The Potential of Web Based Video - Last Exit | 4

The Potential of Web Based Video - Last Exit

Video on the Internet is still a medium in search of a distribution system. By now, most regular Internet users have attempted at least once to view video on the Web. It's rapidly becoming ubiquitous, though it's not often been used effectively. At a quick glance, the majority of online content comprises digitized commercials, movie trailers, music videos and news or sports highlights, all delivered in small, bite-size chunks, primarily so dial up users can attempt to view it. This despite the fact that the FCC's own numbers show that there is an ever-increasing market of broadband consumers.

Sharing video across the Web in the exact same manner we share text may not be the best solution. It presupposes the "least common denominator"--that is, the dial-up user--as the target market for online video delivery. The result is that rich media has been held back in its development and, for that matter, broader acceptance. An exploration of the problems video faces to get online and the types of video shown could bring about higher quality video playing a more active role in a users online time for both information and entertainment. Going even further and rethinking the methods we use for delivery of content over the Internet could affect even more dramatically the relationship between video and the Internet.

The numbers

As part of the Ninth-Annual Report on Competition in Video Markets, the FCC reports that, as of June 2002, an estimated 54 million Americans subscribed to an Internet access service, compared with 50 million in June 2001. Of this figure, approximately 51 percent had accessed audio or video at least once before, and 23 percent had regularly accessed streaming content within the last month. Simply put, and average of 12.5 million viewers are regularly seeking video content online, and as many as 28 million have tried at least once to do so.

While these figures certainly don't compare to television and movie ratings, this is a solid viewer base for a technology still in its infancy. Researchers have been developing methods for capturing video and audio for 30 years or more, but such technology didn't come to the consumer desktop until the early '90s. Video's largest expansion to the Internet market was in the late '90s as home computers became powerful enough to play video, bandwidth speeds increased and compression of video improved.

The factors

Despite a surge in viewership within the last five years, video dramatically lags behind technologies such as e-mail and instant messaging. These technologies, which make use of the same Internet infrastructure as traditional Web pages and rich media delivery, saw an explosion of use during the last half of the '90s. Yet a number of issues, including bandwidth costs, file size, quality, proprietary software and lack of engaging content, have weighed into the equation as the public has tried to access Internet video. If we look at each factor we better understand the role it has played:

Bandwidth--The slow speeds users still receive over a standard phone line (dial-up connection) are not suited for transfer of large data. Often, video that has been scaled down to a size considered allowable for download over narrowband is too small and too poor a quality to be considered a "rich media experience." Broadband users have speeds averaging from two to 30 times faster than the average dial-up connection and can take advantage of options like always on connections, meaning there is no need to go through a lengthy connection process every time one wishes to surf the Web. Options such as DSL and cable modems have brought broadband connections to the home user; however, these are still not available in many areas. Furthermore, technical difficulties, less than expected quality of service and much higher costs have also played a role in keeping people from switching to the faster connections. Slowly, high-speed options will come to majority of online users in America, and the desire for richer content will grow.

File size and quality--As mentioned, video files targeted toward narrowband users may not meet the needs of the audience. Encoding video for the Internet at a level of quality consumers expect, but at a file size small enough to deem worth downloading, is an art form within itself. It is a fine balancing act of trying to keep file sizes low enough to make downloading and viewing the video not become burdensome to the user, while maintaining a quality high enough that the same user also enjoys the experience. When one value is given dominance over the other, the resulting product is often not well received. The exceptions have been to compelling content or specialized events on the Web, such as the long-awaited debut of a popular movie or original short films that are connected to larger media events, such as the animated shorts at http://www.animatrix.com.

Created: May 2, 2003
Revised: May 5, 2003

URL: http://webreference.com/multimedia/webvideo