In the same way that Web 2.0 and social networking led to profound changes in user behavior online, TV viewing habits are morphing, and at a rapid pace. Video is being treated as a collection of digital artifacts, and artifacts, notes Benn Konsynski, a chaired professor of Business Administration at Goizueta Business School, can be unbundled, bundled and remixed. Content sources, content production, post-production, viewing, exhibition, processes, decision models, and who has legal rights to content—it’s all in flux and the changes will transform the industry.

And the video industry is taking note of recent history—in particular, the fracturing of the music industry in the aftermath of Napster, file sharing, and MP3 players.

Konsynski, who moderated the Goizueta panel discussion, is encouraged to see the video industry’s major players moves to be proactive. “[The movie industry] is being much more intelligent about it. It’s getting control of very expensive assets early in the process,” notes Konsynski. “It’s rethinking the sourcing, distribution and exhibition of its content.”

Hulu is an attempt by network television to remain relevant. So far, so good. In March 2009, a mere two years after its inception, Hulu scored 41.6 million video viewers. While YouTube maintains a tight grip on the number one spot (it totaled 100.3 million unique visitors in March 2009), Hulu is gaining momentum.

Hulu boasts nearly 150 content providers and added a significant provider this past spring when ABC, Inc. (Disney) announced it would join Hulu’s joint venture partners, NBC Universal (GE) and Fox Entertainment Group (News Corp) by taking a 27 percent stake in the venture. Gartner Inc. research vice president Allen Weiner dubbed the deal “An extremely big blow to YouTube,” and described the amped-up Hulu on his Blog as resembling “your low-end cable system, with only CBS absent.” (CBS acquired TV.com last year, but Hulu’s trifecta of ABC, NBC and Fox gives it the apparent edge).

Source: Knowledge@Emory

Amid tighter budgets, more people are trying to save money by cutting their cable cords. In response, cable companies are beginning to experiment with new Internet services.

In what’s shaping up as the home-entertainment equivalent of severing a landline phone service, more people are joining the ranks of “cord cutters” by forgoing cable subscriptions that can run $60 or more a month.

Instead, they’re turning to free over-the-air high-definition television channels and video-game consoles, such as Playstation 3 and XBox 360. They’re also watching Internet-connected TV sets, paying a basic high-speed Internet fee of about $45, as well as set-top boxes from companies like Netflix Inc. Some are also using media browsers that they can download free and run on PCs, providing access to TV shows, movies and other content directly from the Web.

The number of cable cutters remains too small to threaten the pay-television industry. Still, large cable companies such as Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable Inc. are noticing that people are spending more time online.

Source: Wall Street Journal

+ Redesigned and Enhanced Web Site: TelephonyOnline.com

See Also: Complete List of MySpaceTV Partners

Source: MySpace

Note: The British Monarchy Recently Announced a “Video Channel” With YouTube.

+ Say Hello to the New Skype to Go
One number access for international direct calls.

+ New Blog: The DCC Blawg, The Legal Blog of the UK’s Digital Curation Centre

+ Yahoo Prepares for Possible Layoffs

48% of internet users have been to video-sharing sites such as YouTube and the daily traffic to such sites on a typical day has doubled in the past year. The basic findings in a national phone survey that ended in December show:
+ 48% of internet users said they had ever visited a video-sharing site such as YouTube. A year ago, in December 2006, 33% of internet users said they had ever visited such sites. That represents growth of more than 45% year-to-year.
+ 15% of respondents said they had used a video-sharing site “yesterday” — the day before they were contacted for our survey. A year ago, 8% had visited such a site “yesterday.” Thus, on an average day, the number of users of video sites nearly doubled from the end of 2006 to the end of 2007.

Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project

See Also: Contentiopole Video Sharing Guide
67 sites listed as of today.

See Also: Harvey’s Video Sharing Cheat Sheet
Over 80 video sharing sites listed.

So, where else can you go for inexpensive international long distance using a regular phone (or mobile device) on one or both ends of the call.

+ JaJah and JaJah Mobile
If both parties are Jajah members, the call is free. Free registration.

+ SkypeOut and SkypeUnlimited, SkypePro

+ Gizmo Call Out

+ Bok

For a limited time bOK is giving users the opportunity to make unlimited phone calls anywhere in the US & Canada for FREE.

Access rates for other countries can be found here.

+ Truphone

+ fring

Phone Number Masking
+ Jangl
Takes your regular number and creates a new number for public dissemination. Free

+ numbr
numbr is an auto-expiring, FREE anonymous phone number that forwards incoming call to your home or mobile phone. Callers do not see your home or mobile numbers.

+ Metric: Content users spend $77 a month

An interesting new industry site focused on IP convergence has been launched with the backing of industry players, AudioCodes, BEA, BitBand, Blueslice, Cicero, Comverse, Intel, Tilgin and Verimatrixsite.

The site name may be a mouthful, ipconvergencetv.com, but the idea is to create a portal for longer form feature material for decision makers and industry in the area of IP communications, Fixed Mobile Convergence and IPTV.