Connected TV platforms are growing in number as everyone tries to grab a piece of the emerging Web video sector. Vudu, up to now a distinct also-ran, has increased its chances of standing out from the crowd by being acquired by budget retailer Wal-Mart.

Vudu

Vudu is one of the many companies which started out offering a set-top box for serving Web video to consumers. When that strategy didn’t work, it became one of the many companies which switched to focusing on software rather than hardware.

This means Vudu’s service is now included on a number of other Web-connected devices instead, including televisions and Blu-ray players. The Wal-Mart deal will inevitably affect deals in place with Mitsubishi, Sanyo, Sharp, and Toshiba, but quite how isn’t clear.

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Video is going to play a big part in the success or failure of the iPad. And Apple needs services and content providers to come on board quickly if it stands a chance of taking the device mainstream. Hulu and CBS have at least hinted they would be willing to support the iPad.

Apple iPad

The iPad was rumored for a long time before it finally arrived, being unveiled by Steve Jobs at CES 2010. Designed to fill the void between smartphones and notebooks, the iPad is a touchscreen device costing from $499 upwards.

Apple hopes the iPad will change the way we consume media such as television, music, and games. But for that to happen, the company needs the backing of content creators and distributors.

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It’s all well and good having a multitude of different options for watching TV on the Web – and the options are increasing all the time – but you need to be able to find the content to be able to watch it. Which is where Clicker comes in.

Clicker has just raised $11 in funding, and must be hoping that traffic will now follow.

But Where Is It?

There are so many ways of watching television online now. YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, iTunes, and the TV networks own Web sites are just a smattering. But with so many sources it’s sometimes hard to know where to start.

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Hulu UK has been delayed yet again, this time by disagreements over the kinds of advertising deals UK broadcasters could offer. And with the likes of Channel 4 and Five now offering their content on YouTube and SeeSaw, I’m beginning to wonder if Hulu will ever go international.

Hulu U.S.

In the U.S., Hulu is doing phenomenally well. It hit the one billion video views in a month milestone in December 2009, bringing a great year to an even better close. And 2010 is likely to see traffic increase even more.

This year will also see Hulu likely experiment with a paid subscription model alongside its free model. However, Hulu is currently limited to the States, with those of use who reside outside America blocked from watching content.

What Hulu needs to do is move abroad and go international.

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Netflix’s streaming service, ‘Watch Instantly’, is becoming a bigger part of the company’s offering all the time. It’s adding 300 independent films to its lineup and boasting that almost half its subscribers now use this part of the service.

Watch Instantly

Netflix’s ‘Watch Instantly’ is the streaming service that comes free as a part of the DVD-by-mail subscription. And it’s a growing entity, becoming more popular and being added to more devices all the time.

Netflix’s ‘Watch Instantly’, with its 17,000 movies and TV episodes, is now available through a number of source, including the PS3 and Xbox 360 games consoles, and it could be coming to the Wii soon as well.

The last we heard of the service was early in January when Netflix announced a controversial new deal with Warner Bros. that sees DVD releases delayed by a month but more titles offered up for streaming. Which suggests where the future of Netflix lies.

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Cricket is one of those sports you either love or hate. There’s very little middle ground. Those who love it are in for a treat over the next few months as the Indian Premier League tournament takes place. And all, for free, on YouTube.

YouTube Progresses

YouTube is becoming much more than it once seemed it would ever be. Already by far the most popular online video destination on the Web, serving one billion videos a day, it’s now turning its attentions to professional content as well as the bread and butter of UGC.

YouTube has already done deals with a number of media companies which have added movies and TV content to the site. Channel 4’s 4oD being a prime example. Sporting events are also now being added to the roster.

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There’s a definite move away from physical media to digital media. And a number of devices and delivery methods are contributing to the growth of this trend.

However, while Netflix is hoping to add another device to its distribution network, it’s still confident that physical media will last for another 20 years, with DVDs being mailed out until at least 2010.

Netflix Streaming

I’ve covered Netflix’s streaming service, ‘Watch Instantly’, quite extensively here on WebTVWire, because I believe it’s going to prove to be a major part of the online video sector going forward.

Netflix has recently caused controversy by forging a new deal with Warner Bros. which sees new releases held back on DVD by a month but more of the company’s titles being available to stream. Thus proving the way the company sees things going.

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