Gore's Current TV enlists Web users to shape news

Current, the television network backed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore, is embarking on a new Internet strategy to enlist viewers in submitting video and commentary to create broadcast TV news.

The network, which already lets professional videographers submit video news segments, is going several step further on Monday by soliciting user feedback over the Web and converting submissions into online news as well as pieces for broadcast.

Its network programming runs on cable and satellite broadcasters in select U.S. markets, Britain and Ireland.

In introducing a new site for viewers and contributors at Current.com, the company claims it has created the first fully integrated online and television network that allows users to create and vote what news and information is relevant to them.

[via Reuters]

ABC Reshapes the Evening News for the Web

Aiming to attract younger audiences, ABC is using its evening news staff to produce a separate and distinct 15-minute daily news program for the Web. The New York Times reports.

"... ABC News’s main network competitors, CBS and NBC, are for the moment mainly using the Web to repackage their regular nightly news shows.

But the ABC Webcast is an entirely different animal, sometimes resembling a younger, more technologically advanced version of the traditional 6:30 p.m. report. It is intended in part for people who view Web pages on iPods and cellphones, and ABC executives say they are deliberately aiming to please the 25- to 54-year-olds whom every news organization covets.

Every night there is a good dose of technology and pop culture coverage. For instance, Google puts out a daily list of what it calls “rising searches” — search terms that are suddenly more popular among Web users. And ABC producers select three to mention on the Webcast, usually in a one-minute segment."

boingboing launches video blog: Boing Boing TV

Boingboing has launched a video blog, Boingboing TV. For the first few weeks, much of what you'll see will be produced in-studio, but they also plan to do stuff out in the world, and all over the world. Content will be a mix of lighthearted stories, just like their blog, "a directory of wonderful things", but in video.

TV Guide wants to help you find TV shows online

TV Guide is taking the leap into the world of online television offerings with a new service called the Online Video Guide, debuting on their website today.

The idea is to help site to the publication's website go straight to the best sources for television shows and related content. For example, a search for a show that's available on a television network website should show that offering first.

Additional features will include an option to narrow the search to free video, eliminating online stores like Amazon Unbox or Apple's iTunes.

"We're filling a niche that Google and YouTube are not because they're not strictly TV-focused," said Paul Greenberg, General Manager of TV Guide Online.

[via afterdawn ]

Blognation reviews Joost, TIOTI and TestCardTV

Great review by Sam Sethi for Blognation of Joost, TIOTI, and TestCardTV. What clearly differs is the content sourcing and the related commercial models.

"Joost is of course the more famous of the three with over 1.3m people having already tried it out since it launched. Compared to a mere 18,000 people who have tried TIOTI. TestCard.TV is officially launching today at the MashupDEMO event in London, so it has no traffic numbers to speak off.

... All three are therefore trying to tap into this changing market by offering “on-demand” social TV which enables you to watch, share and discover programs.

So is there anything to watch? Sethi decided to see what on demand programs he could find using Joost, TestCard.TV and TIOTI:

Joost
... The quality of the content hasn’t changed much even though it now has 15,000+ TV shows and 250+ Channels of licensed content. Pretty dull repeat stuff, the same sort of thing you find on remote Sky Channels which no one ever watches but the cat.

Tioti
So could TIOTI do any better? ... The content is sourced and aggregated from around the web and although not licensed it is more compelling and in-line with the sort of programs I would want to watch, although the playback quality is a little poor.

Testcard.TV
This is the newest site and although the UI is a little confusing on first site, once you see the original testcard you begin to understand the colour scheme. I have to say I preferred this site for the very rich and compelling content. The other thing I noticed was how quick the content played through and the quality was good enough for me to watch full screen on a 21″ LCD monitor."

In a new Web drama, the action unfolds live on video

The WSJ reports on an online Web TV show called "35", a 10-part series of scripted, live episodes played by actors where the feed from the cameras are uploaded in real time through a standard Internet connection.

"Producer Kathryn Jones says that, until now, live content on the Web has been limited to "some sports, some politicians, and a lot of people at desks with microphones." Ms. Jones, who also stars in "35," says the creators wanted to mix the accessibility of Web TV with the spontaneity of theater.

"35" is also meant to be a showcase for the Web site hosting it. Ustream.tv is part of a new crop of services trying to get users interested in creating and watching live video, as opposed to sites like YouTube that show prerecorded clips."

Yahoo! to send content to MTV

According to The New York Post, a new alliance between Yahoo! and MTV marks a rare instance in which material first designed for the Internet is making its way to mainstream television.

"Yahoo Music has entered into a deal to distribute "Nissan Live Sets," an original online music performance series it produces, through MTV's high definition channel MHD.

... The series - which has featured performances by Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne - has been viewed over 10 million times online to date, according to Yahoo!

While Web sites are no stranger to adapting TV shows and movies for online viewing, the Yahoo!-MTV alliance reverses the standard content pecking order."

TV veterans produce Web-only show

The creative minds behind such TV shows as "Thirtysomething" and "My So-Called Life" are launching a Web-based show, hoping to find the artistic freedom online that they say is lacking on broadcast networks.

The show, called "Quarterlife," centered on a group of recent college graduates, will debut Nov. 11 on MySpace.com and will also be paired with its own social networking site that will include story extras as well as career, romance and other information for the show's young audience.

[via the Associated Press]

'Appointment' TV on the Web?

The Internet was supposed to let you watch what you wanted, when you wanted. So why is one company trying to schedule your computer time? [via CNN]

"As most television executives will tell you, other than for the Super Bowl, gone are the days when the family gathers 'round the television at 8 p.m. on the dot to watch their favorite weeknight sitcom. ... Americans have eschewed "appointment" television, opting instead to use technologies such as TiVo to record their favorite programs and watch them (skipping the advertising) at their convenience.

And the Internet only fuels the trend, sometimes called "time shifting." ABC network, for example, makes available online full-length episodes of more than a dozen shows, including hits such as "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy." Ditto CBS, News Corp.'s FOX and NBC. And before it ran afoul of some content companies such as Viacom, Google's YouTube was a reliable source for finding the best television content you forgot to tape the night before.

A little company called Paltalk, which specializes in technology for video chat rooms, is bucking the trend and repositioning itself as a purveyor of live online video content.

"We are going full-on, ass backward," Paltalk president Joel Smernoff declared in an interview. "We are the opposite of TiVo."

The reason Paltalk is pushing live programming, of course, is that it is trying to drive users to its chat technology. And so all its shows will let viewers interact with the hosts and guests using video and text chat services.

Paltalk isn't the only company integrating video programming and chat ... Joost, Babelgum."

New Web sites aim for TV experience

Watching video online in small, fuzzy boxes is heading the way of rabbit ears.

The Associated Press reports on Web sites which strive to make the experience of watching video online more like watching television. These sites rely on software that enlarges the interface so that it fills your computer screen — from edge to edge.

This new wave of applications is led by Joost and includes VeohTV and Babelgum. Though all are in beta (testing) phases, the hype has been mounting — leading many to claim the next big advance in online video is imminent.

These new sites, all of which are ad-supported and transmit video with peer-to-peer technology, are seeking to move beyond YouTube by improving video quality, attracting professionally produced content and expanding the viewing experience — which is to say: to be more like TV.

Each of the three work nearly the same way. You download the application from the respective Web site. When that's finished, you have a desktop icon that will launch the application. It then fills your screen with an on-demand-style choice of videos arranged in near broadcast-quality channels.

... Joost, Babelgum and Veoh have several heavyweights to compete with, including Microsoft's LiveStation, Apple TV and the recently unveiled Hulu, a joint venture of NBC Universal and News Corp."

The Wall Street Journal Online Adds First Video Podcast, 'Tech Diary'

The Wall Street Journal Online today announced the launch of a new video podcast, "Andy Jordan's Tech Diary." In a regular video segment that can be viewed free at www.wsj.com/techdiary.

WSJ.com technology reporter Andy Jordan chronicles the (often odd) stories that can be found when people and technology come together. He will spend time with people and the technology they use, watching what happens to the people -- and the technology.

[via Cyberjournalist]

Apple offers Europe TV downloads

Apple has started offering TV downloads in Europe, with fare from ABC Studios, Disney Channel, MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount Comedy available for downloading from the U.K. iTunes online store. [via Variety]

"Titles include "Lost," "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy," "Ugly Betty" and "South Park," plus locally produced U.K. fare such as MTV's "Barrio 19."

Overall, 28 TV shows are involved in the initial lineup on iTunes UK.

Episodes cost £1.89 ($3.79) each and are available for download onto Macs and PCs, video-iPods and viewable on the Apple TV set-top box."

Watch world's TV shows for free

WhereverTV founded and led by Mark Cavicchia, has developed a Web site that streams live programming from 1,200 international TV channels using high-speed Internet and a computer. Pittsburgh Live reports.

By year's end, users will be able to download the programming using a high-end cell phone, such as a Nokia Nseries, that connects to a TV.

Channels broadcasting shows, news, weather and sports from about 100 countries are available and can be arranged in a guide by language, country or genre.

Interested in Ivory Coast programming? How about English cricket? An Italian movie? It's all on WhereverTV for free -- the company will make money off advertisements, not subscriptions, Cavicchia said.

Other Web sites offer similar streaming services but charge a fee.

By the end of October, Cavicchia will unveil a box that attaches to a TV set and a broadband connection, and streams the channels to that TV. The box, which will cost about $200, replaces the need for a computer to access the programming."

E! Launches Multimedia News Series

E! Entertainment Television will launch E! News Now, an expansion of its online entertainment news content. The multimedia series will cover breaking news with video segments specifically designed for non-linear platforms.

E! aims to produce twelve video news segments a day at two minutes each, featuring reporters Ashlan Gorse and Valery Ortiz. The segments will be made available on broadband, and by mobile phone.

[via Broadcasting&Cable]

Nodz.tv Helps You Discover The Web’s Best Video

nodt.tv is a new social video sharing site started by three ex-Microsoft (UK) employees.

With nodt.tv we bring you the best videos your friends and other people like you have been enjoying. We also make it simple to share your own recommendations and favourites, and even create channels to publish to your blog or social network.

[via Blognation]

Vogue.TV

The September issue of Vogue, on U.S. newsstands Tuesday, clocks in at a record 727 advertising pages, reports the IHT.

"But the bulk of those pages rests on an Internet broadband channel Vogue is introducing Tuesday that aims to serve as both an entertainment destination and a shopping Web site.

ShopVouge TV will offer the products featured in the magazine's print ads for sale, while simultaneously showing videos of runway shows, fashion ad campaigns and serial shows created by Vogue.

The channel will also have a user-generated component, with visitors encouraged to upload photos of their own fashion "looks" in the "Fashion U Share" area.

For Vogue, which is owned by Condé Nast, the channel is a major push into the world of fashion-related video entertainment; the channel will debut with more than 240 minutes of original online video content.

Vogue has particularly high hopes for multi-episode offerings like "60 Seconds to Chic," a quick-makeover show, "Behind the LensQ," a documentary-style series, and "Trend Watch," which started on syndicated television in 2003."

Hollywood pros to launch video Web site

When it debuts Tuesday on the Web, My Damn Channel will become the latest attempt by Hollywood professionals to cash in on the huge popularity of online video.

"The site is the brainchild of former MTV and CBS Radio executive Rob Barnett, who believes Internet audiences want to see professionally produced shows other than network TV fare.

"The old media companies don't know how to program for this medium," Barnett said. <>"There is a focus on reruns and outtakes, and I don't think that cuts it."

Shearer will produce a weekly political and pop-culture satire show for the site. Was, will host a music interview show with actor Paul Reiser."

Video Podcasting Nearly Killed The Tech Blog Star

Adario Strange on Wired's blog Epicenter thinks Om Malik is better off behind the screen - than as host of his new video talk show GigaOM Show.

"Malik—as much as I absolutely love his writings and his new crop of websites—is simply not a talkshow video star in the making. Some people just aren’t cut out for audio/video media."

Related: - GigaOM and Revision3 Launch Internet Television Show

GigaOM and Revision3 Launch Internet Television Show

GigaOM and Revision3 today announced the debut of The GigaOM Show, a thirty-minute Internet television program that provides an unflinching look at technology news and rare interviews with business leaders.

Om Malik, widely considered one of the most influential blogger-journalists today, and Joyce Kim, a respected technology lawyer and entrepreneur, will co-host the program.

The GigaOM Show is targeted at executives in the high-tech industry, venture and angel investors, along with anyone who's fascinated about the continuing evolution of technology and the Internet.

[via Business Wire]

Joost signs up 1 million users

According to TVSquad, Joost co-founder Niklas Zennström says more than a million people have signed up to beta test Joost.

"It'll be interesting to see what happens when the service launches publicly. Zennström says that could happen by the end of the year."

[via Engadget]

Television, as you like it

Tomorrow, the BBC will change the way that broadcasting works in Britain for ever. When the much-touted iPlayer is launched to the public, albeit in a "beta" test form, no viewer need ever worry about missing a programme again, because a few clicks of mouse will bring it up on a computer screen, exactly as it was when it was transmitted live. The Telegraph reports.

"Mark Thompson, the corporation's director-general has called the idea "as big a revolution as the introduction of colour television". Soon, the time at which a broadcaster thinks a programme should be scheduled simply won't matter any more.

... The idea of downloading TV programs when you want, where you want is not new: Channel 4 has been doing it with great success since late last year with its 4oD service, earning its independent programme makers an extra £500,000 in just four months, and ITV is slowly unveiling its £20 million ITV.com website.

But the BBC is the biggest name in world broadcasting. Soon, British viewers will be able to download around 70 per cent of the programming available on current schedules, for free. "

JustinTV hangs out with Time Square's Naked Cowboy

It takes one to know one and birds of a feather flock together.

[via TechCrunch]

The Boat Is About to Rock (Again) in Internet Video

A new piece of software acts like a Web browser but displays only Internet video, presenting full-length shows and clips from the Web’s largest video sites. The New York Times reports on Veoh's web TV player.

"The product, now in a private testing phase, will be available to the public later this year. It has the potential to be a popular and practical way to watch online video. But like a long line of other innovative high-tech tools, VeohTV could also threaten and alienate traditional media companies and even cause some of Veoh’s Internet rivals to consider legal remedies."

Related: - Veoh launches web TV player

Microsoft announces Joost killer

In its most recent effort to reinvent and polish the wheel, Microsoft has announced what could be called the "Joost killer," although the company formally refers to it as LiveStation. ars technica reports.

"Using LiveStation, PC users can watch live, uninterrupted television from the comfort of their computer chairs.

Co-developed with a London-based company known as Skinker, the Microsoft Research team has created a way to stream live television over a peer-to-peer network and use Silverlight to display multimedia content on the client's system.

Since Joost already does free, streaming television with plenty of extra features, why would Microsoft even bother to go down this road? The answer is simple: because it is taking streaming video one further by offering presumably free, live content. In a video demo, Berlucchi also notes that LiveStation will be easily modified to work with mobile devices.

Currently, Microsoft is taking beta applications, but the LiveStation site warns you up front that only a few people will be chosen as testers. "

Joost and Babelgum, gated communities

Joost and Babelgum remind me of the early Internet. Both platforms are to watching TV online, what Prodigy, Compuserve and AOL were to the early Internet. Gated communites with no direct access to the WWW.

Warner opens Comedybox

Warner Music Entertainment, the video content division of Warner Music Intl., today announced the launch of Comedybox, a new online comedy channel, reports Variety.

"Channel will bring together comedians from around the world, as well as offer a forum for auds to post their own user-generated content and be judged by John Lloyd, one of the brains behind popular UK laffers "Spitting Image," "Blackadder," and current BBC quiz show "QI".

... The channel is set to launch in fall this year. A Wap version of the site for mobile phones is currently being developed which will give users access to all Comedybox content on demand."

BBC to launch on-demand Web TV service

The BBC's on demand TV service, the BBC iPlayer, will launch to the public on 27 July, the corporation has revealed. BBC News reports.

"UK users will be able to download popular shows over the net seven days after broadcast to watch on their PC.

Later this year, the service will also be available via links from YouTube and could also appear on other websites such as MSN, Bebo, and Facebook.

At launch the application will only work on Windows PCs but a version for the Mac could be available by autumn.

Over time other features will be added to the iPlayer including live streaming of programmes, the BBC Radio Player and "series stacking", which will allow users to download episodes from series retrospectively.

... At launch users will be able to download programmes seven days after their first transmission and will then have up to 30 days to watch them.

Programmes will include popular series such as Life on Mars; soap operas such as EastEnders and documentaries such as Planet Earth. Initially, 400 hours of programming will be available.

Some sporting events, such as Euro 2008, will be offered through the iPlayer as the service expands.

Mr Highfield said that over a 2MB broadband connection half and hour of programming would take approximately half an hour to download.

Once viewed in entirety, programmes will be automatically deleted. "

Campy TV shows get condensed

A new online channel shaves campy TV shows down to a few minutes each. The WSJ reports.

"Deciding whether to watch a rerun of "Fantasy Island" would normally raise the question: Is the nostalgia trip worth 60 minutes of your time? A new online channel is trying to settle that with old TV shows shaved down to a few minutes each.

The Minisode Network, launched this past week on MySpace, offers episodes from 15 TV series, predominately kitschy titles from the 1970s and '80s, including "Charlie's Angels" and "Silver Spoons."

They've been repurposed for Web audiences by editors who have slashed almost everything between theme song and closing credits. All that's left are major plot points, action sequences and witty one-liners -- and it's surprising how little seems missing."

All the Films You Want to See, but When?

Downloading movies over a high-speed Internet connection offers the promise of convenience, but promise is the operative word for this new method. The New York Times reviews the growing options and some of the better movie-playing machine for downloads.

"The DVD became the most popular way to view movies for good reasons. The discs are sturdy, and the crisp images do not degrade with repeated showings. They take up little space. Some DVD players are cheaper than buying a DVD movie.

So why would anyone want to watch movies any other way? There is the bother of going to the neighborhood video store or waiting for delivery by mail. But downloading movies over a high-speed Internet connection offers the promise of convenience. You can get them delivered when you want.

Promise is the operative word for this new method. There still aren’t a lot of titles available. Often the movies aren’t the latest releases. You may have to watch them on your computer monitor, not the 46-inch widescreen TV you just bought." ...

Veoh launches web TV player

Veoh, the online video site, has launched a downloadable player for users to access its content, making the viewing experience as near to TV as possible, reports e-Consultancy.

"Veoh TV will be a video browser, displaying videos from YouTube and other video sharing sites, along with content from major TV networks' websites, and organising the content into channels.

Veoh chief executive Dmitry Shapiro says he wants Veoh TV to be the 'killer desktop application' for online video.

As Veoh will find videos in the same way a search engine finds webpages, it is under no obligation to negotiate with the content providers. Whether the TV networks will be happy with this is another matter though.

The software and concept is similar to recently launched Web TV services Joost and Babelgum, though these two sites are taking a different approach, making deals with TV networks to show their content.

With videos taken from a range of sites, some of the picture quality may not match that on Joost and Babelgum, Veoh has a big advantage in terms of the sheer amount of content it can offer its users."

TV 2.0

The first in a series of posts by Tech Digest on the biggest technology trends for the second half of 2007, is about WebTV.

"Let's get one thing clear first. Online TV ISN'T about watching TV on your PC. Well, it is at the moment, because most of the people doing it are geeks like you and me. But in the long term, online TV is about delivering TV through your broadband connection to a proper TV in your living room, bedroom or wherever.

And that's why the next six months are going to be so interesting. The services that early adopters are watching on their monitors now – and there's a lot of them springing up – will be the ones that everybody else is watching on their TVs in a couple of years time."

... The most interesting thing to see in the next six months is how the Big Media companies tackle the area. Thankfully, they're already showing signs of a 'join 'em, don't try to beat 'em in the courts' attitude.

KEY QUESTIONS

1. Will the broadcasters just shovel their existing shows online, or will they also come up with original programming ideas that capitalise on Web 2.0 features?

2. Will TV 2.0 provide a platform for quirky, niche shows to get a wide audience? And will amateurs come up with great TV ideas beyond the obvious 'ooh, I set my testicles on fire' Jackass knock-offs?

3. If the new series of, say, Lost is airing on US TV, will it be streaming online at the same time? If so, can I watch it in the UK, even though it's not airing on regular TV for a few months? And if so, what's the point of Sky paying millions for it as an exclusive?

4. Where is Google and YouTube in this new world of TV2.0? Will YouTube expand to offer long-form programmes, or will Google buy Joost or Babelgum?

Zatoo. Live TV on your PC

Swiss technology start up Zatoo.com, which offers live TV to computers, was released a year ago with 5 downloadable channels.

To date, more than 350'000 Internet users have downloaded Zattoo and 67 television channels are available for live viewing, from Switzerland, Denmark and the UK.

Revenues are generated by 5 second ads which appear each time a viewer changes channels. And a subscription based payment model for premium content will be implemented by the end of the year.

[via Largeur.com]

Related: Zatoo - reviewed by The Red Ferret

Babelgum ads 30 content partners

Babelgum has just announced deals with 30 networks, broadcasters and content providers who decided to distribute content on their platform. Content range extends from sports to documentaries, from cartoons to news and music.

Here are the links, so that you can check them out. Most of them are already available, others are being uploaded now.

[via Babelgum Blog]

Joost takes embedding into Setop Boxes

The Register reports that Joost is talking about getting hardware manufacturers to embed their internet TV service player.

"... Joost, whose initial forays into distributing TV shows on the web have been complicated by technical glitches, is opening a new front in its campaign to elbow in on cable and satellite TV with its attempt to get its software embedded in the hardware that's in the living room."

[via I4U News]

Launch of video site for user generated controversy content

Friction.tv has released its full public site after a three-month beta period, offering users an‘online speakers’ corner’ to air their views, reports netimperative.

"The video-sharing site lets users upload videos of themselves commenting on a specific issue, no matter how controversial.

... As the site is unedited, people can get their message across without the fear of being misquoted. Recently, UKIP MEP Gerard Batten used the site to challenge the ‘Strangers into Citizens’ campaign which seeks to legalise irregular immigrants already working in Britain.

The site is viewer moderated, so any inappropriate content that crosses the boundaries of decency or that contravenes any law can be removed."

How does it work? Friction.tv works by sparking debates. The concept is straightforward. Anyone with an opinion on any issue can post a video recording of 30 seconds or maximum of 3 minutes. This sparks others into action: to shout out support; to put across a different view; or just to debate the point.

America lags behind Europe and S Korea in watching TV Online

In a related article on South Korea's grip with US TV series fever, YONHAP News reports that according to a recent poll of 114 college students, forty-four percent of the viewers said they take the episodes off peer-to-peer Web sites, while 48 percent said they watch the dramas on cable TV.

"We started adding our own translation scripts to watch American TV series on our computers long before TV adopted them," said one co-runner of an Internet fan club of 150,000 members, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of possible legal complications. "Public TV has belatedly jumped on the bandwagon."

Some warn that digital viewership can pose serious legal problems. "It does present a copyright issue, no doubt," said Won Woo-hyun, a mass communications professor at Korea University in Seoul.

Early May, the BBC reported that almost half of European broadband users are using their computers to watch television online, with the French being the most enthusiastic in consuming their favourite programs via the web.

And yesterday, TBO reported that in the US, only about 4 percent of the people who have an online connection are watching TV shows online.

So the US is really lagging behind. Behind Europe and behind Asia.

One explanation which I have given before and am sure it's a main reason is that in Europe at least, we get TV series 6 months to a year on our TV channels after their broadcast in the US. So being able to watch as soon as they come out in the US, is a huge attraction. They are usually posted on video sharing sites one to two days later.

Some of the Challenges Joost faces

A very interesting read from the San Francisco Chronicle, on Joost and other online video services targeted to the growing number of people around the globe who have access to high-speed Internet.

"Joost isn't the only company that has recognized the trend. It faces competition from just about every direction.

Telecommunications carriers are developing set-top boxes that download shows from the Web. Television networks such as ABC have set up their own sites and are encouraging fans to go there to watch their shows.

Apple is selling television and movie downloads from iTunes, which customers can transfer to their iPod, as well as to their television set via the new Apple TV.

BitTorrent, which developed the original peer-to-peer technology that made sharing large files possible, also has launched a download service with high-definition content.

Another challenge: While Joost has a growing list of programming, it isn't exclusive. Its partner, Turner Broadcasting System, for instance, also has a deal with Veoh. Warner sells its television shows on BitTorrent and iTunes. The National Hockey League also supplies clips for YouTube and Google.

Joost's success doesn't have to be at the expense of someone else, or the other way around, said Brent Weinstein, head of digital media at the United Talent Agency, which represents some of Hollywood's biggest stars and has been evaluating Joost for its clients. "It's not like traditional film and television where everyone is fighting over rare and finite time slots," he said.

Image from FutureLAB.

Viewers Catch Up On TV Shows Online

Broadcast networks have just started experimenting this season with online repeats of popular series right after they air, writes TBO.

"Fans can find recently aired episodes of series such as "Lost," "24" and "Heroes" at various Web sites.

ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, The CW and PBS offer many of their series for free online. But there are other sources, such as Apple's iTunes Web site, which has more than 350 TV series - current and classic - that can be downloaded to a computer or an iPod for as low as $1.99 per episode.

Wal-mart, through Wal-mart.com, sells downloads of TV shows from Fox, The CW, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and VH1 for $1.96, starting the day after they air.

A trend that is expected to explode next year as today, only about 4 percent of the people who have an online connection are watching TV shows online.

Jeff Gaspin, NBC Universal's president of digital and cable content, recently told MulltiChannel News that online viewing doesn't steal viewers away from broadcast episodes. "I see the opposite," he said. "It's a chance to get in front of new eyeballs and generate traffic and interest back to the on-air broadcast."

HBO makes pilot of new TV series available for online viewing and sharing

In a new marketing scheme, HBO has teamed up with online video-sharing sites to make the pilot episode of its new prime-time comedy series Flight of the Conchords available for streaming and legal sharing prior to the series’ linear premiere on June 17. WorldScreen reports.

"As of now through June 17, the entire 30-minute episode will be available online via portals such as MySpace, iTunes, Yahoo TV, MeeVee, iFilm, Superdeluxe, Blip TV, Movielink, and the affiliate broadband sites Comcast.net and Roadrunner.com.

Additionally, in an HBO first, users can legally share the full episode, which will be portable via codes that allow them to embed the episode on blogs, websites, and social networking profiles. "

MySpace Signs Partners To Expand Video Offerings

MySpace, the social-networking Web site owned by News Corp., plans to launch a new section with video and other online content from nearly a dozen entertainment and media companies, including National Geographic, the New York Times and action-sports film group Studio411.

The content will cover music, celebrities, action sports and other topic. [via WSJ]

Zatoo - reviewed by TRF

The Red Ferret reviews Joost competitor Zattoo after trying out a beta version for a few days. Zattoo enables you to watch an impressive array of major television channels on your computer: Bloomberg, CN, BBC, arte, World News, France2-3, TSR1-2, Rai Uno, Canale 5...

TRF writes: "It’s pretty darn cool. The quality is at least as good as Joost, if not better, and the content speaks for itself. The image you see here is taken from standard daytime BBC television running at approx 5 seconds delay from the live transmission. (yes I checked).

Can CBS Put the Net Into Network?

CBS, after a year of experimenting with various Web initiatives, says that forcing consumers to come to one site -- its own -- to view video hasn't worked. The WSJ reports.

"Instead, the company plans to pursue a drastically revised strategy that involves syndicating its entertainment, news and sports video to as much of the Web as possible.

It represents a stark departure for the TV industry. Most of CBS's major competitors, including Walt Disney Co.'s ABC, General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal and News Corp.'s Fox, are to some degree all betting that they can build their own Internet video portals.

Starting this week, an expanded menu of CBS's video content will be available for free to consumers on as many as 10 different Web sites ranging from Time Warner Inc.'s AOL toJoost , a buzzy online video service that is just rolling out. The company calls its new venture the CBS Interactive Audience Network".

Related: - Jeff Jarvis on CBS’ strategy

Paid and free content can coexist

ITWire writer Stephen Withers thinks Forrester Research 's assertion that online video sales are doomed by the arrival of free, advertiser-supported services, is questionable.

"Ad-supported shows clearly have a place, and Joost is lining up to tap the market for premium content paid for by advertisers.

... The real problem is producers' continued insistence on doing business on a country-by-country basis. As long as that happens, there will be a strong incentive to download unauthorised copies of TV shows and movies via BitTorrent or other peer-to-peer protocols. "

Again, the fact that many online TV viewers flock in droves to websites that stream the latest episodes of their favorite shows - for free and with no commercials - is not being considered in the equation. To watch TV online, you no longer need to download via BitTorrent nor do you have to watch commercials-which-can''t-be-fast-forwarded on Joost.

Related:

-- Threat for Big Media: Guerrilla Video Sites

-- Forget YouTube: Go To These Sites If You Want Hard Core Copyright Infringing Content

Multitasking while watching TV online

Louise Story ponders the future of online television for The New York Times and describes trying out Joost and Babelgum with her husband.

"Within a few minutes of logging on to Joost, Motorola, Hewlett-Packard and Kraft all zapped ads at us. Babelgum will not have ads until later in the year and is planning to make its ads skippable during the trial period.

As we watch the Guinness World Records TV channel on Joost, boredom creeps in. How long can you watch television these days without doing something else? My husband pulls up his favorite technology site alongside Joost... Soon, he pulls out his laptop, too, and turns on the regular television.

Time passes — and I cannot sit still. I reach for my BlackBerry to check e-mail. But wait. Joost and Babelgum have solutions for the multitasker generation. Joost enables chatting and viewing on the same screen. Babelgum plans to introduce a chat tool this summer.

... Our experience with Joost and Babelgum made us think that the services should add more televisionlike content to expand the range of people who might watch.

They also should probably stick to their strengths as television sites where consumers can multitask while watching. "

Net TV Gets Juiced

That viewers will spend long stretches watching shows online is a wake-up call to the networks. Business Week reports.

"NBC executives had two reservations about putting full-length episodes of their current lineup online... The first was that no one would watch. The second was that everyone would watch—and then stop watching TV.

Conventional wisdom held that the computer was for clips, that people liked snacking on short clips. How else to explain the millions flocking to video-sharing site YouTube? But how many TV fans would bother to watch a 30-minute TV show on a small screen, especially especially when they have a TV at home?

Lots of them, apparently. Since last fall, when many networks began streaming full-length episodes of their prime-time shows online, Web surfers have shown a willingness to sit in front of the computer and watch TV-length programs. NBC has had 100 million streams of its shows since last fall. "Lots and lots of people are doing this, and they are sitting through entire episodes," says George Kliavkoff, NBC Universal's chief digital officer.

Network executives and analysts agree that the desire to "time shift," to watch prime-time programming at other times of day, is driving the consumption of full-length TV dinners, rather than two-minute clips.

Many viewers use the Internet as a convenient way to catch up on favorite shows they have missed or try out shows that they never were around to see before.

... Right now, many networks are largely saving their current prime-time shows for their own online sites, or refusing to air them online at all, and giving services such as Joost shows from the archives. However, if Joost proves popular, they're likely to release more from the store."

And while they (Big Media and Joost) wrangle of the above, viewers who want (commercial free) full length copies of the latest and hottest TV shows are already viewing them in droves on rogue video sharing sites .