The idea behind RedLasso is deceptively simple. The service lets bloggers search and share TV clips online. Unfortunately, once you get past that one-line description, things get a lot more complicated. What about copyright? Distribution agreements? Who should get paid for content reuse? After sitting down with RedLasso’s CEO Kenyon Hayward, I came to two conclusions. First, most people are looking at RedLasso from the wrong angle. And second, if TV networks don’t start signing deals with the company, they’ll find they have to build or buy an equivalent service in the near future anyway.

Above everything else, I now think of RedLasso as a reference tool. The company catalogs broadcast content and brings it to a platform (the Web) suitable for searching and sorting. Broadcasters should love this. It creates a way for them to monetize chunks of their content without having to do a speck of work. You know all that money broadcasters have made off traditional syndication deals? RedLasso gives them an opportunity to do the same thing on the Web, but with news instead of entertainment, and in a format that works for the online world - short clips supported by embedded advertising from video ad networks.

So why are the networks sending RedLasso cease-and-desist letters? Ken Hayward makes clear that RedLasso isn’t interested in replaying network shows for free online, and raw content is only available for a limited period of time. Presumably the networks are concerned because they’re still hung up on the control issue. It’s their content after all. Shouldn’t the networks get control over how it’s used?

The answer of course is: not anymore. Ceding control to viewers is what has made Web video so popular. And the fact that RedLasso can help the networks make money on such a turbulent platform should be appealing. If the networks don’t recognize that now, they’ll likely come to understand it as Web video viewing continues to skyrocket in the coming months and years.

Now here’s the reality check. RedLasso has a lot going for it, including huge viewership numbers, but it’s got a lot of obstacles too. Even with the money the company’s raised, it’s bringing in no revenue right now because it won’t roll ads until content deals are in place. It can keep going for a while, but given how notoriously slow-moving big media is, the question arises: Can RedLasso survive long enough to bring the networks on board and achieve real legitimacy?

(more…)

A periodic roundup of relevant news… Dave missed while vacationing.

• DVB-T tuners, DVR functionality, and placeshifting coming to European PS3: Sony
• Logitech Harmony 1000 reviewed: PC Mag
• Paramount and Dreamworks sell out to HD DVD: TiVo Lovers
• YouTube video advertising arrives: Yahoo

A periodic roundup of relevant news… from our other blogs.

• Online vs. On-Demand: Connected Home 2 Go
• This Post Is Trademarked For Your Protection: Davis Freeberg
• Set-Top DVRs on eBay: Connected Home 2 Go
• Comcast Plays Nielsen Role: Connected Home 2 Go
• Download Web Video Minu Guide: Web TV Wire

Earlier in the month I sat down with Mochila CEO Keith McAllister and got the 1-hour version of what it is Mochila does. As best as I can sum it up, the company offers a-la-carte, multiplatform syndication. Together those words make it sound thoroughly uninteresting, but actually Mochila brings an intriguing approach to the new media market… at least once you get your brain wrapped around the concept.

Here’s how it works. Anyone can become a buyer or seller of content by joining Mochila’s network. (Sellers are vetted to make sure they’re selling legit material and no naughty stuff.) If you’re buying, you can choose text, photos, audio or video, and either pay money to redistribute the content – online or offline – or syndicate it with advertising. If you’re selling, you can make your content available on whatever terms you like. Mochila has a handy licensing system that lets you customize everything from price to embargo times to the specific publishers you’re willing to do business with. (more…)

As you probably suspect, I’ve been somewhat ambivalent of TiVo’s expanded/additional in-DVR advertising initiatives. While I support their desire to increase revenue and reach profitability, as a paying subscriber I am leery of ads negatively impacting my DVR experience. Additionally, I have (unfounded?) fears that easy advertising dollars could discourage TiVo from pursuing my VOD/PPV (higher development and infrastructure costs, lower profit margins) dreams.

The bottom line is that these types of advertising are just beginning their set-top box intrusions… and are most likely here to stay if the studios can’t prevent fast forwarding through commercials. For example, in addition to TiVo, satellite and cable operators have started rolling out similar “features.” In fact, TiVo’s “interactive advertising platform” was cited in partnering with Comcast. One shady individual (a competitor? consulting firm?) even offered me several hundred dollars to film and describe all of TiVo’s current ad technologies (I declined).

Do I want ads? No… in fact, ad-avoidance is a primary reason I use TiVo. But if we go on the assumption that this sort of advertising is inevitable, how would I rate TiVo’s performance? So far, I think they’ve done a decent job walking the tight rope of pushing ads without alienating customers. The Photos & More section is a cluttered mess, but the rest of the UI is relatively organized and advertising is easily avoided by those who’d rather skip it. That, of course, defeats the purpose… so I call on the advertisers to give me a good reason to tune in — make something compelling, unique, entertaining, etc. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m also willing to sell my time to TiVo and their advertisers at the rate of 25 cents off my bill for each minute of advertising I consume. By the way, TiVo: the one form of advertising I will watch ’til the cows come home is movie trailers and behind the scenes stuff… throw as much of it as you want my way.

Last but not least, kudos to Michelle Quinn of The Mercury News who may be the first reporter to accurately portray my feelings on a subject.

The Mercury News says: When TiVo announced some of its advertising initiatives, Dave Zatz, who writes a TiVo blog called Zatznotfunny, predicted dark days ahead. But so far, the 34-year-old network engineer from Maryland has been pleasantly surprised. “I’d rather have less advertising,” said Zatz. “But if we have to have it, I’d like to see advertisers get more creative and trade us for our time.”

I had the opportunity to talk with TiVo Product Marketing VP Jim Denney last night regarding the updated features of TiVoToGo via the new 2.3 Desktop. Check out the details over on Engadget.

Mr. Denney mentioned his family uses TiVoToGo to burn DVDs for a portable player and to move content onto his Treo. Apparently SpongeBob SquarePants entertains both young and old alike.

In the near future I’ll be posting my impressions of speed, quality, size, etc of various conversions using 2.3… so stay tuned. For the moment, I can reassure the purists that DirectShow Dump still works.

Blake Krikorian, co-founder and CEO of Sling Media, wrote a response to yesterday’s Marketwatch summary. As with my prior interactions with the father of Slingbox, I get the sense Blake is a stand-up guy in touch with both his customers and the market. Kudos for conversing directly with us in forums (AVS, TCF) and the blogosphere.

Blake says: hey dave,

saying that we fear commoditization is a bit much’the most critical thing for us is to stay very focused on delivering great experiences to consumers’that’s what is in our control. in terms of predicting the future, we all know that’s futile�along the way of executing to the best of your abilities, you hope to also get some breaks and make some good decisions�and if you are lucky, you come out on the winning end over the course of years�simple as that.

can we continue to the improve the slingbox? can we continue to make it easier and easier to set up? can we create additional products that consumers love and find entertaining and/or useful?�these are the things that we �worry� about.

it is semi-amusing to get hypothetical / speculative questions like �how long until you are a feature in something else? or how long until you are commoditized?��how the heck is someone supposed to answer that? i think i gave a stupid answer�but that’s the type of answer that is deserving of that type of question. at least that’s my $.02

one other thing�i just read that interview in it’s entirety.

since you and i have talked before, you know that i have nothing but the utmost respect for what tivo has done�my quote that �tivo had religious issues� was taken a bit out of context�and to say that tivo or timeshifting is a �mere add-on� to set top boxes is one of the largest understatements i have heard in long time. that certainly didn’t come from my mouth.

the quote was taken while i was explaining my *general* belief that in the �convergence space�, products over time trend towards consolidation. i also made the point that is NOT always the case�for example, my desktop pc can act as a router, but do i use it that way? of course not�my netgear router does the job wonderfully (well, usually) and is at the right price point / value ratio to justify it’s stand alone existence.

should tivo have embraced licensing their technology on more attractive terms earlier on? perhaps�did they let �religious issues� get in the way of making some of those decisions? perhaps�but i wasn’t there and i don’t know for sure�and as we all know, hindsight is 20/20.

the last time i checked, tivo was still in business, so that story aint over yet either

Like most folks, I’m excited by TiVo’s recent announcement of upcoming support for both the iPod and PSP. So I had to find out more… I hit up Bob Poniatowski of TiVo Product Marketing, who shared a few more details of the project with me.

The new syncing, conversion, and watermarking features will be built into a future release of the TiVo Desktop. TiVo Desktop downloads will continue to be free, as will current functionality. However, the iPod and PSP enhancements are dormant options that can be activated through purchase. Many folks have wondered about the “low cost” and “small fee” that keeps showing up in print… Instead of using the free ffmpeg to perform conversions, as Videora and others do, the fee will partialy cover licensing of the commercial codec TiVo is using to perform the heavy lifting. They have no plans of bundling the TiVo-branded media player, first seen during TiVo Desktop 2.1 beta testing, into this release.

As previously reported, beta testing of the new software is expected to begin shortly with a target release of February.