November 04, 2005

How to Build Your Own Channel 9?

Why isn't Microsoft showing us how to use their tools to create our own Channel 9? I know how to do it with free software. I can use WordPress, or make it even easier and use Broadcast Machine to have a video blog setup on a Linux hosting account in a matter of minutes. Broadcast Machine generates the RSS feed, it even torrents my files automatically.

So why hasn't Robert showed us how we can make a Channel 9 equivalent using IIS? Using MSSQL? Using ASP.NET? These are obviously viable tools for video blogging; Channel 9 uses them. At the moment, it's almost impossible to find any information directly related to video blogging with Microsoft's toolset.

It's not because people don't want to use IIS. There are businesses and churches trying to figure this stuff out. They want to podcast and video blog using Microsoft server technologies but they aren't sure how to do it because the people like me; the people who write about podcasting and video blogging are using open source tools.

I know the market is there. I get questions about how to create RSS feeds with enclosures for IIS. I get questions about how to redirect an RSS feed from IIS to a FeedBurner account for stats tracking. The questions I get about IIS and enclosures are the tip of the iceberg. Other Microsoft customers want to know how to do it too.

I realize the core mission of Channel 9 is to tell the "Microsoft Story." It would also be beneficial to show your customers another way they can get value from their purchase. Show them how they can use the fee alternatives to free products everyone else uses to publish video blogs and podcasts. Show them another reason to keep being customers. Show them an added value that delivers more from their existing purchase. We don't need the Channel 9 server platform; just a glimpse at how to make the pieces all fit together.

Posted by Jake at 11:04 AM | Comments (0)

October 31, 2005

1 Million Videos Means Nothing

It's fun to watch Apple turn everything into an event, no matter how uneventful the event is. The latest news is their sales of 1 million videos in less than 20 days. TinyScreenfuls appears ready to call this a sign of success. I often agree with Josh; in this I disagree. How many of those downloads were people curious about the service? How many of those downloads were one-off purchases from one individual? How many of the one million downloads were repeat customers? How many people downloaded one show to try out the service and then subscribed to an entire season of Lost or Desperate Housewives? Lots of people will try something new once. Apple's video service is the new restaurant in town with all the buzz. If they hit 10 million downloads in the first 90 days (including future downloads from a full season purchase) then Apple has another hit. My prediction is we won't see 3 million downloads by the end of 60 days, which would mean Apple is maintaining the current pace. If I'm wrong, I'll buy an iPod Video.

Posted by Jake at 04:13 PM | Comments (0)

October 16, 2005

Print on Demand DVDs

Mediaburn points to IndieFlix beta site as a solution for POD DVD releases. IndieFlix keeps 67% of the revenue from a DVD release. Indie filmmakers have long had the option of using CustomFlix, which offers better terms, assuming you can sell a minimum of at least 50 copies of your work. A $50 setup fee and some additional fees for things like online streaming trailers load the front end, but the backend looks more attractive, with a fixed fee of $9.95 per DVD from CustomFlix on a sliding scale down to $6.95 if you sell 50 units per month. Better yet, CustomFlix is owned by Amazon, which means they should still be in business next year.

Posted by Jake at 08:32 PM | Comments (0)

October 12, 2005

Microsoft and Google Partner to Buy AOL?

So the headline is a bit of a stretch. We know Microsoft is trying to cut a deal with AOL. And since Microsoft and Bill Gates both own a small chunk of Comcast and Comcast and Google want part of AOL, isn't there some sort of transitive property that states Microsoft and Google are collectively making a bid for part of AOL?

Posted by Jake at 05:36 PM | Comments (0)