Online Video Stats

Nielsen, as well as a number of other companies, measure the number of streams viewed on online video destinations every month.

October was no exception, although the figures were more interesting than usual. mainly because while the top two of YouTube and Hulu remained the same, there were some big changes after that. And it could be the start of a trend set to get stronger over the next few months/years.

YouTube Beats All-Comers

First, the non-surprise. YouTube topped the Nielsen chart for streams in the United States by a huge margin. The Google-owned site racked up 6,632,964,000 streams and 105,923,000 viewers.

Hulu ranked second as it has for a goods few months now. The site managed 632,662,000 streams and 13,472,000 viewers, which though impressive enough isn’t even a tenth of the numbers YouTube can boast.

Facebook Jumps To Third

Then the surprise hits. Facebook has jumped from number 10 to number three in the space of a single month. The social networking site racked up 217,765,000 streams and 31,594,000 viewers – the latter being more than double the number enjoyed by Hulu.

According to CNET, Nielsen Vice President of Media Analytics Jon Gibs, said in a statement:

“Facebook’s rapid growth in online video during the last year illustrates the site’s evolution from simply a communications focused tool to a media portal.”

“Social networking sites are evolving from a venue for catching up with friends to a platform for personal expression, allowing consumers to share their experiences in the full variety of content formats available online.”

Conclusions

This is a potentially pivotal moment for Facebook as it could (and only could) signal a new trend where YouTube is being abandoned in favor for the social networking site.

Facebook has millions of users worldwide who want to share videos with their friends and family and the system Facebook has built-in provides everything they need to do so.

While I can’t see Facebook ever catching YouTube for sheer number of streams every month, Hulu is certainly catchable.

Citizen Journalists

There was a time when news coverage was strictly professional, delivered by paid reporters, photographers, and cameramen. And then everything changed with digital cameras and video cameras standard on cellphones.

Now, any Tom, Dick, or Harry can be a citizen journalist, reporting the news as it happens in front of them. Twitter and social networks are an important facet of this trend, as is online video and in particular YouTube.

YouTube Direct

Google has this week unveiled YouTube Direct, which is designed to be a meeting place for citizen journalists and the news media organizations increasingly using this amateur footage as the basis, or to embellish, news stories.

YouTube Direct is an API tweak that allows news organizations to set up a virtual assignment desk. Requests for video can be placed on the site, and citizen journalists who want to see their footage reach a bigger audience can respond.

At that point, editors from the news organization can vet the videos sent in and pick the ones most suitable. The Washington Post, ABC News, Huffington Post, Politico, the San Francisco Chronicle, and NPR are already testing out the product.

Conclusions

This is good news for Google as it helps smooth over the search giant’s relationship with the news media. It’s also good news for the news media organizations as they get access to up-to-date amateur footage which won’t cost them a penny.

However, I can’t quite see what’s in it for the citizen journalists themselves. Apart from the five minutes of fame achieved by their video footage being picked up by major news channel or Web site, there’s little reason to participate in this.

[Via TechNewsWorld]

BBC iPlayer

The BBC iPlayer has shone like a beacon since its full launch almost two years ago in December 2007. The catch-up TV service lead the way not only in the U.K. but around the world, with Hulu being its big-name opposite in the U.S.

Rather than rest on its laurels, the BBC carried on improving the service despite already providing millions of streams to viewers. The current iteration of the iPlayer service is more user-friendly and easy-to-use than any Web application or online video site.

RTS Judges’ Award

Last week saw the iPlayer praised to the highest degree when the BBC won the Judges’ Award at the 2009 Royal Television Society Innovation Awards. Jeff Henry, chair of the awards, said:

“There have been great British innovations – the steam engine, the gas turbine, radio waves, jet engines and arguably video games. Even the inventors of Viagra. But seriously, the role of honour of great British innovation now has a proud new addition,”

“For all the hard work, commitment and belief shown by the BBC and its staff, with particular recognition of Anthony Rose’s contribution, the RTS Innovation Awards proudly presents the Judges Award to the BBC iPlayer, proving that it is not just a gift for Christmas, but for life.”

Being placed alongside such great inventions as the steam engine and radio waves is pretty unbelievable. But the iPlayer may well prove to be as innovative and important as those inventions in years to come for what it represents – a world where online television is the norm rather than niche.

IPlayer Wii Channel

The BBC topped off an already great week by unveiling its plans to launch a dedicated channel on the Nintendo Wii games console. The service has been available on the console for a while through the Web browser, but a dedicated channel should be much more accessible and user-friendly.

All Wii owners in the U.K. with a Broadband connection will be able to use the Wii iPlayer. From Nov. 18, the BBC iPlayer can be downloaded for free from the console’s online shop.

Conclusions

The iPlayer is a fantastic service that continues to improve and be added to more devices in order to gain viewers. And the RTS award for innovation is wholly deserved.

The only thing that the BBC now needs to do is launch the iPlayer internationally. Whether that’ll ever happen, and whether if it did it would be free, are questions that I personally cannot answer. But I can hope.

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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.

Full HD On YouTube

Now, after an announcement on the YouTube Blog, the site is starting to offer Full HD of 1080p. There’s already a test video running at that super high quality and the rest of the videos on the site will begin airing in 1080p from next week.

YouTube is in the process of re-encoding all content that has been uploaded at 1080p back to its original resolution. However, there will still be a 720p option available on all videos so as to support viewers who can’t view 1080p without massive lag or hardware problems.

There will still be a 10-minute limit on video uploads but the 2GB size limit will surely be increased to cater for this new breed of high-definition video clips.

Conclusions

This change could have a huge impact in a couple of different ways.

For the average home user of YouTube it’ll make the viewing experience more pleasurable than ever, especially for those watching on HD televisions via their games console, set-top box, or connected laptop.

But more importantly than that, it will surely help YouTube in its quest to entice professional content creators to the site. Some may have been resistant all the while their content was going to look relatively poor, but now it’s widescreen and in Full HD, that reason not to get involved flies out the window.

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YouTube Revenue Vs Pageviews

Since buying YouTube for $1.65 billion in 2006, Google has tried to turn it into a moneymaking site. It’s certainly managed to take the site to the next level, with it now managing one billion page views a day, but the revenue still hasn’t come.

There’s been some debate over whether YouTube makes money, breaks even, or loses money every year but needless to say revenue needs to be upped in order for Google to make its money back. Especially as Google CEO Eric Schmidt has admitted the company paid $1 billion too much for the online video site.

Advertising Experiments

Google has experimented with a range of advertising options on YouTube. From huge one-off banner ads to overlay ads which remain through the course of a video. From pre-roll adverts before clips to post-roll after clips. None of which has been the magic bullet required.

YouTube now carries a range of advertising, with Google clearly deciding a scattergun approach for different videos and advertisers is the right path to follow. But the company still wants to fine-tune the experience.

Skippable Pre-Rolls

According to MediaPost, Google is now testing out skippable pre-roll advertising. The ads will run on carefully selected videos from content partners who have agreed to be a part of the experiment.

Google will collect data on when the ads are skipped, on what length and kind of video they are mostly skipped on, and the people most likely to skip an advert rather than watch in full.

The results of this experiment will then be used to formulate a new advertising model.

Conclusions

Pre-rolls are already used successfully on Hulu and other sites, but the YouTube crowd hasn’t really accepted them as of yet. Whether the option to skip ads that are too long or for uninteresting products makes a difference isn’t yet clear.

Either way Google will obtain data it can then use in the future to further fine-tune and develop its advertising model. The ultimate goal, of course, is to turn a profit and make the most of those one billion page views a day.

Microsoft Returns

Microsoft is doing all it can to replenish its tarnished reputation. The release of Windows 7 is huge, and Bing is a search engine which may actually manage to provide competition for the ubiquitous Google.

Silverlight 3.0 is obviously proving popular with media companies seeking to stream video over the Internet but 2009 has also seen a few changes take place in terms of Microsoft’s approach to online video.

MSN Video>Soapbox

Microsoft killed its Soapbox video site off in June after realizing it stood no chance of competing with YouTube. Video sites focused on UGC are fine but stand little chance when going up against the ‘One billion page views a day‘ might of YouTube.

On the other hand, Microsoft launched the MSN Video Player in the U.K., which streams classic TV shows for free in a similar style to the BBC iPlayer and Hulu. Just with less style and options.

Bing Bong

Microsoft launched Bing back in June, and its video search differed from Google by the use of live video thumbnails. In essence, rather than needing to click on a video to watch it, you can gain a preview of the content simply by hovering over the thumbnail.

This had two effects: it meant porn was available to watch from right within Bing, without the need to visit any other sites; it raised questions over the fair use of playing copyrighted content from within a search engine.

MSN Video – Bing Video

Now, Microsoft is in the process of converting MSN Video into Bing Video, using the Bing brand to better show off video content. High quality videos from MSN, Hulu, YouTube, ABC and others are now all combined into the one site.

Bing Video looks classy and has a good range of video content, options, and features. And I must admit to having spent a while finding new video picks I hadn’t yet seen featured on WebTVHub.

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Fred Who?

Fred Figglehorn first came to my attention early in 2008 when his YouTube channel started gaining fans faster than most teen pop stars manage.

In June, I covered Fred’s story, which in actual fact is Lucas Cruikshank’s story, as he’s the kid who created and plays the character in numerous YouTube videos.

In short, Fred is the six-year-old alter-ego of a 14-year-old kid from Nebraska. His charms are talking in a squeaky voice, mugging to camera, and ranting and raving in a way most six-year-olds are incapable of. At least the ones I’ve met.

From YouTube To Hollywood

Bizarrely, although the plot of most Fred episodes, which are usually nothing more than three-minute pieces to camera by the fake tween, is shallow to say the least, Fred (and Lucas Cruikshank) has built up a huge following.

Fred was created in 2006 and reached his peak earlier this year when he hit 1.4 million subscribers. However, Nigahiga has now overtaken Fred as the most subscribed YouTube channel.

Not to worry, as Fred has bigger fish to fry.

Fred: The Movie

September saw TubeFilter News report that Fred was moving to Hollywood, with a movie version of the online video character on the way. Lucas Cruikshank will be starring as the titular Fred, with other recurring characters such as Judy, Bertha, and Kevin currently being cast.

The latest rumor suggests the filmmakers are looking for a well-known actor to play a cameo as Fred’s father. And would certainly lend some weight to a project that the prospect of has probably scared as many people as it has delighted.

Filming on Fred: The Movie (working title) is set to begin on November 20, with Fred chasing his would-be girlfriend Judy across the States in what sounds like a road movie of sorts.

Viral Video Stars

Lucas Cruikshank is already reported to be making a six-figure salary from playing Fred. And he’s now set to star in a movie based on the character he lovingly crafted and has nurtured for the last three years.

No wonder more people than ever before are trying to create a viral video hit and become famous off the back of it. What was once merely a hobby for light entertainment is well on its way to becoming big business. And I can’t see where the story will end.

From Mail To The Web

In the 12 years since Netflix launched as a purely by-mail DVD rental company, the world has changed considerably, particularly with the Internet becoming the distribution method of choice for all kinds of media, including of course television and movies.

So it’s no wonder that the company decided to introduce a streaming video service as part of its subscription package a few years ago. And the way things are going, it’s that part of the business which provides the future direction for Netflix.

Three Ways To Heaven

Last month saw Netflix announce its Q3 earnings. Ignoring the financial results, the interesting news was threefold: the company is planning to go international; there was talk of a new device being added to the streaming line-up; ‘Watch Instantly’ viewing figures showed the service to be very popular.

As of yet we haven’t heard any more about the international plans, but the other two points raised have been expanded upon.

PS3 Netflix Streaming

The day after the Q3 earnings report came news that Netflix’s ‘Watch Instantly’ was heading to the PS3 in the United States. It’s been available on the Xbox 360 since last year’s dashboard update but is now coming to the Sony games console as well.

With an installed user base of nine million avid gamers and media consumers, it’s an inspired move. And it ends the exclusivity deal Netflix had with Microsoft for the best part of a year.

According to a corporate blog post today, the PS3 discs which are required for Netflix’s ‘Watch Instantly’ to be used have started to be shipped today. 100,000 Netflix subscribers and PS3 owners who requested the discs are the first batch to receive them, with more to follow in time.

Watch Instantly Watched Incessantly

This news comes as a survey conducted by One Touch Intelligence, and reported by Contentinople, shows how mainstream the use of ‘Watch Instantly’ has become. 62 percent of subscribers say they’ve used the service at least once, while 54 percent said they stream at least one movie or TV show every month.

While most still stream directly to their computers, 24 percent stream content to a connected device. And that figure is sure to increase as the range of products streaming ‘Watch Instantly’ grows.

A Streaming Future

Surely now is the time for Netflix to start considering a streaming-only subscription option as Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has previously implied could happen. While physical media such as DVD and Blu-ray are still important, the future is clearly both digital and streaming. And Netflix is in the best position to take advantage of this evolving market.

From Free To Paid

There is more television and movie content to watch for free on the Web now than ever before. Hulu in the States, BBC iPlayer in the U.K., and YouTube and all the rest worldwide, the Internet is now awash with programming.

Interestingly enough, both Hulu and the iPlayer are thought to be looking at paid options in the future. But this is, if anything, a sign that the business is getting serious and offering an alternative to the traditional cable and television networks.

Monthly iTunes Subscription

According to Media Memo, Apple is now eyeing a monthly subscription plan which would see a variety of television programming available for people willing to pay $30 per month for the privilege.

$30 a month is not a cheap option but compared to the cable subscriptions in the States of almost $100 per month it can be considered an absolute bargain.

iTunes Buffet

Apple currently offers individual downloads of television episodes. Pilots and premieres are often free but new seasons of successful shows can cost upwards of $35, with episodes delivered as they air on television.

This new plan, if it actually happens, would offer a kind of buffet of iTunes offerings for a set price. Rather than downloading and owning digital copies of the shows, users would be streaming them to watch on demand when they want to.

Cable Catastrophe?

The key for Apple is getting content providers on board. Disney is being mentioned as the first network likely to sign up but one network isn’t going to be enough to tempt people to pay the asking price.

Also, any venture such as this would be sure to harm cable providers and they are unlikely to take kindly to the networks giving up their content in this way.

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Ashley Highfield?

Who is Ashley Highfield? Only the man who as director of future media and technology at the BBC did more than anyone else to push the iPlayer through from being a mere concept to a reality.

Highfield left the BBC shortly after the iPlayer launched to become managing director of consumer and online at Microsoft U.K. While there he has helped launch the MSN Video Player, which quite frankly pails into insignificance against the iPlayer.

Highfield Talks

Highfield was speaking last week at C&binet, the government’s digital creative industry conference. According to The Guardian newspaper, he said:

“I think the iPlayer was a catalyst to get a lot more content [made available on-demand] in the UK. All boats rise on that, commercial or not. A reasonable question to ask now is about ‘windowing’. Is seven days free right or should it be shortened [and should the BBC] get rid of hold-back periods [so commercial companies can more quickly exploit online TV revenues from content]?”

A Change Of Mind

It’s clear just from this short statement that Highfield’s opinion on these matters has changed since he moved from the public broadcaster to a private company in Microsoft.

I’d suggest his comments are intended to move BBC content into the commercial sector more quickly than it is now. The MSN Video Player is full of archive material but if the iPlayer charged for content then it would instantly enter that competitive world.

Conclusions

It feels as though all the companies offering free TV services at the moment are considering charging. That’s not the case, of course. This hasn’t come directly from the BBC and I doubt it will ever actually charge for content. First and foremost it would risk a backlash from British citizens who already pay a TV license fee to access BBC shows.

Hulu, on the other hand, is likely to start charging in the next year or so. But even that is likely to only be for certain, selected content rather than a flat charge for the whole service.

Still, it’s a worrying trend for those of us who have got used to watching free TV services on the Web.