledgements from the business and entertainment communities including: World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leader, Webby “Person of the Year,” Business 2.0’s 50 Most Influential People, GQ’s “Men of the Year,” Fortune’s “Most Powerful People in Business,” and Member of the MIT Media Lab/Media Arts and Sciences Visiting Committee.

Watch Live Online!
Streamy Awards excitement kicks off with a live online Red Carpet Pre-Show starting at 4:00 p.m. (Pacific), broadcast exclusively on Ustream.tv and streamys.org. The live online broadcast of the Streamy Awards Ceremony, hosted by actor, comedian Paul Scheer, begins at 5:30 p.m. (Pacific) on streamys.org.

About The Streamy Awards
The Streamy Awards, co-hosted by new media companies Tubefilter (www.tubefilter.tv) and NewTeeVee, the Streamy Awards recognize excellence in global web television programming for broadband distribution across 35 creative categories, from acting and directing, to editing and special effects. Members of the International Academy of Web Television review shows submitted through a free, public submissions process and vote on the final nominees and winners for each category. The Audience Choice Award for Best Web Television Series is selected by members of the public. Winners of the 2nd Annual Streamy Awards will be announced at the Streamy Awards Ceremony on April 11, 2010 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. The Streamy Craft Award winners will be announced at a separate ceremony on April 7, 2010 at the Barnsdall Art Center in Hollywood. Founded in 2009, the Streamy Awards are produced by Tubefilter, Inc. (www.tubefilterinc.com). For more information, visit www.streamys.org, follow @streamyawards on Twitter and become a Fan at www.facebook.com/streamys.

Check out the selection of schmoozy events, from Digital LA to New Media Vault, and don’t forget to watch the Streamy Awards LIVE online on Sunday, April 11 at www.streamys.org, starting with the Red Carpet Pre-Show at 4:00 p.m. (Pacific), and the awards ceremony at 5:30 p.m., being hosted by comedian and co-star of FX’s The League, Paul Scheer.

LOS ANGELES – April 1, 2010 — The Streamy Awards, presented by the International Academy of Web Television (www.iawtv.org) and co-hosted by Tubefilter (www.tubefilter.tv) and NewTeeVee (www.newteevee.com), has announced that actor and comedian Paul Scheer, star of MTV’s popular Human Giant comedy sketch series, co-star on FX’s The League and the mini-miniseries Designated Driver on HBO’s Funny or Die Presents, will host the 2^nd Annual Streamy Awards at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 11 starting at 5:30pm (Pacific). The Streamy Awards recognize excellence in global web television programming for broadband distribution across 35 creative categories, from acting and directing, to editing and special effects. This is an invitation-only event.

“The Streamy Awards’ global audience is going to enjoy tuning in to watch Paul Scheer make history as the first host of the ceremony,” said Brady Brim-DeForest, executive producer of the Streamy Awards. “Paul’s natural stand-up talent and personal success in Web TV make him a natural fit for the show and appealing to Web series fans who will tune in to see their favorite Web series stars.”

“Ever since I was a child I dreamed of hosting the Streamy Awards,” said Paul Sheer. “Oh, and by the way, when I was a child I had a time machine that let me see into the future.”

The Latest on Paul Scheer

Paul Scheer is best known for his work on the MTV sketch comedy series Human Giant, which he co-created and starred in with Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel and director Jason Woliner.  He also stars in FX’s newest hit comedy, The League, which will return this Fall for its second season. This summer Paul can be seen in Dimension Films’ Piranha 3D opposite Elisabeth Shue and Jerry O’Connell and in Adult Swim’s newest live action comedy show, Children’s Hospital.  Currently his mini-miniseries, Designated Driver, with Rob Riggle, airs on HBO’s Funny or Die Presents.  This month, Paul will appear on Starz’s Party Down.  He also had memorable roles in TV and Film in such projects as 30 Rock, Bride Wars, Parks and Recreation, Reno 911, Year One, The Sarah Silverman Program, Yo Gabba Gabba and VH1’s Best Week Ever.  He performs weekly at the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles.  To learn more, visit the Official Paul Scheer Web site at http://paulscheer.com.

Watch Live Online!

Streamy Awards excitement kicks off with a live Red Carpet Pre-Show starting at 4 p.m. (Pacific), broadcast online exclusively on Ustream.tv and streamys.org.  The live online broadcast of the Streamy Awards Ceremony, hosted by Paul Scheer, begins at 5:30 p.m. (Pacific) exclusively on streamys.org.

Red Carpet Media Credentials

To cover the Red Carpet, please fill out and submit the Media Credentials Request Form via the Streamy Awards’ Web site at http://www.streamys.org/press/media-application/. (Please note: There is a limited amount of space available on the carpet. We will be unable to accommodate all requests.)

About The Streamy Awards

Presented by the International Academy of Web Television and co-hosted by new media companies Tubefilter (www.tubefilter.tv) and NewTeeVee (www.newteevee.com), Streamy Awards recognize excellence in global web television programming for broadband distribution across 35 creative categories, from acting and directing, to editing and special effects. Members of the International Academy of Web Television review shows submitted through a free, public submissions process and vote on the final nominees and winners for each category. The Audience Choice Award for Best Web Television Series is selected by members of the public. Winners of the 2nd Annual Streamy Awards will be announced at the Streamy Awards Ceremony on April 11, 2010 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. The Streamy Craft Award winners will be announced at a separate ceremony on April 7, 2010 at the Barnsdall Art Center in Hollywood. Founded in 2009, the Streamy Awards is produced by Tubefilter, Inc. (www.tubefilterinc.com). For more information, visit www.streamys.org, follow @streamyawards on Twitter and become a Fan at www.facebook.com/streamys.

About The International Academy of Web Television

The International Academy of Web Television, an independent member-run organization comprised of digital entertainment leaders was founded in 2009 to promote and recognize artistic excellence and technological innovation in online entertainment. Members of the Academy are invited to join based on achievement in their respective fields, and include actors, agents, composers, content developers, directors, journalists, producers, technologists, and writers who actively participate in and support the web television and digital entertainment industries. The Academy oversees the annual Streamy Awards, which honor and recognize excellence in original episodic web television programming. For more information, visit www.iawtv.org, follow @iawtv on Twitter and become a Fan at www.facebook.com/iawtv.

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The 2nd Annual Streamy Award Events Will be Held on April 11, 2010 at The Music Box @ Fonda Theater in Hollywood

Nominations for the 2nd Annual Streamy Awards were announced in a live online broadcast today by the International Academy of Web Television, an independent organization of digital entertainment leaders created to recognize excellence in original episodic Web television programming. The Streamy Awards is the first and most prestigious live awards show dedicated to honoring the actors, directors, editors, producers, writers, and production talent behind some of the best original programming on the Web. More than 150,000 public submissions, covering 2,000 original shows, were narrowed down to a field of just over 100 nominatees. Winners will be announced at two separate ceremonies being held on April 7 and April 11, 2010 in Hollywood, CA.

The Bannen Way, a crime drama series, earned seven Streamy nominations, including Best Drama Web Series, Best New Web Series, Best Male Actor in a Drama Web Series (Mark Gantt), and Best Directing for a Drama Web Series (Jesse Warren, Mark Gantt). The Guild, a series about a group of online gamers and previous Streamy Award winner, is up for six Streamys this year, including Best Comedy Web Series, Best Female Actor in a Web Series (Felicia Day), Best Actor in a Comedy (Sandeep Parikh) and Best Writing for a Comedy Web Series (Felicia Day). Easy to Assemble, a comedy about successful actors who now work at IKEA, is up for four Streamys, including two nominations for Best Actress in a Comedy Web Series (Justine Bateman and Ileanna Douglas), as well as Best Comedy Web Series and Best Branded Entertainment Web Series. Auto-Tune the News, 2009’s breakout YouTube sensation, is up for four Streamys, including Best News or Politics Web Series, and Best Original Music in a Web Series (Evan Gregory, Andrew Gregory, and Michael Gregory).

“I’m truly impressed with the outstanding quality of this year’s Streamy nominees,” said IAWTV Chairman, Michael Wayne, President and CEO of digital entertainment studio DECA. “It’s a testament to how far the online video industry has come and a great predictor of where we’re headed.”

“This year we were excited to receive a record number of public submissions from over 130 countries, indicating the rapid global growth of the digital entertainment industry over the past year,” said Brady Brim-DeForest, Executive Producer of the Streamy Awards.

Streamy Award Events
On Sunday, April 11, 2010 at 5:30 pm, winners in 15 categories will be announced in front of a live audience at the Music Box @ the Fonda Theater in Hollywood, CA and broadcasted online live to audiences around the world. Awards for craft categories will be presented at a separate Streamy Craft Awards Ceremony on Thursday, April 8, 2010 at the Barnsdall Art Center in Hollywood, CA, excerpts from which will be integrated into the live show.

For a full list of nominees, click here.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) February 24, 2010 — The TV of Tomorrow Show, the leading global conference for the interactive television (iTV) industry, being held March 3-4, 2010 in San Francisco, has announced its program line-up. Now in its fourth year, the conference, produced by InteractiveTV Today [itvt], will explore the latest in multiplatform interactive technology, content and advertising in dynamic panel discussions, keynotes, and debates. (Twitter hashtag: #TVOT10)

[itvt] will also present its 7th Annual Awards for Leadership in Interactive and Multiplatform Television and the Click Awards (a new awards sub-category that recognizes creative excellence in three emerging areas of broadband/Internet video) at an evening ceremony on Wednesday, March 3rd. Click here for more Awards details.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Following are some of the show’s program highlights. For a complete program guide, please download a complete copy guide by clicking here.

• Better Monetization through Better Counting: Measurement for Advanced TV and Video – As advanced TV and video platforms afford new capabilities, they also create new opportunities and challenges for measurement. Topics to be discussed include the current state of measurement for TV platforms including linear, interactive, addressable, VOD and DVR, as well as for video delivered via broadband, mobile, portable devices, game platforms and CE devices (including connected TV’s); whether TV Everywhere and OTT should be measured in the same way as traditional TV; and consumer privacy.

• Fireside Keynote: OTT, TV Everywhere and Other Trends in Online Video – Learn about the latest trends in online video from the perspective of three leaders in the industry. Topics include OTT and cord-cutting, how TV Everywhere will attempt to address consumer demand, and how programmers are adapting to a changing content distribution ecosystem. Panelists: Ian Blaine, CEO, thePlatform; Mark Garner, SVP of Distribution, Marketing and Business Development, A&E Television; and Avner Ronen, CEO, Boxee.

• Fireside Keynote: Chloe Sladden, Director of Media Partnerships at Twitter – Chloe Sladden, the executive in charge of developing Twitter’s relationships with the TV industry, will cast light on the social media/microblogging giant’s social TV plans and on how it expects its relationship with the interactive TV industry to evolve going forward.

• The Business Case for Social TV - Social TV–where viewers interact with one another while watching programs on TV or online–is becoming increasingly central both to the experience and the business of television. Topics of discussion will include techniques for using social media to promote and virally distribute programming; the potential of social TV to make advertising more engaging and effective; and how programmers can leverage new location-based mobile social networking services.

• Advanced Advertising: What Do Marketers and Media Agencies Really Want? This session will examine the business case for interactive (telescoping and RFI) and addressable advertising, as well as for advertising on various other emerging interactive/video platforms (e.g. OTT, VOD, walled gardens, etc.) from the point of view of marketers and media agencies.

• The Debate on the Future of the Set-Top Box - Last December, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published a Request for Information that seeks “comment on how the Commission can encourage innovation in the market for video devices that will assist the Commission’s development of a National Broadband Plan.” Since then, stakeholders in the set-top box and pay-TV space have clashed over their preferred outcome. This session will explore the issues at stake and assess how the debate and its outcome will impact the interactive TV industry.

• Interactive TV Advertising: Who’s Going to Click? This session brings together leaders from multiple areas of the industry to discuss current and future developments in interactive TV advertising. Questions to be addressed include: What will interactive advertising look like? What metrics will be used to measure performance? And how will the relationship between interactive and addressable/targeted advertising develop going forward?

• Re-Inventing the TV Experience through IP and The Cloud - Major platform providers will discuss how they are using IP technology and The Cloud in very different ways to enhance the TV experience.

• Augmented Reality Meets TV – This session brings together experts at the forefront of the emerging Augmented Reality industry and TV industry players who have long been advocates for the incorporation of new interactive technologies and platforms into the TV experience, in order to explore how AR can be used to enhance and extend traditional TV programming with multiplatform, 360-degree interactive experiences.

• The Living Room and Beyond: What the New Multiplatform TV Ecosystem Means for Content Providers – The emergence of over-the-top (OTT)/connected TV/hybrid TV platforms is enabling providers of original online video content to reach the living room TV set and compete with traditional Hollywood TV content providers and distributors. All parties must develop distribution and monetization strategies that address these new opportunities and risks. Find out what some of them are doing now.

• Fireside Keynote: Robert Perry, EVP of Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company – A high-profile consumer electronics industry executive will provide an overview of the current state and the future of the interactive/advanced TV space from the perspective of the CE industry at a time when that industry is widely acknowledged to be playing an increasingly important role in the ITV space.

• Fireside Keynote: Steve Reynolds, SVP of Premises Technology at Comcast – Steve Reynolds, a senior technology executive at Comcast, plays a key role in that company’s interactive TV strategy and implementation. Learn about Comcast’s technology challenges, successes, and lessons from its nationwide roll-out of EBIF-based ITV.

• Artificial Intelligence: The Future of Recommendations and Guidance? With an ever-increasing array of programming choices available to viewers through such channels as VOD and OTT, the problem of content discovery is more pressing than ever. Can AI technology create a smarter and better TV experience through recommendations engines and personalization?

• The Re-Emergence of Tcommerce - After several false starts, the potential of interactive TV to monetize programming via commerce is finally being realized. This session will address such issues as what the infrastructural requirements are for a functioning tcommerce system; what the key characteristics are of a successful consumer-facing tcommerce application; and how successfully today’s tcommerce deployments have overcome the problems that dogged earlier deployments.

• App Stores and Widgets – App stores and widgets are increasingly being offered by pay-TV operators, Internet-connected TV manufacturers, and upstart OTT platforms – enabling a more personalized TV experience. Learn which app store models work best (open versus closed); what kinds of interactive TV widgets are proving most popular with consumers and why; and how app stores and widgets are being monetized.

• EBIF and tru2way Today and Tomorrow – Join technology executives from CableLabs and Canoe Ventures, and other prominent stakeholders from the interactive TV technology and programming spaces, for an update on the cable industry-backed ETV/EBIF and tru2way standards.

• Venture Capitalist Roundtable – Where’s the investment capital going within the interactive TV ecosystem? Join VCs from Comcast Interactive Capital, Intel Capital, Lauder Partners, Liberty Global International Ventures, and Trinity Ventures to learn where they see domestic and international opportunities.

MEDIA CREDENTIALS
Interested media are invited to submit their contact information, publication Web site address, and links to published articles since January 2010 to pam(at)dialogikdigital(dot)com for consideration. Please note: There is a limited number of press credentials available. (Credentials will not be available onsite.)

About The TV of Tomorrow Show
The TV of Tomorrow Show (http://www.thetvoftomorrowshow.com), produced by InteractiveTV Today [itvt], is the leading global conference for the multiplatform interactive television (iTV) industry. Attended by C-levels and senior executives from the broadcast, programming, network operator (cable, telco, satellite, wireless), Web 2.0/social networking, advertising, studio, and consumer electronics spaces, the conference emphasizes candid, dynamic and informative discussions about current topics that excite and concern industry decision makers. It is also the top venue for networking with iTV peers and identifying new strategic partnerships. Winners of the annual Awards for Leadership in Interactive and Multiplatform Television and the Click Awards are announced during a ceremony at the conference. An exclusive group of innovative iTV-related products are also showcased.

About Interactive TV Today
InteractiveTV Today [itvt] is the most widely read and trusted news and information source on the rapidly emerging medium of multiplatform interactive television (iTV). Now in its 11th year, [itvt] provides concise, original coverage of industry developments, technologies, content projects, and the people building the business. [itvt] also offers industry consulting services and produces the annual TV of Tomorrow Show, the leading global conference for the interactive television industry. [itvt]’s audience is executives, technologists and creatives across 150 countries.

Back in December Hulu, along with Clear Channel, MySpace, Ford and Pepsi all signed on as sponsors and production partners for “If I Can Dream,” a new online docusoap Web series by reality programming mastermind Simon Fuller (”American Idol”). TheWrap (and Tubefilter) covered the deal announcement, but overall, it didn’t generate much in the way of media or Web series industry buzz. But it’s time to take a closer look.

Last week’s article by Stuart Elliott of the NY Times (the advertising industry’s most influential reporter), profiled Pepsi’s new Pepsi Refresh Project campaign and mentioned the Web series production deal as the first original content deal for Hulu – calling attention to it one more time, but to a very wide and influential audience of top media and ad agency execs who are still cautiously dipping their toes into the branded entertainment space with their clients.

I’m sure fellow industry watchers are wondering, is Hulu seriously planning to enter the race to produce quality original Web series and if so, how would it impact a market that already includes producers such as Michael Eisner’s Vuguru, Sony’s Crackle, Dailymotion, Babelgum, Next New Networks, DECA and a slew of talented independents breaking new ground?

To read the complete article, click here.