While there is no question that HD quality video is growing online, the rate of growth is not as big as some want to suggest and not as dramatic as some vendors make it out to be. Delivering HD quality video online is not a technology problem nor an issue with the last mile, but rather a business problem due to the cost associated with the extra bits going from SD to HD.

Yesterday, Nielsen released numbers on the adoption of HD quality broadcast video to the TV and found that only 19% of viewing on broadcast television was actually in true HD, even though 56% of all U.S. households have an HD capable set. With 44% of U.S. homes not having HD service or an HDTV, these numbers also directly affect all of the streaming device manufactures who are bringing new devices to the living room. You hear a lot about HD quality video and how streaming media is suppose to be a replacement to TV, but rarely does anyone talk about the quality differences between the two.

If only 19% of all TV viewing is HD quality video, the number for online is even less. In 2008 we did a survey and found that of the 1,000+ content owners we surveyed, less than 2% were encoding video for 3Mbps or more. The same survey in 2009 found that of the 812 content owners we surveyed, only 3.8% were encoding video for 3Mbps or more. I'll be completing a survey for 2010 shortly, but based on the initial information I have collected so far, I would expect that less than 5% of all content owners today are encoding their content in HD quality video. HD quality video simply is not growing as fast as some folks think and it's important to keep that in perspective as I hear a lot of industry people talk about "the growth of HD video" as being one of the catalysts for this industry.

The Nielsen report is also a good reminder that it does not matter what the install rate of a device, technology or service is, but rather the adoption rate. That's all that matters.

At the Streaming Media West show in LA last week, a lot of companies put out news on new product announcements, customer wins and service offerings. Here's a quick roundup of all the announcements I came across and I'll be expanding on some of these over the next week or so.

• Microsoft Releases IIS Media Services 4.0
• Introducing the Brightcove 5 Online Video Platform
• Cotendo Unveils Page Speed Automatic Web Site Optimization Service Powered by Open Source Technology Developed at Google
• Sorenson Media Launches Cloud-Based Sorenson Squeeze Server to Enable High-Volume Video Encoding for Enterprises, Developers and Other Content Creators
• Accordent Extends Enterprise Video Leadership With New Distributed Capture and Portal Publishing Solutions
• Dolby Collaborates with Sonic to Bring Dolby Digital Plus to RoxioNow
• Qumu, Inc. Announces New Mobile Streaming Solution
• Haivision Acquires CoolSign — Brings Together IP Video Streaming and Digital Signage
• Influxis Announces New Enhanced Services Leveraging Adobe Flash Media Interactive Server 4
• Highwinds Unveils Strong Presence in Brazil
• WorldNetDaily.com Expands Audience with Unicorn Media
• NBC News Uses Watchitoo to Power Interactive Online Election Night Webcast
• MediaPlatform Signs New Media Producers for Webcasting
• BigFlix Selects BuyDRM’s KeyOS Smooth DRM Service To Support India’s Largest VOD Site
• Telecom Argentina Selects BuyDRM’s KeyOS DRM Platform to Power Next Generation IRIS CDN Offering
• Mirror Image Internet Expands Roster of Broadcast Media Clients for On-Demand and Streaming Video Delivery
• Mediasite by Sonic Foundry is First Rich Media Webcasting Platform to Earn Key Department of Defense Certification
• Sorenson Media Partners with Aspera and RightScale to Deliver Squeeze Solution Pack to Accelerate High-Volume Encoding, Delivery for Enterprise Media Market
• Wiggle Races Ahead With CDNetworks
• mDialog Announces First-Ever In-Stream Apps, Allowing Brands to Engage With iPad Video Audience
• mDialog Announces the General Availability of Its In-Stream Ad Management Services for Live Streaming to iOS Devices
• Eyepartner Releases HD Wave Plug-and-Play Broadcaster
• VBrick Systems Streams Video from the International Space Station to the NASA Network and Global Community
• Keystone Enterprise Services Expands Product Development Capabilities
• Billionaire Alki David Launches FilmOn Mobile Platform, Providing Free HD Network Television Service for Mobile Devices
• YuMe, ScanScout, and BBE Partner to Successfully Launch HoodieBuddie With HB3 Technology Apparel Line Using Nothing But In-Stream Video Advertising
• UPS's Digital Asset Management System, Powered by ViewCast, Wins Createasphere's Inaugural DAMMY Award for Best Storage, Archive and/or Preservation Solution

By all accounts, last week's Streaming Media West show in LA was a great success thanks to all of the speakers, exhibitors and attendees. We had the best lineup of speakers to date with over 130 executives across more than 40 sessions talking about the business, content and technology of online video. We had packed session rooms and each of our keynotes by Google and Adobe had more than 500 attendees. The exhibit hall consisted of a great lineup of vendors showcasing their products and services and many of them really helped to bring the industry together with networking events and round-table dinners. Many companies also released a lot of news around the show which I have compiled here and we had some great media coverage by the Huffington Post, GigaOm, Variety, CNET, Tech Crunch, LA Times and others. Over the next few weeks I'll be writing up on my blog quite a few in-depth posts from the show and we'll have all of the sessions archived in video for viewing later this month.

The number of paid conference attendees jumped by the largest number we've seen to date and part of that clearly had to do with moving the show to LA, which allowed for a lot more participation by local executives in the area from media, entertainment, broadcast and enterprise companies. I can confirm that the show will be back in LA next year, at the same venue, and we'll announce those November 2011 dates shortly.

For those that came out to the show and supported it, we thank you. We got a lot of positive feedback from speakers, attendees and exhibitors. My only regret is that I simply didn't have enough time to speak to every single one of the thousands of attendees and I wasn't able to really walk the exhibit floor, since I have to spend almost all my time managing speakers and venue logistics.

But with the show now over, I'm happy to get on the phone and follow up with anyone who wanted to discuss any aspect of the industry with me. If you'd like to chat or want an introduction to someone who was at the show, shoot me an email or call me at 917-523-4562 and I'll be happy to assist. Just because the show is over does not mean the networking has to stop. I also welcome any and all comments about the show and any ideas you have on how we can make it even better next year.

We look forward to seeing you at one of our next shows, the Content Delivery Summit on May 9th and the Streaming Media East show taking place May 10-11th in NYC.

Two speaking spots just opened at the Streaming Media West show which starts on Tuesday in LA. The panel is entitled, "The Impact Of TV Everywhere And Over-The-Top Video". If you are interested in being considered for the speaking spots, please contact me and provide me with details on how your expertise fits into this topic.

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010 (2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.)

The Impact Of TV Everywhere And Over-The-Top Video
Some consumers have experimented with it, many retailers appear to be clamoring to get a piece of it and every CE vendor is touting it, but will OTT ever really appeal to the masses? Is this type of online service enough to slow consumer consumption of–and possible defection to–over-the-top video services? What more must cable providers do to grab the attention of their subscribers? In this panel, we'll discuss the hot-button issues associated with content programming and the potential business models that could make these services successful.

For content creators looking to monetize their video across mobile devices, the market can be pretty confusing. How do content creators reach the widest possible audience across so many different devices and mobile platforms like Android, Apple, Symbian, RIM, and Palm? At the Streaming Media West show next week, we have a session that will outline some of the differences between the different mobile platforms, what impact 4G will play in providing a good user experience and how content creators can reach consumers on their smartphones. Confirmed speakers include:

• Moderator: Arlene Zeichner, Principal, Zeichgeist
• Justin Eckhouse, Senior Product Manager, Video and Mobile, CBS Interactive
• Joe Inzerillo, SVP, Multimedia & Distribution, Major League Baseball Advanced Media
• Joanne Waage, VP, Strategic Media Partnerships and Programming, MobiTV
• Tom Lasiter, WiMAX Industry Marketing Manager, Intel

You can register online for the Streaming Media West show and get $300 off by using my personal discount code of DRF1.

On Wednesday at 2pm ET, come join me as I moderate a Q&A session entitled "Advanced Deployment strategies for Interactive Media" with Adobe’s Flash Media Server Product Manager, Kevin Towes in our next installment of StreamingMedia.com's Ask Adobe Web Event Series. Don’t miss out
on this opportunity to ask Adobe how to deploy interactive applications using the Flash Platform and get your questions answered on the topic. The webinar is free and you can sign up here.

Some consumers have experimented with it, many retailers appear to be clamoring to get a piece of it and every CE vendor is touting it, but will OTT ever really appeal to the masses? Is this type of online service enough to slow consumer consumption of–and possible defection to–over-the-top video services? At the Streaming Media West show next week, executives will discuss the hot-button issues associated with content programming and the potential business models that could make these services successful. Confirmed speakers include:

• Moderator: Matt Smith, VP, Chief Systems Architect, Inlet Technologies
• Perkins Miller, SVP, NBC Universal Sports
• Emil Rensing, Chief Digital Officer, EPIX, Studio 3 Partners
• Craig Bender, Director, CTO Office, Motorola Mobility – Home Division
• Hardie Tankersley, VP, Innovation, FOX Broadcasting Co.

You can register online for the Streaming Media West show and get $300 off by using my personal discount code of DRF1. And check out the entire list of content speakers including executives from NBC, FOX, CBS, Comcast, MTV, MSNBC, EPIX, MLB and more.