MTV Opening Digital Music Store: MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer, June 30, 2008

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Read Shelly’s commentary “What Does Quality Online Video Look Like?” on the blog.

Watch Shelly’s commentary on MTV’s (NYSE: VIA) decision to open up a DRM-free digital music store through its Rhapsody offering.

MICROSOFT (NASD: MSFT) will stop selling Windows XP today. Despite protests from users looking to avoid using Microsoft’s Vista operating system, Redmond will not offer the XP system for purchase at most computer retailers. Users looking to avoid Vista will now have to buy Vista Ultimate or Vista Business and then downgrade the operating system to XP.

SAG’s contract with Hollywood studios will expire Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. SAG could negotiate an extension, which would continue talks, or they can begin the strike authorization process, which takes two-weeks.

GOOGLE (NASD: GOOG) and FAMILY GUY creator Seth MacFarlane are teaming to distribute a new web show via Google’s AdSense. The innovative distribution platform would syndicate “Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy” to thousands of predetermined sites for targeted audiences. The concept is simple; rather than placing a static ad on a Web page, Google will place a video clip.

QUALCOMM (NASD: QCOM) is entering the computer chip market. The cellphone chip manufacturer recently unveiled the new Snapdragon microprocessor, which can fully power HD video on a handset using half the amount of power of the competing INTEL (NASD: INTC) X86 chip.