Tuning In: Gary Arlen

Gary Arlen is president of Arlen Communications Inc., a Bethesda, Md. research firm that has tracked the convergence, emergence and divergence of media technology since the days of two-inch videotape. He can be reached at GArlen@columnist.com.

What’s With Ultra-Wideband?

by Gary Arlen, 7.23.2008

The aesthetic appeal of wireless delivery is growing as families hang flat-panel displays on their walls and don’t want to see dangling wires and cables. more

Where Are They Watching? And Who Are ‘They’?

by Gary Arlen, 6.25.2008

Far more teenagers watch video on TV sets than on computers—for now. more

Format War Over, Home Video’s Future Uncertain

by Gary Arlen, 4.02.2008

The implications of the HD DVD format demise go well beyond the role of distributing shrink-wrapped high-definition movies. more

Rearranged Screens—Big Deals and Small Gleams

by Gary Arlen, 1.23.2008

The U.S. retail market is already heavily skewed toward LCDs, which represented about 77 percent of flat-panel TV set sales (by units) during 2007, versus about 23 percent for plasma monitors. That skew in part reflects the lower prices (and smaller sizes) of LCD displays. more

‘Second Life’ Or ‘Get a Life’?

by Gary Arlen, 11.21.2007

Is it the kiss of death when primetime shows deal with avant-garde themes? Does network TV validation have the same effect on cutting edge concepts as the Sports Illustrated cover “curse” puts on teams and athletes—a prelude to failure? more

As Internet TV Dawns, Visions Evolve, Conflict

by Gary Arlen, 9.19.2007

The only thing more mystifying than online video’s future is interpreting the contradictory forecasts about how it will arrive. more

Herding Dinosaurs Towards Convergence

by Gary Arlen, 4.02.2007

No one in the television business refers to TV sets and other home reception and viewing devices as "CPE." more

Beyond B&W and Read All Over

by Gary Arlen, 1.24.2007

As America's newspapers reinvent themselves, broadband video--including high definition--is part of their arsenal, raising the prospects of newspapers becoming significant local online HDTV purveyors. more

'GooTube' Raises Video Search Stakes

by Gary Arlen, 11.15.2006

Few of us give a moment's thought when a local TV news department fetches video clips of the mayor's speech from last year or a decade-old historic storm. Same thing when a reporter quickly inserts footage of a memorable touchdown run from several seasons ago or an arcane civic event pulled up from the archives. more

HSN's Remote Shopping Sparks New Interactivity

by Gary Arlen, 9.20.2006

When Time Warner Cable launched "Shop by Remote" on its Hawaiian system last month, momentum picked up for the next wave of interactive TV. more

Feature Creep Impedes Digital Appeal

by Gary Arlen, 7.26.2006

Consumers are fickle, and electronics shoppers are poster children for that problem your mom warned you about: "Your eyes are bigger than your stomach." more

Experiencing TV Campaign Fatigue

by Gary Arlen, 5.24.2006

Lucky you! If you live beyond the reach of Washington, DC, television stations, you may have avoided this spring's bombastic barrage of TV commercials about the future of TV. more

Form Factors and Future Habits a la NAB

by Gary Arlen, 3.24.2006

LAS VEGAS: Introducing a new camera at a Las Vegas tradeshow is de rigeur. So are revelations about new digital distribution schemes. Depending on which Strip cocktail parties you attend, you'll probably hear plenty about storage and rights management and maybe sports production techniques. more

How Many Tuner Enforcers Does It Take?

by Gary Arlen, 9.21.2005

Let me know if you see an FCC enforcement sleuth lurking around your neighborhood electronics retail store, probing for contraband TV sets without the mandated digital TV tuners. more

High Definition Comes To Videogames at E3

by Gary Arlen, 7.20.2005

This year's E3 blast in Los Angeles in mid-May offered conclusive proof of why the videogame industry can claim its revenues of about $12 billion are "bigger than Hollywood." more

Access Becomes Focus of Retail Video Value Chain

by Gary Arlen, 3.28.2005

As more and more products require a subscription, retailers are extending their reach deeper into the value chains. As a result, consumers are tied more to the dealer, with subsequent questions about responsibility. more

Small Wanders: Making Video for Tiny TVs

by Gary Arlen, 1.19.2005

Critics are questioning whether viewers who become accustomed to the glory of the biggest screens will tolerate miniature video. Proponents contend that the go-anywhere availability of the palm-top and pocket devices assure an audience that will put up with size limitations. more

Plug & Play Goes Into Round Two

by Gary Arlen, 12.08.2004

This month marks the second anniversary of the digital cable TV plug-and-play pact between cable operators and consumer electronics makers. more

DVR: $6 Billion Ad Skip or False Alarm?

by Gary Arlen, 9.22.2004

By the end of next year, if current trends continue, digital video recorder (DVR) users will be fast-forwarding through $6.6 billion worth of TV commercials. That's well above this year's $2.4 billion "skipping" rate. more

Weather Channel Forecast: Multimedia

by Gary Arlen, 7.21.2004

Increasingly, the outlook calls for programs and projects that extend well beyond TWC's "core" videocasts more