The Power of Video
As I logged in this morning I received an email from a friend who had watched the CMA's (Country Music Awards - yes, my wife and I are country music fans) last night. He sent me a link to a video posted on YouTube that showed Faith Hill visibly distraught after not winning Female Entertainer of the Year. While many of you may not care whether Faith wins the award, what struck me is how pervasive video is becoming in the new technology arena - in the last week I've been hit with three concepts that have the potential to change the game completely.
I am by no means a television or video fanatic - the last movie I saw in a theatre was Oceans 11 (and Goodwill Hunting before that). I do, however, see a massive wave of the "power of video" coming upon us, and YouTube is just the start.
1) I'll count my YouTube/Faith Hill experience as one, and I won't go into detail here because the YouTube phenomenon has been written about ad nauseum. Anything you saw today could be viewed by millions tomorrow, and it can change public perception in an instant.
2) I read another article last night about Qualcomm's MediaFLO offering, which promises to deliver a much higher quality video (streaming, live, clips, etc.) experience than what you see today on your mobile phone. Announced in 2004, the service has companies like Samsung and BSkyB lining up behind it and could drive a much more ubiquitous experience for users. There are many other companies pursuing like services - Google the concept and you'll find many sites numerous sites with coverage. Though MVNO's specializing in video content have not taken off (view ESPN Mobile's "ceasing of service" notice here), I personally would be a buyer of high quality sports clips in near real-time (delivered via my regular plan at the right price), and I'd absolutely pay for a service that would let me view clips of my daughter in ballet class in near real-time. Bottom line - we're not far away.
3) I heard via a friend about a stealth, venture backed company, which shall remain anonymous, that is working on patented technology (which would essentially sit at the switch level) that would enable users to send real-time streaming video via their mobile handset to other users. What's the big deal? In its simplest form, have you ever been at a nightclub in Vegas and wanted to show someone in Virginia exactly what you're seeing (I have)? Or a sporting event, rock concert, etc. - the possibilities are endless.
Bottom line - as innovation continues on the mobile and media fronts, handsets get more sophisticated, bandwidth really does become ubiquitous, and the "three screen" revolution really takes hold - watch out. Whether you are a country music star (see: Faith Hill) or an investment banker who had a few drinks and started dancing on the bar - your life could get a lot more interesting, real fast...
Comments
Video has played a role also in the recent election. Consider what happened to S.R. Siddharth and the Virginia Senate race.
In August of 2006, Siddharth (who is a Webb campaign volunteer) was called "Macaca" by Allen at a rural polical rally. This put Allen in the spotlight of a series of awkard video incidents that were publicized not just on traditional media like CNN, but CONTINUOUSLY on places like YouTube. Other interesting incidents include George Bush's whispering to Blair at an EU summit, and W rubbing the shoulders of a surprised Chancellor of Germany.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/24/AR2006082401639.html
Posted by: Graham Gillen | November 8, 2006 10:53 AM
I agree that phone-to-phone video would be game changing, but it doesn't offer the millions of viewers that YouTube can.
One thing cell phones are changing is the ubiquity of video-recording devices. Everybody under 25 is now carrying a "video recorder" in their front pocket; we'll be seeing more and more interesting/embarrassing videos than ever, simply because people have the means to record them and the means to broadcast them.
We'll also get to experience things that we otherwise might have missed...like the first time a Cal player rode around the field in a go cart with serendipitous shot of the first time Oski got rolled up the stands!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=iChgCGa0ikg
Posted by: Dan Ciruli | November 9, 2006 06:40 PM