Hubris probably makes me the worst person to comment on the Internet TV platform marketplace, but, here goes.
For the record I've always had high regard for (what is now) Comcast's theplatfom and of course, I would always have backed Narrowstep's technology since it was my 'baby'; but I always felt that the technology of the other major companies in the market was always limited in one way or another. This does not mean that they did not have their applications, but they were not in the same 'toolbox' category as Narrowstep and theplatform, in my opinion.
Roo and the FeedRoom concentrated on basic platforms with integrated content; Brightcove have tried to appeal to the longtail, the n changed their business model over and over and are now prohibitively expensive to all but a handful of client; Maven are a reseller for theplatform that got lucky (Yahoo are total idiots), and now are interested in a handful of media owners only.
The worst thing about all of these companies is that you're almost always better off developing your own apps, making your own mistakes and then owning your platform (a $500k or so gamble). Basically, the pricing in the market means that the major players insist on taking machine guns to their feet...
And if you really want to get confused about this marketplace, read the ramblings of the self-styled guru and meglomaniac Kaleil Isaza Tuzman (who renamed Roo with his own initials) here. Buying video recognition and mobile video software companies would seem to be masterstrokes apart from the fact that the former doesn't have any applications and the later has no market as yet. And, as he states, he's moving out of the US in order to win 30% of the Fortune 1000 companies as customers, all paying him $3m each. Hmmm.. Most of his customers are in Australia because that's where the company came from (and most of this revenue comes from online marketing) and his investment money comes from the Gulf, so that's where he's gravitating. This guy is selling snake oil, but heck, that's where Coca Cola came from...
For the record I've always had high regard for (what is now) Comcast's theplatfom and of course, I would always have backed Narrowstep's technology since it was my 'baby'; but I always felt that the technology of the other major companies in the market was always limited in one way or another. This does not mean that they did not have their applications, but they were not in the same 'toolbox' category as Narrowstep and theplatform, in my opinion.
Roo and the FeedRoom concentrated on basic platforms with integrated content; Brightcove have tried to appeal to the longtail, the n changed their business model over and over and are now prohibitively expensive to all but a handful of client; Maven are a reseller for theplatform that got lucky (Yahoo are total idiots), and now are interested in a handful of media owners only.
The worst thing about all of these companies is that you're almost always better off developing your own apps, making your own mistakes and then owning your platform (a $500k or so gamble). Basically, the pricing in the market means that the major players insist on taking machine guns to their feet...
And if you really want to get confused about this marketplace, read the ramblings of the self-styled guru and meglomaniac Kaleil Isaza Tuzman (who renamed Roo with his own initials) here. Buying video recognition and mobile video software companies would seem to be masterstrokes apart from the fact that the former doesn't have any applications and the later has no market as yet. And, as he states, he's moving out of the US in order to win 30% of the Fortune 1000 companies as customers, all paying him $3m each. Hmmm.. Most of his customers are in Australia because that's where the company came from (and most of this revenue comes from online marketing) and his investment money comes from the Gulf, so that's where he's gravitating. This guy is selling snake oil, but heck, that's where Coca Cola came from...
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