The Four Most Underhype...

Editor’s note:  Jeremy Toeman is a founder of  Dijit Media , a startup whose vision is to create the ultimate “hyperpersonalised social TV guide” mobile experience. Jeremy has over 11 years experience in the convergence of digital media, mobile entertainment, social entertainment, social TV and consumer technology working with companies like Sling Media, Mediabolic, Boxee, Clicker, VUDU, and more. Follow him on Twitter @jtoeman . Last time I took a look at the most over-hyped topics of the Future of TV , and I thought a great follow-up would be to look at the reverse case. After all, it’s easy to sit there and critique, but what about the positive side, where’s the action happening but not being talked about as much as it could be?  Here are four things going on in the TV industry that definitely don’t get enough respect… Open Platforms Did you know that many cable/satellite/telephone providers have created APIs to communicate and/or control their set top boxes over either home networks and/or the Internet? That’s right, the dinosaurs who are sitting on old technology have opened access to their (formerly) closed systems. If that’s not sinking in clearly enough and I’m not saying this to pitch the company or anything, but by way of example, at Dijit we have the ability to interact with set top boxes that exist in approximately 30 million households today. Just think about it – a _insert cable company name here_ cable box is just as mashup-able as Craigslist. AirPlay for the rest of us First, let’s knock another topic off right here: the Apple TV isn’t about being a standalone product, it’s about being an awesome accessory to iPads (which is why it’s effectively the top selling ‘Internet streamer’ over the past 3 years). Works much better when you think of it that way, eh? The flagship feature of Apple TV? AirPlay . If you are “in” the iOS ecosystem, you know how well AirPlay works. If you don’t, you are truly missing out – and I don’t mean you need to rush out to buy one, I mean you need to see how this works: user picks up iPhone/iPad, user finds content, user hits Play, user hits AirPlay to AppleTV, user sees content playing on TV, user enjoys cool refreshing beverage while watching Internet content on TV. Win. Compare that to any TV-based “ 10 foot user interface ” experience, and you’ll understand the difference. But here’s where it gets interesting: there are a good half-dozen or so startups working on this, not to mention consumer electronics companies like Samsung and others who have already deployed solutions. Granted not one of them is as slick as Airplay, but the era of “fumble around terribly designed menus on your TV” is coming to end, and I for one couldn’t be happier about it. I guarantee a couple of years worth of fragmentation ahead, but either way, the future of interfaces is a bright one. Death of the content genre The other day I was trying to reclassify some of my music, and I realized terms like Pop, Alternative, and even Rock are poorly suited to today’s immense breadth of music offerings (and WTF is Adult Alternative anyway???). We are in the age of the micro-niche, driven much due to the growth of Indie music dating back to the 90s. I believe the same fragmentation of big, generic genres like Comedy and Drama will occur in fairly short order. Considering the rise to 500 channels with the infusion of short and long form Internet videos, the cross-over between content formats is pretty much already here. When I look at the results of most TV recommendations engines, and by that I mean Netflix, I see an increasingly disparate view on content. Am I more interested in Witty TV Comedies (which blends King of the Hill, the Dick Van Dyke Show, Black Adder, 30 Rock, Cheers, and Archer) or Dysfunctional-Family TV Dramas (featuring Rescue Me, Weeds, and My-So-Called Life)?  And while I’m at it, why is Portlandia similar to Twin Peaks? Protip: it’s not. Bottom line here is expect more and more filters, views, and correspondingly value placed on matching people with the micro-niche hipsteresque genres that describes them, uniquely. Second protip: stop trying to recommend shows because I like Arrested Development, it stand alone. Who’s Going to Disrupt the TV Industry? The TV Industry The Internet has disrupted a great many things, and we’ve seen startups emerge to tear down many sectors. Craigslist, started by one dude, disrupted newspapers. eBay owns Christie’s. Music was killed by, well, it seems like the Internet and poor business models, as opposed to startups per se. But when it comes to TV, it’s just not as simple as all that. I can name almost two dozen startups who thought they could just run on down to Hollywood, buy up some content, and start a business – all are now dead. I’ve seen almost as many think they could do the same thing by just trying to use some “trick” through the system to accomplish the same. Most are already dead.  Even Google has now twice failed in their attempt to court the content industry. But we can see the signs that disruption could and should occur. I’d argue, however, that the real interesting thing happening is the intra-industry battles. At last year’s Cable Show, for example, multiple cable companies showed their services running as “apps” inside Smart TV ecosystems. Comcast, as another example, has OnDemand (broadcast video on demand), StreamPix (Internet video on demand), DVR, TVEverywhere, and other ways to deliver you content. What happens if they decide to bring their services outside their existing geographical boundaries? What happens when cable co’s actually leverage devices like Xboxes to deliver fully authenticated content offerings? What happens when NBC decides Hulu is a bad investment, and creates an openly accessible content feed using third party authentication? What happens when local affiliates continue to get squeezed out of the business? We can and should expect to see cracks in the system. But I don’t think it’s about cord cutting and little startups. This is the Barzinis teaming up with the Tattaglias to take out Vito, and I hate to say it, but Silicon Valley’s no more than a Clemenza, at best. But there is war a-coming, and there will be great opportunities for startups to rise to great heights if they understand how the system works today, and what’s coming down the pipe. Pun intended, don’t forget to tip your waiter.

Funny Or Die Gets Strat...

Independent online video company Funny Or Die is about to get a lot of help from a traditional TV company, as it’s struck a strategic partnership with Turner Broadcasting to collaborate on multiplatform video content. As part of the deal, Turner is taking a small minority stake in Funny Or Die — terms of which have not been disclosed. “We’re at an inflection point with digitally distributed video,” Funny Or Die CEO Dick Glover told me by phone. He says that as a result, the timing of the deal is poised to coincide with that inflection point and catalyze further growth for Funny Or Die. For 2012, Funny Or Die is averaging around 14-16 million uniques per month, and has seen 60 percent growth year over year. But it’ll likely get a big boost once it starts leverage Turner properties, but especially TBS and Adult Swim. Internet distribution is nice, but it still doesn’t match the reach that a content creator can get from TV. According to Glover, the partnership will “provide a microphone to reach a much larger audience.” While the Internet video company will get some help in promotion, Glover said there’ll be no real change in how the company is run or what kind of content it puts out. It’ll still develop for a multiplatform audience, which includes online, mobile, and TV — where appropriate. This isn’t the first partnership that Funny Or Die has struck with a TV network. It also has a deal with HBO (which, like Turner, is also part of Time Warner) for its original series Funny Or Die Presents , now in its third season. That deal remains in place and isn’t affected by the Turner partnership, Glover said. As viewership — especially among young people — moves away from traditional TV and to other channels , broadcast and cable networks are starting to look at online video distributors for help in this new, multiplatform environment. The Turner partnership was announced about two weeks after Discover acquired indie video producer Revision3 for a reported $30-$40 million. We’ll probably see more deals like this as time goes on.

The Era Of The Porn Sup...

The Internet is a lot like the American Dream. It’s this huge opportunity for anyone who wants to make something of themselves — a nearly ubiquitous platform to showcase skills and talents. Yet, it is so incredibly saturated with people trying to do exactly the same thing that the opportunity gets smaller and smaller, shrinking to the size of a pin point as more people hop online. Countless industries have seen this saturation play a role in who rises to the top, and who fizzles out as one of the millions of never-will-be stars. And porn isn’t exempt from this rule. A new poll taken by XBIZ , “the adult entertainment industry’s leading social network”, shows that less than half of the respondents polled (47 percent) believe there will be another mainstream porn superstar, like Jenna Jameson. Meanwhile, 27 percent say that the era of the porn superstar is over thanks to the Internet, with the other 27 percent saying that only moderate success can be achieved by porn performers. It makes sense. Think about how many people have actually made it big from YouTube, compared to the number of people who have tried. It’s the exact reason why startups like TalentSplash are working to offer a platform for hopeful talent to showcase their skills. Granted, I don’t watch as much porn as say, John Biggs , but I can’t think of really any porn superstars outside of Jameson. The real end of the porn superstar may be due to the democratization of porn production. With cheap video cameras and editing equipment, anyone can give it a shot. It’s not that porn is any less popular. It’s likely much more so. But attention is now divided across thousands of demi-stars with their own websites and Twitter accounts. While the Jenna Jameson’s of old might have made just a dollar or so per sale of a big studio porn movie they’re featured in, today’s demi-stars could rake in the same revenue by keeping most of $30 monthly site subscription fees from their hardcore (pun intended) fans. Up and comers (hah!) like Bree Olson and Sasha Grey  (who left the porn biz altogether last year) seem to have achieved modest success through utilizing their Facebook and Twitter followings. But will that eventually amount to Jenna Jameson level success? The results of the XBIZ poll are a tad optimistic considering the landscape. It reminds me a bit of forthcoming iPhone rumors: “It’ll support holographs!” “It will fly!” All of that is just wishful thinking, and certain industry top dogs seem to share in that hopeful optimism. CEO and co-chair of Vivid Entertainment Steven Hirsch believes that “there absolutely will be another superstar as big as Jenna. How she gets there remains to be seen but it certainly will happen.” Digital Playground co-founder Joone shares the sentiment. “I think there will always be porn superstars,” said Joone. “The fans are always looking for that next ‘it’ girl. It’s all about the right girl with the right company behind her to let the world know.” Even the more realistic responses are speckled with a hint of hopeful naivety. Hustler founder Larry Flynt claims that “the days of the porn superstar will return when the quality of the movies being produced are improved.” Still other big names in the adult entertainment biz see things differently. Jenna Jameson’s long time co-star Ron Jeremy has a fittingly cocky response: There’s so many things that I did that are almost impossible to follow. The work I’ve done outside of porn has dwarfed what I’ve done in porn. There are other people who have done good work in the same arenas, but keep in mind it gets tougher and tougher as so many medias get involved, between computers and cell phones and DVDs and pay-per-view and video-on-demand. There will not be another Jenna Jameson any time soon. It could happen, but I wouldn’t stake my life on it. Kayden Kross, another award-winning adult entertainer, seems to have a grasp on reality: I think when Jenna Jameson became Jenna Jameson, no one had become Jenna Jameson yet. It was still very taboo to be a porn star and she really made that a more mainstream thing. Then there were others that came up, not to her level, but came up around that time. And now, it’s just like anyone can be a porn star. It’s over-saturated. It’s interesting to see how different answers from industry executives and former performers are. The performers know the perils of making it big as talent, whereas the executives are likely desperate to bank on an up-and-coming star as big as a Jenna Jameson. Only time will tell if the porn industry can adapt to our almost entirely digital lifestyles. The camera industry failed , publishing is struggling big time , and both the music and movie industries are holding on to their traditional business models with cold, lifeless fingers. But the question isn’t whether or not the “talent” exists. The question is whether or not we want another “it” girl. Jenna was great, but is she any better than having millions of free (and paid) titillating vids to enjoy over a bit of spit and Kleenex?

The Rat Race

Editor’s note: Justin Kan is the founder of Exec , the fastest way to get your jobs or errands done in real-time. He previously co-founded Justin.tv / TwitchTV , which recently spun off Socialcam . You can follow him on Twitter @justinkan and check out his blog here . When I was in college, I had a fixation on weight lifting. Like many other young men, I was obsessed with working out, with a disproportionate concentration on upper body muscle-building exercise. Despite what it may have appeared, my focus wasn’t on being fit (I rarely did cardio, had no flexibility), it was on appearing fit and having an adequately muscular build, especially when in comparison to my peers. Fit enough wasn’t “fit enough to my own standard,” but rather “looking more fit than everyone else.” My mother always told me that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing your best. Unfortunately, the message got a little garbled in translation, and what I internalized was that if something was worth doing, you had to be the best. And ever since I’ve entered my adult life, I’ve always had a small knot in my chest every time I’ve done anything that can be compared; a small worrying reminder that I’m not the best at whatever it is. Of course that is true. With over six billion human beings on the planet, there’s always someone better than you at everything you’ll ever do. Someone who will achieve more, younger. Someone who has made more money, earned more accolades. Better at music, luckier in love. Silicon Valley has an unhealthy obsession with the being at the top. We’ve canonized Steve Jobs and idolize Mark Zuckerberg. TechCrunch headlines are almost entirely about companies being successful, acquisitions and funding rounds and “best thing ever” product launches; how many articles are about companies headed to the deadpool ? I’ve had friends whose startups have grown much larger and more successful than mine, made orders of magnitude more money, and I’ve felt envy at times. I’ve seen other friends obsessed with keeping up with the startup Joneses, abandoning long-term thinking to try to find success, money and status as quickly. There is even competition for who is having the best time; at events I always hear not-so-subtly masked bragging about who is experiencing the most growth, having the most fun with their startup. I know I’ve contributed to it myself. It is insanity. I bought into the race completely. I used to think: if we just grow to another order of magnitude of traffic, everything will be feel great. If we reach the next revenue milestone, light will shine down from the heavens and I’ll finally be successful. But we always hit our goals, and mentally nothing changed. One of the most simultaneously depressing and enlightening moments for me was when I learned that human beings don’t get any happier day-to-day once they’ve reached a certain level of comfort. In America, that’s around $75,000 of salary a year , something which pretty much anyone reading this blog can achieve. Making more money or having more titles beyond that doesn’t do anything for you: you might feel great for five minutes, but afterwards that just fades and you have a new, higher standard of living to maintain. It was extremely difficult to accept this; after all, I’d always lived to get to the next milestone. Go to a good university, launch a company, get funding, hit a product, hit a growth goal, raise the next round. Each time expecting that the next time would change the game. To accept that no matter what happened, I’d never feel any better than I do now, well, that was earth shattering, even though I’d experienced the same brief, fleeting high and return to earth every time. To be perfectly honest, while I theoretically accept it I am still working on internalizing it. I have to remind myself from time to time that I want to be happy doing what I’m doing now, not after some next step, accolade, or achievement beyond my peers. The truth is that it isn’t a bad thing if I can’t get any happier: I was quite happy to begin with. For the most part I enjoy immensely my day-to-day of working on products and creating something new, something that no one has seen before. Still, I try to regularly re-evaluate that I’m doing the things I’m doing because I want to be, not for some next level of achievement. Being successful doesn’t have to mean having the most employees or making the most money. Yes, it can mean that you do create a huge company that has massive impact and you reshape the world in your own image. But it can also simply mean that you enjoy your day-to-day and the people you work with. Have fun with what you’re doing. Do it because it gives you opportunities to grow and learn new things, and because some days are great, even if there are just as many days that are awful. No life is perfect, and that is an ok thing. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t do a startup and strive to grow something big, amazing and self-sustaining. If it sounds like a challenge, then go for it, even though it will be hard and probably make you very unhappy at times. Don’t do it because you expect that there is something magical waiting for you at the other end, some state of nirvana for the rich and successful; there is always something next to attain. The journey is its own reward; if it isn’t, you’re on the wrong path. [ photo of Banksy graffiti via flickr/Duncan Hull ]

Hand Me The Pliers

When I first heard the news of Peter Bergman’s death, it came in the relatively old fashioned form of an email from my brother. He’d seen a tweet about it, and figured I’d heard already. Peter was one of four who made up the Firesign Theatre, and suddenly there would never be another chance to take them for granted. For all of my adult life, I’ve orbited in the outer regions of their solar system. In college, I abandoned the curriculum to play their records late at night on the 40 watt campus radio station. It was the birth of what was called underground radio, then Album Oriented Rock, as FM took over the airwaves. The new Firesign record was a cultural event, right up there with a Beatle or Dylan release, and equal in its power to sink into the DNA of the times. Inevitably, or as inevitable as I could make it, I was in the room with them as they wrote the script for what became the Martian Space Party, a short film I directed and produced with the group about the National Surrealist Light Peoples Party presidential political convention. This was 1972, the year Nixon broke into the Watergate, most likely to get the goods on John Lennon before he could give peace a chance. Lennon wore the film’s Not Insane campaign button until he won his fight to stay in America. The magic of the recording studio gave way to the personal computer, the Internet, and social media. The world Firesign modeled in their surreal vision of the near future has become the default. We still love to repeat the catch phrases, the touchstones of our love-in with infinite possibility, but now they are the language of Likes and retweets, OMG and LMFAO, check-ins and iPads. How can you be in two places at once when you’re not anywhere at all? Easy. It’s called Facebook. When we’re young, we think we’re immortal. And if we live that way, we are. Losing Peter Bergman is the cruelest of jokes for a generation now struggling with being whittled down to a size we thought we’d eluded. The Sixties was a time for authorized magical thinking, banned by the government as a favor to the “leaders” of the Movement. All we were saying was give war a rest. What were we thinking? The Firesign spoke as one animal with four heads, as Robert Grossman illustrated on a cover of one of their famous records. With Bergman gone, you’d think that voice was stilled. I feared so, until I listened again with the new day. Even on his last netcast, as he raked over the pinheads in the race for losing to Obama, you could hear the glorious joy of being right AND being funny about it. For what Firesign knows, and so do we who’ve been incurably infected by them, is that when we laugh, we’re eyes wide open. One of the four, I don’t remember which one, said the Firesign Theatre is a state of mind. In fact, it’s a country of mimes and one of which I’m proud to be a citizen. The more Peter’s swift and sudden death stings and terrifies, the more grateful I am for the forces that brought these four poets together as they did that other four. Even now, I can hear Peter clear as a bell reminding us in some random conversation with a conviction that brooked no argument even as it sounded faintly absurd: “There are no accidents.” Except maybe this time. In 1973 I traveled to New York to see my mother in the hospital, where she’d just undergone a second mastectomy after 5 years of remission. Her illness had brought us together after many years of estrangement, and though I knew of her work translating and dubbing the classic New Wave films of that time, she had no idea of who I was becoming as an adult. I was in town to premiere the Martian Space Party at a WBAI benefit concert and make a deal with New Line Cinema to distribute it with Reefer Madness. But first, I lugged her 16mm projector into her hospital room and set it up to project on the wall opposite her bed. As we sat in the afternoon gloom and the movie unspooled, my mother was transformed by her delight in the love of language, the magic of the group’s verbal alchemy, the fact that somehow her son had something to do with this. Today my eyes are filled with those same tears of joy, how insanely lucky to know these 4 or 5 crazy guys at all.