Silverlight - will it flop of change the face of Web video

I have no idea what the answer is to this question. What is certain is that it cannot be ignored. Look at the video for a quick taste of what it is all about. Visit the web site if you want more detail. Dick Stroud

Those guys at Google are a bright bunch

Google owns Blogger + Google owns YouTube. So, perhaps it is not surprising that Blogger now provides that ability to directly upload video. Even so I reckon it pretty damn clever.

Yesterday Blogger launched “Blogger in draft” which is a special version of Blogger where you can try out new features before they are released to everyone. In the company’s own words: “Think of it as our sandbox, or laboratory, or just Blogger + new things.”

This is what is currently available in this new version of Blogger. Dick Stroud

Will The 30-Second Spot Get a Second Life Online?

This article from adweek is about the new role of the 30-second ad when used on the Web. It might be dying on TV but the Web is giving it a new lease of life.

A survey of 1,400 online video viewers found that 30-second ads perform far better for advertisers than shorter, less-intrusive formats, that are claimed to be the building blocks of online video. While previous studies found 30-second spots annoy viewers, this study found that the spots, run before two-minute clips, actually increased "likability" of the brand shown. It also showed 30-second spots produced far better results in branding metrics than the 15-second variety. You can just imagine what joy this has created in the advertising agencies around the world. Dick Stroud

Real-Time Ticker’ for Web Video

If you need to stay keep your finger on the pulse of the Web video scene, then the new video search toolbar from ClipBlast! is for you. This toolbar includes a “Real-Time Ticker” that highlights video as it is released across the Web. Dick Stroud

Beware disgruntled employees

This article tells the tale of Shahram Ahari. A man with a gripe.

Shahram Ahari had no idea he was going to be videotaped when he sat down to discuss -- some might say criticize -- his former employer, Eli Lilly and Co.

But when the reporter came in and his camera came out, Ahari started talking anyway. And the video ended up on YouTube.com for all the world to see.

With only 20,000 views on YouTube, the unauthorized video isn't exactly a public relations nightmare for Lilly. After all, the Web site's most popular video has been viewed more than 50 million times.

The ease with which an individual can get attention, especially using video, raises issues that companies have never had to face before.

I wonder how long it will be before employment contracts have clauses about: “ you shall not upload any video material to YouTube….” Dick Stroud

Web video is good for generating activity

Of the 80% of viewers who had watched an online video ad, just over half had taken some sort of action. Nearly a third had checked out a Web site, while 22% had searched for more information, 15% had gone into a store and 12% had actually made a purchase. This is impressive stuff. The research comes from the Online Publishers Association.

In the same eMarketer article it provides data from PointRoll showing how online video advertising is relevant to brand marketers, helping to increase the time viewers spent with brands. Dick Stroud

The Breathlessness Research Charitable Trust

It is difficult to think how this charity could get its message over without using video. Good to see a charity leading the way. Dick Stroud

Steaming video facts that demand attention

This data is provided by Comscore.

> Five out of every seven U.S. Internet users (70%) streamed video online.

> Three out of every ten of U.S. Internet users streamed video on YouTube.com.

>The average online video viewer consumed 55 video streams, or nearly two per day, during the month.

> Online viewers watched an average of 145 minutes of online video in March 2007.

>Google Sites were the top U.S. streaming video properties in March with 57.4 million unique people streaming 1.2 billion video streams.

These numbers are vast, even though we are still in the infancy of Web video. Dick Stroud

Bullish On Video Clips but not on mobile phones

This article provides some data on the uptake and type of videos clips that are being watched on the Web.

But even Web video fans haven't yet turned to mobile video. Just one in five online video watchers (18%) say they watch clips on mobile devices or MP3s. Dick Stroud

"How To" videos

This is a good item about the growth in web sites providing How To videos.

Sclipo is a good example of this type of site and has videos on everything from Tai Chi to Web 2.0. If you visit the site make sure you look at the latter. To pack so much information into 4 minutes takes some doing. Dick Stroud