A Four-Link Summer Reading List

Just wanted to share a few blog posts and articles that are worth a read today...

- 'Web TV is a hit. So where's the big money?' from the SF Chronicle. From the story:

Even with a YouTube partnership, contest winnings from Internet video clearinghouse Metacafe and other recognitions, [the video series] "Break a Leg" has grossed about $2,500 for two years' work.

"We're in a funny place," admitted director-producer-star Yuri Baranovsky. "I don't know how many people get how much work it is to make this."

"Break a Leg" embodies the key contradictions of the brave new world of online video entertainment. It's easier and cheaper than ever for individuals to produce their own work and put it up for global audiences - on sites like YouTube, Revver, Veoh and My Damn Channel - but it's almost impossible to make a living outside of the established TV and film industry.

- Venture capitalist David Beisel on the next phase of online video. Beisel writes:

...I believe we’re entering a second phase of the online video space in which the discovery mechanisms for (semi-)professional content, coupled with the increase of professional content available online in a distributed fashion, will facilitate a willingness of users to venture beyond YouTube to consume video across the net. But it won’t happen overnight. Especially when I hear that the dirty little secret from many independent video producers which maintain their own destination sites is that an overwhelming number of their views come via YouTube and not on their own distribution.

- Mark Cuban on 'The Way to Save Internet Video' (link it to the traditional television distribution systems, he suggests)

- Finally, the Xbox 360 game console will now deliver Netflix streaming movies (at least to the 5 million users who pay $50 a year for a "gold" membership, and also have a Netflix subscription)