Business Week has an article about the announced deal between Apple and Google.

As writer Arik Hesseldahl suggests, "it's apparent Apple has big plans with regard to downloadable video in the living room, and it's natural to expect that the relatively low-quality video available on sites like YouTube will only improve".

YouTube and other lessor UGC sites have become what CB radio became to another generation; crowded, poor quality, basically content for the lowest common denominator, oh and one more thing, NO sustainable business model, unless you were Radio Shack selling radios and antenna's.

That Apple sees the living room as the battle ground for consumers is, well Dah, of course it is but while the people who create this stuff (cat's falling out of trees and Mentos shooting in the air) and might want to see it on their 50" plasma I think the rest of us will pass. Also, the notion that quality will improve is counter to everything I've seen, if people want to create quality content for on-line they are already doing it for CurrentTV or similar sites, not YouTube.

Phil McKinney, VP and CTO at HP has compelling Podcast about the role of innovation and how individuals and corporations need to think about technology change from a social perspective as well as a nuts and bolts level ~ I've been listening for two years and highly recommend it.

In addition, he has expanded his site to include a blog which has the above 20-year forward looking slide deck as it relates to Social Interaction, Entertainment, Networks, Gadgets and Content.

Curtis Sund of TVovernet, a noted IPTV/ITV site has a new project which aims to give Internet viewers a more powerful and precise tool for locating content on-line. Specifically, Find Internet TV is based on the aggregation of content via providers websites, this as opposed to trying to cull all the video clips out there.

I spoke to Curtis about the project.

IPTVe
Curtis, what sets your business model apart from other sites?

Curtis Sund

Blinkx, MeeVee, and other sites like them have made it their priority to search the web and recycle the same video clips in one format or another. Even TV Guide is doing it now. We've not trying to reinvent that wheel and are simply working with Truveo to provide video clip search functionality.

Now you may be able to find a 2-minute clip of Desperate Housewives or a NFL highlight on Blinkx or searchforvideo.com, but you won't know where to watch it live or in full length. That's where we come in. Rather than try to be the aggregator of all recorded video clips, we are an aggregator of the content provider websites and help users find the source of the content online.

Our announcement today separates us from the pack in that we are the only one focusing on live events. Want to know where to watch the French Open Tennis tournament, US Open Golf tournament, Kentucky Derby, European football, or music concerts live online? We can show you.

Training videos have been around for a long time and have served many a corporate training department from the financial industry to the oil industry. The benefits of self-controlled viewing of content, where people can choose the time, place and in some cases, the sequence of content viewing engages the viewer. Additionally, studies and field experience have shown retention of content is high for this type of viewing.

One example I found which talks about the restaurant industry.

Enter two companies that aim to make video instruction on a variety of topics synonymous with their names much like the Dummies Books and its success.

VideoJug, a U.K. based company has been creating professional content for over a year and I believe they have been in existence for over two years. I had spoken with David Tabizel, the founder of the company last year as I was intrigued by their direction and wanted to know more about their plans for production here is the U.S.

The other company, Expert Village started creating content in 2005 and according to an article in April/May 2007, issue of Streaming Media magazine has upwards of 20,000 titles.

Where VideoJug and Expert Village part company is in the area of content submission from Independent producers. Expert Village is creating a network of people, they call it an Expert Village Filmmaker, who with their own equipment would shoot content and send media to the company with a revenue share model. There is also an option to become an "Expert" on a specific topic and either link to your site from the content, or be paid $30 per clip under certain circumstances.

“On average, you will receive $300 for every Assignment you complete for Expert Village. To clarify, 15clips = 1 Assignment = $300.
Occasionally there will be the opportunity to make more money for larger, more complicated assignments. Additionally, we may have available, smaller assignments that pay a lower scale. When you view an Assignment on the Available Assignments page, you will see the pay scale that we've assigned to it".

There is also a Our Experts section with hundreds of people who have created guides from how to change you car’s oil to Yoga Poses and Positions with contact information, rating by others

VideoJug’s business model as David explained to me is to retain control of the “look” for produced content and as such, they produce the content. Since that time, they have added a section “Made by You” where people submit content within that channel. There is however, no revenue option for Indie producers and you are giving up any rights once you submit content to them, their contract states:

“Where you are invited to submit any contribution to VideoJug (including any text, photographs, graphics, video or audio) you agree, by submitting your contribution, to grant VideoJug a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive, sub-licensable right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform, play, make available to the public, and exercise all copyright and publicity rights with respect to your contribution worldwide and/or to incorporate your contribution in other works in any media now known or later developed for the full term of any rights that may exist in your contribution, and in accordance with privacy restrictions set out in VideoJug 's Privacy Policy.”

I personally have no motivation to submit content for free; this is what the current UGC model is all about. That said, David had spoken of widening their network of production personnel that met their growth requirements and as such, this may offer producers opportunities in the future.

These types of sites should see growth in popularity, as people want short digestible content delivered to fixed or mobile devices. Also, as more of this type of content is delivered on-line the need for high-end production quality and budgets as seen in “Mainstream Media’ projects will not apply and this will shift the paradigm, much like the move from film to video for most corporate projects.

The key to quality production is and always has been lighting and composition, which only require talent and not necessarily large budgets. For those content producers who wish to exploit this market it’s an opportunity and a trend, for those who scoff at the direction this is taking all I can say is the handwriting is on the walls...

Denise DeFranco
Partner

Foley Hoag LLP

Mark Pascarella
President

Gotuit Media

Wowza Media Systems
Charlie Good & David Stubenvoll

Wowza Media Systems

Fabien Reille
Director, Video Solutions

ValueClick

Lisa Larson
Partner

Go:To Group

I recently spent a week with the Akimbo/RCA system as I wanted to see what I was missing with my Humax/Tivo and DVD’s from Blockbuster.

While this is not a hardware review here is the Reader’s Digest. After unpacking it was short order to setup the RCA player and getting it running, the system is much like any other DVR with the standard assortment of Component and S-Video as well as digital audio out. There is also Ethernet and USB for network connectivity. The box is based on a Thomson IP1100 IPTV platform and from what I have read, the main drive can store about a 1000 hours of compressed programming. The current system does not support HD however.

My main interest in Akimbo is content, namely the ability to find and download niche market fare such as Beach Walks With Rox or perhaps an Indie title from Japan. On the mainstream movie side, Akimbo has partnered with Movielink.

Choose from such niche topics as toy trains, aviation, theatre, dance, fine arts, video blogs to name a few. There is a lot of Anime as well and perhaps as more producers start to create Machinima with Second Life as their backlot and tools like iClone content will show up on Akimbo.

Yes download times are based on the speed of your network and can be substantial however, the point of these systems is the ability to schedule download and view when you get home. Better then 90% of the content we watch on our Tivo is scheduled in advance with the odd last minute program I schedule via their website; this option is also available on the Akimbo.

I did find the UI less intuitive and slick verses the Tivo and slower to jump between screens. One of the nice features the Tivo has that is missing on the Akimbo is the ability to listen to music channels, this would also be good if you are home waiting for content to download. Actually, there are plenty of times I connect to my Live365.com account to catch some Pat Metheny verses putting on a CD.

Akimbo seems to keep on top of their forum with posts replied to in a timely fashion.

Net, net, as a content creator and an Evangelist for the movement, I am encouraged by the ability for small producers to get their content into the living rooms of America. In the long run however, the question is can any VOD, ITV or IPTV system offer content creators a significant enough revenue stream so they can create content for these distribution channels?

(Click the image to enlarge, you can mouse forward or backwards on the left or right side of the slide)

The Sonic Foundry MediaSite webcasting solution has a strong market share and many unique features that make it an all inclusive webcasting solution.

If you are a digital audio and video enthusiast then you probably remember that Sonic Foundry was well known for its Sound Forge and Vegas audio editing software. Then they sold that business to Sony and entered the webcast application solution development.

MediaSite Live was created. A turnkey hardware/software solution that has some very sophisticated characteristics. The name of the product - MediaSite Live. I think that there is some meaning in all names and you can usually find the foundation of a product's development in its name. "Live" in this industry generally means some kind of event. So the Mediasite product is designed to handle "live" webcast events i.e. speaker presentations, usually done in auditoriums or locations similar in nature and then encode and publish these events on a web "Site" or portal.

I don't want to get to far off track but I want to present the strengths of this product. Because it is developed with "Live" events in mind, it has integrated features that make this a pragmatic tool not a toy. The VGA capture feature of the MediaSite encoder is more than a cute idea. If you have ever done live webcasting events you know what I am talking about - In 6 out of 9 cases the presenters either don't deliver the PPT slides before the event, changes a slide just before the event, or skips slides during the event. That's where this VGA capture card does its job and that's how Medisite got the name Live! And that is why they have a Patent on the VGA capture process.

Mediasite has developed a product that makes doing live events quite simple. So if you consider the reliability, the outstanding technical support, and the price, you have a winning combination. My recommendation - easy to install, use and maintain.

Streaming centricity is at the core of the conference - with most vendors I've talked to, very pleased with the conference attendance and energy of the participants this year. I had the fortune of speaking with Rod Bacon - CEO of Media Publisher. Rod, what is the driving force of Media Publisher?

"In the development stagges Media Publisher focused on the enterprise". If you compare the Media Publisher solution to the competition you will see that significant difference. Media Publisher was developed from a network oriented perspective. From this perspective in it's earliest development stages with Inktomi it began to evolve as a media distribution system that focused on its scalability, security and redundancy. Now, Rod says, "the product has developed into a complete enterprise streaming media/webcasting application that focuses on the needs of the customer". What impressed me a lot about this company is that it hosts an annual meeting called the Customer Advisory Council. Rod host's a group of customers and his team analyses their use and recomendations of the product for future realeases. The product has scaled with the maturity of the streaming media industry. But like all products it is difficult to do it all and there are plus and minuses that need to be considered when deciding on a webcasting solution.

Consider that the solution doesn't restrict itself to one particular encoding hardware. This is an important consideration in the enterprise, especially if you have OS restrictions and in some industries like financial and pharma you have the regulated OS and desk top lock downs to deal with. The Media Publisher solution is not hardware dependent and uses encoders live V-Brick and ViewCast that are more network appliance based which allow greater flexability while maintaing a high level of security and functionality.

Another characteristic that makes the Media Publisher a true enterprise solution is its integration into Cisco ACNS. This offers the content publisher a simpler interface than the Cisco ACNS. Again demonstrating the strengths of the application and user centric focus in its develpment. My recomendation - If you are an enterprise this is your vehical - take it for a test drive.

Back out on the field... it didn't take long to find new strategies in the SM game. Take a look at a fresh logical approach. Cache Logic! My curiosity was piqued by Gary Croke, Director of Marketing for Cache Logic, Inc.. Gary explained the technology driving the Cache Logic CDN infrastructure...

The company has been developing the CDN technology for a couple of years. The challenge was how to build a cost effective CDN for the media publisher/distributor. "It's a one size fits all solution", says Gary. (Which by the way was quite a contrast from what the other CDN company said to me in the 1st Quarter.) Cache Logic has actually created a CDN that takes a "Class of Service" approach to content delivery. Using bandwidth settings the publisher can setup the capability to ensure that the content delivery is properly monetized. This applies to the Gaming, Video and Software data delivery industries. Gary demonstrated the process to me. He showed me a side by side comparison of two files one that was freely downloading without delivery logic settings and another with delivery logic settings. I could see the difference, and that difference is what saves the publisher/distributor money. Instead of fully opening the valve that delivers the data the publisher can through the Velocix Console content distribution manager, regulate the bandwidth consumption of the each file which translates to cost savings. My recommendation, kick the tires on this technology.

Checked in and did an initial sweep of the Exhibit Hall - New and Familiar faces were gleaming with enthusiasm as SME '07 opened for business. The SM Industry has seen its ups and downs historically speaking. This year an upwards trend is setting the "mood". I made some quick stops at some vendor booths to test my perception and was quickly greeted with upbeat dialog - "you can't do it all" said a CDN service provider...

Managing and distributing large media data files, streaming live video across continents is complicated. Meaning that each CDN provider will have to serve a niche.

We may not all be worrying about delivering content globally, but I can safely say that we can relate to the complexities that SM technology challenges us with. Let's see how the solution providers address these challenges and keep us moving forward. Check back for more details as the event matures.

Mark D'Andrea, a steaming media consultant spent yesterday and today at Streaming Media East, here in New York City and has contributed the follow posts. Below is information on Mark's background.

Mark D'Andrea has 25 years of experience in the tele-production industry beginning in analog video and evolving in parallel with the digital convergence of voice, video and data. He has been a proponent, developer and engineer of interactive digital and streaming media for the last 11 years. Mark is currently contracted with a global enterprise as a streaming media engineer and consultant responsible for developing a CDN, media asset management and webcasting infrastructure

According to an article in AP, there were about 2.5 million fewer people watching television in the past two months, principally the major media outlets such as ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, compared to the same period in the prior year.

“Scariest of all for the networks, however, is the idea that many people are now making their own television schedules. The industry isn't fully equipped to keep track of them, and as a result the networks are scrambling to hold on to the nearly $8.8 billion they collected during last spring's ad-buying season.”

The implications are significant. Even if the pattern is shifting and not declining as the Networks assert my sense is that people, especially the 18-34 demo is shifting away from the Networks in favor of other options such as on-line video, Second Life, PSP or music. But without any statistical relevant data, it is all open to speculation.

“This year, for the first time, Nielsen is measuring viewership in the estimated 17 percent of homes with digital video recorders - but it only counts them in the ratings of a specific show if they watch it within 24 hours of the original air time.”

I personally watch content off my TIVO days or even weeks after the airdate so according to Nielsen that data is not counted in the shows overall score. Do you watch all your DVR content within that 24-hour window?

"Television has made billions based on how many people watch a show at its regular time. That idea may already be obsolete. So should the industry use DVR viewing when setting ad rates? If so, how quickly must people watch the shows - within two days? A week? What about people who watch shows on their cell phones or on network Web sites, which Nielsen doesn't measure yet? Later this month Nielsen will begin measuring how many people watch commercials. Should those be used to compute advertising costs?

Right now, none of those questions have answers.

“However, "if we continue to do business assuming people will watch television as they always have," said NBC's Wurtzel, "it's a dead-end game."

The traditional nuclear family has long since morphed into a diverse landscape where “Choice” defines what works for people, do execs at the TV networks know what year it is?

Also, read my article from the 2006 TV Week Media Planning Conference