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Online Video Brings Out Our Inner Network Executive [Searcher](Searcher Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) My public internet access library patrons love online video. Several of them spend all day, literally, watching YouTube and Vimeo. The homeless dude with the long white beard loves black-and-white classic films. The gal with the intellectual disability keeps up with celebrity gossip via TV clips. The elderly Asian lady, who always wears gloves, dozes as a preacher hectors her from the computer screen. In a way, these patrons are on the cutting edge of technology. They don't sit home and wait for networks to feed them programming. They actively choose what they watch. My patrons have become their own network programming executives. Douglas Gomery, professor emeritus at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland-College Park, has noted that up until about 30 years ago, viewers had only three networks to choose from. These defined popular culture between 1949 and 1982. "That world is long gone," he writes (Haggerty, M. "Reality TV." CQ Researcher, 20, 677-700). After that, cable television gave us not three, but hundreds of channels from which to choose. Still, viewers had limited power over when to watch their favorite shows. Starting in the mid-1970s, viewers could record television programs on VHS. DVDs, introduced in 1999, made that process easier. Still, it was the advent of streaming video over the internet that really brought the power of programming to all screens, large and small. This has also proved to be a major threat to cable and satellite providers. Cutting the Cord Steve Swasey, VP of corp orate communications for Netflix, says that there are basically three models for delivering video over the internet. Netflix uses the subscription model: The subscriber pays a recurring fee in return for unlimited viewing. Other models are pay-per-view (Amazon and iTunes) and adsupported (YouTube). The subscription models are rapidly disrupting the status quo. According to David Lazarus, 2 million customers "cut the cord" in 2010, terminating their cable and satellite delivery services. In the economic downturn, many users "find it cheaper and easier to download their shows from Netflix and HuIu" (Lazarus, David. "Cable Needs a La Carte Menu," Los Angeles Times, Aug. 26, 2011, B:l). As a result, in July 2011, Fox became the first broadcast network to restrict free access to its shows through HuIu, of which it is part owner. Hulu www.hulu.com In 2008, as a defense against internet piracy, NBC Universal and News Corp., owner of the Fox network, teamed up to launch HuIu. They were joined by Disney, the owner of ABC, in 2009. HuIu specializes in showing the newest of the participating networks' television shows along with classic broadcasts and some movies. In exchange, viewers watch commercials, just as they would have done on broadcast television. This free service can only be accessed by a computer connected to the internet. HuIu introduced its subscription service, HuIu+, in 2010 with expanded offerings. For about $8 per month, users have unlimited access to the season's television programming, more movies, and the opportunity to stream content to a variety of devices, including smartphones, tablet computers, and the new "smart TVs," that is, television sets with integrated internet capabilities. There are still commercials on HuIu+, although there are fewer of them. Although Fox benefited from advertising revenue from HuIu, the streaming service caused the network to miss out on lucrative cable and satellite subscription fees. This is why, as of July 2011, most HuIu users must wait 8 days to see new Fox content such as Glee or The Simpsons. However, DISH network customers have been offered an "authentication" code" to unlock premium HuIu content, supposedly to reward them for maintaining their monthly satellite service even as they stream content via the internet. HuIu+ subscribers can also watch new Fox shows. Other Ad-Supported Services Of course, my patrons don't have expensive subscriptions. They want streaming video, but it must come gratis. They can visit the websites of their favorite networks to catch videos of recent television shows or choose from among these providers. YouTube www.youtube.com Founded in 2005, YouTube, now owned by Google, is a favorite of my library public internet access patrons, not only for the streaming amateur and professional videos (usually less than 15 minutes long) but also for music. Many use YouTube as a kind of jukebox, pulling down all kinds of recorded music, sometimes accompanied by a video and other times by a still shot of an album cover. In July 2010, YouTube began offering a video rental service. For prices ranging from free to about $7, YouTube subscribers can purchase a 24-hour pass to stream a variety of films. These are mostly second-tier newer releases and some older hits. Vimeo http://vimeo.com Professional musicians and civilians alike upload and share their videos on Vimeo. Search by person or group name or browse one of the many Vimeo channels. Some of the most interesting films are gathered on the channel called Staff Picks. Free Video Clips: AOL http://video.aol.com Recent newsworthy television video clips reside on this AOL portal formerly known as Truveo. Internet Archive: Movies http://webdev.archive.org/details/moviesandfilms Do you love classic, black-and-white films? Stream them here for free courtesy of the Internet Archive. Crackle www.crackle.com Sony developed Crackle in 2007 to stream full-length movies and TV shows from its archive, as well as video content developed specifically for the web. Just complete the free registration to watch on your computer only; there are no apps for watching on tablets or smartphones. Pay-Per-View Let's say that my family wants to watch a movie tonight, but we don't subscribe to a cable or satellite provider. Or, maybe the movie that we want to see isn't on the lineup. We can rent or buy a movie to stream to our computers with these services. iTunes www.apple.com/itunes Rent or buy movies or TV shows to download and watch on any device that runs iTunes. If your Apple devices operate on iOS 5, you can store your purchases on the iCloud to be fetched at any time. Do you want to watch a movie on your TV? Simply purchase the tiny Apple TV receiver for $99. It will pull your iCloud content down to your television for easy viewing. Los Angeles area special librarian Erik Y. Adams writes that he rents all his movies from iTunes. "A digital rent gives you 28 days to view a movie, and once you start playing you have 24 hours to finish. Prices range between 99 cents for single episodes of TV shows to $4.99 for new release, feature length, high definition movies." Movie purchases run about $20 on iTunes. Amazon.com Instant Video www. amazon .com Under "Shop All Departments" beneath the Amazon logo on the top left side of the page, choose "Amazon Instant Video" to find titles to download for rental or purchase. Rentals run about $4; Amazon charges up to $15 to buy a feature film. Amazon Prime members can stream a certain set of movies and TV shows for free, but these aren't usually the newest or best quality. CinemaNow from Best Buy www.cinemanow.com Buy or rent movies or purchase TV show seasons from CinemaNow, owned by Best Buy. These are not to watch on your computer but on your television, streamed through Blu-ray players, game consoles such as theXbox360, and CinemaNowready set-top boxes. Shows labeled "Available to Watch Instantly" can be streamed to computers. Subscription Services In return for a monthly fee, we can download as many television shows as we want from HuIu+. For movies though, there is one big choice. Netflix http://movies.netflix.com Netflix was one of the most beloved companies in the world. For $15 per month, users could have two DVDs at a time delivered to the home plus the ability to stream movies over the internet to computers and TVs (via internet-con nected game consoles). All that changed in July 2011, when Netflix announced that it would effectively raise its prices by 60% starting in September. During the next 3 months, the service lost 800,000 DVD customers and 200,000 online users, and its stock price dropped by 60%, according to Steve Frankel, a Dougherty & Co. analyst [www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-15/netflix-betsnew-content-deals-will-be-mea-culpa-to-angry-users.html]. Then in mid- September, Netflix announced that it would separate its DVD service into a completely different company called Quickster. This enraged customers, who had spent years building their DVD queues on Netflix only to have to recreate them on the new service. This time, Netflix responded to consumer pushback, canceling the Quickster idea by the second week of October. Netflix tried to explain its rationale, citing the cost for mailing DVDs and the coming obsolescence of that format. Still, its loyal clientele felt deeply betrayed by a brand they had come to love and depend on. And yet, Netflix remains the premier service for renting DVDs. Its library caters to "the long tail," making available obscure films that appealed to niche markets. It also offers Blu-ray Discs with crystal- clear movie viewing. Its streaming library, on the other hand, often lacks compelling films and TV shows. Also, the streamed quality of the films is not always the best, looking a bit fuzzy, especially compared to the resolution of a Blu-ray Disk. Yet, in spite of the price increase and the loss of STARZ content, including programs from Sony and Disney, Netflix remains a good value. The site has added a portal devoted to children's programming, an important service for anyone with kids. It is clear that Netflix will emphasize its streaming service at the expense of its DVD delivery. The Netflix Android app won't even access DVD selection. Still, DVD users will be relieved to find, when they visit the website, that their queue is still there. EpixHD www.epixhd.com EpixHD, from Studio 3 Partners, LLC, a joint venture between Viacom, Paramount, MGM Studios, and Lionsgate, is a video-on-demand service that delivers films to the computer or portable devices but only to subscribers of Charter, Cox Communications, DISH, Mediacom, Verizon FiOS, and Suddenlink. EpixHD is also a cable television channel on these providers. Online-Only Content With much programming being pushed out to smartphones as well as flat-screen TVs, some companies have begun to produce short-form videos designed to play on handheld devices. Yahoo! Screen http://screen.yahoo.com Yahoo! ramps up its streaming content with offerings from HuIu and ABC as well as original programming. New, entirely web-based shows include Primetime in No Time, a show that recaps events on daytime television; Failure Club, in which Morgan Spurlock explores the fear of failure; and Ultimate Proposal, a program that helps singles deliver memorable marriage proposals, hosted by Cameron Mathison. Vuguru http://vuguru.com Michael Eisner runs this studio that produces 90-minute segmented dramas designed to be broken down into smaller segments so that they can play on a multitude of platforms: over the web, on HuIu and AOL, on iPads, and streaming on Netflix. Vuguru's products include The Booth at the End and Don't Ask Don't Tell. Atom.com www.atom.com Visit Atom.com, which is run by Viacom's MTV Networks, to find user-generated and professional web-only comedy videos aimed at young men. The Future of Entertainment According to the Nielsen Co., a typical cable customer watches only about 17 channels on a regular basis. In the current economic climate, it hardly makes sense to pay for so many channels that most people don't watch. A typical example comes from Julia McDermott, a college professor in northern California. "My daughter, a college student who doesn't have cable TV, uses HuIu for the TV shows she used to watch at home on cable and Netflix for movies. She used HuIu free for a while, but I believe her roommates are now pitching in for the pay version. It's cheaper than Comcast." No wonder the cable companies are panicking. Wow. Well, the only sure thing is that technology will continue to bring shocking change to entertainment delivery. Didn't we see that in a movie once? Sharing Is Caring The advent of niche cable programming destroyed the social cohesion of a unified popular culture. Bring some of that oldtime commonality back by using these social networking sites and apps designed to encourage discussion about entertainment. It will be just like gathering around the water cooler at work to discuss last night's episode of All in the Family. GetGlue http://getglue.com My Facebook friend Drew Brown posted on his wail: "I'm watching She's Having a Baby." He was using the entertainment check-in site called GetGlue, which alerts his social media feeds about what he is watching on television, the movies and music he likes, and his favorite video games. Keep your friends abreast of your entertainment choices by downloading the free app for iOS devices, Android, and BlackBerry: http://getglue.com/apps. On the website, new GetGlue users are asked to select among a variety of television shows to help personalize suggestions for other programs they might enjoy. The service also offers "stickers" and discounts as check-in rewards. Tunerfish www.tunerfish.com The folks at Mountain View, Calif.'s Tunerfish (originally a part of Comcast but now its own startup) believe that the "line between TV and the Internet is blurring and will eventually be erased - adding dramatically the range of possible answers to the question, 'What should I watch right now?'" Users register for free and then start earning reputation points by sharing thoughts about TV, movies, and online video. Miso http://gomiso.com On your computer, iOS device, or Android phone, let the world know what you are watching. Follow featured programs such as So You Think You Can Dance, and answer fun questions like, "Who had the most ridiculous audition?" TVGuide www.tvguide.com Good old TVGuide, now owned by Lionsgate Entertainment, always lets us know what's on the boob tube. Join the site to share your watching preferences. Download the free iOS and Android apps to track TV on the go. Irene E. McDermott Reference Librarian/Systems Manager Crowell Public Library, City of San Marino Irene E. McDermott spends a lot of time in the buffer zone with her spotty DSL connection in Pasadena, Calif. (c) 2011 Information Today, Inc. |