Video on demand nears 'magic number'
The figures for "on-demand" media consumption are headline-grabbing.
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Apple Computer sold 1m downloads within 20 days of launching its service. On-demand viewing on Comcast Corp's cable systems has exceeded 1bn this year. At Time Warner Cable, the average household now watches 30 such programmes a month.
After many false starts, on-demand viewing - where programmes are selected from a menu and watched at any time rather than when scheduled - is entering the mainstream.
"Video on demand is starting to approach the magic number of once per day per household," said Craig Moffett, analyst at Sanford Bernstein. "This shows that on-demand viewing is becoming central to the way families consume media, and means that these families would find it hard to switch to services that do not offer it."
In recent weeks, the push to make the most popular television and film content available at the push of a button has gained momentum. ABC, CBS and NBC - the top US television networks - are experimenting with it. New deals are being announced nearly daily.
For the companies competing to provide entertainment and communications this means more pressure to provide a bundle of services. "The rapid growth in on-demand viewing will accelerate the battle of the bundles," said Peter Winkler, director of entertainment and media practice at PwC, the consulting firm. "Companies will need to create the most conducive environment for on-demand consumption."
At the moment, cable operators offer video, internet and digital telephony through the same "pipe", meaning each extra service has a low extra cost and the potential for high margins. A deal has also been struck between cable operators and Sprint Nextel, a mobile operator, to offer this service and to develop products that will integrate service on cable TV with mobile phones.
Satellite operators such as DirecTV and BSkyB, controlled by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, offer video with some on-demand services via set-top boxes. Their customers can get telephony through deals with telecoms groups.
However, as Verizon and SBC Communications, which already offer telephony and internet access, start to offer rival television services, such cross-marketing deals will become less attractive.
"There is no good solution out there for satellite," said Mr Moffett. "The problem with offering bundles that are not delivered over the same platform - such as broadband wireless for satellite or wireless for cable - is that the costs are high and the returns therefore less compelling."
美国视频点播量大增
“按需”(on-demand)媒体消费数据正成为各大报纸的头条。苹果公司(Apple)在其产品发布后20天内，视频下载的销售量为100万次。今年，康卡斯特公司(Comcast Corp)有线电视系统上的按需观看数量已超过10亿次。而在时代华纳有线电视(Time Warner Cable)，目前每户家庭平均每月观看30个此类节目。
在经历了许多初创失误后，视频点播正成为主流。视频点播是在菜单中进行选择并随时观看节目，而无须依照节目安排。
“视频点播的数量正接近一个神奇数字：每户家庭每天点播一次，”桑佛?伯恩斯坦公司(Sanford Bernstein)分析师克雷格?莫菲特(Craig Moffett)表示。
