Podcasts

Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 54th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for March 26, 2010.

This week Daisy starts us off by reviewing new research on the iPad's appeal as an ebook reader. Daisy also reviews sobering forecasts suggesting that the iPad is unlikely to change people's willingness to pay for content (regarding video specifically, Daisy and I agreed a while back that for now its impact for video specifically is likely to negligible). I'm not convinced the iPad will trigger a wave of people willing to pay for content, but I do believe any iPad research is still very preliminary. It's only when users get their hands on the device that we'll really start to learn how impactful it is. The iPad is of already available for pre-order and is set to debut in stores late next week.

We then shift topics and discuss my post from earlier this week, "Here's How Google TV Will Work - And What It Might Mean," in which I described Google's new set-top box and the company's strategy for entering the market. Google's move is likely to set off a fascinating negotiating dynamic with incumbent video service providers, and Daisy and I get into some more of the details.

(Note, Daisy's mic isn't working that well on this podcast, so please be patient)

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 13 seconds)

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Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 53rd edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for March 19, 2010.

This week Daisy and I dig into my post from this past Wednesday, "The Battle Over Movie Rentals is Intensifying" in which I described a new $30 million ad campaign that launched this week to promote consumer awareness of movies accessible through cable TV operators' Video-on-Demand (VOD) initiatives. The campaign is being funded by 8 Hollywood studios and 8 cable operators and will run for the next 12 weeks.

In the post I noted how the so-called "day-and-date" availability of movies on VOD (simultaneous with their DVD release), plus the consumer convenience of immediate viewing on the TV, are key VOD differentiators. In today's podcast Daisy and I explore how compelling these differentiators actually are, and how other options such as Netflix, Amazon and iTunes compare. After trying to explain the nuances a bit further, Daisy's reaction was that this stuff is so confusing that "her head is swimming."

Daisy's hardly an amateur, so if that's her reaction, one can easily imagine how many consumers will react as well, as they are bombarded with movie rental offers. Trying to figure out what movie viewing option(s) best meet their needs is going to take some work. But hey, nobody ever said that having a lot of choices is necessarily a lot of fun! Listen in to learn more.

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 45 seconds)

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Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 52nd edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for March 5, 2010.

First up this week I discuss my post from this past Monday, "ABC.com is Now Achieving 'DVR Economics' for Its Programs," in which I described how ABC is now generating roughly the same revenue per program per viewer in online as it is when its programs are watched in DVR playback mode. Albert Cheng, EVP of Digital Media at Disney-ABC had explained to me last week that ABC recently concluded that since online and DVR are both "catch-up" opportunities, it was more appropriate to compare them to each other than to on-air.

Key to this logic is that ABC maintains a release window for its programs, with them being posted on the site 4-6 hours after broadcast. As a result, people who really want to see the program when it's first available still watch on-air (and may in fact re-watch online or via DVR). As long as there's an audience for broadcast, and online doesn't cannibalize it, the logic makes sense to me. Albert also explained that there's further upside in online through increasing the ad load, which is something ABC has experimented with.

Daisy picks up on that point, noting that CBS's Anthony Soohoo told her in an interview for Beet.tv that CBS is considering moving to a full ad load online because the online and on-air experience are converging, which suggests to them that viewers would tolerate more ads. We dig into the interplay between online and DVR usage, which I think is increasingly going to be a key focus for networks in how they choose to monetize online viewing.

Wrapping up, we review what some of the social media "listening" sites that are tracking the Oscar predictions are saying. Daisy appears officially addicted to following the online chatter.

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 41 seconds)

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The VideoNuze Report is available in iTunes...subscribe today!

Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 51st edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for February 26, 2010.

First up this week Daisy discusses the Beet TV online video roundtable in which she participated this week. Beet got a bunch of industry executives together for a discussion moderated by Kara Swisher of AllThingsD. Daisy talks about what she learned and the one-on-one interviews she conducted which will be available soon at the Beet site.

Then we discuss my post from yesterday, "Sezmi is Slick; Marketing It Will Be the Big Challenge," in which I reviewed the opportunities and challenges that Sezmi, the recently-launched next-gen video service provider is facing. Sezmi is now available in the entire LA area, with expansion to other U.S. geographies in store for later this year. I delve into why I think the skeptics are getting ahead of themselves in their downbeat assessments.

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 52 seconds)

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Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 49th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for February 12, 2010.

This week Daisy and I dig into the 2009 comScore data that I detailed in my post on Tuesday (slides available for download too). It was a blistering year for online video, with total streams growing from 14.8 billion in Jan '09 to 33.2 billion in Dec '09. All the other relevant metrics also recorded strong growth. I share more details on the numbers and what they mean, focusing particularly on the top 2 sites YouTube and Hulu.

Then Daisy discusses her takeaways from the recent iMedia conference she helped organize. She talks about how brands are trying to break through the clutter, and the role of online video ad networks. Finally, she also discusses recent interviews she conducted with Facebook executives.

Click here to listen to the podcast (13 minutes, 55 seconds)

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Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 48th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for February 5, 2010.

This week we get started with me reviewing yesterday's post about FreeWheel now serving close to 2 billion video ads per month and signing up MLB Advanced Media as their newest customer. FreeWheel's Doug Knopper told me that it is benefitting from both its new customers and also from year-over-year increases in ads served for existing customers. FreeWheel is also in the middle of the "syndicated video economy" that I've written before, having integrated with big third parties such as YouTube, AOL, MSN, Fancast and others.

Then Daisy describes her interview from last week's NATPE show with Chloe Sladden, director of media partnership for Twitter. The company is planning to launch its Media Developer's Platform later this year, along with new measurement tools. Daisy shares what she learned.

Click here to listen to the podcast (12 minutes, 38 seconds)

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The VideoNuze Report is available in iTunes...subscribe today!