I have to say, I didn't see this coming. Google unleashed
a beta version of its video-hosting service yesterday. Users can upload videos
of any size and Google will host it for free. Amazing as that is, it isn't the most interesting feature. It also will allow you
to charge whatever you want for users to download the videos.
The implications of this are utterly staggering. Any person with a video can now sell that video for any amount they want at no overhead cost. It potentially creates an opportunity for video producers to make a living from their work. The types of files probably will range the breadth of garage-band music videos, indy movies, the inevitable porn, and maybe even news.
Another angle to consider is the effect this will have on news. If someone captures an incredible event with a camcorder, how many would be inclined to give it to a local news channel for free when they have a free micropayment system to sell it to a worldwide audience?
I'd like to see three more technologies follow to really push this over the edge:
- An open API to allow developers to create programs to load these videos directly onto video-player devices like the Archos AV 400 -- similar to podcasting.
- A server-based rendering system to scale videos down to a stream that would play on a cell phone.
- RSS feeds.
Last week we heard that
Al Gore's Current channel
had a Google tie-in. It's easy to see why, but it's hard to see how Current could compete with Google Video. Will viewers want to be tied to a TV set watching a passing selection of someone else's choosing when they could be browsing Google Video files on demand? I don't know, but Gore might be wishing he had called his channel
Shuffle.
The implications of this really are profound and world-changing. Most...
