Consumers Want Video on Demand, Forrester Report Finds.There's life in the old buzzword A term that refers to the latest technology or a term that sounds catchy. If not a flash in the pan, new technologies become mainstream. For example, Java was a hot buzzword in the 1990s, but should remain a major topic for decades. yet. The video-on-demand phoenix will rise, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a new report from Forrester Research Inc. The study points out that VOD See video-on-demand. VoD - video on demand services have existed for several years in private networks on airliners and in hotels. LodgeNet serves 700,000 hotel rooms and TCI (Trustworthy Computing Initiative) An umbrella term from Microsoft for its efforts to improve security in Windows. TCI was announced in 2002 after viruses such as Code Red and Nimda had succeeded in attacking numerous Windows computers. feeds more than 100,000 hotel rooms in Chicago, while Sextant sextant, instrument for measuring the altitude of the sun or another celestial body; such measurements can then be used to determine the observer's geographical position or for other navigational, surveying, or astronomical applications. In-Flight uses Intertainer's technology for air travelers. It's true that there are still no real consumer services beyond limited trials. Yet for the first time, optical fiber and two-way digital services have made mass- market VOD feasible. Forrester predicts that three drivers for consumer adoption will emerge. People will turn to VOD to access digital cable and movies; personal VCRs and time-shifted TV; and the web and archived video. The demand for movies alone will propel cable VOD to over $3bn. Revenues from personal VCRs will mostly end up in the pockets of manufacturers, while web video has little monetary value - unless it's porn. Still, the success of cable VOD is expected to stimulate demand for other types of digital content. Forrester bets on MP3 distributors and games companies like Electronic Arts to benefit. The company advises the cable operators to give away their boxes in the confidence that consumers will get hooked on the convenience of on-demand content. It also urges computer manufacturers to support independent production by making sure that digital video editing software Video editing software is application software which handles the editing of video sequences on a computer. It usually includes the ability to import and export video, cut and paste sections of a video clip, and add special effects and transitions; and it sometimes includes the and hardware tools are widely available, inexpensive and easy to use. The consumer non-linear video editing See nonlinear video editing. products from Apple Computer Inc and Avid Technology Inc are singled out for special praise. Video rental chains and independents will also have to broaden and deepen their offerings if they are to compete with online services. The study winds up with a few predictions from left field. Expect television pilots to be posted on the web before being picked up by networks. Independent web production should give the FireWire IEE-1394 high-speed digital video protocol a kick-start. Finally, web-based VOD will create interesting new business opportunities for companies that have already well-archived video assets - Forrester cites General Motors, whose Media Archives Group sells stock footage to broadcasters like the History Channel, as the shape of things to come. |
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