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New Media News Every Morning

Hulu now open to the public

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If you already have 5 million visitors in a month while still on semi-private beta launch then it is no-brainer that you should work on the public version as soon as possible.

Such is the case of the highly anticipated hulu.com, an ad-supported video-sharing site offering consumers a vast selection of premium video content for free. This so-called YouTube rival contains more than 250 TV series, 100 full-length movies, and thousands of video clips.

“Nobody stands a chance against YouTube, but luckily for Hulu, that’s not what they’re aiming for. Instead, they are just trying to build an online video experience that helps all their partner sites — AOL, MSN, Yahoo and so on — build an online TV audience,” said James McQuivey, a Forrester Research analyst, in a news release.

Unlike YouTube, the videos here are all legal since this is a joint venture of two major networks – News Corp and NBC Universal. It has entered into partnership with NBA, Warner Bros, NHL, Lionsgate, Television Group and 20 other leading video content providers.

Here’s a teaser of what you can watch at hulu – Arrested Development, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Miami Vice, The Big Lebowski, Me, Myself & Irene, Some Like It Hot, Mulholland Drive and Three Amigos!. Hulu also provides short clips from 150 more TV series like Saturday Night Live and In Living Color as well as 50 additional films such as Napoleon Dynamite, Little Miss Sunshine, Die Hard, Vertigo, and The Mummy. Oh, did I say teaser?

Originally posted on March 12, 2008 @ 10:29 am

Online entertainment to stir Internet congestion

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internet-overload.gifOnce again, leading industry experts are raising anxiety that the Internet will crash due to the rapid usage growth which could outpace network capacity. The culprit is online entertainment in the form of video clips, movies, online games and social networking sites. There is even published research predicting this so-called Internet brownout will happen in 2010.

According to NYT, some experts do not share this sentiment for they believe the advancements on Internet technology is also moving in “an impressive space as well.” Instead of crash, users will just experience Internet clogging like slow down on download speeds and data-heavy services.

Whether its Internet crash or clogging, these issues could adversely affect many American businesses as well as the nation’s overall competitiveness in the online world since the new economy is measured in terms of high-speed networks.

Photo via PCPlus

Originally posted on March 13, 2008 @ 8:34 am

Kyte secures additional $6.1 million funding

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kyte-logo.gifKyte is a simple-to-use platform for broadcasting mobile and online videos to multiple destinations concurrently like mobile phones, social networks, and blog. A few days ago it has secured additional $6.1 million funding to help boost its broadcasting platform.

According to The Industry Standard, this funding comes with a shift in strategic direction. Kyte will be moving away from user-generated contents and will focus its efforts on collaboration with different brands and companies, particularly those big media and entertainment groups.

What makes this Kyte different compared to a pool of livestreaming sites is its ease of use since users can easily upload videos in just one click and embed them in popular Web 2.0 sites like Facebook, MySpace as well as different mobile operators.

Recently, it added a new feature which enables users to send videos directly from their mobile phones to Kyte channel, a move that add leverage and flexibility compared to traditional sites offering prerecorded videos.

Originally posted on March 10, 2008 @ 4:11 am

Amnesty International now on Friction.tv

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It’s good to know that some organized groups are embracing new media to educate the public about major issues the world is facing these days. A recent addition is the world’s largest human rights organization, Amnesty International.

Hoping to maximize the power of online social media, it has launched its official channel at debate-loving online video site Friction.tv and will kick off with a video about domestic violence. Visit http://www.friction.tv/amnestyinternational to view the videos.

“It’s where people are spending their time so that’s where we want to be, engaging with them and talking about human rights. Debate is at the heart of what we do, and with the increasing availability of broadband, video is a great way for us to reach new audiences and inspire them to get involved in human rights,” said Amnesty International UK Web and New Media Manager Sara Ashton, in a press release.

Indeed, starting a debate about important issues to Friction.tv’s 200,000-strong online audience will help increase awareness. Perhaps Amnesty should not limit its scope to just one site and embrace other bigger sites to share these insights.

Originally posted on March 7, 2008 @ 12:31 pm

Userplane to release Mediaplayer with ad revenue sharing

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Userplane announced that it will fast-track the release of Userplane Mediaplayer, its newest white-label application, which supports video uploading, publishing and hosting, as well as ad revenue sharing.

Mediaplayer complements the current Userplane suite of robust communications software applications that includes Webchat 2, Webmessenger 2 and Webrecorder. Publishers will have free and unlimited use of Mediaplayer’s video upload and playback capabilities, as well as the opportunity to participate in Userplane’s ad revenue sharing program.

Mediaplayer’s built-in interactive player will feature video sharing, chat and discovery technology. Users will be able to upload video using the Mediaplayer white-label uploader, and Web site administrators will have the ability to review and confirm content before publishing it.

Originally posted on March 7, 2008 @ 10:42 am