InternetTV for the Masses sans BigBrother

November 30, 2005 10:42 AM

Free Speech TV! Veoh allows anyone to create and broadcast their own TV show or a Channel full of shows. Not small streaming videos, but FULL-Screen, TV-Quality video. Veoh does not transcode the content, but rather offers it in it’s native encoding, and does not limit the file sizes/length of video. Veoh’s goal is to become the platform for producers of all sizes (from individuals to studios and everyone in between) to have a democratized TV broadcasting system. Take the tour. (audio/flash)
posted by HyperBlue (14 comments total)

The premise is intriguing. How long until it is regulated? Can we finally get some truth in reporting? Will everyone become a broadcaster?

I'm at work so I haven't had time to dl and test. Checkitout, and hopefully it is worthy of FPP. I did a Mefi Google and Yahoo search and could find no links/posts. (There is no way I got this before the rest of you, so you better Mefi searchers can pile on if this is old news).
posted by HyperBlue at 10:47 AM on November 30, 2005

I like how the cursor starts on "Colettes Last Bath".
posted by Mr_Zero at 10:48 AM on November 30, 2005

Press Release : FILL YOUR NEW VIDEO IPOD FOR FREE AT VEOH
posted by HyperBlue at 10:50 AM on November 30, 2005

I have been expecting something like this for many years, and I really, really wish it would evolve further. I hardly watch TV anymore as it's so homogenous and noncreative (and of course, controlled largely by money).

Truly, when (and if) consumer televisions can ever interface to the Web, it will open up a whole new revolution. It would take television viewing from the computer room to the living room. Of course there will also have to be ways of allowing the quality content to bubble to the top so we don't see 3 hours of Joe Sixpack picking his nose. (I guess that's called a webcam)
posted by rolypolyman at 10:52 AM on November 30, 2005

Still not enough upstream. Bandwidth has to go both ways... if you're going to P2P your distribution scheme... Getting there...
posted by cavalier at 11:46 AM on November 30, 2005

Cavalier has it. Bandwidth is only thing limiting a full implementation of distributed TV made for and by the public.
posted by odinsdream at 11:59 AM on November 30, 2005

And if you get really effective at broadcasting, people will be lining up to attack you.
posted by LeLiLo at 12:21 PM on November 30, 2005

Not to be confused with the real Free Speech TV.
posted by j-urb at 12:44 PM on November 30, 2005

Oh dear. Hasn't blogging already taught us enough about the deeply fascinating thoughts that most ordinary people think?
posted by rhymer at 2:23 PM on November 30, 2005

Oh dear. Hasn't blogging already taught us enough about the deeply fascinating thoughts that most ordinary people think?

And this would be worse than what is currently offered on TV?
posted by deliquescent at 3:40 PM on November 30, 2005

Arguably, yes. Lowest common denominator entertainment is better than navel gazing which isn't entertaining full stop. Given that neither usually have much to say, I'll go with the one that makes me laugh.
posted by rhymer at 3:52 PM on November 30, 2005

"Veoh Networks was founded by Dmitry Shapiro, a world recognized P2P security pioneer. ..."

"p2p security" ??? So he's protecting the p2p'rs from the media cartel's "sue 'em all" jihad?

"...with over 1 million licensed enterprise users. Akonix's customers include Disney, Viacom, MTV, Fox News, Fox Films, Weather Channel, Cingular ..."

Ah, it's not security for you, the user. More like the opposite - this so-called "security" means anti-copying tech, and maybe other restrictions on customers' use of the content. And maybe worse. It's certain this will be DRM'd to the gills.

And you have to have WMP 9 installed (2nd strike). And you have to install their software (3 strikes, they're out). Why does this remind me of the Sony/BMG rootkit/trojan fiasco?

Also, any service that immediately starts hard-selling the download of their software on the front page before they even tell visitors what it's about, is more than suspicious to me. 4 strikes - I've spent too much time already.
posted by jam_pony at 5:18 PM on November 30, 2005

what j-urb said.
posted by anda L. at 8:07 PM on November 30, 2005

My name is Dmitry Shapiro, and I am the CEO of Veoh. I would be happy to answer anyone's questions on Veoh. Let me address some of our concerns :

1. While it is true that most of the content (written and video) produced by individuals does not appeal to the masses, it appeals to smaller groups of people. I may not be interested in 2 guys in their garage talking for an hour about knives, but knife collectors would rather see this than any reality show that Hollywood can throw at them.

2. P2P upstream is slow, but when you use swarming P2P networks it is plenty of bandwidth, as each machine only uploads small chunks of data.

3. My security background should not be spun to be a negative, and has nothing to do with DRM. Akonix makes software that lets corporations protect their networks from various IM/P2P threats (viruses, worms, misuse, etc.). While Veoh will have content that has DRM wrappers, I believe that most of the content will be available without DRM. In fact, I highly encourage publishers to make their works available without any DRM.

4. You don't have to install Windows Media Player if you don't want to. We let people broadcast in whatever format they choose. Some choose Quicktime compatible, some choose WMP compatible. If you want to watch the stuff that is WMP compatible, you will need WMP installed. We are working on our own player that would solve this problem.

5. Our corporate web site needs a serious rework, so I apologize for the DOWNLOAD links being before the What is this, and Veoh Tour links. We are by no means "hard-selling" the download. Please browse around the site prior to downloading.

If any of you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me at [e-mail] or our general support email at [e-mail]

Looking forward to a brave new world...
posted by dmitryveoh at 8:52 PM on November 30, 2005