In the recent months we see new ways to deliver web videos to your television. Apple TV, and Tivo’s new features are just two examples of this trend. With new Media Centers out there, we can assume that this trend will increase in both magnitude and importance.

How will it affect the world of independent content creators? I believe that this process is a double edge sword:

1 . We will see more exposure to independent content creators – as shows like Ask a Ninja and Something To Be Desired will be shown on living room TV sets, one of the major barriers of entry to these new media creators will be removed – people won’t need to watch video online, but in their regular TV. Though seems logical, I believe that this process will take some time to happen. Though Tivo users are not necessarily early adopters I still believe that it will take some time till my mother will use media center. Therefore, it is not clear how many new users will start watching web shows, as I assume that media savvy early adopters already watch them.

2. Production quality will rise – though current production quality of indie content creators is very good, when moving from small video screen in a web site to full blown TV format, things change. In the 3D animation company I had in the past, we had a clear distinction between productions for internet, mobile, television, and cinema as the effort to create high quality show is correlated with screen size in some aspects. Small details are more apparent.

3. And it will be harder to beat the competition – today most people do not expect the same level of product from internet video as they expect from television show. When users will be able to see a web show, and a minute later another episode of Studio 60 or Prison Break, their level of expectation will change, starting with script level, through actors, and general production value. This is THE major challenge for indie content creators in my opinion – as they begin to be an alternative to regular television.

4. Indie content creators will change the type of content they are creating – from short, 5-8 minutes flicks, to longer formats. The attention span in television is longer than in the internet, and people are willing to watch longer formats there. However, it might prove to be the killer of this industry. Longer formats are usually more expensive, and complicated to produce. As production cost and complexity rise, the competitive advantage of indie content creators, the ability to create quality content cheaply, is lost. Time will tell if there are enough talented creators to face the high profile, high cost productions out there. It might be that this will be the first wave of Creative Darwinism, when only the most talented content creators will survive.

How do you see it?

More to come…

Pulver and his gang gathered yesterday in Times Square, with signs saying “I want My Network2“, in a remake to MTV’s campaign. All this was done at the same time that MTV’s TRL show is being filmed nearby, with a window towards the square.

Yep, the sky is the limit when it comes to promoting the new media world!

More to come…

Galacticast, a web show parody of Sci-fi genre, submitted a clip to N2 contest that clearly captures the difference between old and new media. Enjoy!

So, here it is – the complete link guide to the most interesting people I met in VON07 in N2 events (yes, it includes the lounge party, after party and the whole party thing), in no particular order:

Jim Long, founder of Verge New Media, NBC cameraman at day and entrepreneur at night.

Don Loeb, VP of Partner Services at FeedBurner, who gave a great presentation about the evolution of media distribution

Casey McKinnon, Galacticast executive producer, the group which made my favorite N2 submission of all.

E. Barlow Keener (didn’t know he has such a long name, everyone call him Barlow), my favorite MA lawyer, and a relentless networker who wants to do something with ads

Brian Conley, the guy behind Alive in Baghdad

Revital Westriech Reitzes, VP of Business Development of Payoneer, an Israeli who lives in the US, with the longest name I’ve ever heard for a business development person.

David Kowarsky, the guy with the cam, and the creator of Focus for N2

Mike Walsh, independent media and technology consultant from HK, who kept stealing my WiFi signal

Dovev Gouldstein, Founder of VooV, who has an extremely close relationship with Chris

Roxanne Darling, from Bare Feet Studios, that make Hawaii look even better

Hillel Scheinfeld, COO of Qoof, a user generated advertisement (usermercial) company , that tried to sell me a watch all the time

Christian Oxholm Zigler, CEO of Play Networks, who was a long way from home.

Justin Kownacki, the producer of Something To Be Desired, and a guy that finds a story in everything he sees

Karen Blanchette, ECC (Extreme Chick in Charge), the woman behind SkyDiveGirls, extreme sport show for women

Dina Kaplan, COO of Blip.TV, whom I wrote about already

Chaim Goldman, the guy behind IsraelHighTech.tv, and a full blown Zionist entrepreneur

Michael Bailey, President and CTO of Mobasoft, who was not in Kansas anymore, was kind enough to listen to a telecom panel, and didn’t have a liver

Bart Amelinckx, (no, it is not a typo, this is his name, really), xSP relation manager at Belgacom, and a great drinking buddy

Chris O’brien, CEO of Motionbox, who presented some very interesting ideas in his panel re video mixing for dummies

Jeff, Chris

and one British embassy rep.

Thank you all for a great week – reflections coming soon…

BTW – if you are going to do the same, please tag it with N2 LinkORama…

VON ended yesterday , and after tons of parties, discussions, and panels, I am certainly more educated about the new media field.

One thing makes this event different from others. Chris Brogan, Network2.tv community developer was quite amazing in my opinion. In a way, he is the networking equivalent of the Energizer Bunny. The guy was always nice and smiling, and gave me the feeling that he is constantly thinking who should I meet. He has introduced me to a bunch of guys that without his pro-activity, no chance I would have met. Considering the fact that this multi-day event also included a lot of parties, it seems like sleep was no more than a concept for him. The same goes for Carl Ford on the Voice on the Net side, that introduced me to many valuable contacts in informal gatherings.

So, when you think about whether to come or not to go to VON:

1. Don’t just look at the exhibitors and decide based on that -VON is a great place to meet and interact, much better than most of the shows I know.

2. Don’t forget to say hello to Chris and Carl.

Chris Brogan at Spring Video On The Net 2007

Let’s try some live blogging. I am at Jeff Jarvis industry perspective.

Here are the highlights:

1. We are networks – we have channels, we have shows, we have series. we don’t have money but not expenses. We are TV – and we just began. We are 1954 in TV – TV sucked then, we suck now, but we will get better cause we can’t get worse.
2. The advertisers give up – they loose and so are we. Our real friends have hard time in finding us. There is no longer one definition of good. The definition of big changes – blockbuster is dead. The top 100 shows are still very small.
3. It’s about conversation – the most watched list is meaningless, size doesn’t matter – but quality does.
4. We can do things right, and define what is right.
5. What should we do? Our roughness is good. We don’t want to be old TV- let’s hope we don’t become one. we shouldn’t have orthodoxy.
6. We will distribute our content in various outlets. The viewers are not going to come to us. We have to go to them.
7. Viacom legal action is stupid. YouTube gives recommendation on Viacom shows – why kill it?
8. Old media is about control. We need to understand how we can work without control and still get money.
9. We can work with the big guys, by cooperation. Viral is great but hard, but the good stuff are the series, that build audience over time.
10. Money – I am not getting any money. We are not ready for advertisers.

What do we need?

1. Measurements – Metrics is sex. In a distributed world it is harder than usual. we need context – we need a unique identifier to every video item we distribute.
2. We need to experiment on ads
3. We need to serve ads across platforms
4. Trust and identity of our content across networks
5. Help the advertisers and viewers to get in touch with us
6. How to find good content?
7. Relationships – big old TV won’t die and is not the enemy. they give infrastructure, we can teach them how to be smarter. CBS is doing great as they use Youtube, unlike Viacom
8. Protection against regulation – this is not content, this is conversation. we need to fight to keep TV ours.
9. Creativity – we will make better stuff…

This guy is very energetic, and knows how wake up the crowd. Read more at his blog.

My media consumption habits are quite tech oriented. I download most of my favorite shows (Prison Break, The Wire) using Bittorent. I watch them as they air in the US, regardless of local schedule ( I live in Israel btw…). I use my mobile phone for mobile email, news, and where I can locate a hotspot – download videos. I use Democracy to see webisode and shows I find in Network2.tv.

And, most important point is that these channels are the ONLY ones I use in the last couple of years. I don’t have cables in my apartment, and don’t watch regular TV.

Well, at least until yesterday. Me and my better half decided on subscribing to the minimal channel package of the Israeli cable provider. After less than 24hrs with good old television, one thing I can tell you is that when you are used to On Demand experience, this whole programming concept looks ridicules. I was astonished to see the amount of commercials, and even worse – low level content that broadcasted in prime time.

My parents don’t have any problem with that – they like the fact that in a specific time they get show X with production quality Y. But for me it was extremely annoying to wait till the commercials end, to wait till the best shows are on, and to see a lot content, that in most cases, isn’t relevant to my interests.

It seems to me that in an on demand world, viewers are spoiled. As my nephew says – they want it, and they want it now. Content creators who used to rely on obedient viewers, or piggyback low quality productions on high rating shows, should wake up and smell the coffee.

We are spoiled. We know what we want. We know when we want it. We know how we want to watch it. So please, just make sure we can find it, download it quickly, and watch it as we see fit…

A picture of a Future On Demand Viewer

My guide to the joys of television on the internet. And my entry into the Network2 “How do YOU watch Internet TV?” competition. While I’m not suggesting that I should win, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting. Click here to watch or click on the melon below.