Online video industry continues to strengthen

This has been a good couple of weeks for the online video space. This morning Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, during the company’s earnings call, gave Netflix props for doing a “great job” in streaming video to its users. Netflix, for its part, last week reported solid, but not stellar earnings but did say its subscriber base was up to some 15 million households and said roughly 61 percent of them were streaming movies or TV episodes

CDN Level 3 reports lower revenues, earnings in Q2

Content delivery network Level 3 continued to chalk up losses in the second quarter, recording a net loss of $169 million, down from $238 million in the previous quarter, but up from $134 million a year ago. Revenues also were down, to $908 million from $910 million in Q1 and $934 million a year ago. But the company nonetheless sounded a bright note, saying revenue from core network services rose sequentially on a constant currency basis. “As we said last quarter, we expected to see sequential growth in our Core Network Services revenue for the rest of 2010,” said James Crowe, CEO of Level 3

Ooyala rolls out new HTML5 features for iPad, iPhone support

Ooyala, the Mountain View, Calif-based online video platform, is now supporting dynamic ad insertion on its HTML5 video platform. That means publishers can now monetize videos viewed on Apple’s iPad and iPhone by inserting IAB-standard ads from a number of different ad networks and servers. The company said it also integrated Apple’s HTTP Adaptive Bitrate Streaming technology into its encoding cloud making it possible for all publishers to enjoy the highest quality video playback on their iPhone or iPad.

YouTube CMO Chris Di Cesare on legitimizing online video as an art form in its own right

YouTube has been making a lot of news of late, not only for the massive amount of user-generated content it continues to upload (24 hours worth of video every minute), or for the billions of video views its serves up every month, but for the quality of the video its bringing onto its site and the expanding programs it’s offering serious aspiring video makers. YouTube, having just turned five, is growing up, and like any business that survives its first half-decade, it’s looking to refine its place in its industry. CMO Chris Di Cesare, who joined YouTube three years ago from Microsoft, talked to FierceOnlineVideo about how YouTube–without abandoning its massive community of users–is nonetheless making a special effort to legitimize and recognize video artists, independent filmmakers and is looking at developing a more serious side. Last year, it focused on the YouTube Symphony, which was assembled through open auditions on YouTube and with the help of the London Symphony and several other partners. The online, collaborative ensemble eventually played at New York’s Carnegie Hall in April 2009, directed by Michael Tilson Thomas.

YouTube CMO Chris Di Cesare on legitimizing online video as an art form in its own right

YouTube has been making a lot of news of late, not only for the massive amount of user-generated content it continues to upload (24 hours worth of video every minute), or for the billions of video views its serves up every month, but for the quality of the video its bringing onto its site and the expanding programs it’s offering serious aspiring video makers. YouTube, having just turned five, is growing up, and like any business that survives its first half-decade, it’s looking to refine its place in its industry. CMO Chris Di Cesare, who joined YouTube three years ago from Microsoft, talked to FierceOnlineVideo about how YouTube–without abandoning its massive community of users–is nonetheless making a special effort to legitimize and recognize video artists, independent filmmakers and is looking at developing a more serious side. Last year, it focused on the YouTube Symphony, which was assembled through open auditions on YouTube and with the help of the London Symphony and several other partners. The online, collaborative ensemble eventually played at New York’s Carnegie Hall in April 2009, directed by Michael Tilson Thomas

VMIX lands NASA as OVP customer

Online video platform VMIX will be the launching pad for NASA’s multimedia content on the agency’s www.nasa.gov website, the San Diego-based company announced. The customer win is a big one for the OVP, which has been ramping up its sales and marketing effort since turnaround specialist Pat Burns took over as CEO and president in May. In an interview with FierceOnlineVideo at the time, Burns said the company was going to juice up its marketing efforts and expand into other segments in addition to its strong suit, providing platforms for media. The company said it was chosen because its platform simplified workflow across NASA multiple divisions

YouTube’s shiny new HTML5 embed code is now live

Most of you have probably embedded a YouTube video at one time or another, even if it’s just to share it on Facebook. Because copying and pasting is so easy, you might not have paid much attention to the embed code itself, though.

Blockbuster Says It Has "28-Day Advantage", But Only Has 13 Movies Streaming In HD

For a company that is so far behind their competitors, I can only laugh when Blockbuster continues to talk about all of these supposed “advantages” they have in the market. Last week Blockbuster started running television commercials in two states highlighting the fact that they don’t have to wait 28 days to rent new releases. (Their commercial has since been pulled from YouTube due to copyright issues.) While that may seem like a big deal, we all know that consumers are starting to consume more movies digitally, yet Blockbuster’s supposed “28-Day Advantage” does nothing to help them with their failing digital strategy

Giving Away Free Copies Of My Book "The Business Of Streaming & Digital Media"

Update: All business books are gone. Only two Windows Media books left. I have seven copies of my book ” The Business of Streaming & Digital Media “, which is part of the NAB Executive Technology Briefing series and two copies of ” Hands-On Guide To Windows Media ” to give away.

Can Blockbuster laugh its way past bankruptcy?

Bockbuster’s financial picture is no laughing matter, but that doesn’t mean the company–which is having its lunch eaten by competitors Netflix and Redbox–doesn’t have a sense of humor. The DVD rental icon is hoping to parlay its day-and-date new release advantage into a big payoff, and is hoping a light touch can do the trick. It’s released an ad in a couple of small markets–Reno, Nev. And Charlotte, N.C.–that highlights the 28-day edge it has with new releases, showing, for instance, a couple at a pricey restaurant being told they’ll have to wait 28 days for a table. “You’d never wait that long,” an announcer intones

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