We will look back on the years from 2006 until the end of this decade, as the remake of television into Internet TV. I know people who have cancelled their cable TV contracts and exclusively watch TV on the Internet. We see better and better quality user-generated content too.
Big Cable vs. Ma Bell(s)
Time Warner, Cox, Comcast, and ilk are holding onto their hegemony for as long as they can, lobbying politicians and FCC officials, while Verizon and AT&T lay the fibers for a truly amazing high-definition experience (or so they promise). When there's a TV program I want to watch, even if it's not on Fox or ABC, I can go to Hulu (soon to YouTube too). However, I’m not a Hulu acolyte and use it only as a starting point when I need to find something I want. Hulu does well enough today, but it doesn't get me to YouTube.
Building the infrastructure is a tricky business
Quality streaming over varying connection speeds has now become a reality. Thanks to companies like Move Networks, we've got technologies like adaptive bit rate adjustment; now even the CDNs are starting to build this in. Watch something on Hulu and you'll see that the quality is pretty superb.
Monetizing content and paying for the infrastructure have proven to be even trickier.
At the end it all comes back to how everyone will make money, a subject upon which there has been hardly ant agreement, and relatively little success.
The experiments are fun to watch, though - especially from the receiving end. How is yours?
Showing posts with label Fox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fox. Show all posts
December 15, 2008
July 27, 2008
Become Famous the AniBoom Way
YouTube may have captured the largest video audience, but that doesn't mean there aren't still plenty of niches to exploit. AniBoom is tapping into an impassioned community of video animators to create content that could capture some of that YouTube-sized audience.
Watch more cool animation and creative cartoons at aniBoom
AniBoom is different from most other video sites in one important respect: Almost all of its content is created by members. Sites like YouTube are, shall we say, suspected for having content ripped off from other sources.
By comparison, they even have its own software tools: Shapeshifter, that you can use to make professional-quality animation and Micro-Smotion, which can add simple animated tidbits to regular video.
Like other sites, most of the existing content is stuff you wouldn't want to bother watching. AniBoom is counting on what they call “the star factor” — from any large group of people, a few exceptional individuals are bound to come forth.
AniBoom's CEO, Uri Shinar, compares the possibilities of his site by referencing Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who were unknown talents making short clips until a Fox executive groomed them, leading to the hit cartoon South Park. AniBoom attempts to replicate this success in its Creator's Series, although none seems to have had more than a few thousand views.
However, the South Park comparison is apt in more than one way. The Stone and Parker creation that led Fox to contact them was a quirky student animation of Jesus killing a deranged snowman. Many of the videos on AniBoom are similarly odd, to say the least.
The site also runs contests offering cash prizes, which seem to attract quite a few submissions, proving that the world's junior animators are eager for both fame and money.
Although there are other animation sites around, like Crunchyroll, AniBoom is one of the only sites encouraging indie content. Another is MyToons, which just launched. Check them all out!
Cybercast credit: AniBoom
Watch more cool animation and creative cartoons at aniBoom
AniBoom is different from most other video sites in one important respect: Almost all of its content is created by members. Sites like YouTube are, shall we say, suspected for having content ripped off from other sources.
By comparison, they even have its own software tools: Shapeshifter, that you can use to make professional-quality animation and Micro-Smotion, which can add simple animated tidbits to regular video.
Like other sites, most of the existing content is stuff you wouldn't want to bother watching. AniBoom is counting on what they call “the star factor” — from any large group of people, a few exceptional individuals are bound to come forth.
AniBoom's CEO, Uri Shinar, compares the possibilities of his site by referencing Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who were unknown talents making short clips until a Fox executive groomed them, leading to the hit cartoon South Park. AniBoom attempts to replicate this success in its Creator's Series, although none seems to have had more than a few thousand views.
However, the South Park comparison is apt in more than one way. The Stone and Parker creation that led Fox to contact them was a quirky student animation of Jesus killing a deranged snowman. Many of the videos on AniBoom are similarly odd, to say the least.
The site also runs contests offering cash prizes, which seem to attract quite a few submissions, proving that the world's junior animators are eager for both fame and money.
Although there are other animation sites around, like Crunchyroll, AniBoom is one of the only sites encouraging indie content. Another is MyToons, which just launched. Check them all out!
Cybercast credit: AniBoom
June 28, 2007
VEOH TV Bills Itself as a DVR for the Internet
Just what I need more of....
Veoh TV's new (beta, beta, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, ... yes, there are other ancient greek letters too, people) software lets you watch and record Internet video from thousands of video sources from the get-go. You can immerse yourself in full-length episodes from ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and what goes for entertainment on YouTube, MySpace, Google, Yahoo, and your corner store video sharing service.
Finding your shows and clips is super easy with the TV-style guide, or via keyword search. You can even use a remote control. (Which one(s)? As you watch it learns what you like and automatically recommends videos to you. Creeps ... make sure your computer is out of sight when your significant other is there or mom is visiting!
Can't wait to lay your eyes on it? Get an invite here.
(It is currently in an invitation only beta, beta, beta.)
P.S. Looks like this outfit never sleeps - and they don't want you too either!
Veoh TV's new (beta, beta, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, ... yes, there are other ancient greek letters too, people) software lets you watch and record Internet video from thousands of video sources from the get-go. You can immerse yourself in full-length episodes from ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and what goes for entertainment on YouTube, MySpace, Google, Yahoo, and your corner store video sharing service.
Finding your shows and clips is super easy with the TV-style guide, or via keyword search. You can even use a remote control. (Which one(s)? As you watch it learns what you like and automatically recommends videos to you. Creeps ... make sure your computer is out of sight when your significant other is there or mom is visiting!
Can't wait to lay your eyes on it? Get an invite here.
(It is currently in an invitation only beta, beta, beta.)
P.S. Looks like this outfit never sleeps - and they don't want you too either!
April 6, 2007
24 - This Week’s Featured TV Show on iTunes
Season 4 was also added to the store. Not sure what the big deal is, as the show is in its sixth season now...
If you want to watch clips on the show's official site instead, here is the link to Fox.com's Video Central.
It uses an embedded Windows media player, which stinks, as far as I'm concerned. Have you foxy people ever heard of Flash, cross-browser compatibility, cross-platform compatibility, etc., etc...???
If you want to watch clips on the show's official site instead, here is the link to Fox.com's Video Central.
It uses an embedded Windows media player, which stinks, as far as I'm concerned. Have you foxy people ever heard of Flash, cross-browser compatibility, cross-platform compatibility, etc., etc...???
April 3, 2007
The 30 Second Video Rule
by Kevin Nalts of Will Video For Food fame fits in perfectly with the subject of this blog! He is an absolutely hilarious writer, making it inevitable for me to just quote him...
"Has more than 300 short videos that have been viewed more than 7 million times, and featured on such sites as YouTube, Google Video, Yahoo, Yahoo Video, Break, Metacafe and Revver.
He is a serial runner up for contests. He was a first prize winner in the Butterfinger “FollowTheFinger.com” Everyday Moments contest. He was a first round winner of the BarterBee “Be the Bee” contest for consumer-generated promotional videos, and has been a finalist in such contests as Mentos, Dave Chappelle Show, KissKissBangBang and Panasonic. He also has created viral videos for Mentos that have been used in advertisements on such sites as Google Video and Break.com.
His self-serving “Viral Video Genius” was featured on YouTube’s homepage, and DIY Conferences is calling him a “Viral Videologist.” He really likes that title because it helps him cope with self esteem problems. He and his videos have appeared on CNN, ABC Nightline, BBC, Fox and CBS News.
In addition to creating videos, he covers the industry in this blog and as a writer for TheDailyReel. He also speaks at industry events to help video creators learn how to monetize their work, and advertisers better optimize online video.
His best 30-40 videos are in this YouTube Nalts playlist and in the Revver “Best o’ Nalts” collection. His day job is healthcare marketing via emerging channels. As a hobby, he’s passionate about online videos. Nalts also manages an online video site (CubeBreak.com).
Despite his videos’ low production value, Nalts has a background in video production and television. He attended Georgetown University, and Babson for an MBA in entrepreneurship. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and four children (and his cousin, a former Green Beret and NYPD cop… who kills stalkers for a living)." So make sure you LOL plenty for him to hear you!
Broadcast credit: Revver
"Has more than 300 short videos that have been viewed more than 7 million times, and featured on such sites as YouTube, Google Video, Yahoo, Yahoo Video, Break, Metacafe and Revver.
He is a serial runner up for contests. He was a first prize winner in the Butterfinger “FollowTheFinger.com” Everyday Moments contest. He was a first round winner of the BarterBee “Be the Bee” contest for consumer-generated promotional videos, and has been a finalist in such contests as Mentos, Dave Chappelle Show, KissKissBangBang and Panasonic. He also has created viral videos for Mentos that have been used in advertisements on such sites as Google Video and Break.com.
His self-serving “Viral Video Genius” was featured on YouTube’s homepage, and DIY Conferences is calling him a “Viral Videologist.” He really likes that title because it helps him cope with self esteem problems. He and his videos have appeared on CNN, ABC Nightline, BBC, Fox and CBS News.
In addition to creating videos, he covers the industry in this blog and as a writer for TheDailyReel. He also speaks at industry events to help video creators learn how to monetize their work, and advertisers better optimize online video.
His best 30-40 videos are in this YouTube Nalts playlist and in the Revver “Best o’ Nalts” collection. His day job is healthcare marketing via emerging channels. As a hobby, he’s passionate about online videos. Nalts also manages an online video site (CubeBreak.com).
Despite his videos’ low production value, Nalts has a background in video production and television. He attended Georgetown University, and Babson for an MBA in entrepreneurship. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and four children (and his cousin, a former Green Beret and NYPD cop… who kills stalkers for a living)." So make sure you LOL plenty for him to hear you!
Broadcast credit: Revver
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