Viodi View - March 21st, 2006 Issue

In this on-line publication, we share our analysis, opinions and direction on the interactive television news and views that we believe will be of interest and use to our friends associated directly or indirectly with independent telephone companies. For more information as to the various ways Viodi works with independent telephone companies, please go to http://www.viodi.com/alliance/

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The Viodi View [Viodi, LLC] and its associates used their best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein. However, the Viodi View [Viodi, LLC] does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any and all liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.

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Viodi View Newsletter - March 21st, 2006

Click here to learn more about the Content Pavilion

By Ken Pyle, [email protected], Managing Editor, Viodi View

Sweet Release
Open Source In-Booth Studio – Calling All Press
The “V” in VON Now Stands for Video – And Other Hot Acronyms
The Korner - 20 Minute Webinar Compressed to a 4 Minute Video

The sound of forklifts and the smell of propane fill my senses. Butterflies are in my stomach and questions permeate my consciousness. It is an old familiar feeling being on an exhibit floor late in the evening waiting for something. In this case, the waiting is for an elusive Internet connection. A bit ironic, given that TelecomNEXT is a telecommunications show. The other irony is that we are beholden to the high prices and poor service of a monopoly player……read the Korner to find out what sort of telecom operator is still able to stifle competition.

TelecomNEXT is in full swing and I have not had a chance to attend any of the sessions. It was reported to me that Verizon’s video promo was impressive. I have seen a great deal of the exhibit floor and have been struck by the size and expanse of the booths. And the players that have booths are interesting, as service providers like AT&T and Time-Warner have a large presence. There are some interesting booths in the vicinity of Viodi’s Content Pavilion (booth 305), including one that is doing some interesting things with HDTV.

Sweet Release

The Content Pavilion has been all-consuming for yours truly, as well as my colleague Roger Bindl. As such, I haven’t been able to read many of the press releases that have crossed my electronic desk the past few weeks. We haven’t even had time to release the following releases regarding Viodi and the Content Pavilion:

Viodi, LLC & Dave Hood Entertainment Partner for Creative Services for IOCs. With a focus on independent telcos and their need for distinct content and promotional offerings, original productions mix Hollywood-quality creative with Heartland sensibility. This is very exciting, as the Dave Hood content is geared towards independent telco demographic. Click here to read the complete release.
Content Pavilion Participants Finalized – Inaugural event to feature leading suppliers that can help operators provide unique service bundles. Click here to read the complete release.

Open Source In-Booth Studio – Calling All Press

In the middle of the Content Pavilion is an in-booth video studio. We will have interviews with various luminaries that make their way to our side of the show. The big news is that Viodi is opening this studio to other members of the press. We will make up to 10 minutes of each hour available to a TelecomNEXT qualified member of the press, subject to availability. All we ask for is a 5 second opening credit and the opportunity to air the segment in a future Viodi View (after it airs in the given press member’s publication).

And yes, I do have a bit of studio-envy. CNBC appears to have a live uplink and a stage set-up to do interviews. It is very impressive looking. On the topic of video production at tradeshows, I was heartened to see Jenny Bourne at last week’s VON show with a portable studio and a sign that read, “VON TV”. Unfortunately, I was running to a meeting and did not get a chance to learn what she cool things she was doing.

The “V” in VON Now Stands for Video – And Other Hot Acronyms

The word that was heard at VON was video. I heard some more things, but, unfortunately, my notes are elsewhere at this time. I heard or read somewhere that it was pretty impressive when Pulver removed his shirt to reveal the Sling Box tee-shirt. And Sling Box is the hot thing in OTT – OTT is the latest acronym for “Over the Top”, which refers to a service provider that rides on top of someone else’s network. VOTT is a derivative of OTT and means a video over the top player and could be anyone, such as Google, AOL or Viodi, that is sending video via someone else’s network.

The Korner - 20 Minute Webinar Compressed to a 4 Minute Video

Last Wednesday, yours truly had the chance to talk about my favorite subject, local content. The PowerPoints I provided took about 20 minutes to cover. The following video has been compressed to provide the same information in only 4 minutes; an 80% bandwidth reduction! As you watch the video, please note the subtle changes in the background over time.

Click here to watch video

Part of the reason for doing this video was to experiment with a video editing program, Visual Communicator 2 Studio, from a company called Serious Magic. What is presented is rough around the edges, but it does provide an idea of the power of a teleprompter, a green screen, and pre-produced templates. The amazing thing is that the video of me was shot in my hotel room, with a green screen draped around a sprinkler head. There will be a review of this product in a future issue of the Viodi View.

As of 11:30 P.M, there is still no Internet connection, so I may not be online tomorrow or Wednesday. So, if you are at TelecomNEXT, stop by booth 305 to learn more about the process I went through to make the above video. Oh yeah, and the answer to my query at the start of this issue; the convention center has a telecommunications monopoly that would make John D. Rockefeller proud.

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