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?

[R. Brennan Knotts]

Jon: "So, when I'm on a hike through the woods in the middle of nowhere and I see a rock that reminds me of my grandmother..."

A rock that reminds you of your grandmother? Really? I think you need to finish this story.

No wait, save it for Cantaseries.

[John Nichols]

Jon,

Now I got a great laugh at your fork comment. Made me thing about the debate about breathing celebrities or historical figures' breath....like the probability of Ceaser's last breath.

I am not sure that I want to know the story of some things in the universe...muchless delivered in video....

-John

[Jason Lee]

I hope web video doesn't replace broadcast television any time soon.

I would be out of a job if I couldn't help people with their TV commercials. I guess I would adapt and start helping people with their user generated web video!!!

I think as long as there isn't user generated video that covers the weather and traffic every 20 minutes we'll still have good ole broadcast TV for a while.

Interesting topic! I’ve enjoyed reading your responses.

[Jim Brown]

Jason - I would start preparing now for LAT (Life After TV). It's going away quickly. People HATE commercials. They are intrusive, and rarely relevant, and you CAN'T interact with it, control it, consume it, take action on it.

Plus, think about the local environment alone - there is Comcast, Brighthouse, Dish, Direct, ATT, etc. Then there are hundreds of channels on each of those platforms. Then there are 24 hours in each day. Then there is the fact that TV is mostly used for background noise....

I'll enjoy LAT considering I rarely watch the thing anyway.