-
comScore's February 2010 Numbers Show Further Online Video Usage Declines
comScore released its Feb '10 online video rankings yesterday, which showed the 2nd straight month of usage declines in aggregate and for many of the top 10 sites. Total video views came in at 28.1 billion, vs. 32.4 billion in January and 33.2 billion in December '09. As I pointed out in my analysis of comScore's Jan numbers last month, and as the chart below shows, in each of the last 3 years, the period from December to February has seen flat to slightly declining viewership.
It's still too early in online video's evolution to form hard and fast conclusions about the impact of seasonality, but judging from the past 3 years it seems as though we're beginning to see the pattern. February is also a shorter month than either Dec or Jan, so this too plays a role in explaining the downward trend in viewership.
As usual, YouTube was the most-used video site, generating 11.9 billion views, down from 12.8 billion in Jan and 13.2 billion in Dec. YouTube's share jumped up to 40% in Jan, marking almost 2 years that the site's share of the overall video market has been plus or minus 3 percentage points of 40% share, a remarkable achievement given the growth of other video sites.
Hulu is one of those sites that achieved growth in Feb, increasing its video views to 912.5 million from January's 903 million, though both are down from the site's December record of just over a billion views. In Feb Hulu averaged 6.18 minutes viewed per video, the first time the site has been back up over 6 minutes since Sept '09. Hulu's audience came in at 39.2 million uniques, continuing to be stubbornly stuck around the 40 million mark for a full year. I've commented before that Hulu appears to be encountering a challenge broadening its user base. The deletion of the Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert programs will only make this challenge harder.
As the chart above also shows, in the past 2 years March has been a month when viewership rebounded, setting the stage for growth over the following 9 months. We'll see whether the same pattern starts to play out next month.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).
Categories:
Topics: comScore, Hulu, YouTube
-
LiveU: High-Quality Live Broadcasting Gets Portable and Cheap
Among the more interesting conversations I had over the last few days at the NAB Show was with Avichai Cohen, COO and co-founder of LiveU, whose lightweight mobile video uplink solution opens up all kinds of new opportunities for remote broadcasting while also saving customers lots of money. LiveU has been on my radar for some time, but this was the first opportunity I've had to see its LU-30 device. I wasn't the only one interested; their booth was buzzing with activity.
The LU-30 incorporates 6 wireless aircards from multiple cellular service providers which are bonded together to provide a high-quality on-demand
video uplink. The device fits into a LiveU-provided backpack so the user is able to simply plug in their video camera and begin broadcasting remotely. Avichai explained that the company's patents focus on the bonding, load balancing and smooth delivery under highly variable circumstances. The device also takes in Ethernet and other connections if a customer wants alternative uplinks vs. wireless. The LU-30 interfaces with the LU-100 server in the studio where the video is processed for delivery to viewers.
Beyond the technology, LiveU also distinguishes itself with a simple monthly fee model of $1,500/mo for 30 hours of use, which Avichai said no customer has yet exceeded. That's a huge savings over renting a satellite or mobile uplink for $5,000/day. Even if the user is in an area where roaming charges apply, LiveU absorbs those costs so the flat monthly fee remains intact.
News and sports are the most logical applications for LiveU and Avichai said the company has added both domestic and international broadcast customers. The proliferation of live streaming events, and the trend toward multiple video captures to enhance social media and smartphone consumption, is another natural opportunity. To help penetrate the market, LiveU has partnered with companies like Livestream, Ustream and Kyte, who are in turn offering remote broadcasting as a service to their customers.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).
Categories: Technology
Topics: Kyte, LiveStream, LiveU, Ustream
-
Netflix Signs Up Irdeto to Secure Streaming Delivery
Irdeto, the digital media security provider, is announcing this morning that Netflix has licensed the company's Cloakware Embedded Security software as
part of its solution to secure content streamed to multiple consumer devices. Cloakware is a set of tools to defend against unauthorized tampering and attacks. Irdeto has a broad customer base internationally and has lately been raising its profile in the U.S.
For Netflix, the push for enhanced security comes as the company begins expanding to additional CE devices beyond the desktop for its hugely popular Watch Instantly streaming feature. The iPad is the first new device Netflix has targeted, and its app is considered one of the most widely downloaded in the iPad's first weeks on the market. No doubt this success will spawn further Netflix Watch Instantly implementations, particularly as competing tablets come on the market in 2010 and smartphones proliferate, especially those powered by Android.
Categories: Aggregators, DRM
-
Seeing 3D Streaming Video For the First Time at NAB Show
It's no surprise that 3D is a major focus here at the NAB Show this week. But with all the market attention on how and when consumers might upgrade yet again, to an expensive 3D television set, one thing I've wondered about for a while is when might we see 3D online video streaming to standard monitors. At last, I saw a demo of this in the Microsoft booth yesterday. Microsoft showed a live stream of German broadcaster TVN's control booth (yes, pretty boring stuff but something live was needed), delivered in 3D to both a computer monitor and also to a Panasonic 3D TV.
The diagram below shows the details. The broadcast was captured by a 3D camera and encoded using Inlet's Spinnaker 7100 HD streaming appliance at 3 mbps in 720p HD. The files were delivered via Level 3's network which used Microsoft's IIS Smooth Streaming delivery to the PC running Silverlight. Then Silverlight does something called "anaglyph rendering" which means delivering 2 offset images in different color layers. Using the 25 cent blue-red paper glasses you've no doubt seen before, the images are fused and I was able to see the TVN control booth in 3D.
Microsoft positioned this as a proof of concept, but with all the technical pieces already in place, the idea of streaming a live 3D event online seems very close at hand with a potentially quick ramp of activity thereafter. Recall that the 2009 French Open tennis tournament was the first live HD streaming event, and less than a year later there have been a number of HD streaming sports events (e.g. NFL games, Olympics, etc.).
After viewing the TVN stream on the PC monitor I then watched it on the Panasonic plasma 3D TV, using $150 glasses. Instead of using the anaglyph technique, the TV and glasses use something called "active shutter" whereby the TV signals to the glasses to open and close each lens at double the frame rate in order to create the 3D experience. While this higher-end set up provided an improved 3D experience, with colors in particular looking sharper and truer, if you didn't have this set up in your home (which most people won't for many years), the PC experience still feels like a big step up from HD.
3D is clearly the next big thing in video delivery, yet with the replacement cycle for expensive 3D TV sets limited, 3D online streaming could represent an important starting point, introducing 3D to a huge number of users for modest expense. And for Silverlight and Microsoft generally, it could be another differentiator vs. Flash as Adobe continues its skirmish with Apple. It will be interesting to see how it is adopted and rolls out.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).
(Note - Silverlight is a VideoNuze sponsor)
Categories: 3D, Sports, Technology
Topics: Inlet, Microsoft, Sliverlight, TVN
-
"VideoSchmooze" Early Bird Discount Ends This Week - Register Now and Win an iPad
Early bird discounted registration for VideoNuze's next "VideoSchmooze" Broadband Video Leadership Evening ends this Friday. VideoSchmooze is 2 weeks away, on Monday, April 26th. The event runs from 6-9pm at the Hudson Theater in New York City and includes open bar, hors d'oeuvres and a full educational program. As an extra incentive, early bird registrants only will be entered for a chance to win an iPad.
If you're eager to better understand the online video industry and meet interesting colleagues, VideoSchmooze is for you. The panel, which I'll moderate, is "Money Talks: Is Online Video Shifting to the Paid Model?" The discussion follows on last week's complimentary "Demystifying Free vs. Paid Online Video." Our executive panelists for this VideoSchmooze discussion represent multiple perspectives in this key debate:- Jeremy Legg - SVP, Business Development, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
- Damon Phillips - Vice President, ESPN3
- Avner Ronen - CEO and Co-founder, boxee
- Fred Santarpia - General Manager, VEVO
Click here to learn more and register for the early bird discount
We're also incredibly fortunate to have a 15-minute stage-setting presentation by Emily Nagle Green, President and CEO of Yankee Group, a
leading industry market research and consulting firm. Emily is the author of the recently published book, "Anywhere - How Global Connectivity is Revolutionizing the Way We Do Business." Emily has been on the front lines of researching the broadband video revolution for 15+ years and previously ran Forrester's North American business. Emily will share key data from Yankee's research and her book, which will set the stage for the panel to follow.
From 6-7:30pm, prior to Emily's presentation, we'll have open bar, hors d'oeuvres and networking. Attendance is running strong and we have executives from many major media companies and industry technology providers registered. VideoSchmooze is a terrific opportunity to expand your network and meet the panelists.
I try to keep the VideoSchmooze attendance fee reasonable (at least by NYC standards!) and am grateful to lead sponsor Akamai Technologies and supporting sponsors FreeWheel, Horn Group, Irdeto, NeuLion, Panvidea and ScanScout for their support. Once again VideoSchmooze is being held in association with NATPE. You can follow VideoSchmooze and get updates that evening on Twitter at hashtag #vidooze
Early bird discounted tickets are available until Friday for $65. If you're planning to come, register now and save (plus get the chance to win the iPad). If you're planning to attend with colleagues, more deeply discounted "5-Pack" and "10-Pack" tickets are also available.
I look forward to seeing you on April 26th!
Click here to learn more and register for the early bird discountCategories: Events
Topics: VideoSchmooze
-
Fox and Netflix Agree to 28-Day Window
Netflix and Fox are announcing this morning an expanded content licensing agreement which creates a 28-day DVD window and gives Netflix streaming access to certain prior season Fox TV shows. The 28-day window, which delays Netflix access to new DVDs until 28 days after their release date is similar to a deal that Netflix struck with Warner Bros. earlier this year.
I continue to be a fan of the 28-day window, as it allows studios a little more time to eke further revenue out of the rapidly-declining DVD sales business,
while expanding Netflix's catalog for streaming and reducing its cost on physical DVD purchases. Netflix's Watch Instantly streaming feature has been a game-changer for the company, essentially reinventing the company's value proposition from a DVD subscription business defined by the number of discs out at any time, to one where subscribers get unlimited digital use. The key to its success is building the library of titles for streaming and that's what these 28-day deals are all about.
Update: Universal also announced a 28-day deal with Netflix this morning. Release is here.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).
Categories: Aggregators, FIlms, Studios
-
Blockbuster Hangs In with New Fox, Sony and Warner Deals
Netflix wasn't the only distributor modifying how it does business with Hollywood studios this week; Blockbuster also unveiled new deals with Fox, Sony and Warner, giving it "day-and-date" availability of these studios' films
for store and mail rental (note, not for its on demand streaming service). Blockbuster also got "enhanced payment terms" from the studios in exchange for giving them a first lien on Blockbuster's Canadian assets (which would imply that if Blockbuster files for bankruptcy, the studios could end up owning/operating a slew of Canadian stores). Seems like steep terms for Blockbuster to hang in there.
As I wrote a few weeks ago in "The Battle Over Movie Rentals is Intensifying," there are multiple distributors jockeying to be the consumer's preferred movie source. That means consumers need to figure out, on a title by title basis what works best for them.
For example, I'm a Netflix subscriber and let's say I want to watch the recently released "Sherlock Holmes" DVD. Netflix doesn't get it until April 27th per its 28-day window with Warner Bros. But when I check online, a local Blockbuster store I've never been to shows that it's in stock (though I'm a little skeptical). Do I want to drive down there to find out? Meanwhile, Comcast is offering it on-demand. But do I want to pay $4.99 for it when I'm already paying a monthly Netflix subscription? Alternatively, there's iTunes and Amazon VOD. But then I need to either watch on my computer or on the TV that's hooked to the Roku or temporarily connect my laptop to the TV. See what I mean about the choices facing consumers?
(Note - online movie distribution is among the topics we'll cover at the next VideoSchmooze on April 26th. Early bird discounted tickets available for just one more week!)
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).
Categories: Aggregators, FIlms, Studios
Topics: Blockbuster, FOX, Netflix, Sony, Warner Bros.
-
NAB Show Coming Next Week - Lots of Interesting Pre-Show Announcements
My inbox and voicemail has been overflowing this week in advance of next week's NAB Show. I haven't tallied up this week's pre-show news/product
announcements related to online and mobile video, but it's certainly greater than I've ever seen. Next week I'll wrap it all up, but for now, among the more interesting things hitting my radar include Silverlight's availability in set-top boxes/Blu-ray players/connected devices, Juniper's acquisition of Ankeena Networks (a rich media infrastructure provider), Elemental's new GPU-based live streaming encoding system and the Conviva-Adobe strategic alliance.
This will be my 3rd year partnering with NAB and at next week's show I've organized 5 sessions in the new "Destination Broadband" theater on Monday afternoon. Executives from Trinity Ventures, ScanScout, Akamai, Panvidea, 5Min, TubeMogul and AlphaBird will be joining me in these sequential sessions that are certain to offer valuable insights. I hope to see you there!Categories: Events
Topics: NAB Show
VideoNuze Posts
Connect with VideoNuze
Exclusive News Roundup
- Netflix says it’s streamed 95 billion hours in 2025, and a lot of ads too The Verge
- NBCUniversal’s Peacock Is Hiking Prices by $3 per Month Variety
- MLB Commissioner says Sunday media rights could go to NBC, Apple - or back to ESPN CNBC
- Media Vet Peter Liguori Appointed CEO Of VideoAmp After Leading The Ad Tech Firm As Executive Chairman Deadline
- PubMatic Launches AI Sports Ad Marketplace for Live Streaming Adweek
- Broadcast Falls Below 20 Percent of TV Use for the First Time The Hollywood Reporter
