pixelated.tv Media that Matters

I remember designing websites in the late 1990s. The critical mass had already been reached, but the latecomers to the field were overlapping the second generation of the earlier sites. Everyone just knew they needed a website -- or a better website.

There was little understanding of the technologies, especially among non-profit organizations. Prices varied monstrously: One of our competitors charged $15,000 for a simple 15-page site. Our price would have been in the range of $1,000 to $2,500. Some freelancers were charging only $50 a page.

Podcasting looks to be going through the same learning curve: recently swallowed by the python, we can see the bulge moving slowly through the long digestive tract of hype, anticipation, expectation, disappointment, and then saturation.

Podcasting for the rest of us

Two things make podcasting unique: placeshifting and timeshifting.

• Placeshifting Download at the office, listen on the subway. You are not limited to places with internet connections, or even electricity.
• Timeshifting Your computer downloads your programs from the internet and puts them in your iPod. You listen whenever you feel like it. TiVo, the ubiquiteous set-top box for digital television recording, is the best recent example.

Podcasting is a form of broadcasting, combining the convenience of FM radio with the ability to play programs whenever you like, pause for a phone call, share something later with a friend.

Is it going to make a difference? Consider how the VCR changed television and movie viewing, the mobile phone changed telephony, e-commerce has changed buying habits. Each of these has strong elements of timeshifting and placeshifting.

How can podcasting work for an organization?

We're encouraging many of our clients to consider adding podcasting to their mix of media efforts. Why?

• It's new: you benefit from being part of the emerging technology.
• It's cool: young people like it. It creates buzz.
• It's better than streaming: if you are already posting audio or video on your website, you should be podcasting them.
• It's automatic: subscribers get new episodes in the background. There's no need to send your audience an e-mail or reminder, or wait until they happen to visit your website.

The technical part of podcasting involves two things: getting your media into the right format, and providing a "feed" on your website. The requirements are moderate: no new equipment or software licences are required. Unfortunately, you may not have the required skills in-house.

This is where we come in. Contact us at Pixelated.tv if you would like to know more about extending the reach of your existing audio and video efforts to this new exciting new audience. We're also ready to help if you want to set up an in-house podcasting effort or contract Pixelated.tv for full production support.