Podcasts

Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 26th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for August 7, 2009.

In this week's podcast, Daisy discusses her article on ExtendMedia's new OpenCase Publisher product targeted to support TV Everywhere-type initiatives, which I also wrote about this week. Daisy is observing a trend toward vendors organizing themselves for TV Everywhere, recognizing that while Comcast appears to be the first to market in testing TV Everywhere, other service providers are moving ahead as well. It's a complex new area and we both expect to see a number of vendors throw their hat in the ring to become preferred solutions.

Separate, I add further detail to my post, "Despite Hurdles, Made-for-Broadband Video Projects Proliferate," which describes many examples of new independent web series that have been announced over the past couple of months. It turns out to be a pretty lengthy list, helping to debunk some of the doom and gloom that's hung over this market, created by the ongoing recession in general plus the failure of some high-profile independents like 60Frames, Ripe, ManiaTV and others. When you review the list, you realize there's still a lot of experimentation going on and plenty of people trying to capitalize on the broadband medium. We expect this to continue.

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Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 25th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for July 31, 2009.

This week I provide some additional thoughts on the new web site 15 Seconds of Fame (http://15sof.com/), which I posted about yesterday. The site is a broadband, social media-based version of "American Idol," offering multiple online contests. Users pay $1 to enter their 15 second (max) video, which then funds the prizes ranging from $25-$100. It's a great example of what I call "purpose-driven" user generated video, meant to appeal to people who have talent and already have experience uploading video to YouTube and other video sharing sites.

Speaking of YouTube, Daisy picks up on her post about its latest sensation, the "JK Wedding Entrance Dance" which has gained over 12 million views. The video shows a wedding party proceeding down the aisle dancing to Chris Brown's "Forever." The video is a blast to watch, but more importantly, YouTube is highlighting on its blog that the video has also become a big money-maker for its rights-holders. By using YouTube's content management tools and "Click-to-Buy" links, there are now overlay ads to buy the song at Amazon and iTunes. YouTube reports that the click-through rate is 2x the average and helped drive the song to #3 on iTunes and #4 on Amazon. It's a nice win for everyone. Think the bride and groom (interviewed here on NBC's Today Show) are getting a cut?

Click here to listen to the podcast (12 minutes, 58 seconds)

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After several weeks of holidays and vacations, Daisy Whitney and I are back on track this week with our 24th podcast of the year, for July 24, 2009.

This week Daisy and I dig into YouTube from two different angles. Daisy picks up on a piece she wrote that explains the success YouTube is having attracting brands to set up their own channels within the site. These channels can cost up to $200K or more per year. However, there are lots of less expensive ways to work with YouTube, and as Daisy explains, with video helping drive purchase intent, it's a prerequisite that every brand should now have some type of a video presence there.

Despite this, as I wrote earlier this week in "Google is Being Clumsy in Explaining YouTube's Performance," I think YouTube's progress isn't being messaged very well to the market. In its recent Q2 earnings call, a supplementary analyst call and a blog post earlier this week, Google executives sent confusing and sometimes unsupported messages about how far along they are in figuring out to monetize YouTube's premium content-oriented traffic. Given YouTube's bellwether status in the industry, it is being closely watched by many for signs of success or failure.

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 6 seconds)

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Below is the 22nd edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for June 26, 2009.

This week Daisy and I discuss the TV Everywhere and OnDemand Online initiative that Comcast and Time Warner unveiled this week. As I wrote in this post on Wednesday, the companies are beginning a trial in July for 5,000 Comcast subscribers, who will gain online access to a selection of TNT and TBS programs. The primary purpose of the trial is to test security of the content. The companies anticipate that other cable networks will join the trial too, and that other video service providers will begin their own trials in the near future.

In the podcast we explore further why granting cable subscribers online access is an important step forward in the evolution of the broadband video medium, and what it means to the overall ecosystem. There are a lot of unknowns about how TV Everywhere/OnDemand Online will work; Time Warner's and Comcast's CEO were candid about that. For now they released a set of "principles" to guide their pursuits. There will be much more to come on this story.

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Below is the 21st edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for June 19, 2009.

Daisy discusses highlights from the OMMA Video conference that she organized in NYC this week. Daisy recaps the keynote from Eileen Naughton, Google's director of media platforms in which she said that child YouTube sensation "Fred" is pulling down a six-figure income. She also reviews comments by Andy Markovitz, Kraft's digital marketing and media director who recommended the online video ad industry needs more scale, better targeting and more format choices. Those sentiments were echoed by other speakers. Daisy has more details here.

This week I discuss my post from yesterday, "Does It Actually Matter How Much Money YouTube is Losing?" I recognize I took a somewhat contrarian standpoint here, and admit it feels a bit irresponsible to suggest that YouTube's losses don't matter much (except to Google of course). It's always been great sport to debate how much money YouTube is losing. But the fact is, as long as Google has the financial wherewithal to sustain YouTube's losses (whatever they actually are), and deems the site strategic in the long run (which I strongly believe it is), then the size of its losses is really pretty much irrelevant. I know lots of you disagree with my assessment; feel free to post a comment and explain why!

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Below is the 20th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for June 12, 2009.

This week I discuss the rampant innovation that I'm observing throughout the broadband video industry. My last few posts have provided several great examples of the technology, content and business model innovation now underway. These include product introductions from Blackwave and thePlatform, original online video from the Pennsylvania Tourism Office and syndicated product videos to online retailers from Invodo. Broadband video is far more than just a new entertainment medium!

Meanwhile Daisy discusses the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, which was held this week in San Francisco. Among other things, the company unveiled several video-centric features for its new iPhone 3G S. These include adaptive live streaming, video capture/edit and direct video downloads for rental or own (i.e. a sideload from iTunes no longer required). Daisy explains that the video capture/edit capability positions the iPhone closer to the Flip video camera, setting up a new competitive dynamic for Flip and its new parent, Cisco.

Daisy sees the iPhone becoming a bona fide "media portal" that takes on some of the appeal of Amazon's Kindle. I agree with that comparison. Notwithstanding other smartphones launching like last week's Palm Pre, the iPhone will continue to have the greatest impact on the budding mobile video market.

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 23 seconds)

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Below is the 19th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for June 5, 2009.

Daisy was in New York this week for the "NewFronts," a day-long meeting that Digitas sponsored, mainly for independent online video creators and media buyers/agencies. The goals were to educate the market and fuel advertiser interest. Daisy reports that despite the mixed news coming out of the independent video world this year, it was an upbeat gathering.

I provide additional detail on Microsoft's announcement this year of new entertainment-oriented features for XBox 360. The gaming console continues to take on more of a convergence positioning, with new instant-on 1080p video, live streams, Zune integration, etc. With an installed base of 30 million users, Microsoft has a prime opportunity to drive convergence and get a video foothold. The new Xbox 360 features coincide with last week's Hulu Desktop announcement and this week's YouTube XL unveiling.

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 47 seconds)

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Below is the 18th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for May 29, 2009.

This week I review the Q1 '09 Nielsen A2/M2 Three Screen Report data recently released, comparing it to Q1 '08 data. My comments pick up on a post I wrote earlier this week, "Video Behavior Changes Suggest Evolution, Not Revolution For Now."

Don't get me wrong, video consumption on alternative platforms (i.e. broadband, mobile, DVR) is continuing to grow briskly. But the reality is that when you look at the numbers, they suggest steady rather than dramatic, overnight change is what's really happening in the market. This reality is sometimes missed in the ongoing hype.

Meanwhile Daisy adds more detail to a post she wrote, "Fox's Prison Break Finale Demonstrates the Power of Social Media," which describes how Fox cleverly used social media to promote a DVD with 2 additional episodes following the on-air finale. Fox used various social media sites to release a teaser picture from the new episodes and began promoting the DVD which will be available on July 21 on DVD and for purchase on iTunes. It's an intriguing way for the studio to migrate users beyond traditional TV consumption and generate additional revenue.

Click here to listen to the podcast (13 minutes, 37 seconds)

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Below is the 17th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for May 22, 2009.

This week Daisy takes on 2 topics: how book publishers are (finally!) embracing video to promote their authors and titles, and also what NBC's local media division is doing to roll out new web sites to support its ten owned stations. They're adding lots of original content (including from 3rd parties), video, social media features and more community emphasis. No surprise syndication is a real push. Local stations have been really hammered by the recession and also by the shift to broadband distribution, so it's good to see NBC being aggressive.

Separate but related NBC.com is my focus on this week's podcast. Specifically, I add more detail to my post this week about how NBC.com is leveraging its existing online/broadband infrastructure to support its mobile video efforts by using Kiptronic, a mobile video ad insertion company.

Coincidentally, Kiptronic was just acquired by Limelight, further validating that mobile video is a rising priority for many video providers. I've been digging into mobile video and though it's still well behind the broadband adoption curve, the iPhone and other video-ready mobile devices are creating a lot of momentum. (Recall that mobile video taking off was one of my 5 predictions for '09)

For those of you celebrating the long Memorial Day weekend, and the official start of summer, enjoy! I'll see you on Tuesday.

Click here to listen to the podcast (13 minutes, 21 seconds)

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Below is the 16th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for May 15, 2009.

This week I provide some further detail on a post I wrote earlier this week, "Comcast's Sam Schwartz Offers Some Insights into OnDemand Online Authentication Plans." Comcast's and Time Warner Cable's intention to make cable programs available online to their paying subscribers would be a big leap forward for the video and broadband industries. A key piece of how to bring this to life is "authentication" - how to ensure users are who they are, and that they gain access to programs they're supposed to. Sam explains how Comcast is approaching authentication and what we can expect later this year.

Meanwhile Daisy talks about her post on Beet.tv, "CBS Expanding Original Web Video for New Personal Finance Site," which explores how CBS is pulling video together from its online content group, news division and local stations to beef up the video available at its recently-launched financial destination site, CBSMoneyWatch.com. Also, with the demise of TV Week as a print publication, Daisy talks about the range of industry coverage she's providing at other online and print pubs.

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 40 seconds)

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Below is the 15th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for May 8, 2009.

Daisy Whitney and I are back on track with our weekly VideoNuze Report podcast. This week Daisy adds more detail to a story she wrote for TV Week, "Targeted Ads: The Holy Grail?" which explores some recent ad targeting successes and ongoing challenges.

On the same targeting theme, I discuss a post I wrote earlier this week "Food2: A New Example of How Cable Networks Leverage Broadband." Scripps Networks, owner of Food Network and other lifestyle cable channels recently launched Food2, a destination targeted to the age 21-34 demo. It's a move that I believe will be closely watched by other channels looking to benefit from broadband's rise by "super-serving" specific audiences.

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 38 seconds)

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After a couple weeks away from this podcast, Daisy Whitney and I are back. This week we discuss our observations from the recent NAB Show and also the larger issues affecting the broadcast TV industry. Both of us have been watching the trends closely and will continue to report on them.

Below is the 13th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for April 10, 2009.

This week will discusses lessons that the broadcast TV networks might draw from the decline of U.S. newspapers, in order to avoid a similar fate. It is based on this post from Mon, April 6th. Meanwhile, Daisy speculates on the question of whether, with the explosion of iPhone apps, we're starting to witness iPhone app overload. Coincidentally, this week comScore reported that the top apps are games (no surprise there) and that major media companies are not experiencing much success with the apps they've launched.

Click here to listen to the podcast (13 minutes, 15 seconds)

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Below is the 12th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for April 3, 2009.

After a week off, Daisy Whitney and I are back. This week we discuss new comScore data Daisy learned about while attending the OMMA Video conference, which supports the idea of TV ad spending shifting from TV to broadband video. Then we dig deeper into the significance of Disney's deal to bring promotional clips to YouTube, which the companies announced earlier this week. More detail on the deal is also in this post I wrote on Tuesday.

Click the play button to listen to the podcast (13 minutes, 49 seconds):

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Below is the 11th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for March 20, 2009.

This past week Daisy Whitney and I were both on the road, with me hosting VideoNuze's Broadband Video Leadership Evening in NYC, and Daisy attending the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, TX. We each provide our observations and takeaways from these respective events. (Note I have more detail in yesterday's post)

Happy Friday the 13th...

Below is the 10th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for March 13, 2009.

This week Will adds some detail to his recent post, "Clarifying Comcast's and Time Warner's Plans to Deliver Cable Programming via Broadband to Their Subscribers." These plans are not fully locked in, but since there have been a lot of questions about them, it seemed worthwhile to provide a quick update.

Also, Daisy discusses a recent article she wrote about Clearleap, a new broadband-to-the-TV technology company that recently announced its platform. The whole broadband-to-the-TV area has been really hot recently and we expect a lot more activity to come.

Since this is the 10th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, we thought it would be a good time to check in with listeners and get you reactions. What do you think of the format and length? We thought the most meaningful content approach would be to provide some additional insight about what we've written recently, but does this feel fresh and substantive enough? Would it be better if we discussed recent market activities that we haven't necessarily written about yet? Or maybe answered some listener questions? Or something else?

The podcast format is very flexible and Daisy and I view the VideoNuze Report as a work in progress. We'd love to hear what listeners think and how we can change and improve. Either drop me an email (wrichmondATvideonuze.com) or leave a comment.

Click here to listen to the podcast (14 minutes, 29 seconds)

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Below is the 9th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for March 6, 2009.

This week Daisy Whitney and I discuss Daisy's 2 articles on the real or imagined phenomenon of "cord-cutting" where subscribers to multichannel video services drop them in favor of broadband access. Daisy's articles are here and here.

Also, Will provides some more insight on his post "Inside Demand Media's Content Factory" profiling the most prolific producer of broadband video.

Below is the 8th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for Feb. 20, 2009.

This week Daisy Whitney and I discuss the recently-revealed plans by Comcast and Time Warner to offer their subscribers online access to cable TV programming. I wrote about this at length this week in "The Cable Industry Closes Ranks - Part 2."

Below is the 7th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for Feb. 20, 2009.

This week Daisy Whitney discusses two recent articles she wrote about the profitability of various broadband video providers and what to expect in 2009. The articles are here and here.

Meanwhile, I provide more insight into the comScore video traffic numbers I compiled for the Jan '07 - Dec '08 period, including further analysis of YouTube's dominance of the market.

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Below is the 6th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for Feb. 13, 2009.

This week Daisy Whitney and I discuss the growth of mobile video and specifically new research that Cisco released earlier this week indicating massive increases in traffic over the next 5 years.

Of course mobile video has never suffered from a shortage of hype, but with the popularity of the iPhone and other smartphones, mobile video usage finally seems to be crystallizing in '09. Daisy and I discuss several apps, including one coming up this weekend from NBA.com and TNT whereby users will be able to watch 4 additional camera angles of the All-Star game on their iPhones.

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