Video in magazines

“Wait, what??? did I miss a few years of tech?” a lot of us had the same reaction that a September issue of Entertainment Weekly will come out with an insert sporting mini video screens to promote Pepsi and CBS’s fall line-up. Not particularly impressed with the execution of the Esquire’s eInk cover stunt, many wondered what kind of technology would be powering the screens that apparently can run up to 40 minutes of video each.

Here’s a looksee of CBS’ pricey new print ad that for lack of better terms is popping up in Entertainment Weekly fall preview issues that are being sent to subscribers in New York and LA. An LA-based company called Americhip developed the technology used to create the video-in-print piece, which runs for 40 minutes, can be replayed for six hours, will include an ad within an ad for PepsiMax and could make EW readers hate Two and a Half Men even more.

CNET has some answers: “The technology for the battery-powered ads was manufactured by a Los Angeles-based company called Americhip. The screen, which is 2.7 millimeters thick, has a 320×240 resolution. The battery lasts for about 65 to 70 minutes, and can be recharged, believe it or not, with a mini USB cord–there’s a jack on the back of it. The screen, which uses thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT LCD) technology, is enforced by protective polycarbonate. It’s a product that has been in development at Americhip for about two years, spokesman Tim Clegg told CNET News via e-mail.”

Financial Times quotes an ad exec on a potential price tag: “One magazine industry executive with knowledge of the technology estimated that running one video ad in 100,000 copies would cost in the low seven-figure range. That would translate into a cost of several dollars per copy. By contrast, a full-page colour ad in Entertainment Weekly costs about 9 cents a page per copy.”