MAVROMATIC » TV Shows

Zack Morris Still Using The Motorola DynaTAC 8000X

Danny Mavromatis — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:10:57 +0000

Here’s a clip that will bring you back to your younger years… Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) made an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night. No Palm Pre or Apple 3GS for Zack… nope, he still prefers a phone only mobile. I’m surprised the DynaTAC 8000X’s battery is still holding a charge after all these years! The clip from the show is below:

[JustJared via Gizmodo via David Cho]

Oprah Showcases Home Automation!

Danny Mavromatis — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:09:11 +0000

Well folks, it looks like Home Automation is finally getting some prime time coverage! Today on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Nate Berkus will be showing off high-tech homes! The featured home uses technology by Control 4 (not my first choice in home automation technology — but oh well). They show how a “handheld screen or remote control” allows a user to “direct everything in the house with just the touch of a finger. It controls the lights, temperature, music, television and security.”

Definitely a step in the right direction — too bad I wasn’t invited on the show to talk about practical home automation! It’s about time home automation starts making itself known to the general population and the Oprah Show is the best vehicle to do so. I hope they also talk about how home automation can be used to save energy.

- Oprah Winfrey Show — High-Tech in Your Home

AS SEEN ON TV: Jimmy Kimmel Has A Russound System?

Danny Mavromatis — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 04:12:05 +0000

In a few hours (PT) Jimmy Kimmel will be airing his 1,000th episode on ABC and as I was reading about it on CNN, I noticed Kimmel has a Russound UNO-S2 keypad on the wall, next to his bed. Not sure if this is blog worthy, but it’s not everyday you see a Russound UNO-S2 keypad on TV.

And yes, that’s Richard Simmons.

ABC Full Episode Player (FEP) Goes “HD”

Danny Mavromatis — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 19:25:14 +0000

We just added the “HD” channel with 1280×720 resolution, 1.5-2mbps episodes to the ABC Full Episode Player. It supports PC (Vista too!) and the Mac, we are pushing the limits here, so please submit your comments on the Official ABC Developer’s Blog. It’s truly amazing… now go check it out — The ABC Full Episode Player.

ABC Full Episode Player Is Back!

Danny Mavromatis — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 05:41:10 +0000

We just launched the updated ABC Full Episode Player. This player includes vast usability and performance improvements which were addressed mostly from user feedback during the three month trial. Besides the technical improvements the amount of shows has also increased — Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Six Degrees, Ugly Betty, The Nine, and The Knights of Prosperity are all available online, for free! Hope you guys think it’s as great as we do…

Disney to include local ads with ABC shows online

Danny Mavromatis — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 22:18:16 +0000

The news is now hitting the wires, so I thought I’d post the press release here as well. We’ve been working long and hard on the new version of the ABC Full Epsidode Streaming Player as it’s looking sharp — even better than before! That’s all I can say for now so here is the latest PR from Reuters which explains what else we have up our sleeves.

Disney to include local ads with ABC shows online
Wed Sep 13, 2006 2:54 PM ET
By Gina Keating

LOS ANGELES, Sept 13 (Reuters) – The Walt Disney Co. on Wednesday said it reached an agreement with ABC television affiliates to include local advertising in the network’s online offering of seven prime-time TV series, including “Desperate Housewives” and “Lost.”

Disney plans to reintroduce its free, ad-supported broadband video player software at ABC.com later this month after a two-month test this summer showed that viewers could recall the interactive ads at far higher rates than on TV airings.

The broadband player delivered 5.7 million episodes during the test, which featured episodes of “Housewives,” “Lost” and the now-defunct “Alias” and “Commander-in-Chief.”

ABC affiliates had expressed concern that the Web program would cut into viewership and appeared to offer no local advertising participation.

The player lets viewers pause and move backward and forward within an episode, but does not allow them to skip or fast forward through the commercials.

On Wednesday, ABC said it had agreed to allow local affiliates to sell one ad per episode, in what it believes is the first time local ads have been inserted in a nationally operated broadband player.

Local stations can feature the broadband player on their Web sites, and will keep all revenue from ads they sell for the player, Disney said.
Affiliates have agreed to promote the player software online and on air, and the ABC Affiliate Board has endorsed the program, said Ray Cole, chairman of the ABC Affiliate Relations Board of Governors.

“We think this initiative holds promise and potential opportunity for the ABC affiliates in their respective markets,” Cole said in a statement.

Episodes now will contain up to four interactive ads rather then the test’s three spots. Up to three of the ads will feature a single national advertiser, and one ad will be local.

The network will post online episodes of the returning series “Housewives,” “Lost” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” and new shows “Six Degrees,” “Ugly Betty,” “The Nine” and “The Knights of Prosperity” at ABC.com after they air, starting on Sept. 23.

ABC also had to cut a deal with Warner Bros. Television, which produces “The Nine.” The show will be available for four weeks on ABC’s broadband player. Warner Bros. will offer the show for sale, commercial free, on various digital download platforms.

ABC.com plans to make four episodes per series available at at a time.

New ABC.com Video Player Launches

Danny Mavromatis — Wed, 03 May 2006 23:30:44 +0000

For the first time ever on Mavromatic, you get a rare look into what I do as my full-time job and the reason why you haven’t seen many posts over the last few weeks. It wasn’t because I was getting lazy or think this whole blog bubble is bursting. No. It’s because I have been spending every minute working on the new ABC video player that launched on May 1st. We are making internet history with this two month trial… from the bitrates and technology chosen, making it cross platform compatible, to inventing a new ad playback model… every little detail was thought through. The folks I had the privilege of working with are the best in the business and the player shows that. Congrats to the team and thanks for making it such a great experience!

If you have a few hours to burn, I urge you to check out the new ABC.com player and look at our attempts on how we think full length online video should be presented. From the unorthodox online player interface to the strong visuals, this application is more theater like than old fashion internet video. I hope you enjoy using it as much as I did working on it.

Oh, and we’d love to hear from you so be sure to post your feedback as your input is important to us.

P.S. Now that I have my life back… look for the completion of the Grouse Theater and the star field ceiling HOW TO (which is underway). Related posts:

The Apprentice: TV SUCKS?

Danny Mavromatis — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 06:31:19 +0000

I’m surprised Donald Trump didn’t catch the hand written “TV SUCKS” behind first seasons Apprentice winner, Bill Rancic, when he was showing the winning team of the Starwars project the new Trump building. I take it the Trumpster doesn’t actually watch the final edit — maybe he really thinks TV SUCKS? Or, do you think someone will be fired for letting that air?

UPDATE: Maybe it really says, “STV SUCKS”… If you google that, you get these results. Is it some British Political voting thing? Or am I reading to much into this?

The DVX-POD 7010… 7″ of Viewing Pleasure