Comments on: Three Reasons Why Venice Is Already Sunk http://saunderslog.com/2006/10/05/three-reasons-why-venice-is-already-sunk/ A daily round table on the tech industry with experts and callers from all over the globe. Join us as we pick apart the news and get to the meat of what\'s happening out there. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:08:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Janus Blogs, Talks About The Venice Project - VoIP Sol http://saunderslog.com/2006/10/05/three-reasons-why-venice-is-already-sunk/#comment-51026 Janus Blogs, Talks About The Venice Project - VoIP Sol Fri, 13 Oct 2006 21:19:37 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/10/05/three-reasons-why-venice-is-already-sunk/#comment-51026 [...] There has been quite a bit of buzz around The Venice Project recently with some arguing that it is doomed to failure even before it gets out of beta. Bookmark ThisThese icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...] [...] There has been quite a bit of buzz around The Venice Project recently with some arguing that it is doomed to failure even before it gets out of beta. Bookmark ThisThese icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

]]> By: Peer-to-Peer IPTV: Is Venice Sinking? - VoIP Sol http://saunderslog.com/2006/10/05/three-reasons-why-venice-is-already-sunk/#comment-48813 Peer-to-Peer IPTV: Is Venice Sinking? - VoIP Sol Fri, 06 Oct 2006 22:53:13 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/10/05/three-reasons-why-venice-is-already-sunk/#comment-48813 [...] Blogger Alec Saunders thinks that the new, sort-of-top secret but not, The Venice Project by Kazaa and Skype cofounders Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, is already sunk, and gives three reasons why (my rebuttal below). Venice marries the P2P (peer-to-peer) technology of Kazaa with IPTV (Internet Protocol TV). Om Malik presented an interview with Janus Friis, if you want some details from the horse’s mouth. [...] [...] Blogger Alec Saunders thinks that the new, sort-of-top secret but not, The Venice Project by Kazaa and Skype cofounders Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, is already sunk, and gives three reasons why (my rebuttal below). Venice marries the P2P (peer-to-peer) technology of Kazaa with IPTV (Internet Protocol TV). Om Malik presented an interview with Janus Friis, if you want some details from the horse’s mouth. [...]

]]> By: Andrew http://saunderslog.com/2006/10/05/three-reasons-why-venice-is-already-sunk/#comment-48743 Andrew Fri, 06 Oct 2006 14:52:54 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/10/05/three-reasons-why-venice-is-already-sunk/#comment-48743 (a) P2P and - just means they dont' need POPS all over the world to stream video through, if it works it would substantially lower cost of entry - and provide an interactive TV experience. (b) access to content - remember Rupert Murdoch was apparently one of the bidders for Skype, rumour had it he wanted to buy Skype and turn it into a massive media distribution network, I wouldn't be surprised if some media companies have learved the lesson finally and have taken a "if you can't beat them, join them" stance, and are putting money and content behind this project. Who doesn't need 24 hour access to - on demand "The OC"? Think platform play as well, currently TV is the epitome of the walled garden, what if I could (through a series of clever API's) embed TV/Video in my applications? Media companies could touch aspects of your day they never could before. You can do that somewhat with Flash now, but the cost to do so is quite substantial. (a) P2P and - just means they dont’ need POPS all over the world to stream video through, if it works it would substantially lower cost of entry - and provide an interactive TV experience.

(b) access to content - remember Rupert Murdoch was apparently one of the bidders for Skype, rumour had it he wanted to buy Skype and turn it into a massive media distribution network, I wouldn’t be surprised if some media companies have learved the lesson finally and have taken a “if you can’t beat them, join them” stance, and are putting money and content behind this project. Who doesn’t need 24 hour access to - on demand “The OC”?

Think platform play as well, currently TV is the epitome of the walled garden, what if I could (through a series of clever API’s) embed TV/Video in my applications? Media companies could touch aspects of your day they never could before. You can do that somewhat with Flash now, but the cost to do so is quite substantial.

]]> By: Alec http://saunderslog.com/2006/10/05/three-reasons-why-venice-is-already-sunk/#comment-48682 Alec Fri, 06 Oct 2006 10:26:05 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/10/05/three-reasons-why-venice-is-already-sunk/#comment-48682 Thanks for the tip Paul. I will check out TVUPlayer. As you can tell, i'm very skeptical about this. I think that this is a much harder problem than Skype was. VoIM was clearly broken, and Skype fixed it. I am not sure people would agree that the same is true of video. A year ago, yes, but now? Thanks for the tip Paul. I will check out TVUPlayer. As you can tell, i’m very skeptical about this. I think that this is a much harder problem than Skype was. VoIM was clearly broken, and Skype fixed it. I am not sure people would agree that the same is true of video. A year ago, yes, but now?

]]> By: Alec http://saunderslog.com/2006/10/05/three-reasons-why-venice-is-already-sunk/#comment-48681 Alec Fri, 06 Oct 2006 10:24:36 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/10/05/three-reasons-why-venice-is-already-sunk/#comment-48681 Andrew, they seem to be defining their difference by (a) P2P and (b) access to content. (a) Is that enough, and (b) don't the content providers already have their own plans? I don't see Murdoch, for instance, offering up FOX Interactive programming to the Venice Project when he's already got the distribution vehicle in MySpace, and is building a direct to consumer advertising business around it. What's in it for him? Andrew, they seem to be defining their difference by (a) P2P and (b) access to content. (a) Is that enough, and (b) don’t the content providers already have their own plans? I don’t see Murdoch, for instance, offering up FOX Interactive programming to the Venice Project when he’s already got the distribution vehicle in MySpace, and is building a direct to consumer advertising business around it. What’s in it for him?

]]> By: Paul Jardine http://saunderslog.com/2006/10/05/three-reasons-why-venice-is-already-sunk/#comment-48629 Paul Jardine Fri, 06 Oct 2006 03:14:27 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/10/05/three-reasons-why-venice-is-already-sunk/#comment-48629 "So, if EBay didn’t buy the technology, then what did they buy? Did they spend $4.1 Billion for the Skype user base?" - Yes! I agree that the P2P video/tv market is pretty crowded, but there is still room for something that is innovative. Do you think YouTube has a 'great' interface? The reason people go to YouTube is that it has the most content and download speeds are ok. Those are not easily defended advantages. Try TVUplayer if you haven't already, it shows what's possible on peer to peer. All in all I think the more interesting excerpt from the interview was this: <i>"People like the freedom of choice and like freedom from choice. For example, channels are good, because they define the content. Today, the channels are locked in legacy infrastructure, but on broadband the channels are not locked in time."</i> If the Venice Project 'just works' and provides the content I want in an easily digestible form, then there's no reason it will sink. I do have some scepticism that the Joltid framework is malleable enough to make this work well. “So, if EBay didn’t buy the technology, then what did they buy? Did they spend $4.1 Billion for the Skype user base?” - Yes!

I agree that the P2P video/tv market is pretty crowded, but there is still room for something that is innovative. Do you think YouTube has a ‘great’ interface? The reason people go to YouTube is that it has the most content and download speeds are ok. Those are not easily defended advantages.

Try TVUplayer if you haven’t already, it shows what’s possible on peer to peer.
All in all I think the more interesting excerpt from the interview was this:
“People like the freedom of choice and like freedom from choice. For example, channels are good, because they define the content. Today, the channels are locked in legacy infrastructure, but on broadband the channels are not locked in time.”

If the Venice Project ‘just works’ and provides the content I want in an easily digestible form, then there’s no reason it will sink.
I do have some scepticism that the Joltid framework is malleable enough to make this work well.

]]> By: Andrew http://saunderslog.com/2006/10/05/three-reasons-why-venice-is-already-sunk/#comment-48622 Andrew Fri, 06 Oct 2006 02:16:45 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/10/05/three-reasons-why-venice-is-already-sunk/#comment-48622 How I understand it, it isn't a new way to share video, it is a new way to get Video. So Cancel my 100$ Cable package from Rogers and just pay for what I want to see a la' iTunes. Or get the 'generic' version for free. Slingbox has found a market for placeshifting, this is the same thing only without the slingbox, or the TV for that matter. How I understand it, it isn’t a new way to share video, it is a new way to get Video. So Cancel my 100$ Cable package from Rogers and just pay for what I want to see a la’ iTunes. Or get the ‘generic’ version for free. Slingbox has found a market for placeshifting, this is the same thing only without the slingbox, or the TV for that matter.

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