Awards show spotlights on-demand winners
Excitement muted for some media giants at first annual awards ceremony at Digital Hollywood confab. Others express glee. Photos: And the winner for on-demand is
Apple Computer on Thursday night won the "OnDemandie" award, as it's called, for industry innovation and best broadband music for its iTunes music download service. A representative was not present to accept the computer maker's award at the Santa Monica Loews Beach Hotel, where the three-day conference was held.
TiVo also won several awards for best personal video recorder and technology innovation, but did not accept its awards.
Others were gleeful about their honors. AtomShockwave CEO Mika Salmi accepted three OnDemandies--first prize for best on-demand games service for Shockwave.com Gameblast, and runner-up for best download video site and innovation in broadband movies. "Wooohooo" were his words, over cocktails poolside at the Loews.
America Online accepted an award with an emphatic "thanks" for on-demand innovation in music. And Digeo's Moxi Media Center won as a runner-up for best cable PVR (personal video recorder) technology.
"Our product rocks!" a Digeo representative said while accepting the award.
Internet awards like the Webby Awards gathered some steam during the dot-com heyday but have withered in recent years.
The OnDemandies aren't quite the Academy Awards, but were started as a "fun award show without pretense," according to Victor Harwood, Digital Hollywood's conference organizer.
"The OnDemandies relate to all the technology that's transforming the nature of the entertainment industry--wireless, cable, broadband, games, music, video," Harwood said.