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As the Entertainment Kaleidoscope Turns

29 Aug, 2016 By: Stephanie Prange

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The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a kaleidoscope as a tube that has mirrors and loose pieces of colored glass or plastic inside at one end so that you see many different patterns when you turn the tube while looking in through the other end; a changing pattern or scene; or a mixture of many different things.

What an apt definition for the state of entertainment!

The different pieces of glass or plastic through which viewers can find entertainment have become an ever more complex kaleidoscope, offering different patterns of entertainment not previously available. Entertainment these days is indeed “a mixture of many different things.”

It’s a complex business our women in home entertainment must navigate. They are looking at an entertainment landscape that is fracturing and shifting with ever more devices and services delivering content. These top women recognize the challenge and are looking for mutually beneficial partnerships. It’s an august group that I’m confident is up to the challenge.

While discussing kaleidoscopes, I must acknowledge the apparent end of Kaleidescape, an innovative company that attempted to bridge the gap between physical and digital entertainment. The manufacturer of high-end premium movie players and servers reportedly is ceasing operations and looking to sell its technology. Founder and CEO Cheena Srinivasan disclosed the situation in an interview with CEPro.com, attributing the decision to finances. The company has been pushing boundaries for 16 years. Kaleidescape cut its teeth selling $14,000 hard drives and servers that allowed users to digitally copy store-bought DVDs. This process ran afoul of studio legal teams, but the company eventually made peace with content owners and, in the end, had distribution agreements with five major studios. Kaleidescape also made the transition to digital.

Kaleidescape may have hit a dead end — or is it a new beginning. As the kaleidoscope of entertainment turns …

 

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