IP Democracy: Navigation a Big Challenge for Internet Video Market

(San Jose, CA) Internet video viewing choices are mushrooming, a sign that the web has emerged as a truly independent “television” medium. But, the massive number of Internet-based video choices is posing one key challenge to new content and infrastructure providers: giving viewers the navigation tools they need to sift through the millions of viewing options.

That was one theme running through the first New Video Summit, held on the eve of Pulvermedia’s Video-on-the-Net conference here on March 19. (Disclosure: my company, Emerging Media Dynamics, hosted the New Video Summit). Erich Hachenburg, CEO of MetaCafe, said during his opening keynote speech that one big obstacle this new industry needs to overcome is helping consumers find their way through the “clutter” of video choices. “If you don’t know the name [of the video you want to watch] you immediately find yourself in a morass of content.”

Dmitri Shapiro, CEO of Veoh, who said we’re at the dawn of a new medium called “Internet television,” reiterated this idea. “The big problem that is going to be resolved is how do you help people discover content,” he said.

Sarah Harden, SVP of Fox Networks Group, agreed. “What’s on the Internet is everything,” she said. “The problem is it’s still going to be about how to get consumers to find that content.”

Cisco SVP and GM Dan Scheinman also cited the overwhelming number of Internet video choices as a barrier to continued progress in the Internet video market. “Today the problem is that there is so much content out there. We need to live in a world where content finds you,” he said.

(Stay tuned for more on The New Video Summit and Video-on-the-Net.)

Posted by Cynthia Brumfield on March 20, 2007 2:37 AM to IP Democracy