Online Videos Explosion

So Time made You & Me and Everyone We know as the Person of the Year. However, it's more credited to YouTube and the explosion online videos, thanks to faster computer & bigger bandwidths on the net. We can't leave out the digital revolution in video production as well. Good thing Google is off the hook from their sky-high price for YouTube acquisition. (Hey, they gotta spend their money somewhere.) However, you just have to wonder how much deals Google has to cut for YouTube before they make their money back, if not profit.

However, what about the legal online video distributions? The paid ones where the real money exchanging hands?

I was surprised that Xbox 360 started offering videos, including HD movies for people who are staying off from the current HD-disc war. $400 Xbox 360 offering is far more attractive than $500-$1000 next-gen players either HD-disc camps are offering, even if HD movies are only rentals. (Who would want to watch Poseidon more than once? just to bask in the HD glory.)

Thanks to this new venue, Box office bombs are finding extra money to make up for the loss. I got some episodes of South Park to use up Microsoft Points that left over and the experience was pretty good. As good as iTune TV downloads or better since I'm watching on a bigger screen.

But the real revelation in these articles are that Amazon.com's offering is lackluster. (No shit?!) When I first saw their offering and deals, I can't help but think that they are simply jumping guns to get a foothold, nothing serious. I hope Netflix's digital download service don't repeat their mistake.

But these points are all mute as iTunes has 90% of paid video downloads. If Apple releases iTV as Jobs promised a couple of months ago, the game could be over, like iPod is dominating legal music downloads.

2007 will be the year where online video distributions make the mainstream splash. The impact, could be bigger than TiVo brought to the TV landscape. It could also mean a better distribution channels for indie producers like you and me.