How is Online Video changing us?

[Douglas Karr]

The numbers are staggering... from Marketing Conversation:

ComScore is reporting that, in December, more than ten billion online videos were viewed by US users. And they’re saying that around 140 million Americans made these views. That’s about 28% of the population.

Google properties - essentially meaning YouTube - accounted for 32.7% of that figure, followed by a flurry of news oriented sites. Second was Fox Interactive Media which both covers news and host MySpace videos.

Here’s a cut and paste from ComScore’s press release:

77.6 million viewers watched 3.2 billion videos on YouTube.com (41.6 videos per viewer).

40.5 million viewers watched 334 million videos on MySpace.com (8.2 videos per viewer).

Online viewers watched an average of 3.4 hours (203 minutes) of online video during the month, representing a 34-percent gain since the beginning of 2007.

The average online video duration was 2.8 minutes.

The average online video viewer consumed 72 videos.

Clearly, this is something that's impacting all of our lives. I have AppleTV, download movie rentals, use YouTube and Seesmic. Oovoo is another application in beta right now that is showing incredible promise with respect to video and desktop sharing.

Right here in Indiana we have an online video startup, Cantaloupe.

With the average length viewed being 2.8 minutes, how is this changing medium affecting our homes, education, lives and work? Is it beneficial? Terrible?

[Jonathan Arnold]

video has been one of the greatest enhancements to my user experience on the web...when i view it on my terms. i resent when video is played without my permission or as a marketing gimmick that detracts from what i'm trying to accomplish. the internet is not tv.

btw, Doug, i love the placement of the "play" icon over your eye...makes you look pirate-y...arrrg! :-)

[Douglas Karr]

Jonathan,

Agreed. Nothing better when I'm at work (which is very quiet) and I launch a site only to have some audio blaring!

PS: Just luck on the 'play' icon. :)

[John Nichols]

With the enhancements of the Internet and the capabilities of high speed and the relative ease of content delivery, though, that is transforming how multimedia and "tv" is utilized. The Internet was not originally created for tv, I agree, but it's growing into something impressive. Heck, just the same way I just got rid of a cellphone that I thought was pretty cool that has a little camera to take photos and now have one that has a 16 gb hard drive and can play rented videos, send email, browse the internet and oh yeah place phone calls.

My 2 cents
-John

[David Anderson]

Jon,

You got me thinking with your comment about TV. TV is a creation of the last 50 years. It started as a phenomenal new technology that was free to all who could afford the box to access it ( much like the Internet). Society created a third party payment structure that allowed content creators to reach their audience by getting payment from those who wanted to leverage the exposure the medium created. (Google ads?) Over time, business models were created, refined, redefined, to the point where now 'tv' became a pretty stable and predictable medium.

The same forces are at play on the Internet only with seemingly limitless opportunity for expansion. But the same needs exist. There are content providers, an audience, and those who will 'pay' for chance to sell their wares to the audience. In many ways, the Internet is becoming exactly like TV.

One significant difference however is that TV's innovation curve flattened out quickly and the model for monetization via advertisement has been pretty stable over time. This has allowed for some standards to be set and enforced. With the constant state of innovation on the net, those standards are going to be harder to establish. One man's annoyance is another man's bread and butter. The nice thing is that forums like this can hopefully create some of those standards and expectations so the net doesn't become a giant noise maker.

[Scott Abel]

Video is changing user expectations. Once you view video documentation for assembling a shelving unit, for example, you may never likely want to read assembly instructions ever again. Ikea and others are exploring this medium now. Apple is using the same video documentation for both television commercials and for documentation and training. It's brilliant.

Customer love video documentation citing the user experience, including the ability to rewind and see a certain section of the instructions again, until they understand. And, they say, when produced professionally, it is akin to watching "how to" television shows on networks like HGTV, Discovery, Fine Living, Food Network, etc.

Additionally, user-generated video is taking off like wildfire.

David Pogue of The New York Times is also creating "how to" videos that he says are "real-world examples of how to use technology to do everyday things"...something the popular technology columnist says is what readers really want.

If you are interested in video, please see my blog post, Video Documentation: Seven Sites That Show You How To Do Things.

[Pat Coyle]

Just seeing your smiling face on the main page change Smaller Indiana for me today, doug!!

At first I had a Mao Tse Tung flashback...big brother is watching...but then I realized you are demonstrating what you're saying...

..will you tell us more about how you're using video? You know that new communication service you were telling me about? I think SI would like to know...

[Douglas Karr]

Sure Pat! I've been Alpha testing with a company, Seesmic, who has a unique niche in video. They've built a startup using Adobe AIR, a rapid development platform that is multi-media ready and cross-browser (and out of browser) compliant since it runs from Flash.

The product is used for having communications back and forth, as Twitter does with text. They released a robust API that can enable a ton of opportunities for third party applications to arise. For instance, if I posted the video above on Seesmic, you would all have the opportunity to respond visually. My blog now has a sidebar with videos I've found or conversations I've had myself on Seesmic.

Visual and audio has many advantages over text. As I write this, you can't tell what I look like, where I am, whether I'm smiling or frowning, upset or happy... etc. But with video, you're able to get a much clearer communication. I would liken it to the Nixon/JFK debates where people listening thought Nixon won, but people watching see that JFK won.

Personally, I've found that I have built solid relationships with people online using video much faster than on my blog. Where my blog took months to gain that trust and friendship, one or two videos had the same impact. It's a powerful medium!

[Douglas Karr]

Oh - and I forgot to mention Yahoo! Live as well. I can broadcast myself on the web, in fact, I have my own 'live' channel that is broadcast on my blog. All I need is a web cam and broadband and I can broadcast from anywhere!

And, using the Live site, I can actually have a video conference with as many folks as I'd like - no expensive equipment necessary!

[Kyle Lacy]

@Jon: That is exactly what i thought this morning when I opened my computer up to Smaller Indiana. Doug, a pirate!!!

The use of online video has taken the "consumer" experience to a whole new level. The simple fact that I can log on to a site and record my review of a certain tech. or consumer product is amazing. I love the fact I can log onto YouTube and view hundreds of thousands of consumer videos over the iPhone.

The advertising industry is starting to change drastically with the introduction of Online Video into the marketing medium of today's culture. My generation (the millennials) would much rather watch a GMA (guerrilla made video) than a car commercial on TV right before our favorite show.

Online Videos? IM FOR 'EM!

[Douglas Karr]

Kyle,

First... Arrrrr :)
Second.... I'm with you on YouTube. My son and I watch YouTube constantly on AppleTV and I'm even using it for work now. I can find out programming, marketing, and technology tips on YouTube in taped conferences, etc. I can also watch/listen while I'm working. That's much different effort involved than having to read!

[John Nichols]

I thought Doug had a little captain in him? Was his foot propped up on a box too?

I didn't even notice at first....
-John

[Nicki Laycoax]

If we didn't have videos.... You wouldn't be able to see how talented my kids are!