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Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

When Dell started pre-loading digital copies of Iron Man in new systems for $19, we didn’t think that was very enticing, but at least it was a pretty good movie, right? Quite possibly encouraged by thousands of accidental purchases (we kid, sort of), Dell’s announced two new content pre-loading partnerships — Universal Music Group and CinemaNow. The music comes in 50 and 100 song bundles starting at $25, but at least it’s DRM-free, so if you don’t mind a mega mix chosen entirely by Dell it’s not all evil. CinemaNow, though, offers $25 and up bundles including (among other flicks) world-renown classics like The Fast and the Furious and the Matrix sequels. Fear.

Read - Universal Music Group
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Source: Samuel Axon

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Microsoft just announced Universal, and NBC Universal programming is coming to Xbox Live, delivering The Office, Monk, Battlestar Galactica, The Mummy, Bourne Supremacy and others to the service. Xbox Live Video Marketplace now claims over 10,000 movies and TV shows on the marketplace, which it says puts it as the number one HD provider. MGM and Constantin are pushing things forward in Europe, adding 700 new titles to the library starting today. Check out more details from the E3 keynote in the live blog.

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Source: Richard Lawler

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Filed under: Portable Audio

Man, Qtrax just can’t stop over-hyping and under-delivering, can it? The company’s trumpeting new deals today with EMI Publishing, Sony / ATV Music Publishing, and TVT Records, but of the three deals, only TVT will actually have music available for download. The deals with EMI and Sony / ATV are for publishing rights only, and since publishing companies only represent songwriters, and don’t actually own the rights to the song recordings, Qtrax still can’t offer songs to consumers. It’s confusing, but Qtrax needs both types of deals to make things work. Still, considering that the EMI and Sony agreements are extensions of existing agreements, it’s a little strange for Qtrax to hype them up — if you’re keeping score at home, this is essentially the same sort of half-truth Qtrax launched under, so it’s pretty ballsy of the company to try and pull it again. On the other hand, getting TVT on board is no small feat — TVT artists include Lil Jon, Ambulance LTD, Dude ‘N Em, The Polyphonic Spree, and The Cinematics, so it looks like Qtrax might be getting better at this whole “signing actual deals with labels” thing.

Update: We had said in an earlier version of this post that several major labels had denied having deals in place with Qtrax — while that’s still true, the information was a few weeks old. The deals announced today are for real, but until Qtrax sorts out actual content-distribution rights, nothing’s really changed.

[Via Tech Digest]

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Source: Nilay Patel

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The US Department of Justice has launched an anti-trust probe into Total Music, the proposed music service from Universal and Sony BMG.

As we wrote in October 2007, Total Music would offer free music to end users by charging device manufactures or ISPs. The earlier figures mentioned $90 per device for access to Total Music, based on $5 per month over 18 months.

According to The Register, Universal and SonyBMG are confirmed, with all four major record labels likely to be involved in the investigation as well.

The investigation will consider whether the big four, as providers of over 80% of all music, are unfairly using their market position to provide an unfair market advantage to Total Music. The record companies have been investigated previously for such behavior, although the earlier investigation closed in 2003 following Apple’s launch of iTunes.

In related news, the RIAA is now suggesting that copyright filtering should be done at a PC level, with the tech bundled with virus scanning software. Desperate suggestions from desperate people.
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Source: Duncan Riley

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Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio

Remember Nokia’s Comes with Music (CWM) service? The service which includes a full year of free DRM’d music downloads with the purchase of a CWM cellphone. Up to this point, Nokia has refused to comment on the financial details of the service. Important since “free” is expected to be anything but free with those music costs tucked neatly into the price of the handset, the carrier’s data plan, or both. In an interview published by Bloomberg, Tero Ojanpera, Nokia Executive VP, discussed CWM and says that, “In those cases where we cooperate with operators, there will be an arrangement so they can get a piece.” Something previously hinted at by Nokia’s CEO back in December. Still no word on who, beyond Universal, will offer their music on the new service or how much the new bundled handsets will cost. Ojanpera did repeat that CWM won’t be available on existing Nokia devices. For its part, Universal says that DRM is a definite component of the service — a possible deal-breaker if that DRM limits your CWM downloads to a single handset and PC for eternity.

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Source: Thomas Ricker

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Filed under: CES, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Universal Studios issued a terse statement today, denying rumors that the HD DVD stalwart is looking to take advantage of that lapsed exclusivity contract and jump ship for cross-town high-def adversary, Blu-ray. Ken Graffeo - veep of HD strategic marketing at Universal and also co-president of the HD DVD Promotional Group - said simply “Universal’s current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format.” That Universal’s response was almost verbatim to HD DVD ally Paramount’s should come as little surprise. How about this, movie executive types: let us know about your future plans and we’ll skirt this whole song and dance, okay?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

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Source: Christopher Grant

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

var digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/tech_news/Universal_HD_DVD_exclusivity_contract_has_expired’; More news from the format war today, and it isn’t good for the red camp. Daily Variety has confirmed that Universal’s agreement to stick with HD DVD has ended and has not been renewed. Additionally, Paramount has an escape clause in its contract that can be exercised following Warner’s departure from the (now dwindling) HD DVD ranks. The article highlights various ongoing commitments both companies have to the format, but we’ve heard these kind of promises before from studios. It’s feeling like a party where everyone leaves at once; nobody wants to be the first out the door, but everyone’s looking in that direction.

[Thanks, Mike M!]

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Source: Steven Kim

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After one too many “unreasonable threats”, video site Veoh preemptively sued Universal Music last month in federal court, seeking a declaratory injunction to bar Universal from taking legal action. Now it seems Universal has finally made good on some of those threats.

Universal is suing the startup for copyright infringement using some strong language in an L.A. court hearing today. Universal said, “Veoh follows in the ignominious footsteps of other recent mass infringers such as Napster”. Adding, “Veoh’s rampant infringement will not stop until Veoh, and those who own, control, and run it, are enjoined and held financially responsible”.

The suit joins a heap of lawsuits against MySpace, Grouper (Crackle), and Bolt.

Veoh is partly financed by Time Warner and Michael Eisner’s Tornante Co.
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Source: Nick Gonzalez

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