Looking at Video on the Web with Ken McCarthy

I finally got one…

I won it in a sales contest…never would have bought one.

On the other hand, now that I have one, I’m very glad to have it.

The MacBook Air (my previous lightweight option) was a piece of ****. It was lightweight alright, in every sense of the word. I don’t know anyone who likes “the Air” but I do know many people who foam at the mouth at the very mention of it.

The iPad, in contrast, actually does what it’s supposed to do which is:

1. Let you carry out basic Internet functions (mail, browsing, audio and video)…

2. With a small, lightweight device

iPhones etc. are a little too small for real video watching as far as I’m concerned.

I’m sure someone has mentioned this somewhere already, but it not here goes:

Thanks to the iPad, we now have graduated from 24/7/365 video on demand…(who needs TV anymore?)…to PORTABLE 24/7/365 video on demand (as long as there is a wireless signal.)

That’s a pretty big leap of evolution (even though I know they’ve had something like this in South Korea for at least four years!)

What’s next?

There must be something that’s “next” but once all the world’s video is available on demand 24/7/365 on a portable and truly useful device, what could possibly be next in the video world?

Improvements in detail, in delivery, in price etc. sure, but with this device we’ve reached the Promised Land…if the Promised Land means being able to carry around a device that lets you access video on demand on any subject under the sun at any time of day or night.

A lot of people are counting on it becoming huge – marketing to people’s cell phones and mobile devices.

I do believe that these devices – now in 75% of American homes – will take an increasingly central place in people’s lives, but I also believe that marketers who think they can impose ad models on mobile from other mediums may find themselves in for a rude awakening.

Some numbers from Forester Research:

1. Only 16% are interested in free downloads (like ring tones) in exchange for watching ads
2. Only 15% are interested in entering a code from a product or advertisement
3. Only 14% are interested in loyalty programs or frequent-shopper cards tied to their cell number
4. Only 12% are interested in listening to audo ads in exchange for free director assistance
5. Only 11% want to see ads next to mobile maps or directions
6. Only 7% want to see ads in mobile games
7. Only 6% want to see banners on the top of a mobile web page
8. Only 4% want to see text messages from advertisers
9. Only 3% want to receive cell phone calls from advertisers

Do these results mean that all these models are doomed?

Not at all. When the first banner ad appeared on a web home page there was a near cyber-riot among early Internet users. People learned to acccept them – and ignore them.

I think models that trade a value (download or service) in exchange for a consumer’s agreeing to listen to an ad might work and whether folks like it or not, there will be banner ads on mobile pages, ads next to mobile maps and directions, and advertising in mobile games.

Also, for sure, people who are interested in a product will text message a code to get more information and that may be  one of the most immediate uses for us’n.

No one wants to opt-in or be on another mailing list – unless the goodie they’re being offered is immediately relevent to their interests and passions. When that’s the case, consumers don’t think twice about sharing info about themselves.

At the bottom of this article, I’ll share a link to a cool site that offers used handhelds at a discount, but first, a thought.

As I was paging through "Smartphone and Pocket PC" with my young nephew Jacob (he’s a massive cell phone ethusiast and his younger brother Sam is a massive small screen games player), it occurred to me what’s about to happen…

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This is the third in a spontaneous, unplanned and somewhat goofy series of articles about mobile computing.

Why do I say "goofy"? Because you’d think in the middle of System 2007, I’d have more pressing things to do than jump into a brand new (to me) field and start thinking and writing about it, but I’ve learned not to second guess my instincts on these things. A bell has gone off in my brain that says "now’s the time."

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to wrapping your mind around the mobile world is the dizzying variety of mobile niches. Here’s how to make sense of them…

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Earlier this week, I reported that I’ve finally become a regular cell phone user.

It’s really opened my eyes.

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Motorolo just bought Terayon for $140 million.

This is the year I finally became a serious cell phone user so I’m going to start paying a lot more attention to these stories and what they mean.

Heavy use of a cell phone has made three things clear to me:

1. Mobile is where things are headed. The PC will be for production (word processing, graphics, video), TV sized entertainment (video games and TV), and involved browsing, but a lot of what people use their PCs for will migrate to the handheld.

Clearly, e-mail is headed there. So is what I call simple browsing: searches where you’re looking for something immediately needed – and local – like stores, hotels, gas stations, or places to eat.  As for play, a whole generation of kids have been trained on Game Boys so I can see lot sof entertainment possibilities too.

2. Handhelds wil get more elaborate: bigger screens (for video watching), more mini-keyboards, and headsets will become common.

3. In this environment, consumers will not be very receptive to intrusive advertising. In fact, they’ll be as opposed to it as they are to intrusive telemarketing.

Interestingly, some of the things that Motorola reportedly bought Terayon for included its ability to deliver locally relevent video, permit digital insertion of ads, and graphic overlays.

I’ve actually developed a system that makes these same capabilities availble to web publishers. I’m hoping that after the System Seminar, I’ll have some time to package it for others to use. It’s quite slick, easy to use and makes it a lot easier to make Internet video sell.

An important acronym that no one is paying attention to (yet):

DMB

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