Peace on Earth,
Good Will to All
Click to learn more about Viodi’s Local Content Workshop
Quick Jump Menu to this Issue’s ArticlesDecember 15, 2004 OverviewPre-Holiday ExpoThe Video Phone Is HereLast Minute Shopping Ideas
THE VIODI VIEW
by Ken Pyle ([email protected]), Viodi, LLC
In this Issue: Video Phone Demo, Garfield, Gaming & More…
December 15, 2004 Issue
- Pre-Holiday Video Expo
- The Video Phone Is Here!
- Buried Legislation
- Funny Pages Follow Up
- Herding Bison – Interactive Game Launch @ MTS
- Competition from All Directions
- MSO? – Multimedia Search Opportunity
- Last Minute Shopping Ideas
- The Korner – Santa’s Claus is Coming to the Viodi View
The holidaze are normally a slow time for business activities and a manic time for shopping and holiday parties. This year, business seems to be busier than ever and, as much as I would like to, I find it impossible to share, in person, the spirit of the holidays with all of my far-flung friends. Ok, so it sounds like I am making excuses for failing, yet again, to send physical Christmas cards. So, please allow me to use this issue of the Viodi View to extend my sincerest wishes for a joyous holiday season to you and your loved ones.
Late Breaking News:
Two articles in the 12/15 issue of the San Jose Mercury. The first article debunks an email that is going around that suggests cell phone numbers are going to be given to telemarketers on January 1st, 2005. The other article highlights a California vineyard that is using a network of self-healing, wireless remote sensors to detect things such as moisture, fungus, and temperature. The upshot is the farmer is more efficient in the use of chemicals and water.
And make sure you get plenty of video recordings of the holiday celebrations. Having gone to last week’s DV West Expo in Los Angeles, I found all sorts of interesting ways to record holiday memories. Admittedly, most of the products found at this show are not for the average consumer. This is the type of show that needs to be on the radar screen of any telco that is considering the addition of video services. Although this show deals with the production side of video, it also provides some leading indicators as to the direction of video, especially as it relates to high definition. Click here to learn more.
The DV West Expo, with its displays of sophisticated, yet cost-effective equipment, is an indicator of that video is quickly becoming a mass production media. Another tool that has the potential to allow the masses to produce video is the 8×8, Inc. (Packet 8), DV 326 video telephone. After 40 years, video telephony may finally have arrived. The DV 326 is the latest in a line of 8×8 video telephones dating back to the early 1990s. This time, the market may be ready, as there are competing products from WorldGate/Motorola (Ojo) and the just-announced partnership between Vonage and Viseon. Click here and you will get to see and hear a recording of the Packet 8 service, which also happens to be my video interview with Bryan Martin, 8×8’s Chairman.
In the last issue of the Viodi View, there were a couple of brief mentions of FCC Orders that bear close watching. Well, one of the concerns is deferred for awhile thanks to some language buried in some recent legislation. Robert Primosch of Wilkinson, Barker and Knauer, LLP was kind enough to send this note that describes some of the recent events:
“Congress recently passed legislation extending the statutory compulsory license that permits DBS to import distant network stations into “white areas” in local markets. While much of the publicity about the bill has focused on its impact on DTV, there is a provision buried deep in the legislation that extends the statutory ban on exclusive retransmission consent contracts from January 1, 2006 to January 1, 2010. The same extension applies to the broadcaster’s statutory obligation to negotiate retransmission consent in good faith. The legislation is dense and covers a variety of additional subjects that are relevant to any rural telco who is providing multichannel video service.”
Thanks Robert for your insight on these important issues.
A couple of months in the Viodi View, we had a brief article regarding how Hancock Telecom was using the character Garfield to help position themselves as more than just a telephone company. Well, I could not report it then, but it is now official that Garfield is available as a spokescat for NTCA member companies. NTCA had a webinar briefing yesterday on their joint marketing program with the company behind Garfield, Paws, Incorporated.
NTCA’s webinar featured Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield, who explained the benefits of using this well recognized feline as a way of extending and enhancing an independent telcos’ brand. With 55 employees, Paws, Inc. is a marketing machine, having licensed Garfield to over 800 companies. Garfield is read by over 260 million people daily. NTCA has negotiated a deal with Paws, whereby NTCA members essentially get access to standardized Garfield marketing materials for effectively a fixed price per year.
Telcos also have the chance to participate in the “Professor Garfield” web site, which is an interactive learning site for kids. This site will feature a section on 911 safety, which is designed specifically for telcos and their customers. Stephanie List of Hancock Telecom, suggested that this program has been a critical way of repositioning their company as provider of television services. One of the strengths of an established brand, like Garfield, is that it helps the telco brand rise above the marketing message clutter.
Herding Bison – Interactive Game Launch @ MTS
While we are on the subject of cats and branding, Iacta’s game “Herding Cats” has just been customized for MTS’s use in Manitoba. MTS licensed games from Iacta for use on their Motorola/Next Level platform. These thin-client games were originally developed for Microsoft’s Web TV efforts and feature attributes such as video picture in game. In addition to porting their existing games, Iacta modified the characters in “Herding Cats” from cats to bison to reflect MTS’ mascot. What is amazing is that these games work on a low-cost web server and do not require additional middleware. Look for more announcements from Iacta in the near-future.
Competition from All Directions
Being able to differentiate and build a strong brand that is associated, in some way, with entertainment will be critical to independent telcos, as competition will increasingly come from all directions. The latest evidence of potential competition comes from Chungwa Telecom Global, the largest Taiwanese telecommunications provider. Chungwa just announced a deal whereby they will use Infogate middleware to deliver streaming and downloadable videos to Asian Indians living in the United States. The movies will be provided by MarsOne, a San Jose company, which claims to have licenses to 5,000 hours of content including Indian movies, sitcoms, and edutainment titles. Talk about confusing, but that’s what competition is sometimes.
MSO? – Multimedia Search Opportunity
Thanks to the last issue of the Viodi View, I had a chance to catch up with a friend and former colleague from my Raynet days, Fares Nassar. Fares always impressed me as someone with entrepreneurial talent. Over the years, he has proven to be quite successful in his native country of Brazil, where he has connected U.S. technology companies with local telco and CATV clients, generating multimillion dollars in business for the US firms.
He and his team have also been busy developing some interesting products that have been patented and proven in Brazil and are ready for deployment in the United States. His group has developed www.justoaqui.com.br, a multimedia portal, and guide which combines the attributes of a search engine, a blog and content creation, as well as some pretty effective viral marketing tools such as a proprietary cartoon maker. The justoaqui service is used by most large ISPs in Brazil, including Microsoft Network Brazil which uses it as a local multimedia guide. Justoaqui receives over 3 million page views per month.
They are bringing this service to the United States and have engaged Viodi to help them in their quest for partners. From what I have seen of their product, it could be an interesting play for any entity that wants to create a richer and stickier multimedia web presence, market to special interest groups such as the US Hispanic community, and/or expand overseas. If this is of interest, please contact us at [email protected].
As part of our service to our readership, we hope to make the holiday shopping season a bit less stressful this year by providing some unique gift ideas that you will find nowhere else. From music to a day with me, click here to find some things you probably will not find at your run of the mill, big-box retailer.
The Korner – Santa Claus is Coming to the Viodi View
With the advent of the Internet, I don’t find myself getting out to the mall too often – pretty ironic, considering one of the largest malls in Northern California is less than a mile away. In fact, I do not think my wife and I have ever taken our kids to the mall to sit on Santa’s lap. So, when I saw what Packet 8 was doing for kids in children’s hospitals, I thought this would be a good way to experience Santa without leaving home.
Seriously, what Packet 8 is doing is a good gesture of Christmas spirit. They have provided a service whereby kids in children’s hospitals can phone Santa on a special phone number. What makes it special is that the Packet 8 video phones allow the children to see Santa and Santa to see the children.
Reading a sterile press release is one thing, but to actually experience a phone call with Santa, especially through the eyes of a five year old, is something exciting and a bit magical. I expected the conversation with Santa would consist of Santa asking my son what he wanted for Christmas and would last no more than a minute. I was wrong, as this Santa was actually pretty entertaining. In fact, I got so caught up in the moment that I forgot to hit the record button until about five minutes into the phone call.
What you will see is an eleven minute conversation edited down to three minutes. In the video, you will see Santa and Charlie playing “Santa says” and “find the cranberries”, singing Jingle Bells and conversing with Santa’s stuffed dog. Their antics really test the performance of the Packet 8 service. As you will see in the opening sequence, the upstream and downstream bit rates are set for only 128 kb/s. It is also important to note that the video is encoded a second time with Windows Media at 256 kb/s.
To see our video conversation with Santa, please click here. To learn more about the Packet 8 video telephony service, please see this month’s video interview with Bryan Martin.
Finally, kudos and thanks to the folks at Packet 8 for finding a way to bring some joy into the lives of some ill children.
Interested in Sponsoring the Viodi View? Send an email to:[email protected]
Please forward this free publication to anyone you know who is involved in some way with independent telephone companies.
Mission of the Viodi View:
In this on-line publication, we share our analysis, opinions and direction on the interactive television news and views that we believe will be of interest and use to our friends associated directly or indirectly with independent telephone companies. For more information as to the various ways Viodi works with independent telephone companies, please go to http://www.viodi.com/alliance/
Disclaimer:
The Viodi View [Viodi, LLC] and its associates used their best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein. However, the Viodi View [Viodi, LLC] does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any and all liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.
To Unsubscribe, please send an email to: [email protected]
All displayed trademarks, logos and service marks are the property of their respective owners. © 2004 Viodi, LLC. All Rights Reserved. 5255 Stevens Creek, #127 Santa Clara, CA 95051
The Future of Content and Revenue Protection
Click Here to read & view the interview with Bryan Martin.
ISO-9001 certified, OEM supplier with 30+ years of high-quality design and manufacturing experience in the CATV and telecommunications industry is available to assist in the creation of RF, wireless and fiber optic products.
Especially strong in the packaging of outside plant electronics as evidenced by their worldwide shipments of millions of RF components for CATV systems. To learn more about partnering with this company, please send an email to: [email protected], all inquiries will remain confidential.
Click Here to see some Sample Screen Shots of Iacta Designed Games for MTS
Leave a Reply