Video on Demand

Introduction

Video on demand is one of the popular web technologies playing an important role in Web 2.0 and modern Internet marketing. Usually referred to as "VOD", it can either stream the video content or allow to download it and watch it later.

Technology

‘VOD’ is a catch-all term for technologies (and providers) which allow users to select video content from a central server, but it is still not widely implemented; the biggest drawback has been the lack of network infrastructure that can handle the large amounts of data required by video.

Uses range from entertainment to videoconferencing, but VOD is really coming into its own in the areas of television and marketing.

In the past, television was distributed by cable, satellite or terrestrial systems. The primary models for Internet television are streaming Internet TV or selectable video on an Internet location, typically a website.

Today - with the increase in Internet connection speeds, advances in technology, the increase of total number of people online and the decrease in connection costs - it has become increasingly common to find traditional television content accessible freely and legally over the Internet.

Moreover, new television content has appeared only on the Internet and not through traditional medium.  VOD can be paused, fast-forwarded, rewound, etc., much like DVD and videotape. 

Internet-delivered television allows users to:

• watch content on a regular TV (via a direct connection from a computer or a set-top box), a computer or a portable device (such as a mobile phone).
• view a channel 'live' (like regular TV) or to select a show to watch on demand.
• view anything from low budget, home camcorder productions to expensive professional productions   

And for businesses it allows them to use interactive advertising to reach their customers.

The usage of internet protocols to provide two-way communication will also open the way for increased interactivity, for example making it possible to choose between multiple camera angles, cast a vote in an interactive show or place an order.

Broadcasters are making use of this technology to make their shows available. In the UK, both the BBC, with its iPlayer beta, and Channel4, with 4OD, have entered into the VOD market, allowing some of their programming content to be downloaded free of charge (Channel4 has more content available to buy). ISPs BT, Virginmedia and Sky are also offering video content over ADSL.

Such is the pace of development and interest in streaming TV content, that since the conception of this article and its publication, two new services have gone live.

Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, the founders of Skype, have recently launched Joost, which is claiming to offer 15,000+ TV programs and 250 channels. The content is free, but there are in-screen, pop-up ads. You can create your own channels by dragging & dropping existing programme content into empty slots.

And NBC and News Corporation have upped the stakes by offering a private beta of hulu.com to US users.

Marketing

Away from the traditional broadcasters and ISPs, however, many other businesses and websites use video content to a great degree and with great effect.

Like many technology-led sites, Gamespot.com has been offering video streaming for many years to review games and shows clips of upcoming games. Many online e-tailers use video streaming to demonstrate products (Flixmedia/dabs.tv). 

News sites (BBC News, Sky News) allow users to view reports online in the browser or stand-alone browsers.

When VOD is delievered via an RSS or Atom feed, it's called "video podcast". For brevity, the term is shortened to "vodcast" or "vidcast".

Video podcasts are an excellent way to raise a business's profile online: one of the most striking examples has to be that of software giant, Microsoft.  During his tenure there as technical evangelist, Robert Scoble, created the seminal Channel 9 video blog showcasing Microsoft products and technology.

Whilst it drew criticism from some quarters, it is generally credited with helping making Microsoft more open and responsive. It was certainly a hit and in 2006, Scoble set up his own company Podtech, which is now widely regarded as the leading online video channel for showcasing new technology.

Video podcasts also have a 'viral' quality and, much like emails before them, they lend themselves to being shared and forwarded by users and quickly gain popularity (or notoriety) on the Web - and there is no end to the sites hosting such content; YouTube is probably the most well-known. 

Marketers are continually trying to tap into this phenomenon, some with more success than others.

The author's personal favourite is the 'Will It Blend?' viral marketing campaign by Blendtec. Each week, the company's founder tries to blend seemingly unblendable objects in one of his own machines as a test of its power (think: 'in-store demonstration', only online) and many of the infomercials have been posted to YouTube and other video channels to reach a wider audience - with some success, it should be noted. Even if you are not in the market for a blender, I think we all want to see if an iPhone will blend...