As of Today, Official Blogging Duty for Sorenson Media

As of today, in addition to this, my personal "Digital Media Update" blog, I am the official blogger for Sorenson Media.  Here's why -- and here's my first post in that role.

As many of you know, I also frequently write for other notable blogs -- including guest blogging stints on The Huffington Post, TechCrunch, and Streaming Media.

Why?

I like to write.  I like to share my insights (for what they're worth).  I like to connect.

The content for all of these will rarely overlap.  In other words, I hope you read them all.

KIT Digital, Not Kaltura, To Restate Earnings -- Or, When A Headline Goes Wrong

A couple days back, Tim Siglin of Streaming Media wrote an important piece about disturbing news in the online video market -- specifically, and incredibly, once-darling KIT Digital will restate ALL earnings for the past 3 years "due to revenue recognition irregularities."  In KIT's own press release, it tells its investors to "no longer rely upon the Company's previously issued financial statements for these periods."  Even more incredible (or not) is the fact that the company announced this disturbing development just prior to the market closing the day before Thanksgiving, thereby hoping to draw as little attention as possible to its announcement.  Well, Tim Siglin noticed -- as have others in our space.

But, here's a new wrinkle which is unfortunate.  Earlier today, Streaming Media itself inadvertently issued the following headline in its "Streaming Media Xtra" newsletter -- i.e., "Kaltura to Restate Earnings for Past 14 Quarters."  

Obviously, it is KIT Digital -- not Kaltura (which is in the same OVP marketplace).  I already have received a note indicating that Streaming Media will shortly issue an apology to Kaltura, if they haven't already.

This is a very rare miss for Streaming Media.  I know the folks behind Streaming Media very well -- and they are top-notch all the way around.

Listen, mistakes happen.  We all make them (I certainly do).  But, this one in particular may very well create confusion with Kaltura customers.

Climbing Mt. Whitney -- Re-Living via YouTube

I just re-discovered this video of my 2006 Mt. Whitney climb -- with 4 buddies -- via YouTube. Candidly, I had forgotten it even existed (since I was not the videographer for our epic adventure). The video quality is awful -- but re-living the experience is magical. Again, the power of video. And, the power of "experiences." If you haven't climbed Mt. Whitney, do it. And, this video reminds me to do it again. I tried to get a spot in the lottery this year -- but failed (you cannot climb Whitney unless you win a "spot" from the National Forest Service). This year, I will try again. It is time.

The Transformative Power of Song, Community & Video

Watch this video -- just watch it -- even for a little bit. This is what is known as a "Virtual Choir" project -- featuring 3,746 videos from 73 different countries. Essentially, a crowd-sourced choral arrangement. Two words describe this experience -- "powerful" & "transformative."

Jeff Bezos & The Power of the Written Word

Fortune just profiled Amazon uber-boss Jeff Bezos in a must-read piece titled "Amazon's Jeff Bezos: the Ultimate Disruptor."  In what certainly has become the most "shocking" revelation to many in the tech world (see this Business Insider piece), Bezos opens up about leading his senior executive ("S-Team") meetings with 30 minutes of silence, during which the S-Team collectively reads 6-page PAPER (that's right, non-e-ink!) memos written by team members.

Why?  To focus his S-Team on contemplation -- contemplating issues by taking the time to put them down intelligently, with organization, on paper (real paper); and, contemplating issues by taking the time to carefully read and absorb them before they are discussed.

Listen, I am no Jeff Bezos.  But, at the same time, I have always believed in the power of the written word -- or, more accurately, written words thoughtfully strung together to force contemplation, organization, and prioritization.  That's why I am an avid blogger -- have been for years -- and that's why I have led my own senior staff meetings for years with written detailed agendas that are put down on actual paper.

Even in this increasingly virtual world, some things never change.  Nothing substitutes for the power of the in-person face-to-face meeting (even in the face of video conferencing).  And, nothing substitutes for the power of the thoughtfully crafted written word(s).  I am not talking email snippets here.  I am talking about really taking the time.

Take the time.  Do it right.  

SS Coachella Sets Sail in One Month -- I Will Be on the Maiden Voyage

Coachella -- THE preeminent music festival in the U.S. -- bleeds money.  And, owner AEG Live has taken note and is taking the brand to places it has never gone before -- from one of the driest of the dry places in the world (the Coachella Valley/desert in California) to the high seas (the Caribbean).

One month from today -- December 16 -- marks the maiden voyage of the SS Coachella, a mini Coachella experience on a maximum-sized cruise ship.  True to form with Coachella's new playbook of identical line-ups for two consecutive weekends, the SS Coachella first sets sail for the Bahamas (December 16-19) and then immediately follows it up with a tour to Jamaica (December 19-23).

I will be on the first tour -- the very first SS Coachella (after attending the main Coachella event 3 out of the past 4 years).

And, while the line-up is disappointing (Pulp is the headliner, really?), I am already getting restless for what inevitably will become a notorious event in its own right.

Coke's $10M Spotify Investment -- It's the Real Thing

Online music darling Spotify just closed another massive round of financing -- $100 million at a whopping valuation of $3 billion!  That brings Spotify's overall "take" to $288 million -- just chew on that for a minute.

Global marketing behemoth Coca-Cola (yes, that is what they are -- a marketing company) contributed $10 million to the Spotify cause in this round (as did Goldman Sachs, Fidelity Investments and others). Coke is no newbie in the world of digital music.  When I served as President & COO of online music pioneer Musicmatch "back in the day" (2002-2004), I negotiated one of Coke's first forays in the online music world via Musicmatch.  Musicmatch was one of the first to bring online music services to market (Internet radio, on demand music via subscription).  Yahoo! ultimately acquired the company in 2004 for $160 million.

When It Comes to Online Video, Speed Thrills

We are an impatient society.  We are impatient people.  We also love our video (after all, we are visual creatures and nothing engages more than video).

That's why speed matters ... a lot ... when it comes to online video.  Speed matters when it comes to the online video reporting of news and sporting events.  Speed matters in the preparation of video for online distribution (think encoding).  And, speed certainly matters when it comes to the playback of that video.  We start losing interest once we see the loading "spinning wheel of death" after clicking "play."  We want it now!  Hey, we don't just want it, we deserve it!  (Louis C.K. would have a field day on that topic).

More hard proof on that point.  A new study reported by Gigaom ("Online viewers start leaving if video doesn't start playing in two seconds") concludes that 2 SECONDS is the point where many online viewers simply can't take it anymore and move on.  And, 6% more viewers abandon ship every second after that. 

Speed certainly does not kill when it comes to online video.  Speed is absolutely essential for online video services to survive and thrive.

Content Is King -- Especially In the Cloud

[NOTE -- this is a post from early this year; I have updated it and am republishing for those who didn't see it the first time.]

The era of long-predicted video ubiquity is now upon us. It has been inevitable. Now here it is, thanks in large part to the power of the cloud. This new reality is welcome to both consumers and to premium video content owners and creators (including the major studios).

For consumers, cloud-based access to premium motion picture and television content gives tremendous freedom and flexibility to buy once, consume anywhere, anytime, on any device, and even seamlessly shift viewing from one device to another.

For content creators, the cloud opens up tremendous new power to reach those consumers -- anywhere, anytime, and on any device. This means that premium video content can touch - and touches - all of our  lives more relentlessly than ever before. And, this means that cloud delivery opens up unprecedented new ways for content owners to drive (and monetize!) significantly broader video consumption. While this may surprise some, content will be king like never before.

It is no wonder then that major premium content distribution outlets like Netflix and Apple already have been joined in the scrum by Amazon, Google, Wal-Mart (Vudu), Hulu, Comcast and a host of others large and small. Others, like Redbox, are waiting in the wings to pounce soon. The core strategies of these companies are founded on, or at least significantly influenced by, the need to be a force in video distribution. Much is at stake to "win" in the distribution game.

Due to competition from these behemoths to button up and market the deepest pool of scarce (unique) motion picture and television content in a never-ending quest for differentiation, major studios and other content owners and creators are starting to see the first real green (as in money) shoots sprouting up in this brave new cloud-enabled world. Just recently, most of these over-the-top (OTT) and "TV Everywhere" providers have ponied up big bucks to license necessary rights to distribute that premium video content. As just one example, several months ago, Netflix ponied up nearly $1 billion to stream shows from the CW Network. If the CW can command those kind of numbers, just think what real "premium" video content (like ESPN) can fetch! And, we are still only in the early innings of this online video game.

In this midst of this cloud distribution revolution, yes, there is significant disruption to existing business models. As examples, the major studios and cable operators have long relied upon established and cozy business terms which ultimately limited access to premium content to those consumers willing to shell out significant fees for programming packages. Cloud-based distribution challenges these established rules of the game and overall economics. Why? Because consumers are demanding it for all the reasons noted above.

That means there absolutely will be new winners and losers here. For one, "big" cable likely will lose its power over time as a principle source for premium video content - and likely will fall instead to the long-feared "dumb pipe" status (although fear not MSOs, more OTT distribution requires ever-fatter pipes and broadband margins are significantly higher!).  

But, no matter what, creators/owners of unique content ultimately will wear the crown of power, so long as that content strikes a chord with consumers. 

iStreamPlanet Chooses New Squeeze Server 2.0 Enterprise Transcoding

Last week, my company, Sorenson Media, announced new Squeeze Server 2.0 -- an entirely re-imagined enterprise video transcoding solution.

Today, more big news -- iStreamPlanet (a leading provider of live and on-demand streaming video solutions for prominent enterprise clients in the global technology, sports and entertainment markets) has selected new Squeeze Server 2.0 as its video on demand transcoding solution for its cloud-based services.  iStreamPlanet will use Squeeze Server 2.0 as its platform to encode and transcode video on demand files and to optimize delivery to every leading format and device in the increasingly multi-screen online video marketplace.

iStreamPlanet's confidence in our enterprise transcoding products -- after substantial beta testing -- is a testament to the power of Sorenson Media innovation and technology.  After all, iStreamPlanet's client list is a veritable "who's who" in sports, entertainment and technology -- including NBC, Turner Broadcasting, AMC Networks, the US Olympic Committee, AT&T, and Microsoft.

We welcome this important new partnership.