Google Looks Toward the Internet Video Future

In yet another sign of the growing importance of internet video - it was announced this morning that Google has purchased a small (by Google's standards) internet video technology company called On2 for a paltry $106 million. And while it's got a lot of people around the web-o-sphere scratching their heads and asking why, those of us in the internet video world are intently watching what will happen next.

According to many in the industry, the acquisition will "have a major impact on web video." Here's a blip from an article on MediaPost News:

"Silicon Alley Insider's Dan Frommer thinks this could have massive implications for the Web video industry. 'If the deal goes through, and Google does what we think it will-open-source On2's tech and push it everywhere-Google won't just control the world's top Web video site, YouTube, but the technology behind the industry, too.'"

What is On2? What do they do? On2 is the maker of a family of video compression codecs that are widely used in internet video circles. What is that, you ask? Very simply put, a codec is a method of taking a large audio/video file - say, for example's sake, a 5-minute high-definition video - and shrinking it down (compressing it) to where it's small enough to be delivered over the internet.

While the On2 family of codecs is widely used around the internet, I've never personally been a big fan. I've tried them many times and actually used them on occasion - but I've found the overall quality of the end video to be a bit lacking, especially compared to certain other codecs. It's certainly not a bad codec, but not the best.

So why is Google so interested in On2? Nobody knows for sure, except of course those clever folks at Google. Many believe that Google wants to use the On2 codecs for all the videos on Youtube (which Google owns, by the way) as a way to make the video file sizes smaller, which makes them easier to deliver over the internet, and reduces the amount of bandwidth Youtube uses, which reduces Google's bandwidth costs. And that very well may be the case.

Why am I excited about the acquisition? Simple. I think there's something larger at work here. Clearly, the very fact that Google is so interested in this technology reflects the growing importance of internet video. If anything, those kids at Google are visionaries. Look at how Google has changed our lives over the last ten years! My hope is they take On2's family of codecs and, with Google's deep pockets and vast resources, use them to make giant leaps in video-over-the-web technology. That will, in turn, prod further competition and drive innovation throughout the industry.

Why should you care? Because better compression codecs mean higher-quality video delivered across the internet at faster rates. And that, of course, is a good thing... whether you're watching your favorite movies over the internet, uploading family videos to Youtube, or - *ahem* - deploying videos on your own website to increase business in your orthodontic or dental practice. And with that last bit in mind, those who decide to delve into the world of internet video NOW will be light years ahead of the competition.

The use of internet video is growing exponentially every single day. So don't wait to be outdone by your competition. The time to establish yourself as an innovator is now! And OrthoMedia can make it happen for you. Give us a shout, and let's talk about the future of your practice!

~ Dusty