The world will end or at least be in question this coming Friday, October 23-25 for the first Doomsday Film Festival in New York.

Location: DCTV
87 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10013

Time: 7PM-10:30PM (Friday)
1PM-10:30PM (Saturday)
12:30-10:30PM (Sunday)
Tickets: Available at the door or online at doomsdayfilmfest
Prices: $10 per program; $25 for pack of three

The 2009 Doomsday Film Festival seeks to explore our collective obsession with the idea of the Apocalypse. Experts from Wired magazine, critics from Time Out, a senior Fox News Medical Contributor, and other notables will be on hand during this 3-day event to discuss how the End of Days permeates our thoughts in film, video games, comic books, art and culture. Screenings will include: The Road Warrior, Zombie Girl, Crude Awakening and WarGames, as well as cult classics & independent submissions. Zombies, Swine Flu, 2012 Prophesies, The Atomic Era, Eco-Catastrophe and Survival are all on the agenda. For more information, including a complete list of films and panel schedules, visit: doomsdayfilmfest

Trender Research, has published a report estimating the growth potential for iTV over the next two years. The order of of limiting items as listed below is comprehensive, though I'd reorder and add to them in terms
of import, for example.

1. Device appliances and networking technologies to ease the connection and transfer of ip based content to home television/s. (breaking up divergent and simultaneous content across the home network without crashing)
A). TV manufactures implementing ip-based networking/connections within the form factor along with UI based alliances with companies like Roku, Tivo, MythTV, etc..
2. More live content. Current OTA/Cable episodic content that is not time delayed or used as a loss leader.
3. Studios forming independent production arms with the mandate to capture market share over and above short term profits for original iTV based episodic content.
The rest of the items on Trender's list.

OTT Video Report
By Brian Mahony, CEO of Trender Research

Our new strategic analysis of the over the top (OTT) video industry and its impact on the Pay TV market, "Pay TV and the Growing Over the Top Video Threat", predicts that 7 percent of households will forgo their Pay TV subscriptions by 2012 in favor of some combination of OTT services and free over-the-air (OTA) television. The report analyzes the major trends of online video consumption and how they are changing the business models for cable, satellite, and IPTV service providers as well as the video rental market. The study provides a strategic analysis of major OTT players, looks at current and potential Pay TV responses to the OTT threat, and predicts likely winners and losers.

Seven percent is the likely scenario. We also analyze a more aggressive scenario that has double the number of "cord-cutting" households (as well as a more limited scenario which has far less). Certain limiting factors would need to be overcome for the aggressive scenario to have such an impact in this timeframe, including:

* More content would need to be available online, including live content (such as sports) and more HD programming. The trend certainly points in that direction, though the imposition of subscription or PPV fees on sites like Hulu for premium content could slow this trend.
* More enabling devices and networking technologies to simplify the process for consumers to connect Internet video content to their living room TVs. The rapid growth of Internet-enabled HDTVs might be the catalyst.
* Pay TV hybrid strategies, such as TV Everywhere and Project Canvas, would have had to fail to keep consumers within subscription-based "walled gardens."
* Likewise, potential Pay TV operators' defenses, such as raising broadband Internet rates, negating net neutrality attempts, cutting prices for Pay TV, unbundling premium channels, etc. will have had to mostly fail to keep subscribers locked in.
* Some demographics (twenty-somethings) will have had to abandon Pay TV altogether.
* Taken together, these and other developments could combine to create a "perfect storm" of Pay TV cord-cutting, as well as reductions in premium package subscriptions and video on demand revenues.

Past Articles: LG/Netflix partnership

A new series called Start-Up has an on-line trailer for a new production company, Halogen, a socially conscious television network as they describe themselves. Currently a site (in soft launch) with a cable and perhaps satellite component in the offing, the company seems as much of movement with stated goals of becoming a "source of entertainment and inspiration"

Their first show "Start-Up" is a half-hour scripted drama about a small group of friends with the next great idea in social networking history. With recent economic downturns, they've lost their investor and are in way over their gifted heads. They scramble to keep their small business afloat while battling cash flow, tech sabotage, compromising dreams and falling in love."

Post Quarterlife when NBC though their OTA economic model would work on-line (Cramming) the format across mediums it was not a suprise the show was not sustainable. In order for on-line episodic content to flourish, old time execs will have to retire from the business with a new wave of execs who understand the traditional ROI and audience share model does not and will not work on-line.

Even though it was reported that the series costs were about 33% less then a tradition project and with several hundred thousand viewers it was not sustainable from a ROI perspective otherwise it would still be in production despite differences in viewing habits for money will always follow eyeballs.

The idea of the inverted pyramid where content is created and delivered to a smaller and loyal audience is I think worth noting. Shows such as Diggnation and Wine Library TV are but two examples of nice content that appeals to a select demo which is intensity loyal from episode to episode, this model regardless of the content is a step in the right direction for creating a sticky and profitable model.

I wanted to ask Halogen some questions about their goals, plans and business model for the launch and first show however, my contact indicated the network has the Producers in lock down mode until the launch.

Perhaps a deal with AT&T U-verse (currently in 49 markets) will give Halogen the needed traction across platforms to give it time to create a following and attract advertisers for this and other shows on their roster, it would be nice to see not only quality content from diverse voices but perhaps we have returned to the 1960's era of participation, community awareness and concern for others and our planet...all stated goals of the company, it would be nice to be inspired again...

In an effort to guild startups with coaching and mentors, NJIT is running a four weekend workshop which began on September 26th for four successive Saturdays. The session are designed to help startups with their pre-market planning to shorten their time to market.

The Venture Acceleration workshop is part of the New Jersey Science & Technology University, located in Newark New Jersey. In addition to the University, there are two buildings which house over 80 startups across many technology fields from IP-based communications to 3-D facial recognition and beyond. I had occasion to attend a day workshop which featured Rally software, which is in the SaaS space. The company offers small groups free access to their development platform and I could see as being useful for any team developing an iTV or mobile delivery platform using video.