Video explodes

A global study by Accenture — which I find only at Media Guardian — reports that nearly 40 percent of internet users download and watch videos on the web and — get this — 54 percent of young people want to create or share their own content on the web. “The global study by consultancy Accenture found that audiences want more control over where and when they watch footage, and they want to make more of their own.” Amen to that.

“But there is some good news for the future of television — people would still prefer to watch downloads of video footage on their TV rather than their computer,” says the Guardian. Well, I’d say that is actually good news for the TV set and not at all for TV networks and producers, for it means that we will be freed from their tyranny, able to watch whatever we want from wherever.

That is why Apple’s new device, linking the PC and thus the internet to the TV set via wifi, is so significant; ditto TiVo’s ability to download and deliver content not only from cable but also from online. This levels the playing field. It means that our stuff is available to watch on TV with the big guys’ stuff.

I enjoyed this tidbit, too:

The study of 10,000 consumers in nine countries – 1,600 of them from the UK – revealed major differences between countries.

In China, a massive 82% want to create their own content, compared with just 20% in Germany.

If I can get my hands on the study, I’ll give you a link.