VideoNuze Posts

Talk to anyone around the online video ad space about key challenges, and the topic of audience measurement - or the lack thereof - quickly comes up. But in an interview I did at the Cable Show with Discovery's Chief Digital Officer JB Perrette, he re-frames the problem as actually not being with measurement itself, but rather that there isn't an accepted "currency" throughout the industry.

As JB explains, the industry is drowning in data, but since everyone has their own, there's no Nielsen-like standard yet to use for buying and selling of online video ads. JB notes Nielsen itself is trying to evolve, but is challenged with its current panel-based measurement approach. JB adds that changing a standard where billions of dollars are at stake takes time, but he's confident eventually it will happen.

JB also discusses Discovery's deal to acquire Revision3 and how Discovery is "buying the capability to develop content across all screens," how marketers are looking for authentic engagement opportunities, why "TV is the last frontier of difficult navigation," and the role that brands play in a world with infinite content choices. Watch the video (13 minutes, 46 seconds).

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I'm pleased to be joined once again by Colin Dixon, senior partner at The Diffusion Group, for the 135th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for June 1, 2012. This week we cover 3 different topics: Verizon's announcement of ultra-fast new broadband service tiers (up to 300 mbps); TiVo's new "Stream" companion device which will allow 1-click video downloading to iOS devices and the fresh rumors around Apple introducing a television following CEO Tim Cook's interview at the D10 conference this week. We wrap up on a light-hearted note - the hilarious video from Funny or Die for Under Armour, "Tom Brady's Wicked Accent."

Click here to listen to the podcast (20 minutes, 11 seconds)

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There were 4 separate research studies released yesterday from important video technology providers, all pointing to continued change and growth in video viewership and monetization. Below I've shared key highlights from each, along with links to obtain the original research.

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Audio has always played a big part in the entertainment experience and DTS, a premium audio technology provider, is looking to now deliver the same expected level of audio quality to connected and mobile devices. As Geir Skaaden, VP Products and Platforms for DTS explains in this NABShow interview, the company has been working hard to integrate with partners to raise the audio bar for UltraViolet delivery and for tablets, mobile phones and online experiences. The company had a slew of announcements at the NABShow and Geir discusses the highlights. Watch the video (5 minutes, 46 seconds)

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I am super excited to announce two additional fireside chats at the VideoNuze Online Video Advertising Summit on June 19th in NYC - one with News Corp's Chief Digital Officer, Jon Miller, and another with Comcast's SVP/GM, Video Services, Marcien Jenckes. Each plays a key role in driving their respective companies' digital video, advertising and technology strategies.

Jon came to his position at News Corp. (where he serves on Hulu's board) after previously starting a VC fund, serving as AOL's CEO and doing stints at IAC, Viacom and the NBA. Marcien oversees all aspects of Comcast's 20 million subscriber video business including on-demand and its new "X1" video platform which is unifying the entertainment experience across connected devices. Prior to Comcast, Marcien ran the media business at Grab Networks and was a senior executive at AOL.

Both Jon and Marcien are as plugged in as anyone I know and Summit attendees will benefit greatly from their perspectives. Having spent lots of time talking about how the video industry is evolving with both of them, I'm confident they'll be candid and insightful, adding huge value to the Summit program.

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At last week's Cable Show, BTIG's media analyst Rich Greenfield and I sat down for a wide-ranging discussion of what's happening in the online video, broadband and pay-TV industries. If you're not familiar with Rich's work, his blog posts (note: registration required) are required reading for anyone in the business. I'm a big fan and always learn something new from them.

In our discussion we talk about a number of topics that Rich has written extensively about: why broadband ISPs should price on speed, not usage, why TV networks should get over it with Dish Network's new Auto Hop feature, why Aereo is so disruptive and yes, legal and why we'll see a "virtual" multichannel distributor emerge soon. Rich also shares thoughts on TV Everywhere's challenges, Disney/ESPN's big out-of-home opportunities, the role of escalating sports rights fees, Apple's plans for a TV, and what's ahead in the video industry. Watch the video (26 minutes, 47 seconds).

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Streaming video is awesome, but of course it requires you to have a robust broadband connection. Once you're outside your home or business, that's an iffy proposition. WiFi hotspots aren't always available, and even when they are, they're often over-shared so connection quality is too low for video. Wireless 3G or 4G cards are better, but their relatively low data caps seriously crimps viewing. And if you're on a plane, forget streaming entirely, Gogo doesn't cut it at all.

These real-world mobile limitations mean downloading video in advance, rather than streaming it, is the key to on the go viewing. This has been one of the value props of iTunes, Amazon and other services. But the reality is that lots of great content is already sitting on your DVR (and if you're like me, 30K feet is when I most often actually have time to watch any of it). Further, you've already paid a lot of great content with your pay-TV subscription. The problem is that DVR video has been pretty much locked in your home, without an easy way to take it with you. All of above problems are solved with TiVo's new "Stream" companion device, which TiVo announced last week.

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Ooyala's co-founder and president of product, Bismarck Lepe stopped by VideoNuze's NABShow booth last month to discuss the company's recently announced content recommendation engine. Bismarck says that an early deployment is driving up to 4x increase in overall engagement. He cites one broadcaster that is generating an incremental $70K per day just by keeping viewers engaged longer.

Bismarck explains that Ooyala's recommendations are based on behavioral analysis of hundreds of publishers' anonymous viewing data. Recommendations factor in type of device as well, so for example, shorter-form content for smartphones or longer-form for connected TVs. Watch the video below (7 minutes, 59 seconds)

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