Raffi Vartanian of WorldWideContent told producers to, if they haven't already, convert, encode, scan and digitize all content for the Web and develop their own websites to get up to pace with the Internet.
Vartanian and D-Money of K-Beech said an effective way for small, lesser-known companies to get content online is to license it to video-on-demand sites like HotMovies, get premium placement, and provide as many titles as possible. Companies can use the revenue to fund their future distribution development.
Katy Smith of Playboy urged studios to output several versions of their content workable on all platforms — mobile, Internet and VOD especially — and use this wide distribution as a form of viral marketing. The more ways studios make their content accessible, whether it's on video sharing sites, TV and Internet VOD or cell phones, the broader the fan base.
According to D-Money, sites' media player of choice should be Flash because the cross-platform player is easier to embed, saves bandwidth and is less susceptible to viruses than other players.
Smith said that some sites, such as YouTube, prefer to receive content in basic .mov formats and later translate the files into their own player formats.
In the end, the panel agreed what's most important to keep in mind when distributing content is the customer, knowing what he or she wants and tailoring content for each platform the customer might use.
For those looking to bring content to mobile devices, Marc Brown of Waat Media said his company will "do the heavy lifting" and custom tailor what companies provide to deliver it to as many platforms as possible, whether it's through pictures, games or wallpapers. He said it was important, however, to be aware that traditionally styled adult may not translate well to mobile. Short, tight, well-lit shots with little to no plot will thrive on adult mobile.
Brown added that the U.S. is not yet a large mobile operation, but that he has worked with companies to develop softcore "on deck" content, accessible on the main menu screen, rather than through a mobile browser. Non-nude Girls Gone Wild and Playboy Channel content is in the works through smaller mobile carriers, such as Virgin and Amp'd Mobile.
