Sling.com, the online video portal from the makers of the Slingbox, is now open to the public, putting it in direct competition with the likes of Hulu and Joost. Unfortunately, like so many other sites, it’s only open to U.S. citizens.

SlingMedia

SlingMedia is the company responsible for the popular Slingbox device which allows you to broadcast a TV signal around your house via the Internet. It’s also recently launched the SlingCatcher, a set-top box to compete with the likes of AppleTV and Roku.

Not content with managing market battles on two fronts, SlingMedia has recently opened its Sling.com video portal up to the public, allowing users to stream movies and TV programs for free in Flash video format.

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While some people are focusing on Blu-ray as the future of movies, there is a quiet revolution taking place which could eventually eschew the need for any physical format existing at all.

We’re entering a time when everything will soon be on-demand, with us, the viewers, choosing when and where we want to watch our favorite television shows and movies. Choice will soon be the new black.

A Utopian Future?

For this Utopian future to become a possibility, just a few things are required: a fast and reliable Broadband connection, a set-top box capable of delivering a multitude of content, and content providers willing to offer their goods in digital formats.

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YouTube has finally caught up with its competitors and made the widescreen, high definition 16:9 ratio the default setting. But why the move, and why now?

From 4:3 to 16:9

Up until now, YouTube has displayed videos in the 4:3 aspect ratio. There has been a high definition option for some uploads, but viewing it required adding a tag to the video’s URL.

Now, as announced on the Official YouTube Blog, all videos will automatically play in the 16:9 aspect ratio that everyone who has bought a television in the last few years will be accustomed to.

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The times they are a-changing, or at least Web video is. User-generated video content is losing its appeal and being replaced by professional content. So could this signal the death of UGC?

Online video has been built on the idea that anyone can produce content and upload it to a video sharing site for others to watch.

This idea even gives YouTube its catchphrase, with Broadcast Yourself being an intrinsic part of the company’s logo and ideals.

Evolving Economy

But things are slowly changing. Media companies and television stations are realizing the power of Web video, and how cards are stacking up to mean the years ahead will see a merging of the Internet with traditional TV broadcasts.

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A 19-year-old male from Florida has committed suicide live on Justin.tv while being egged on by forum posters. Does this show the problem inherent with lifecasting?

Lifecasting

Lifecasting has been with us for a good few years now, with Steve Mann being the first recognized 24/7 lifecaster in 1994, quickly followed by JenniCam in 1996.

Lifecasting now doesn’t necessarily mean you have to broadcast everything that happens in your life, with more and more people choosing instead to post regular daily video updates or important moments in their lives.

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Today saw the launch of the long-awaited New Xbox Experience on the Xbox 360. The Xbox Live service now includes the ability to stream content from Netflix.

The New Xbox Experience is an overhaul of the existing Xbox Live online service available to all Xbox 360 owners with an Internet connection. And Web video is now part of the deal.

Xbox 360 owners can now stream any of 12,000 movies and television episodes through their console direct to their TV. And it’s all free for existing Netflix subscribers and Xbox Live Gold members.

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The Goliath that is YouTube is without a close competitor when it comes to viewer numbers. But could the David of Hulu be about to beat it where it matters: in the pocket?

YouTube stands alone amongst the hundreds of Web video sites on the Internet. Owned by media giant, Google, it gets many times the amount of viewers than its closest rivals month after month.

But while viewers are important in this business, any company ultimately lives or dies by the amount of revenue it can make, and how much of that revenue ends up as profit. And on this score, YouTube has a keen competitor.

Hulu On The Rise

Hulu has only been open to the public for a year, and even then is only available to viewers in the U.S. thanks to those always present territorial rights licensing issues. But it’s already making huge progress where it matters most, with profits set to soar in the coming years.

Screen Digest analyst Arash Amel has forecast that YouTube will generate around $100 million in profit in the U.S. during 2008, while Hulu will manage around $70 million. Which for companies as far removed in terms of traffic numbers as these two is pretty astounding. But it gets better.

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