Posts for 'Miscellaneous'

A quick note to mention that I'm always eager to hear your ideas for subjects for VideoNuze posts and analyses.

As a reminder, from an editorial standpoint, VideoNuze is all about broadband-delivered video. That's a lot of ground to cover given the amount of activity in the market, and I do my best to select what I believe will be most compelling to you. But there's no "editorial board" here at VideoNuze, so I look to the community of VideoNuze readers to give me their input. Either post a comment here or drop me an email at wrichmondATvideonuze.com.

Thanks!

I'm giving the keyboard a rest for a few days to celebrate the long July 4th weekend. I'll see you on Monday, July 7th. Enjoy!

Today, a quick digression from the daily routine of broadband video analysis.

It's been a little over 6 months since I launched VideoNuze. The question I've been asked most often (after "how do you crank all this out every day?!") is "How are things going?" So I thought it would make sense to take a step back and give all of you a brief answer to that question.

I started VideoNuze with a mission to deliver to busy executives each day a complete, yet highly digestible package of analysis and news about the broadband video industry. I thought an online publication that was relentlessly focused and written from the perspective of an analyst and former industry executive would meet a market need.

Six months later, there have been over 160 original daily analyses/posts and over 1,000 broadband video-related news items added to VideoNuze from multiple sources. To answer the earlier question, it takes a lot of discipline to crank out VideoNuze each day and I often joke that I work for a pretty tough boss! But I'm hardly complaining. Through the countless executive briefings I've conducted, I've continued to learn a ton about the industry from some really smart people. My key challenge is to synthesize this and present it in a way that's valuable to readers. It's stimulating and fun and I thoroughly enjoy it.

VideoNuze is now read each day by thousands of busy executives who either receive the daily email or RSS feeds or visit VideoNuze.com. I've been incredibly gratified by the response I've received. Readers now regularly tell me that VideoNuze's insights and exclusive broadband video news aggregation are indispensable to them. VideoNuze is still very much a work in progress with lots of additional features planned. I continue to optimize the topics of daily analyses trying to balance reader interest and important news and trends. But at the six month mark, I'm very pleased with the overall progress.

I'm particularly proud that 15 industry leaders have run, or are currently running sponsorship campaigns on VideoNuze, including ActiveVideo Networks (formerly ICTV), Adap.tv, Akamai, Anystream, Atlas Venture, Brightcove, Digitalsmiths, ExtendMedia, FAST, KickApps, PermissionTV, thePlatform, Tremor Media, Voxant and WorldNow.

In the coming weeks a number of additional companies will start VideoNuze sponsorship campaigns. I am extremely grateful for all sponsors' support, and encourage you to visit their sites to learn more about them. And if you'd like to learn more about sponsoring VideoNuze, please click here.

VideoNuze has also benefited from two important partnerships, one with NATPE (the National Association of Television Program Executives) and the other with The Diffusion Group, a leading analytics and advisory firm specializing in broadband media. NATPE now distributes the daily VideoNuze email to many of its members looking to make the leap into broadband delivery. And TDG professionals have become regular contributors to VideoNuze, adding a diversity of voices and opinions, while also lessening my work load a bit. To both NATPE and TDG, a huge thanks.

It's been a great first 6 months for VideoNuze. I really appreciate your support and as always encourage you to comment on the posts and add your voice to the community. Broadband video is an exciting and dynamic space, but only though our combined contributions will it reach its full potential.

(Note, tomorrow is a rare day off for me, see you next Tuesday)

Thanks everyone for participating in the recent NATPE VideoNuze readers' survey. First, congratulations to Tony Grohovsky, Director, Advanced Media at The Weather Channel, who won the drawing for the iPod.

The results of the survey were very encouraging. Almost 90% of respondents read the NATPE VideoNuze email at least 3 days or more per week. More than 65% read both the daily analyses and the exclusive news roundup. For those reading the daily analyses, 83% thought they are the right length. More than 60% pass along the email to friends or colleagues. In addition there were many verbatim comments for how to continue strengthening the product.

All of us involved in producing the daily NATPE VideoNuze email really appreciate your feedback. We've only been at this for about 6 months now, and are continuing to refine the product each week. We look forward to continuing to provide great content to you and welcome your further reactions!

In a startling development, VideoNuze has confirmed that The Walt Disney Company has decided to sell its ABC television network to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who is also Disney's largest individual shareholder. Disney is planning to devote most of the billions in proceeds to developing broadband-delivered video webisodes.

The sale, which was unexpected, is certain to ripple throughout the entire media and technology landscape. It is a highly unorthodox transaction that experts believe will be heavily challenged by other Disney shareholders who will claim the deal exceeded CEO Bob Iger's individual authority.

The deal was concluded following a high-stakes poker game held at Iger's Brentwood, CA mansion on Saturday night, in which Jobs and other media and technology industry heavyweights participated. Though the Iger-Jobs relationship has been described publicly as cordial, apparently a series of raises, bluffs and too many scotches laid bare a simmering rivalry between the two moguls.

VideoNuze has learned that with no limits in place, the two CEOs became embroiled in a titanic game of 7 card stud, leading to a round of ante raising that left other players - who had long since folded - gasping. With their chips exhausted, Iger is said to have wagered his double titanium American Express card with a $1 million dollar limit, only to be matched by Jobs placing his unique gold-plated iPhone (believed to work on a private AT&T Wireless frequency that AT&T granted to Jobs in order to gain the lucrative iPhone exclusive) on the table.

Within minutes Jobs further raised the ante by offering up all of his Apple shares. Unable to see the multi-billion dollar raise, Iger and Jobs were able to shake hands on a preliminary deal, allowing Iger to throw ABC into the pot, seeing Jobs's Apple shares. When Jobs revealed 4 aces to Iger's 4 kings, the lawyers were summoned to begin papering the deal.

Explaining what will surely be viewed as a rash move, Iger is said to have told Disney executives that from a strategic perspective his bet in fact made sense. His rationale: that the first month of results from Stage 9, Disney's new digital studio provided him ample data that broadband-delivered video was worthy of its hype and that he wanted to go "all in" with a multi-billion dollar commitment. That thinking left Wall Street observers stunned, as the only Stage 9 program that has launched to date is the comedy short, "Squeegees." The program has garnered several hundred thousand views on YouTube, but has generated no revenue.

Commenting on the deal, VideoNuze's Will Richmond said "Look, I've been saying for years that broadband video was going to remake the media landscape and take over the world, but I just can't believe Iger could have lost ABC to Jobs in a poker game." He continued, "I can only conclude the whole episode is just an April Fool's Day joke."

There was a little technical problem with the registration link for the Feb 28th webinar.

To register, click here.

My first post, from this past Monday, "My Rant About Super Bowl Ads" can be seen at the site. It is a real privilege to be selected for the "Voices" section, and I'm completely thrilled!

Two weeks ago, in "Here Comes the Video Experience Era", I argued that in the future consumers' satisfaction with video will have less to do with traditional yardsticks. I tried to explain it this way: if you are a TV manufacturer, traditional consumer satisfiers have included "how big is my set and how great is the picture quality" while if you are a content provider, traditional satisfiers have been "how funny is that show, or seeing well-loved actors/actresses."

But in that prior post, coming at the conclusion of CES, I suggested that consumers are beginning to shift from using these metrics to gauge their own satisfaction with video. Instead they are increasingly looking for new and compelling video experiences, many of which are not yet well-defined. These might include how well do broadband-delivered video choices integrate with the overall TV experience, how can I interact with the content and with other viewers, or how can I move it around from device to device depending on my lifestyle?

I raise all of this again today because just this week I was provided with a very tangible data point supporting my assertions. A good friend of mine recently bought a 50 inch plasma HDTV (his first HDTV set). He doesn't work in the technology or content industries. To understand his technical orientation better, if on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 was a technology Luddite and 10 was an uber-geek, he'd be about a 5. He's not afraid of technology, but hardly rushes out to get every new thing. And note, he's 44 years old, not 14 or 24.

With is new TV in place, one of the first things he did was begin figuring out how to connect it to his PC. Since the TV didn't have a VGA port, he researched and found a relatively inexpensive adaptor to convert VGA output to component inputs for his TV. When done, he excitedly emailed me saying that, by his count, he's now playing 10 different formats on his TV (linear TV, broadband content - both free and paid, Netflix Watch Instantly, podcasts from his iTunes library, DVD, Blu-ray DVD, DVR, VOD, CD Music and radio). And he's psyched to read surf the web on his TV, and move files around. Talk about a plethora of choices and experiences!

To understand the emerging mindset of today's consumer, the example of my friend is illustrative. It was not just the 50 inch plasma TV that got him excited. Rather, it was the impetus to expand his video choices and to add new energy to pre-existing options. Here again, the interplay of technology and content is what is cool to him. Not just one or the other in isolation. I believe his mindset is becoming more common each day. It embodies what marketers and product managers in the "video experience era" will need to grasp if their companies are to succeed.

What's your reaction? Post a comment and let us all know!

With CES finishing up, today I've attempted to assemble all of the show's broadband video-related press releases and non-overlapping news coverage. I've been following the announcements pretty closely, and I think as far as news filtered specifically for broadband (i.e. excluding things like Blu-ray, gaming, auto/navigation, etc.), this is an extremely comprehensive list. Apologies if I've missed anything -- just email to me and I'll add.

Click here to go straight to the CES broadband news wrap-up.

This CES broadband news wrap-up serves as a great reminder for VideoNuze readers and visitors that VideoNuze really consists of 2 parts: first, my daily analyses, and second, a roundup/aggregation of broadband video-related news from around the web. I've received tons of great feedback on the value of the analyses, but sense that fewer people understand the news roundup side of VideoNuze. News items are listed in the right column of both the daily email and on the web site, and are also available as an RSS feed.

News aggregation is a key function in VideoNuze, as it allows broadband video decision-makers each day to easily stay abreast of news from 50+ sources (mainstream media, trade pubs, blogs, etc.). In fact, one of the key motivations for me to start VideoNuze was my frustration at having to cobble together -- from various newsletters, feeds and sites -- all the news I felt was relevant. Yet even after undertaking this task, I always felt I'd missed something (and inevitably had!).

VideoNuze's News roundup allows broadband decision-makers to rest easy, as everything they need to stay up-to-date and in-the-know is collected in one place, with easy links to underlying sources.

Beyond staying current, VideoNuze is great for deep vertical research on broadband video. Say you're a product management/marketing/biz dev exec, planning your product's ad strategy and want to know who's been doing what, and also what Will's take is. Simple click on VideoNuze's "Advertising" category for News and you'll see hundreds of informative pieces and insights.

Or you're a busy sales exec, planning a key customer meeting, with say, MTV. Just type "MTV" into the VideoNuze search box and you'll get dozens of analyses and news items related specifically to MTV's broadband activities. In fact, there are already 1,000+ broadband-specific news items in VideoNuze, with the list growing each day!

Hopefully this overview has given you a better sense of the news roundup side of VideoNuze. My goal, as always, is to have VideoNuze be the best possible resource for broadband video decision-makers. If you have suggestions for improvements, just let me know!

Click here to go to the CES broadband news wrap-up.

As the year winds down, I'd like to extend my best holiday wishes to all of you.

I'll be taking time off next week for some long overdue R&R. I'll post to the site if something interesting comes up, but I'm not expecting too much excitement as pretty much everyone I've spoken to plans to take at least some time off to recharge their batteries.

VideoNuze is now the ripe old age of 2 1/2 months. It's been a whirlwind, and I'd like to thank everyone who has emailed me with terrific feedback - it's extremely gratifying! I love hearing from folks I already know, and also the many that I don't, letting me know that VideoNuze is making a really substantive contribution to their understanding of the broadband video space as well as impacting their decision-making. I also encourage all of you to share your thoughts on the site by posting timely and thoughtful comments to the site. Everyone benefits from hearing your opinions.

I've also heard from many of you who want to brief me on new startups or existing ventures. It's impossible for me to be aware of everything, so keep those pitches coming!

In '08 you can also expect more in-depth topical analyses, guest columns, interactive features and a few other surprises I have up my sleeve. As always, I welcome your feedback and suggestions - what's working, what's not, and what else is needed.

Last but not least, I want to extend my sincere thanks to VideoNuze's awesome sponsors who make all this possible. Currently they are Akamai Technologies, ExtendMedia, thePlatform, Voxant, Atlas Venture, Brightcove, Digitalsmiths, ICTV and PermissionTV. Each is making a terrific contribution to the broadband medium and I encourage you to learn more about all of them.

I've been very encouraged by the many emails and phone calls I've received from prospective sponsors. VideoNuze is quickly being recognized as the premier online publication for reaching busy broadband video executives. This was another key goal of mine. Going into '08, VideoNuze will be welcoming a number of new sponsors!

In closing, I'd like to wish you peace, prosperity and much happiness in the new year.

Regards,

Will

In the spirit of the season, I'd like to offer a huge THANKS to VideoNuze's outstanding sponsors. Below they are listed along with their own descriptions:

Akamai - Akamai is the leading global service provider for accelerating content and applications online. click here for more

ExtendMedia - ExtendMedia provides software and media services that enable content providers and distributors to quickly and securely create, deliver, manage and monetize online content offerings over many devices. click here for more

thePlatform - thePlatform, a subsidiary of Comcast, is the leading broadband video ASP for content providers, broadband media sites, and mobile businesses. click here for more

Voxant - Voxant is building a new kind of network that delivers unparalleled licensed content, advertising and services to millions of web sites and niche communities throughout the Web. click here for more

Atlas Venture - Atlas Venture is an international early-stage venture capital firm that invests in communications, information technology and life sciences companies. click here for more

Brightcove - Brightcove is an Internet TV service that empowers video producers and programmers to build broadband businesses while giving viewers more choices and control over their use of video and television. click here for more

Digitalsmiths - Digitalsmiths is the company behind VideoSense, the first universally compatible and future-proof broadband video contextual ad-matching system. click here for more

ICTV - ICTV provides the technology and distribution network that enables television programmers and Web publishers to deliver broadband video and other media to television in an engaging, immersive TV-quality viewing experience. click here for more

PermissionTV - PermissionTV offers a flexible platform for delivering innovative and interactive video experiences on the Web. PermissionTV tools empower companies to use video to capture new audience, enhance relationships and maximize customer value. click here for more

Please take a moment to check them out!

It seems like half the world I know is coming to Boston next week for VON and the other half is going to LA for Digital Hollywood. Some of the unlucky ones are trying to make it to both. Too bad that two good shows are overlapping.

Though I'm based in Boston, I'll be heading to Digital Hollywood and will be there from Tuesday morning through Thursday morning.

It's always a great networking event, and I'll be around to meet up. Just drop me a line if you'll be there too.

As Friday winds down, I wanted to share a few quick thoughts on VideoNuze's first week.

First, a huge thanks to the many of you who have emailed or called with positive feedback on VideoNuze. It looks like the site's analyses and news aggregation are addressing real marketplace needs, as I hoped they would. It's also been gratifying to hear favorable reactions to the site's design and usability, about which my development team and I sweated every detail. I'm a big believer that no matter how great the content, if it's not easy to find and digest, it just doesn't matter.

A number of folks have called out the "Categories" feature on the site as especially useful for doing research, while others have cited the Search feature on the main nav, which returns results from both the Analyses and News Roundup sections of the site, as very handy. Type your company's name in and see!

Meanwhile, on the "needs improvement" side, I've heard from a number of you that you're receiving multiple copies of the daily email. Please contact me if this is happening to you. I'm troubleshooting this now with my email vendor and it's possible that it's an Outlook issue. If so, there's a fix.

Some of you have contacted me about email formatting issues. Regrettably, this is an agonizing area which can never be 100% resolved. Outlook '07 does not support many basic formatting functions, while other email programs also have limitations. We're working to optimize as much as possible, but in the meantime, I've found Yahoo and Gmail seem to handle formatting the best. If you have an account with one of them you may want to receive VideoNuze there. Or you can sign up for the VideoNuze RSS feeds or just come to the web site (also good alternatives if a daily email is too much to handle).

I've received recommendations for analyses from quite a few of you. Keep those coming, I'm always eager to hear your ideas. I can't act on all, but will do my best.

Lastly, I've heard lots of positive reaction from current sponsors and expressions of interest from potential sponsors. Sponsor support is of course critical to VideoNuze's success, so if reaching a highly engaged, broadband video decision-maker audience is key to your business plan, by all means drop me a line.

I have lots more exciting things planned for VideoNuze in the coming weeks and months, so please keep on visiting. And don't be shy about giving me your feedback!

RBI is installing microwave links around NY, with plans to expand to Brooklyn and New Jersey soon and elsewhere in the U.S. eventually. They have at least 2 clear value propositions, first redundant connectivity to primary fiber connections, and second, broadband access to class B and C buildings, whose tenants might otherwise not be able to get anything better than a 1.5 mbps T1 service currently.

To put RBI in perspective, they're most popular service is a 10mbps connection that has a list price of $1,250/mo. 5mbps is $625/mo. While a lot of their business is still for data and voice applications, video is coming on strong. Consider all the broadband video companies located in downtown NYC alone, which must have reliable connectivity and it sure feels like RBI has a lot of room to grow.

Often lost in the hype of UGC, social networking, etc, is the undeniable fact that absent robust, economical broadband connectivity, the companies supplying these services wouldn't be viable nor would there be audiences in the first place who could gain access.

As video becomes an ever more important part of economic growth, especially in metro areas with creative communities, broadband infrastructure is vital. Isn't it great to know that bandwidth companies like RBI continue to flourish?

VideoNuze 1.0 accomplishes what I set out to do at launch - provide a high-value, user-friendly online publication and community for busy video executives seeking to keep up-to-date with the industry's vast array of news and better understand what it means to their businesses. The two primary components of the site, "Analysis" and "News Roundup", are already well-stocked with content and will grow rapidly over time. In addition, I have a full roadmap of features which will also be introduced in the coming months.

As with all online initiatives, VideoNuze is a work in progress and I welcome your feedback. Please have a good look around and let me know what you think. What works well? What's missing? What's broken? No comment or observation is too small, I invite them all.

Today's launch wouldn't be possible without the support of an incredible group of charter sponsors, so I want to acknowledge and thank them again. Each signed on when there was not so much as an official name for the effort. They made a bet on my concept - that an online publication that relentlessly focuses on informing and educating broadband video decision-makers would add real value to the market. I greatly appreciate their confidence.

These companies are all leaders in the fast-evolving video industry and I encourage you to take time to learn about how they can contribute to your company's success:

• Akamai
• ExtendMedia
• thePlatform
• Voxant
• Atlas Venture
• Digitalsmiths
• ICTV
• PermissionTV