Our web guy said that I need to write a blog post (again). I usually don't listen to him.

This time I'm making an exception: Here's a video interview I did with the Editor of ScreenPlays, Fred Dawson, at Digital Hollywood. Learn more about Media-Sync and Digimarc Discover.

The Grey’s Anatomy Sync App for iPad, which launched in February for ABC’s top-rated series, “Grey’s Anatomy,” has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media.

Why is Digimarc so interested? Because Media-Sync is a product of a joint venture between Nielsen and Digimarc Corporation. It's a complete application development and operating platform that allows TV content producers and broadcasters to deploy real-time sync-to-broadcast mobile apps in a rapid and scalable manner.

Powered by Nielsen's Media-Sync Platform, the app provides fans of the show with the ability to interact with exclusive content in real-time using their iPad. You can root for it at the 63^rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards airs on Sunday, Sept. 19 at 8:00 p.m. ET. 

For more information on Media-Sync here's a recent interview on Interactive TV Today.

If you haven't already, you should subscribe to Bill Rosenblatt's Copyright and Technology blog. Bill runs GiantSteps Media Technology Strategies and does a great job of leveraging his expertise across different segments of media - from digital images, to movies, to music.

A couple of recommended posts:

• HP Snapfish gets into the Stock Image business: utilizing the LicenseStream platform from one of Digimarc's partners.
• Early Release Window: A guest post from our partner Veramatrix, about the movie early release window.

And if you are in need of business stategy or technology architecture advise, Bill is your guy.

Our web guru likes to fancy up our blog titles, he's just that type of guy.  So I figure I need to put "monkey", "soccer" or something alcohol related to meet his approval. [Kevin, watch yourself. -Ed.]

Verimatrix, a Digimarc partner, has announced StreamMark. This powerful new solution was developed in collaboration with major film studios and is specifically designed to enable early release windows for premium video on demand (VoD) content.

StreamMark provides studios additional piracy protection for first-run, early release movie content.  For consumers, it enables them to get Hangover2 and their favorite movies at home sooner. 

Verimatrix will be demonstrating StreamMark at CableNet, a technology showcase co-sponsored by CableLabs® and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, June 14-16 in Chicago.

At Digimarc we talk a lot about Digimarc Discover and the role of your smart phone as a "seeing and hearing" device. And the more media objects that are enabled - with digital watermarks, QR codes and other technology – the more opportunities consumers have to be connected from a media object to a compelling online experience.

Near Field Technology (NFC) is getting a test run in Portland thanks to “Recommended on Google” window stickers that are starting to appear at local storefronts. These are not your ordinary stickers, rather an interactive sticker with NFC technology. Users on select phones with NFC capability simply touch their phones to the sticker to find out more information about the business.

This test is a long way from a viable widespread solution as not all NFC readers can read all NFC chips, but it's another example of progress towards a world that is enhanced by a seeing and hearing device.

When comparing NFC to digital watermarking, a few thoughts come to mind:

• With digital watermarks you can use a wider range of smartphone; you just need one with a camera, rather than the less common/less available NFC chip decoder
• With digital watermarks you can use standard printing processes; there's no need to insert chip$ into objects