AFI BLOG: Media and Technology

Warner Bros. Unveils Media Lab - TV Week

Warner Bros. introduced its new state-of-the-art media lab Thursday night. The on-site research center will facilitate consumer testing for media content, including broadband, pay-per-view, video-on-demand, wireless and gaming.

The studio teamed up with Hewlett-Packard to set up eight user bays with retractable HD monitors connected to broadband Internet access, cable and satellite TV, high-definition video players and gaming consoles. There are four additional ports for laptop connectivity and a digital projector that will allow the lab to be used for more traditional focus-group testing. The room is equipped with audio and video recording devices that can send information and results remotely to clients and executives as well as to an adjacent observation room.

Warner Bros. has been developing the site for two years and plans to keep it up-to-date with the latest in consumer technology.

The studio hopes the streamlining of technology from aggregated media sources will translate into the development of consumer-friendly content across various formats from throughout the company.