The Mediatwits podcast is sponsored by the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, which offers an intensive, cutting edge, three semester Master of Arts in Journalism; a unique one semester Advanced Certificate in Entrepreneurial Journalism; and the CUNY J-Camp series of Continuing Professional Development workshops focused on emerging trends and skill sets in the industry.
Welcome to the 26th episode of “The Mediatwits,” the weekly audio podcast from MediaShift. The co-hosts are MediaShift’s Mark Glaser and entrepreneur Rafat Ali. This week is a special look at streaming video services, including the possibility of an Apple TV set and the impending launch of YouTube channels. Guests include tech journalist Dan Frommer of SplatF and Brent Weinstein, head of digital services at United Talent Agency. Both have been doing a lot of thinking about the future of streaming video, with Frommer writing about a possible app ecosystem on an Apple TV set and Weinstein having clients who are creating new YouTube channels.
What could an Apple TV set offer that other TVs don’t have? Could it include Siri voice commands and better remote controls? And how would Apple get Hollywood to play along, something that Google has struggled with? YouTube announced it was creating dozens of new channels, with reports pegging the video giant spending $100 million on original content. Some big names include Madonna and Ashton Kutcher, but where does that leave the independent YouTube stars?
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Intro and outro music by 3 Feet Up; mid-podcast music by Autumn Eyes via Mevio’s Music Alley.
Here are some highlighted topics from the show:
Intro
2:00: Rafat is more informed without cable, uses streaming channels on Roku
4:45: Mark had various tech headaches with digital broadcast, Roku box
5:45: Amazon offering up e-books in its own lending library
6:20: Rundown of topics for show
Apple TV set and app ecosystem
6:20: Special guests Brent Weinstein and Dan Frommer
9:25: Frommer: 27-inch iMac already functions as TV; plus Jobs says in bio: ‘I finally cracked the TV’
12:20: Apple realizes people want to watch Hollywood fare
14:30: Weinstein: Channels have leverage to maintain status quo now
18:00: Rafat: Doesn’t Roku already have channels?
YouTube launches channels
20:10: Weinstein: The iPhone already killed mobile media in WAP; Apple TV set could do the same to streaming services
22:40: Weinstein: Talent likes creative freedom that YouTube is offering
27:10: Frommer: Netflix, Amazon, Hulu becoming too similar, need original programming
30:10: Weinstein: Apple, Google have best chance of being software platform for TV content
More Reading
Here’s why Apple’s TV needs to be an actual television, and not just a cheap add-on box at SplatF
Apps are the new channels at Daring Fireball
Here’s the trouble with Apps as TV channels at SplatF
YouTube and Hollywood Finally Link Up: Here Come the Channels at AllThingsD
YouTube hitches future to internet TV at Sydney Morning Herald
If YouTube Is Doing $1.6 Billion a Year, Why Does It Need Hollywood? at AllThingsD
WSJ Live coming to Google TV, Roku and more at Lost Remote
Reality check: DVD and Blu-ray are still clobbering iTunes and Netflix at SplatF
Competition and a weak economy plague cable TV at CNET
Weekly Poll
Don’t forget to vote in our weekly poll, this time about what you think about an Apple TV set:
Mark Glaser is executive editor of MediaShift and Idea Lab. He also writes the bi-weekly OPA Intelligence Report email newsletter for the Online Publishers Association. He lives in San Francisco with his son Julian. You can follow him on Twitter @mediatwit. and Circle him on Google+
The Mediatwits podcast is sponsored by the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, which offers an intensive, cutting edge, three semester Master of Arts in Journalism; a unique one semester Advanced Certificate in Entrepreneurial Journalism; and the CUNY J-Camp series of Continuing Professional Development workshops focused on emerging trends and skill sets in the industry.