“The Next Big Thing!”
Most of my Blog entries are short and to the point, providing links to other sites for detailed information on the topic. However, this entry may be a bit longer than usual. Why? Because this topic is what I believe is one of the “next big things” on the Internet, and in society at large as well. What is that topic? IPTV! What is “IPTV?” It is television delivered by Internet connection… or “Internet Protocol.” (IP) Just as Podcasting started as a “grassroots” effort by some highly geeky individuals that love technology, so IPTV, or VODcasting (Video on Demand), has started among those “geeky few” that are interested in the technology. In fact, it is based on similar technologies as Podcasting, such as RSS feeds (Really Simple Syndication.)
More RSS feeds of weekly video programs are being made available, and more excellent free software is being developed to allow users to easily connect to the feeds of these VODcasts. I, personally, listen every week to Patrick Norton and Robert Heron on “DL.TV” (Digital Life TV) talk about tech issues in a similar manner as the old “Screen Savers” show on TechTV, before G4 bought the network and destroyed it! Other great shows on many topics are available as well.
Here’s a link to Ziff-Davis’ “Digital Life TV:”
I wanted to use this posting to tell you about two great software platforms that you can get for free! One is the “Democracy Player.” Why “Democracy?” Because almost anyone with a strong enough desire can create TV content and serve it out via an RSS feed! This is the great “democratization” of video content! No longer are a “special” few able to program only a few channels of content! Now, we can all provide content to people that have interests similar to us! The “Democracy Player” is available free from here:
Another great player is called FireAnt… it is also Open Source and free as well. FireAnt delivers a rich media experience through a simple to use, unified viewer that lets you watch all types of content without having to worry about which format it is (Quicktime, Windows Media, Real, Flash, MP3, and more!) This is a slicker, somewhat cooler looking player. And, they make it very easy for content providers to provide content via a “one click” subscription process. Check it out!
Watch this trend! You will be hearing WAY more in days to come about “VODcasting,” and “IPTV!”