According to Veoh Networks, VeohTV “combines the breadth of the Internet with the simplicity of traditional TV and betters it with a patent-pending smart recommendation engine so that viewers can discover more of what they want to watch.”
Veoh Networks CEO Dmitry Shapiro said that VeohTV’s support of open Internet standards gives VeohTV a leg up on its competition.
“Unlike Joost, which is a closed system with content from a limited number of sources, VeohTV supports open Internet standards, and has access to virtually all of the video content on the Internet, on demand.” Shapiro said. “We asked Veoh.com users what they really want in their online video experience and VeohTV is the culmination of that feedback. We believe that it will be the dominant standard for online video consumption moving forward.”
Designed for simplicity of use, VeohTV offers viewers a single interface for searching, browsing and viewing online video. According to Veoh Networks, the interface is “simple enough to be driven by a remote control, consistent from program to program, and displays video in a full-screen, TV-like experience.”
VeohTV viewers can browse for content by channel, a feature that directs users to the content of major media companies like CBS and NBC, or search for videos by keyword. VeohTV also includes an “advanced recommendation engine” that recommends videos based on user preferences and prior viewing habits.
While Veoh Networks has stated that VeohTV was created with content owners in mind, and presents a potent marketing and distribution tool for content owners, some critics worry that VeohTV and other, similar online video recorders will serve to exacerbate the already massive problem of online copyright infringement.
“This is an application and development of great concern,” said an executive of a major U.S. network who declined to speak on the record, according to Reuters. “This is a dramatic move in the wrong direction.”
