Our articles about the LA-based pop band “Lights Over Paris” have attracted a lot of attention. Read the articles below to see why.
Feel the Pulse
Since March, I’ve been working on a project that is highly experimental. It all started when I was looking for some information on Amazon’s Video On Demand (VOD)
VODpulse was born. I’ve been posting news stories regarding VOD on it for a few months now, but only this weekend did I finally arrive at what the “true” face of the site is. Let me break it down by the major components.
- VOD News: this is important because as these companies vie to be more competitive, they will announce new features, expanded content, and price breaks to stay on top. Currently, it is a battle between Apple (iTunes), Amazon, and Netflix. The others can’t even hope to compare right now. These services will continue to evolve, and I aim to know what they’re all up to.
- Showcase: this is meant to show a small sample of what VOD has to offer. There’s already a lot of great content that is VOD exclusive, and may never see life beyond the Internet. That means you can’t buy this stuff on a disc. So, I want to have a place where you can watch some of the best content in one centralized location, without navigating to YouTube, then Vimeo, then to SpikeTV just to watch some good little videos.
- VOD Comparison: this is the final and most important (yet incomplete) feature of the site. I aim to break down all the current VOD services, free or not, and describe some of the technical features the services offer as well as an opinion on the content. The idea is to inspire an easier choice for someone like my Dad, who loves films and renting DVDs but doesn’t know a damn thing about VOD. This one will clearly take a great deal of time and research, but it is slowly coming together.
The site is probably 80% done right now, but that is what I’ve been working on for the past week. Take a test drive in it. Comment on it, watch some videos, rate them – just check it out. Leave some comments on the site for me here and let me know what you think. Thanks!
Comments
So is VODpulse yours? I thought you were managing it for someone else?
I disagree that VOD will replace hardcopy formats like Blu-Ray. I view it more as a companion service. Sure, I might be able to stream a Tarantino film in HD right now… but unfortunately they don’t seem to be streaming bonus features, commentary tracks, etc for most OnDemand items. (You prolly know more about the frequency, if any, than I do)
So what did you change on the site?
The redesign looks great. What’s the plan for the Showcase section? Just whatever you find or will others be able to link to content for you? I think VOD is the future. A lot of people I know already watch tons of movies from Netflix streaming or their cable boxes. It’s just a matter of time before all the special features and other traditional disc options are available…. you know, once bandwidth/data size is no longer limiting.
“So what did you change on the site?”
Gave it a bit of an overhaul, tweaked the Showcase section a little as well. There’s still quite a bit left to do. I should have said the site is more like 65% complete maybe…
As for the showcase, I will post stuff I find but eventually I might even produce some original content for it. I feel like people appreciate being able to just go to one site, spend an hour watching videos, and then go do something else. I want to take some of the legwork out of it, but be something more than just a site that compiles popular videos (like an Ebaum’s World or a Break, for example). I’m going to show the cream of the crop.
Bandwidth is the number one factor holding VOD back at the moment…well, that and the fact that nobody has really figured out “the winning ticket” – that is, the best way to monetize it all. With FiOS and other fiber rolling out, it is only a matter of time.