Avail Media announced the launch of 20 new affiliates for their IPTV linear content solution. In a company statement, Avail said “…these affiliates add to Avail Media's 35 video on demand affiliates that are already live in market and represent just a fraction of the 94 customers with whom Avail Media has secured deals to provide linear and/or video on demand services.” The new affiliates are located across 14 states.

Amazon is launching a video on demand library of movies and TV shows, delivered directly to TV’s over the Interent. Unlike Amazon’s previous video download service, Unbox, viewers can begin watching videos immediately instead of having to wait for it to download. The service uses a “predictive download” technology, allowing customers to begin watching a title, before it’s completely downloaded. Amazon struck a deal with Sony for their Bravia TV line. The partnership requires a separate set-top-box for now, but future iterations may embed the Amazon download service directly in TVs. Another feature allows customers to purchase video titles, and view them from multiple devices at different times. The service is expected to go live on Thursday July 24th.

Avail Media announced the launch of several new affiliates for its VOD service. The new affiliates include Clarksville Utilities, NuVision, FTC Diversified Services, LigTel, Guam Telecom Authority, Kentucky Telephone, and Lafayette Utilities System. "With Avail On Demand, we are now able to provide our subscribers with a wide variety of content from both major motion picture studios and independents," said Dent Adams, COO, FTC Diversified Services in a Avail Media press release.

DirecTV announced the availability of its video-on-demand service on a nationwide basis. DirecTV’s VOD solution utilizes content delivery over broadband networks, as well as “pushes” content to compatible DVRs via satellite. Customers are required to have a DirecTV Plus HD DVR or R22 DVR receiver, as well as subscribe to broadband. DirecTV says the service offers more than 4,000 standard-definition and HD titles. The service has been in limited trials before the nationwide launch.

Verizon announced a new FiOS TV promotion, the Summer Movie Pass, which offers 90 days of free access to movie channels, four free VOD movies, and a free 90 day upgrade to their Home Media DVR package. The free movie channels will include Showtime, Starz, The Movie Channel, Encore, Sundance Channel and IFC. The Home Media DVR allows multi-room DVR functionality, among other features. The movie feature package is priced at $14.99/month. The promotion ends on July 19th.

Verizon is offering listings for it’s FiOS video service online and intends to expand with more functionality later. FiOS TV Central initially offers VOD listings, local channel and primetime listings, and lists of the most-watched TV shows and top-purchased VOD titles, among other functions. Upcoming features will allow FiOS subscribers to remotely program DVR services and order VOD titles over the web.

Just as service providers get used to teeing up standard DVR and VOD services as competitive weapons, the new battlefront is already morphing into extending these services throughout any set-top-box connected television in the home. Comcast just announced the expansion of their AnyRoom On Demand service throughout New England. AnyRoom allows subscribers to start a VOD session in one room, and continue watching it in another room. The service is offered at no additional charge. The expansion comes on the heels of Verizon’s expanded effort to position their multi-room DVR product as a leading differentiating service. Multi-room DVR allows FiOS customers to watch and control recorded programs on multiple TV’s throughout the room. Verizon is marketing it as a single home DVR – no need to buy multiple DVRs. See Verizon’s latest commercial featuring NBA star Kevin Garnett below.

These new battlegrounds are setting the stage for the eventual connected home – a home where media of any kind can be distributed throughout to any appropriate networked device. It’s been the subject of many a PowerPoint deck or panel at your tradeshow of choice. We’re not there yet by any stretch, but these deployments are leading indicators of a future to come. Service providers will be challenged to ensure they too can offer these differentiated networked home product portfolios.

Akimbo, an Internet video-on-demand service provider is no more. They’ve made it to TechCrunch’s dreaded Deadpool. It’s somewhat of a puzzling development, since Akimbo raised $56 million just three months ago. Akimbo had shifted their business model to a “white label” provider of Internet VOD. CenturyTel recently launched an Internet VOD product, powered by Akimbo. Akimbo was also featured in AT&T’s Homezone product. Akimbo’s demise gives Internet VOD somewhat of a blackeye. They originally started as a hardware provider, offering VOD set-top-boxes. They then shifted to a Internet only model, and their last iteration before death was a “white label” provider. Is there an Internet VOD model that works, because it looks like Akimbo tried them all?

Verizon announced the launch of HD VOD for its FiOS customers in Oregon. Oregon joins other HD VOD markets, including California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia. Verizon says they plan to offer 1,000 HD VOD titles monthly by the end of the year.

CinemaNow and uVuMobile, a mobility software and services company, announced the availability of remote wireless downloads and wireless movie trailer viewing. The new feature allows subscribers to preview movies on their WAP enabled cellular phones and remotely download movies to appropriate consumer electronic devices. The end devices have to be CinemaNow Media Manager-enabled, including PCs, digital television sets (DTV), portable media players (PMP), set-top boxes (STB) and network attached storage (NAS) devices.