Broadband video-to-TV threatens traditional media distribution

[BGonaSTICK]

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - A wave of new technologies that link home computers to televisions could threaten traditional media distribution methods as consumer interest in online video entertainment continues to grow.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, electronics manufacturers from Sony to start-ups such as Sling Media unveiled a raft of new products to allow consumers to play Internet videos, or media files stored on PCs, directly on their TV screens.

Bridging that PC-to-TV gap would open up new distribution potential for media content providers, but would also challenge traditional distribution channels and strategies, such as cable TV's much-vaunted video on demand services.

"There are a lot of companies looking to bypass cable," said Bob Greene, executive vice president of Liberty Media Holding Corp.'s Starz Entertainment network.

"I think it is something they should be concerned about," he told Reuters.

At the Consumer Electronics Show, Sony said it planned to sell new TVs with modules that let viewers pipe in content on PCs and Internet programming.

Viacom Inc., Starz Entertainment's subscription broadband video service and film studio Lions Gate Entertainment signed deals to let users of Microsoft's new Vista operating system send PC-based content to TVs and video game consoles.

Full story: Reuters