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What is VOD?

Want to learn all about Video on Demand (VOD)?  We have VOD information galore, as well as some great services and sites to check out.

About Video on Demand

VOD is an acronym for Video on Demand. Instead of buying a DVD and having a physical copy, or renting from the video store, you can pay to view or download the entire movie.  Basically, VOD is a broadband entertainment library service offering the individual viewer the choice of the available content on demand. When the program is requested and confirmed it is then delivered to the viewer over an available broadband channel in encrypted form.

VOD services are generally arranged on a “pay-per-view” basis, comparable to viewing in a movie theater or video rental. Films are provided to subscribers from a menu of titles. The film starts on the subscriber's request. Unlike regular pay-per-view services, VOD represents a private showing, very much like the rental of a video but without the inconvenience of having to drive to the store. VOD permits broadband delivery of a movie or video from a centralized video server to individual subscribers.

Companies That Support VOD

Currently, companies that offer Video on Demand fall into three camps:

  • those that willingly offer free content
  • those with combined packages of free and paid content
  • those who hesitate to provide any free content

Actually, true VOD, where end-users can select videos from an online library for downloading and viewing at a time of their own choosing, is usually included as just one option in a complete multimedia bundle. Besides true VOD, multimedia bundles (sometimes called MOD, for multimedia-on-demand) typically include multiple TV channels, similar to those offered by the cable TV networks, pay TV, other types of on-demand media such as music and video games, and even personal video recorder functions. Usually, access to VOD is automatically included in the MOD package. VOD revenue is generated when customers actually download a video for viewing.

The Future of VOD

Service providers are gambling on providing all MOD subscribers access to VOD and hoping they will be encouraged to use it, rather than applying an additional access charge as an extra barrier. However, the current debate in the industry is not if, but when VOD will replace DVD by mail, with estimates ranging from 2008 to 2015.

vMix Streaming Video Service

vMix hosts user-created videos that are reviewed before being posted live. Read about vMix features.

YouTube

Share your videos worldwide on YouTube and watch other user-submitted videos. Also be sure to check out the YouTube Blog.

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