TechMediaTalk

Leaning and Linearity in Video and Other Trends

Posted on | March 4, 2009

Do you think the Lean-Back / Lean-Forward metaphor for video is still valid given the sea changes we are seeing in the world of video?  I think not and I wrote about this in the recent issue of Streaming Media magazine (Streaming Media 2009 Sourcebook) titled:  ‘The New TV-Web-Mobile Mashup’.  Since I wrote the article, there have been recent updates in the news media that are indicative of the non-linearity trend I discuss.  Before I get to them, let me briefly describe what I think a new paradigm is for video.  

While leaning-back or leaning-forward was an elegant metaphor, visually descriptive of how consumers watch video on TV and PCs respectively, the tremendous changes we are seeing in video related behavior surpass the simple elegance of this metaphor.  Our viewing behavior is better defined by whether we are watching video in linear or non-linear mode.  Hence the title of this post – video viewing is about linearity (or non-linearity) than about leaning forward or back.  

This is more than just semantics or nomenclature - it is defining the evolution of video as a medium and as a business.  It is defining how we relate to video and the choices we will make in where and how we consume video.  In my Projections for 2009, I consider video non-linearity to become a growing trend in 2009, and an exciting one at that.

For example, Discovery Communications recently announced that it will mine its 23 year old vault of Discovery

Discovery Channel logo used from 1995 until ea...
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 Channel videos and publish short clips and mashups on the web including on YouTube.  This not only gives this content a new lease on life, but also opens up tremendous advertising opportunities given the thousands of clips resulting from their archives.

Similarly, in a post on Online Video Insider, Dave Jackson has highlighted ComScore data, summarizing that ‘video snacking’ is on the rise:  

 ”Video snacking” describes how millions of people are creating viewing habits around quick & consistent consumption of video… The average duration of online video was the only metric that remained consistent to last year, up only 18 seconds per video vs. the previous year. This is despite the fact that long-form sites such as Hulu did not exist last year. Americans still have relatively short attention spans when it comes to their online viewing experience…Video snacking is a real trend because online video meets a content need for viewers and is easily accessible to those viewers throughout their day. Marketers and agencies, particularly those that are trying to reach women, would be well served to look for ways to build on this trend to help achieve their goals.

While it may seem obvious to point out that the biggest video site, YouTube, is in fact serving clips, so what’s the big deal with this, what I think we are seeing is a shaping trend in not just video viewing, but also video programming.  The two comprise a virtuous cycle, and clips is just the beginning.  

The future holds mashups, personalized programming, dynamically created streams, and other types of experiences that are distinct from full length program and short clip viewing as we know today.  

Importantly, non-linearity alludes to user behavior and the business implications thereof.  There has been significant pontification for some time now that Internet video bodes the demise of traditional television as we know it.  I have maintained that traditional broadcast, cable and satellite television viewing is complementary to Internet video in large part, and the two actually can and will augment each other.  Recent Nielsen’s recent A2/M2 Three Screen Report presents data that while Internet TV viewing is on the rise, so is traditional television viewing.

Viewers appear to be choosing the best screen available for their video consumption, weighing a variety of factors, including convenience, quality and access,”  according to Susan Whiting, vice chair of The Nielsen Co., in a statement. 

Traditional television still has a few tricks it can pull up its sleeve, as I report here.  At the same time, Internet video has the potential to transform decades of video viewing behavior – giving us new use cases while not necessarily replacing existing ones. Programmers and advertisers may well find that video non-linearity is where Internet video comes of age for them.  It won’t matter whether we’re leaning back or leaning forward.  

What do you think?  Start a discussion below.

 

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Category: Commentary, Non-linear video, Predictions, Projections

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