Friend of WebTVWire.com, Gilbert Hammer of IPTV Evangelist, has been very busy interviewing a selection of people working in and around the online video industry.

Interviews include:

• Sibley Verbeck - CEO of The Electric Sheep Company
• Jerry Paffendorf - Resident Futurist of The Electric Sheep Company
• John C. Martin - Director of Product Marketing at Reallusion
• Ashley Heather - CEO Entertainment Media Works
• Jim Funk - Co-founder and VP of marketing at Akimbo
• Robert Petty - CEO of RooTV

There’s over 2 hours of interviews with these people and more over at the IPTV Evangelist interview section (elegantly powered by Brightcove).

Interview with Jim Funk of Akimbo

To give you a taste of all the interviews here is the interview with Jim Funk, the VP of marketing over at Akimbo.

IPTV Evangelist interviews

uStream.tv is a new online video start-up that wants to capitalize on both user generated content and live video by providing a platform for broadcasting live video.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Chris Yeh, an angel investor in uStream.tv. As always I probed him with my legendary 15 questions:

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I recently had my 15 questions with Bob Guenther of Agere systems about the recently announced BluOnyx Mobile Content Server. The BluOnyx is an advanced memory stick with some cool features for when you’re on the move. You can access the contents of a BluOnyx with your cell phone over WiFi and Bluetooth, as well as stream video to PMPs and cell phones. To sum up the BluOnyx allows you to:

1. copy, backup and store data like a regular memory stick
2. copy data wirelessly from your cell phone or portable media players for backup to BluOnyx
3. stream video or other media to single or multiple cell phones from BluOnyx
4. connect your Bluetooth cell phone to the internet via BluOnyx

I like the idea of this for taking videos or music on the move and being able to access them anywhere. For example, If I see a video, vodcast or podcast online that I want to share with people I can download it to the BluOnyx and let a few friends watch it simultaneously on their cell phones.

Bob Guenther didn’t seem to want to give much away about Agere’s plans for the BluOnyx, nor did he really want to talk about anything that wasn’t Agere or BluOnyx related. He wouldn’t tell me what other consumer electronics companies he respected, what he thought of DRM, or even what other gadgets he liked!

Bob also seemed to be unaware of new competition from SeaGate: the recently announced and oddly named DAVE which is very similar to the BluOnyx.

Here is the interview with Bob about the BluOnyx Mobile Content Server:

1. How would you prefer to describe the BluOnyx:
- An advanced WiFi media memory stick
- The ultimate portable storage solution or a
- Mobile Content Server?

We felt Mobile Content Server captures the essence of the product, but clearly two or three words can’t encapsulate all it can do.

2. Describe the person who would benefit the most from a BluOnyx?

Anyone who is frustrated by today’s isolated ecosystems for devices and wants to move data seamlessly across device platforms for storage, streaming, or sharing.

3. Would a BluOnyx replace my need for a Portable Media Player (PMP) since I can just use my cell phone or is it designed to compliment my PMP?

It is designed to compliment your PMP since BluOnyx has only two buttons — a power button and a button to permit others (non-owners) to access it via Bluetooth and WiFi.

4. Have you signed any big distribution deals as yet? Do you have any details?

We are in active discussions with device makers and service providers.

5.  Which other single consumer electronics company do you most respect?

I don’t know that this is relevant.

6. Describe how BluOnyx will fit in with the internet TV revolution?

BluOnyx certainly could be an enabling device.

7. Other than the BluOnyx, what’s your favorite handheld gadget?

There are many.

8. What do you think of DRM?

BluOnyx will be DRM compliant.

9. It’s been mentioned before that to be successful the BluOnyx needs to interface well with television sets and 2) play back DRM-ed content. Do you plan to do this?

Yes

10. What other long term plans do you have for BluOnyx features?

Stay tuned.  We’re in dialogue with the universe of users and actively incorporating their suggestions into our roadmap for the product.

11. Who do you consider to be your biggest competition?

Hard to say, since there is no other product quite like BluOnyx.

12. What do you consider to be the most exciting thing to come out of MacWorld or CES this year (other than the BluOnyx)?

Unfortunately, I wasn’t at MacWorld and barely was able to leave our booth at CES.  I defer to others such as yourself who probably have a better perspective.

13. When it comes to connecting a BluOnyx to a PC can you just simply drag and drop files onto the BluOnyx as you would do normally or do you need special software?

Yes, you can drag and drop. 

14. If I wanted to synch up a Podcast or a Web TV RSS feed (vodcast), to  automatically download to the BluOnyx when it is downloaded what would I do?

I don’t know the precise steps, since we’re still working on version 1.0.  Conceptually, it should be very simple.

15.  When can I get one and how much will it cost?

Once again, stay tuned.

- Attention American Idol fans: Now you can get Sanjaya Malakar Ringtones!
- Download Free 3GP Mobile Videos from mv3gp.com
- Find and compare the best contract mobile offers at Best Mobile Contracts.
- The internet makes it easier to find and share music MP3 files.
- There are many websites that are offering free MP3 ringtones for different mobile phones.
- You can search online movies using video search engines easilly.

Bill Gates recently shunned current TV offerings at the World Economic Forum saying that the internet is the future. In Bill’s words:

“I’m stunned how people aren’t seeing that with TV, in five years from now, people will laugh at what we’ve had.”

Bill Gates recently appeared on the Daily Show on Comedy Central (video below) and continued to stress that current TV is nothing compared to what the internet will offer.

Microsoft is already well placed in the TV industry offering IPTV middleware, the Xbox Live Marketplace for video downloads to the Xbox 360, and Media Center PCs.

The most exciting development in the works is IPTV on the Xbox 360 which is probably what Bill Gates is actually warming us up for here (without directly mentioning it). But IPTV on the Xbox 360 will actually be very similar to a cable or satellite subscription service and not something that will connect you with the world of internet television.

It will however harness on the capabilities of internet protocol and probably bring community features, video on demand etc. From what Bill Gates said on the Daily Show you will be able to go directly to the content you want, probably using some sort of tagging function. For example, if you had recorded the Olympics you could go directly to the swimming event by searching for the tag swimming.

But let’s be fair how often are keyword tags in videos going to be useful in everyday viewing? As Jon Stewart said on The Daily Show, “TV is passive”.

More TV Content, Higher Quality, More Freedom.

What people really want from a TV service is:

• Content
• Content
• Content
• To be able to choose when to watch it
• To be able to choose where to watch it
• Improved quality of content.

TiVo took the industry by storm because it allowed people to more easily choose when they watch a TV show. Media extenders such as the new Apple TV are getting very popular because they let people choose where they watch TV (within their house), same with the Slingbox. HDTV is also kicking off because it improves the quality of content.

Someone entering the TV market needs to either:

1. Give people more freedom over when and when they watch the TV and video they have access to already (e.g TiVo, Apple TV, Slingbox) or,
2. Provide content in higher quality (e.g HDNet) or,
3. Provide more content (Satellite and Cable).

Microsoft won’t be able to get enough video content

TV Networks are already locked in tight agreements with content owners and it is well recognized that new companies entering the TV market will have a very tough time getting content.

A recent study from Accenture shows that Telecommunication companies that offer broadband and are trying to leverage themselves as an IPTV provider, are extremely worried about acquiring content, in fact that is their biggest fear.

It is for this reason that Microsoft will not become a TV network. Instead it will continue as a providor of middleware software for IPTV services. In fact the Xbox IPTV service only works with a third party IPTV providor that uses the Microsoft IPTV platform. So its not Microsoft TV, its someone other company using Microsoft technology to deliver it to your TV set with an option of using the Xbox 360 as a DVR.

Bill Gates on The Daily Show

The video below shows Bill Gates talking about the release of Vista, and also talking about the Future of TV near the end of the video.

ChewTV is a brand new internet television channel that aims to be an outlet for young aspiring video producers and even helps fund and support youth video production projects.

I recently caught up with Greg Davies who manages ChewTV on a day to day basis and gave him my 15 Questions.

Before I jump in with the interview here are some interesting facts about ChewTV:

• ChewTV aims to create a more familiar TV environment by having its TV station change its content throughout the day, for example having kids videos in the morning.
• All the TV content on ChewTV is produced by youngsters.
• ChewTV helps fund and support youth based video productions.
• Chew TV is from the UK but is open to receiving and supporting projects on a larger scale.
• Chew TV launched in November in 2006.

And here’s the interview with Greg Davies from ChewTV.com

1. Sum up the goal of ChewTV

Chew TV’s ambitions stretch way beyond simply hosting content. We aim to create an interface between young people and the powers that be, making their opinions count, getting their voices heard, generating critical thinking and debate and helping them to be involved in making change within and beyond the media world. 

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Microsoft recently announced the Xbox 360 will be featuring Internet Television using Microsofts IPTV platform.

Here’s a video from this week’s Consumer Electronics Showcase about the Xbox 360 Internet TV service.

Also see Web TV Hub

- Some games are designed for you to play alone and some with your friends.
- In the game industry Nintendo has been up there as a market leader for some time.
- Are you are looking for the easy and cheap way to enjoy Video Games?
- Having the PS3 will bring lots of hours of entertainment in your boring life if you know where to get the games for a reduced price.
- The TV is the favorite home device for millions of people around the world.
- If you are in the market for cheap car dvd players the internet is your best choice; check out the best audio electronics as well

What better use of the new internet TV medium than using it to promote environmental issues. Green.tv is doing just that by bringing a variety of environmental videos onto the internet through its unique website and video player. The video player is able to automatically detect the best plug-in you have and will play in Flash, WMP or Quicktime

Green TV was launched back in March and has already experienced good press coverage for such a niche internet TV channel. I recently interviewed Ade Thomas, the Managing Director of green.tv and I am personally very excited and impressed by what green.tv is doing now and in the future.

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