Brightcove has announced support for the AdSense for video beta program, Google’s contextual advertising technology for online video. Brightcove’s support of the AdSense for video beta program hope to unlock a powerful economic proposition for the Web’s top media publishers. Serving ads based on both the content of an Internet video and the context of a web page, AdSense for video beta gives media publishers the additional ability to target tailored in-stream overlay ads from Google’s large base of advertisers. Publishers and content providers can control which videos get which ads and when the ads play in each video.

• Posted: February 21, 2008 | Filed: Channels, Video Ads |

The founders and creators of TVtrip.com felt a site putting all the hotel information in one place, combined with unbiased videos of the hotel and its surroundings, would be appealing and relevant in this YouTube era.

Like many popular video websites, TVtrip.com uses Flash technology to integrate video clips of the hotels into its web pages from XML feeds. This accounts for the TVtrip Player’s speed, interactivity, functionality and usability. The player also allows for the integration of useful features like the on-screen Hotel Information, Check Rates and Reviews, which can be clicked at anytime, while hotel videos are being viewed. They may be right.

• Posted: February 20, 2008 | Filed: Channels, Video Ads |

As reported on eFlux Media:

Applying the well-known saying: buy or you’ll be bought, Yahoo Inc. got back to business Tuesday after rejecting on Monday, Microsoft’s $44.6-billion takeover bid and announced it had purchased a broadband video start-up, Maven Networks Inc., for $160 million. Six-year-old Maven Networks, in Cambridge, Mass. include customers as CBS Sports, Sony BMG and TV Guide and is specialized in helping Web sites show online video and insert advertisements in those clips. This will expand Yahoo’s existing relationships with web publishers. In fact, Calif.-based Yahoo is not at its first acquisition of this kind. It is already known that Yahoo also bought firms like BlueLithium and Right Media Inc., also online advertising networks.

Whew.. that was a nice — quick — ride!

• Posted: February 13, 2008 | Filed: Channels, Video Ads |

Caroline McCarthy at cNet reports that NBC’s Local Media Division has acquired LX Networks, the New York-based start-up that produces videos for the Web about high-end entertainment and culture centered around New York and Los Angeles. NBC’s New York affiliate, WNBC, has been broadcasting a limited number of LX.tv videos — namely its “OpenHouseNYC” real-estate series, and the “1st Look” restaurant and bar preview show — since last year.

LX’s slick LX.tv channel was founded in 2006 by former MTV executives Morgan Hertzan and Joseph Varet, originally known as Code.tv, and features high-quality production with professional anchors.. many of whom are MTV Networks veterans. Geared toward young professionals with a taste for luxury and a good dose of social energy, financial terms were not disclosed.

• Posted: January 28, 2008 | Filed: Channels, Video Ads |

Webcastr.com has announced the winners of it’s Top 10 Videos of the Year awards. Webcastr’s viewers, along with it’s editors voted amongst over 2,500 professionally produced videos on the website to pick the best video clips of the year for 2007. Thirty finalists were chosen by the staff of the webbery with the final clips being voted Top 10:

– Heidi Loves Her Bazooms
– D*ck In A Box
– Led Zeppelin Reunion Concert in the UK
– Acting for the Greenscreen
– Bob Dylan Cadillac Commercial
– Britney Spears VMA Parody
– Don’t Taze Me, Bro
– Snoop Dogg in the UK
– The Chemical Bros. “Salmon Dance”
– Bush vs. Miss North Carolina

Plus an Honorable Mention going to:
– SUV Driving Through a Shopping Mall

According to the blurb, Webcastr features clips that come from licensed sources of professional and semi-pro content. “With so much of the user generated content out there being of questionable quality, we are happy to present these awards in recognition of the efforts of pro content creators who increasingly understand the value of the short form online video medium,” said Webcastr CEO, Tim Devine.

Gotta wonder.. what’s a “Webbery”.. something like a Shrubbery perhaps?

• Posted: January 8, 2008 | Filed: Channels, Video Ads |

Vividas announced the launch of the new Fox Soccer Channel, which will offer on-demand soccer matches from England’s Barclays Premier League, as well as other international competitions to millions of viewers throughout the United States. The new service allows full-screen video and the e-commerce back end also offers consumers easy, instant access to their favorite matches. Fox Soccer Channel Broadband offers up to five soccer matches each week. Fans have the option to buy single matches, 10-match packages or season passes giving access to all available games. Prices start at $4.99 per match with a full-season package priced at $49.99.

Two World Wars and 1 World Cup.. England-England!

• Posted: January 7, 2008 | Filed: Channels, Events |

In cubicles across the country, lunchtime has become the new prime time, as workers click aside their spreadsheets to watch videos on YouTube, news highlights on CNN.com or other Web offerings. The trend — part of a broader phenomenon known as video snacking — is turning into a growth business for news and media companies, which are feeding the lunch crowd more fresh content.

From an apartment in Greenwich Village, Rob Millis and Will Coghlan are hosts and producers of a three-minute daily Webcast, Political Lunch, done around 10 a.m., followed by an hour and a half of editing, in time for uploading just before noon. The program, which was introduced in September and appears on several Web sites, is viewed 10,000 to 20,000 times a week, with a peak in traffic from 1 to 3 p.m.

Via: NYT

• Posted: January 5, 2008 | Filed: Channels, Vlogging |

The Queen (Yes.. of England) is set to post her annual Christmas message on YouTube competing with clips of skateboarders and somersaulting dogs (Egad!) according to the Times Online. The broadcast, her 50th since the message was first televised, will help to launch a royal channel on the video sharing website. Fans will be able to view rare archive footage as well as clips of royal tours overseas and users will be able to rank the videos by giving them a star rating. The channel went live just after midnight last night and is a royal first. By tapping into the YouTube community, the Queen’s advisers hope she will be able to broaden her appeal.

As the Beatles said: .. she’s a pretty nice girl..

• Posted: December 23, 2007 | Filed: Channels, Editors Choice |

PalBee.com announced today that is has begun a beta test of its Mashup API. The Mashup API allows beta participants to embed a PalBee video conference anywhere on their own web site. This is made possible by a widget that allows real time video conferencing to anyone who visits the web page. The Flash-based technology does not require setup or configuration; simply copy and paste the code and everything else falls into place.

• Posted: December 19, 2007 | Filed: Channels, Vlogging |

RedHerring reports that Ustream.TV said Tuesday it has completed a $2 million angel round and that U.S. General Wesley Clark joined its board. Ustream and its competitors will need to attract large and consistent audiences before advertising dollars roll in. But they will be in competition with one another and mainstream broadcasters, who have content and are looking for ways to earn revenue from the Internet. Two major U.S. professional sports leagues, Major League Baseball and the National Football League, now broadcast games live on their web sites. Ustream hopes such interactive features as live polling and applause meters will draw users. Viewers can make requests and pose real-time questions with broadcasters. And much like YouTube, the site is a stage for people who otherwise don’t have a way to share their content with a global audience.

First it was Wired and now from RedHerring.. gotta hand it to their PR folks

• Posted: December 18, 2007 | Filed: Channels, Vlogging |