There was a flurry of excitement a few weeks ago when Apple unveiled the iPad, its latest foray into consumer electronics. And it’s one that could conceivably have a very big impact on Web video. And it seems both Hulu and the TV networks are realizing this.
Apple iPad
Apple’s head honcho Steve Jobs unveiled the long-anticipated iPad at the end of January. It’s a touchscreen tablet pitched somewhere between smartphones and notebook PCs. And it could change the way we consume digital media. Possibly.
Apple wants the iPad to become the device for media on the go. The screen makes it ideal for watching video, but there’s also gaming, e-books, and music which could be given a new lease of life from the iPad.
And it seems the content creators which Apple needs to partner with are coming round to the idea.
Hulu Without Flash?
One of the big problems with the iPad is the lack of Flash support. Apple and Adobe just don’t see eye-to-eye, and that could affect the iPad’s ability to stream video or display games. At least in the short term until HTML5 becomes dominant.
No Flash means no Hulu. Which is a shame because the iPad would be ideal for watching Hulu on the go.
But Hulu realizes this, and TechCrunch claims an industry insider as being confident Hulu is working on an iPad-friendly version of the site. With its videos already encoded in the H.264 standard, this wouldn’t actually be as difficult as first imagined.
The obvious advantage for Hulu would be the chance to charge for access through the iPad-friendly site. The company could either charge for the app or make it a subscription service, possibly only available to premium users when it likely switches to a pay model later this year.
99 Cent Shows
Even before the iPad was unveiled, we reported how Apple was seeking a deal with the big American TV networks to slash prices of episodes from the current $1.99 to just 99 cents. This would follow a similar deal with the music industry in 2003 and signal a coming of age for online video.
The FT is reporting that some of those TV networks are coming round to the idea, with the iPad playing a big part in their change of heart. If such a deal goes through then iTunes could corner the market in the same way it has done already with music downloads.
Conclusions
This is just the start of the deals we’re likely to see emerging in the run up to the launch of the iPad in two months time. If the Apple tablet is going to be as big as some analysts think then purveyors of video would be mad to miss out.
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