1.Internet Video -
The amount of web-based video provided over the Internet continues to increase significantly each year. As we have reported in the past, many traditional broadcast and nonbroadcast programmers are currently providing streaming and downloadable video content on their Internet web pages, as do many independent content producers. Several companies are also using the Internet, coupled with a television set-top box that allows an on-screen guide, to provide video directly to a television set. In addition, several companies are using Internet Protocol technology to provide facilities-based IP video, as are many independent content producers.
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Streaming Video. Video streamed over the Internet through the web (sent from the content provider to the subscriber in real-time) is still most viable when delivered over broadband networks. Even with the most advanced compression technology available, broadcast quality video is not possible over a 56 kbps dialup connection.492 Broadcast quality video is possible, however, at 768 kbps with advanced compression/decompression technology (codecs493) and at 1.5 Mbps or higher broadcast quality standard-definition MPEG-2 is possible.494 Some industry observers continue to believe, however, that widespread adoption of streaming video will only be possible if connection speeds significantly increase over those currently achieved over cable and DSL broadband.495 As we reported last year, the Internet2 network continues to facilitate high-quality streaming video using its highly reliable 10 Gbps backbone.496 The Internet2 network, however, continues to primarily serve the research and academic communities.
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Regardless of the fact that there is relatively minimal availability of high-quality video from such high-speed networks as the Internet2, many households continue to access streaming video using dial-up and residential high-speed Internet access connections. The overall number of homes with access to the Internet continues to grow, as does the number of Americans who access the Internet via a high-speed broadband connection. According to one report, as of June 2005, there were approximately 33.7 million residential high-speed Internet access subscribers, representing approximately 48 percent of the 70.3 million residential Internet subscription households.497 As of January 2005, an average of 14 percent of all Americans had watched some form of streaming video in the past month, and approximately eight percent of Americans had accessed streaming video content in the past week.498
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Many traditional programmers continue to offer streaming video on their websites to increase access to and supplement their regular television programming content. For example, CBS News, CNN, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon offer 24-hour web access to some regularly featured television programming; ESPN.com has partnered with Major League Baseball to provide access to baseball games and baseball highlights; College Sports TV provides access to live video feeds of some college football games; MTV offers access to regularly featured programming and supplemental content; and In2TV, a partnership between AOL and Warner Bros., allows consumers to stream full-length episodes of popular television series from a library of thousands of television programs.499 In addition, some traditional content producers are also offering new and unique content over the Internet via the web. For example, Scripps Networks has announced that it will launch ten web-based video channels by the end of 2006; AOL continues to offer such exclusive and specialized video content as the Live8 concert and music videos; and Yahoo and Google are both exploring original content for distribution via the web.500 Clear Channel Communications plans to add original streaming video programming to some 200 local radio stations’ web sites.501 Maxim Magazine plans to offer free streaming video programming on-demand to Internet users via MSN’s video streaming service.502 MTV plans to launch a free hybrid linear video and video-on-demand channel called MTV Overdrive.503 “The Knot TV” is a 24-hour streaming video channel featuring wedding-related shows.504
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Downloadable Video. As we reported last year, we expect that a large amount of video available through the web will be downloadable video. Downloadable video is available on the websites of both traditional programmers and independent producers of video content. There are numerous online services that allow users to download content to a computer hard drive for viewing on a personal computer, television, or mobile video device. In October 2005, Disney’s ABC and Apple’s iTunes entered into a deal to offer current and past season episodes of ABC and Disney Channel television shows for download from Apple’s iTunes Music Store for viewing on a PC or iPod video player.505 More established efforts to provide downloadable video include offerings from Movielink, Starz! Ticket on Real Movies, ClickStar and CinemaNow. For example, Movielink, a joint venture of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Studios, and Warner Bros. Studios, offers movies, television shows, and other popular videos for download on a rental or purchase basis.506 Some companies are offering or are planning to offer content distribution via the web for independent content producers. DaveTV, Brightcove, and Wi-FiTV provide an Internet-based distribution interface for content producers of all sizes.507 Some content producers are offering their services directly to Internet users via websites such as Strandvenice.com, which is an online reality channel that offers a 50-minute series pilot episode for free and charges 99 cents for future 30-minute episodes.508 Akimbo has partnered with producers and distributors of movies and videos to deliver video programming directly to a subscriber’s television using the consumer’s existing broadband connection.509 Akimbo provides the subscriber a set-top box that generates an on-screen guide that enables the subscriber to choose programming from a library of video selections. Akimbo then uses IP technology to deliver the video from a central office, over the Internet, to the subscriber’s television.510
2.Home Video Sales and Rentals -
The sale and rental of home video, including videocassettes and DVDs, are considered part of the video marketplace because they provide services similar to the premium and pay-per-view offerings of MVPDs.511 As such, they offer some level of competition to broadcast television, cable television and DBS for the consumer’s time and money. Video-on-demand services provided by cable, DBS, and Internet providers have emerged as competitive alternatives to home video.512
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Nine out of ten TV households have at least one VCR.513 DVDs also have made a significant impact on the home video market. An estimated 80 million households have DVD capability, representing nearly three-quarters of all U.S. households. Consumers purchased 37 million DVD players in 2004, an eight percent increase over 2003, and in the first six months of 2005 nearly 14 million DVD players were sold. Household penetration is expected to reach 80 percent by year-end 2005.514 There are approximately 47,000 DVD titles available for purchase or rental today compared to 30,000 a year ago.515 Consumers spent $24.5 billion renting or purchasing DVDs or VHS videocassettes last year, compared to $9.4 billion in U.S. movie ticket revenues.516 Overall, consumers spent $15.5 billion on DVD sales alone in 2004, a 33 percent increase over 2003, while DVD rentals increased 26 percent over 2003, as consumers spent more than $5.7 billion.517
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Sales and rentals of DVDs have accounted for 60 percent of entertainment companies’ profits over the past eight years.518 Consumers can purchase DVDs and videocassettes from video chains, such as Blockbuster or Hollywood Video; from mass merchandise stores, such as Target and Wal-Mart; or from online companies, such as Amazon. Consumers rented more than one billion DVDs during the first half of 2005, 519 either at retail outlets or via online services, such as Netflix.520 Netflix currently has about 3.2 million subscribers. It is projected that Netflix will have four million subscribers by the end of 2005, and five million by the end of 2006.521 Earlier this year, Wal-Mart and Netflix entered a partnership whereby Netflix will promote Wal-Mart DVD sales and Wal-Mart will offer its online customers the opportunity to sign up with Netflix at Wal-Mart’s current online movie rental service price for the year.522 Netflix also has announced that it plans to offer downloadable movies by the end of 2005.523 In addition to its video stores, Blockbuster offers an online DVD rental service and is reported to have a million subscribers, a number that is expected to double by the first quarter of 2006.524
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