-
5 Items of Interest for the Week of Sept. 6th
Though it was a short week due to the Labor Day holiday, there was no shortage of online video industry happenings this week. As I've been doing each of the last few Fridays, following are 5-6 noteworthy industry stories for your weekend reading pleasure.
Ooyala Raises $22 Million to Accelerate Global Expansion
Online video platform Ooyala's new $22 million round is a bright spot in what's been a pretty slow quarter for online video industry private financings. Ooyala's new funds will help the company grow in the Asia-Pacific region. Ooyala said it is serving 550 customers, double the level of a year ago.
Google TV to Roll Out World-Wide Next Year
Even though the first Google TV-enabled devices have yet to be deployed, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said this week that he envisions a global rollout next year. The connected device landscape is becoming more competitive for Google TV given the growing number of inexpensive connected device options.
Business Groups Question Net Neutrality Rules
Three pro-business trade groups urged the FCC to drop its net neutrality initiative, citing the "flourishing" broadband market and concerns that regulations will curtail new investments and hurt the economy. It seems like everyone has a different opinion about net neutrality, so the consensus needed to move regulation forward is still down the road.
ESPN, YouTube Link Up for Promo Campaign
This week ESPN and YouTube kicked off their "Your Highlight" campaign, enticing ESPN viewers to upload their own sports clips, with the best ones to be shown on SportsCenter. Then the best of the best will win a trip to ESPN's studios to watch a SportsCenter taping. It's a great promotional concept, using online video to further invest ESPN viewers in the brand. Whoever thought it up deserves a shout-out.
Life Without a TV Set? Not impossible
Another interesting data point to tuck into your back pocket: according to a 2010 Pew study, just 42% of Americans feel a TV set is a "necessity," down from 64% in 2006. Pew interprets this as a loss of status for the TV, as other devices like computers and phones have become video capable. The perception of convergence is taking root.
Categories: Broadband ISPs, Cable Networks, Deals & Financings, Devices, Regulation, UGC
Topics: ESPN, FCC, Google TV, Net Neutrality, Ooyala, Pew, YouTube
-
Vidyo Introduces VidyoCast for Broadcast Production in the Cloud
Vidyo, which has focused on high-quality videoconferencing over IP networks, is now turning its sights to the broadcast market, introducing "VidyoCast" today, which can move the entire broadcast production process into the cloud, powered by broadband delivery. Jim O'Brien, a broadcast veteran who recently joined as GM of VidyoCast, walked me through the solution earlier this week.
The primary benefits of the cloud-based approach are cost-savings and more operational flexibility, without sacrificing quality. Vidyo believes that by using IP networks instead of typical satellite transmission, broadcasters can save up to 90% of their typical costs. VidyoCast is also being positioned as a backup solution, particularly in situations where typical broadcast backup isn't feasible or is cost prohibitive. VidyoCast is meant to easily integrate into incumbent broadcast infrastructure.
Categories: Broadcasters
-
VideoNuze Report Podcast #74 - Sept. 10, 2010
Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 74th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for August 27, 2010. We're back after skipping last week due to me taking some time.
This week Daisy and I further discuss my post from Wednesday about the remarkable growth of the JW Player, an open source video player that is now being downloaded 15,000 times per day according to company CEO Dave Otten. Beyond JW player's success, the larger story is how broadly online video is being adopted. Far beyond the large media companies that are vigorously covered each day, there are thousands of small businesses, enterprises, education, government, non-profit and other entities that are quietly embracing online video. Daisy and I talk about the implications of all this activity.
Click here to listen to the podcast (15 minutes, 7 seconds)
Click here for previous podcasts
The VideoNuze Report is available in iTunes...subscribe today!Categories: Podcasts, Technology
-
Encoding.com Now Offering Pre-Configured Mobile Video Encoding Options
Encoding service provider Encoding.com is taking the wraps off "Mobile Made Easy" this morning, a collection of pre-configured encoding settings for mobile devices including iPhone/iPad, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and certain
Samsung and Nokia phones. With the "presets," Encoding.com customers can now also select which mobile devices they want their video prepared and available for and the appropriate encoding process will be triggered.
Jeff Malkin, Encoding.com's president told me yesterday that the company has studied the video requirements for each of these mobile devices and designed the presets accordingly. Until now, the heterogeneous mobile space has meant that video providers interested in going mobile have had to test and optimize for each device, an expensive and time-consuming process which has deterred many. By simplifying the process Jeff sees many more video providers getting involved with mobile. From a pricing standpoint, files outputted for mobile use are counted the same as other files, under Encoding.com's usage based pricing plan.
While mobile video use still lags online use, it is poised to gain rapidly as the universe of video-capable smartphones and tablet computers like the iPad explode. Just yesterday, UBS forecast that the iPad alone could ship 28 million units next year. We've also seen tablets unveiled by Dell, Samsung, Toshiba and others, based on Android, which will add competition. All that means a huge new addressable market that video providers will find irresistible.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).
Categories: Encoding, Mobile Video
Topics: Encoding.com
-
New Flash Media Server 4 Targets Enterprise Users
Adobe is releasing Flash Media Server 4 today and an important new addition to the lineup is the Flash Media Enterprise Server, with specific features targeted to the enterprise customer segment.
These features include peer-assisted delivery using Flash's Real Time Media Flow protocol and IP multicast, the first time these have been offered. Both are meant to reduce enterprises' bandwidth expense and they can work in tandem with each other through what Adobe calls "Multicast Fusion." For the peer-assist feature, FMS works with the Flash Player 10.1 to help seed and distribute content. The enterprise focus reflects the growing use of video outside mainstream media business. Pricing wasn't released and is available for quote by Adobe reps.
IP multicast is also available in the Flash Media Interactive Server. It also supports real-time interactive applications like video chat and other social media apps. And it also incorporates HTTP Dynamic Streaming, which was previously announced in May, allowing CDNs and others to leverage their HTTP infrastructure. HTTP streaming has become a key competitive area since Microsoft introduced Smooth Streaming, for adaptive bit rate streaming to Silverlight clients over HTTP. The Flash Media Interactive Server pricing stayed constant at $4,500. Pricing for the basic Flash Media Streaming Server also stays at $995.
Categories: Technology
Topics: Adobe, Flash, Silverlight
-
JW Player is Now Downloaded 15,000 Times a Day; Being Positioned as "WordPress for Video"
Yesterday I had a chance to catch up with Dave Otten, CEO of LongTail Video, who told me that the company's JW Player is now being downloaded 15,000 times a day, and is live on 1.3 million sites globally. Dave estimates that 7-10 billion video streams are consumed via JW Player monthly, a sizable portion of the approximately 90 billion streams he estimates are delivered globally each month.
If you're not familiar with the JW Player, it is an open source video player that was developed back in 2005 by Jeroen "JW" Wijering and was used by YouTube as its first player. Dave said the player's growth has come purely through viral distribution and he thinks of it as "WordPress for video"
(WordPress is the widely-used open source blogging platform). Dave believes JW Player's fast growth reflects the broadening appeal of online video beyond the traditional media industry. Many downloads are for first-time video users looking for an inexpensive solution to get them started (though few have graduated to other players even as their volume has scaled).
Categories: Technology
Topics: JW Player, LongTail Video
-
Webinar Tomorrow: Boosting VOD Revenue and Engagement Through Enhanced Content Discovery
Even as the range of new over-the-top connected devices brings consumers an explosion of new video choices, incumbent pay-TV operators have continued building viewership of their own video-on-demand (VOD) offerings. But, as Colin Dixon, Senior Partner at The Diffusion Group, a digital media research firm, argues in a new white paper, the vast majority of this viewership has been of free content, effectively leaving pay-TV operators out of the burgeoning rental and download markets. A key reason for this has been sub-optimal electronic program guides (EPGs).
In a complimentary webinar tomorrow at 11am PT / 2pm ET titled "The Social TV Guide: Boosting VOD Revenue and Customer Engagement Through Enhanced Content Discovery," Colin will lay out both the opportunity and specific tactics for how providers can improved their VOD offerings. Colin will be joined by Sefy Ariely, VP of Sales and Marketing for Orca Interactive, which makes content navigation software. The data and lessons that Colin will share is applicable not only to pay-TV operators, but to anyone offering online and mobile video options trying to drive higher usage and revenue.
Categories: Events
Topics: Orca Interactive, TDG
-
5 News Items of Interest for the Week of Aug 30th
In a week dominated by Apple's new products, there actually was some other interesting online/mobile video industry news this week. Continuing VideoNuze's new Friday feature of highlighting 5-6 stories that we didn't cover this week, below are a collection of items for your weekend reading pleasure.
YouTube Ads Turn Videos Into Revenue
The 800-pound gorilla of the online video industry is reportedly closing in on profitability, based partly on ads running against user-uploaded copyrighted material. By detecting these uploads and offering the underlying rights owners the choice to have their video taken down or leave it up and generate revenue, many are choosing the latter. YouTube continues to evolve from its UGC roots.
Samsung, Toshiba Unveil Google-Based iPad Rivals
The battle line between Apple's "i" devices and those running Google's Android will ramp up, with mobile video set to follow, as Samsung and Toshiba plan to sell tablet computers in the coming months. Though the iPad is of to a strong start, it looks like it won't enjoy the same market dominance as the iPhone did as competitors jump into the tablet market quickly.
Google TV: Up to $300 Price Premium?
The components to enable Google TV could add $300 to the retail price of a television. If accurate this would put Google TV at a big competitive disadvantage given the trend toward lower-priced connected devices such as this week's $99 Apple TV and Roku's price cuts.
A Look Back: Lessons Learned From TV Everywhere a Year After Deployment
Marty Roberts, VP of Sales and Marketing for thePlatform, which has powered a number of TV Everywhere rollouts, offers insights based on the company's experience. Topics include authentication, content ingest, parental controls, discovery and content security. TV Everywhere is still in a nascent stage, but pay-TV providers should be following early lessons and moving quickly.
ShowUHow Scores $3 Million Series A Backing for Video Instruction Guides
A startup site that offers video instruction guides for various types of products that need to be assembled illustrates how valuable video can be for how-to video applications.
Categories: Advertising, Aggregators, Cable TV Operators, Deals & Financings, Devices, Startups
Topics: Apple, Google TV, Samsung, ShowUHow, thePlatform, Toshiba, YouTube
VideoNuze Posts
Connect with VideoNuze
Exclusive News Roundup
- The Cable Business Is In Flux. Altice USA’s CEO Thinks There’s a Path Forward The Hollywood Reporter
- Max to Get ‘More Assertive’ in Blocking Password-Sharing Users Later This Year, WBD Exec Says Variety
- Creators Are Building Their Own Supersized Studio System As Hollywood Cuts Back The Hollywood Reporter
- Netflix Overhauls Its Home Screen for the First Time in 12 Years NY Times
- Netflix debuts its generative AI-powered search tool TechCrunch
- Comcast's cable spinoff to be named Versant, picked to emphasize corporate versatility CNBC
