YouTube is now offering viewers the chance to watch videos in Full HD or 1080p high-definition.

This is an important move not just to support the increasing number of home video cameras with HD options but also to give professional content creators confidence that the platform is right for their work.

YouTube Video Quality

When YouTube first launched four years ago, video quality (360p) on the site wasn’t great. But that wasn’t what the site was about so it didn’t matter. YouTube was there to offer a free and easy way for people to host video online. And it did that so well that Google paid $1.65 billion for the site a year later.

But times move on, as does technology.

YouTube first started offering a ‘High Quality’ (480p) version of some videos, and while the difference wasn’t vast it was noticeable. Then in December 2008 YouTube launched ‘High-Definition’ video, which took the clips to a native 720p.

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Epix has now launched, four months after it was originally announced. The new premium movie channel with accompanying Web site is hoping to gain viewers on both media by offering free weekend passes, but will it be enough for the venture to be successful?

Epix Coming Soon

June saw a new venture announced by the name of Epix. It’s a premium movie channel from Lionsgate, MGM, and Paramount which will be available to watch on cable and, if you are a Verizon FiOS subscriber, on the Web as well.

At the time I described it as a Hulu for movies but that was slightly over the top. It is only available to U.S. residents, the same as Hulu, but it’s a different animal altogether by virtue of being inextricably linked in with a cable subscription. Something which Hulu is not, although even Hulu could soon start charging for selected content.

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HBO and Cinemax have joined the likes of TBS, TNT, and Starz in providing content for Comcast and Time Warner’s new joint venture, TV Everywhere. Existing cable subscribers will soon be able to watch fresh new content On Demand Online.

Moving To The Web

Cable and network television companies are slowly starting to realize the potential of online television. Some are resistant to the change in viewing habits currently taking hold, mainly because the Web constitutes a sector of the market they don’t control. There’s also the fact that ad revenue on the Internet is generally a lot lower than on television.

But slowly and surely, cable companies and the big U.S. television networks are fathoming that they need to get on the boat at this early stage or risk being left behind at the port. Hulu has NBC, Fox, and ABC on board as well as smaller networks such as Bravo, PBS, E!, and Comedy Central. And others are finding their own way online.

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The music industry took far too long to adjust to the new realities which the Web brought, and look at the state it’s in now. Hopefully the movie industry will learn the lesson a bit quicker, and it seems to be doing exactly that with the launch of Epix, a new Hulu for music type TV channel and conjoined Web site.

Hollywood Vs. Pirates

Hollywood is becoming increasingly worried about movie piracy, and with good reason. There’s evidence to suggest the majority of people don’t see anything wrong with it, and even those who do see why it’s a bad thing still do it regardless.

The recent leak of X-Men: Wolverine a full month before it was due for release and the consequent downloading of the file by millions of people show that if movies are available online, people will want to watch them, regardless of the legality or otherwise of how they are obtained.

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Porn is popular and profitable, especially on the Internet where the thirst for it is insatiable and where every need is catered for. But can a peer-to-peer BitTorrent company monetize porn to the extent it becomes a business in its own right – especially when free, pirated porn is readily available?

The Internet Is For Porn

There’s no way to get around the fact that one of the most popular aspects of the Internet is for porn. The Avenue Q song, The Internet Is For Porn, rather says it all. Not only is it hugely popular but it’s also one of the most profitable slices of the Internet, whether your morals tell you that is right or wrong.

BitTorrent companies, on the other hand, may provide a service which many of us use on a regular basis but making money is a little trickier. As the four founders of The Pirate Bay will attest, the money made doesn’t cover the cost of the fines meted out when your company is taken to court for copyright infringements.

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The BBC iPlayer is constantly evolving to better suit the needs of its users. The latest innovation – high-definition programming, just one of a number of new improvements made to the service.

iPlayer = Awesomeness

The BBC iPlayer is already awesome. So much so that I’m sorry for people outside of the UK who aren’t given the chance to use the service without employing some proxy server shenanigans. Just think of it as payback for Hulu and all the other U.S.-based premium programming services off-limits to anyone who isn’t blessed enough to reside in the States.

As awesome as the iPlayer is, there is always room for improvement. And the BBC is great at keeping on top of new advances in technology and new ways of delivering and packaging television content. Which is why the iPlayer has now gone HD, and had a host of other improvements tacked on at the same time.

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We’re slowly but surely moving towards a high-definition future. Both Apple and Amazon now look to be offering HD downloads, with more companies likely to follow suit. The war has begun.

Offline HD

In the offline world, HD is all the rage. A large percentage of the population now own Full-HD or HD-Ready televisions, and despite a slow launch, where it had to battle against HD DVD to become the format of choice, there is evidence that Blu-ray is also gaining a sizable market share.

There are also more content providers than ever offering their wares in high-definition, with Sky HD and BBC HD two of the leading proponents.

Online HD

Online has so far been a different story. Hindered by bandwidth and Broadband speed limitations, many Web companies have lagged behind their offline counterparts in offering a range of HD services. But no more.

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