First we had VHS delivery. Then we shrunk to create video for kiosks. Later we adapted video to fit a tiny window for 56K modems. And guess what? Except for performance speeds and better resolution, we’re still working with relatively the same video size despite a decade of web. Even worse, cell phones are going to be a dominant video-distribution channel which has implications for content, audio, camera shot and type. No more small titles and wide shots… unless you want facial expressons that are 7 pixels.
Just when I was beginning to think my grandchildren would be watching video on an erasor head, I got this release…
GridNetworks launches a new delivery platform for DVD-quality digital content. The GridCast™ Platform is a new system that provides instant-on, full-screen, DVD-quality video to broadband-connected viewers worldwide.
“Demand for video content on the Internet is growing at a phenomenal pace, but consumers are still watching video in tiny windows that constantly re-buffer. The only alternative today is to wait for hours to download a movie and play it later,” said Jeff Payne, co-founder and chief executive officer of GridNetworks. “GridCasting is an entirely new content delivery approach that provides broadband users worldwide with reliable, immediate access to full-screen, DVD-quality video.”
What’s this mean to amateur video creators? Probably not much in the short term. It seems like a way that larger media properties can distribute better quality content without worrying about theft. We amateurs do need to keep one eye open on methods like this that can transform traditional broadcast methods. This could change the playing field and the economics.
Talking to Brightcove tomorrow, so hopefully I’ll have more insights on this web/broadcast conversion that is occuring faster than I might have anticipated.
Hello Nalts 🙂
The world of video on the web started out postage stamped size, these days it’s postcard sized (even the downloadable movies from Apple are only postcard sized). That is a tiny footprint compared to our coming support for full screen TV set top boxes.
YouTube and Google quality is abominable. It’s time to demand more. Hopefully, people will recognize that quality and quantity can be had equally, today, but it does take a shift in the technology paradigm to become possible.
Newell Edmond
Chief Technologist, GridNetworks, Inc
Personally, I’m looking forward to IPTV or whatever it is called. The future of television should be a nice mix of On-Demand for prerecorded shows and live channels for ongoing events like news and award shows. It would be ideal for me if I could simply download a full HD episode of the Office and then watch it whenever I wanted and port it to DVD or other hard disks. Instead, I have to tune in or Tivo it at 7:30 central time on Thursdays. Or I could get a low quality version on iTunes. I think Apple’s iTV idea is the next big thing. It is like a mix of iTunes video service and traditional TV.
Sounds cool. But if it’s really just an encrypted peer to peer then it’s promised speeds are really dependent on how many users there are. A recognized brand would have a hell of an easier time getting users to install anything on their pcs especially if it’s software that could potentially leave them vulnerable to hackers.