The Video iPod Doth Rock
I might be eating my words soon. In a post last October I dared to make a prediction that "video iPod will be relegated to niche, specialty content, and the intense shift seen in music will never occur". I even really emphasized the "never". I should never make predictions, that’s what I should never do!
It’s not that the iPod video is setting the world on fire. In fact, my prediction that it will never take off in the way music has may hold up, who knows. However, Apple has created a "total mobile experience" that is full of so much raw potential that I can hardly believe every content provider isn’t clamoring to produce mobile content for the iPod! There is so much money sitting on the table and nobody is grabbing at it! Wake up!
If you want to find out what the future will be like, take your iPod video and subscribe to "ABC News Now". Every day, a 15 minute excellent video newscast that will make it clear that television news (on your television that is) is headed for the dumpster. I am so impressed that ABC has done a dedicated news podcast. Now the problem is, ABC isn’t my favorite news program. I want every single news program to do the same thing. I want choice. Lots of choice.
And damnit, I’d be happy to pay! I bet lots of people would. That’s the potential.
This difference between "potential" and "reality" is obvious if you take a look at a Google search for "iPod video". Hardly anything of merit. Mostly, it’s outdated product reviews and Apple propaganda. Now, try Googling for "iPod video torrents". Ah ha! A treasure trove of people talking about the real content on Bittorrent, Guba and other places. These are the people who are experiencing the dream rather than just dreaming.
I confess, one of them is me. I crossed the line. And now that I have, here are some things you should try, if you dare:
First, go to www.podtropolis.com. Hope you don’t hear Police Sirens. Hope it’s still there when you read this. Now, browse the shows. Figure out the BitTorrent thing. It’s worth it.
Try Robot Chicken. 10 minute episodes you can watch in bed before you go to sleep. The Simpsons do pretty well on the small screen. Just browse, download, drag to your iTunes video icon, and sync your iPod. Magical. No complex software, no conversions. The potential for short video is astounding, but nobody is doing it right in the commercial world.
Here’s what commercial content owners need to do:
- Create pay subscription feeds in iTunes using existing brands like ComedyCentral. Make sure people get 3-5 podcasts each week in several feeds tailored to what people want. Charge $4.95 per month.
- Don’t charge per-episode! If you do, you’re missing out on loyalty opportunities. I would NEVER buy a single ABC News Now. But, I’d subscribe to a whole month of them, no problem. Same goes for Robot Chicken. I would have never bought a single episode. But, if it’s part of the feed, I’d pay a monthly subscription.
- Forget about on-demand streaming video. I’ve been using on-demand video for 10 years. Watching videos in "actively find, click, watch, navigate" mode is a waste of brain power and most people won’t do it. Focus on the iPod and the seamless subscription and delivery model.
Hurry up. My credit card is glowing, and there’s nobody to pay! I certainly don’t want to pay Guba. They’re just delivering (mostly illegal) content. I’m the type of person that will gladly buy 3 boxed DVD sets per month. I’ll gladly pay for it online too. Just make it possible! Please.
