include a manual-feed feature in vTap, and had tentatively decided against it, deeming it too complicated. I strenuously objected, saying that the vTap service wouldn’t be very useful (to me, anyway) without a way to “subscribe” specifically to videos on out-of-the-way topics that weren’t already in the concept list, like “Boston venture capital” or “Second Life” or “geocaching” (to name a few of my own personal interests). I guess it wasn’t too hard to turn on the feature, since Gill wrote to me yesterday morning to say it was ready. (It can only be used from the full website, where it appears under the “Add to Feed” box in the right-hand column.)
One of the coolest things about vTap, though this part isn’t new, is that the company transcodes videos on the fly so that you can watch them on your platform of choice. This means, for example, that YouTube videos that would normally only be viewable using Flash in a full Web browswer are transcoded into the MP4 format for viewing on an iPhone. You can also add your favorite videos to a permanent playlist, accessible from your account’s home page, and share videos with your friends via e-mail or text message, or by embedding them in a blog post or other Web page.
While the vTap search results don’t yet include advertising, Gill says that’s an obvious potential revenue stream that the company will explore once it has lined up a certain number of regular mobile and Web users. Meanwhile, the company is still talking with phone makers and set-top box makers about getting its video search and personalization service onto more platforms. “We see a real opportunity to be at the forefront, and a catalyst, as consumers develop a mobile video habit,” he says. “However, we have a commercial relationship with a major IPTV service [and] we have several deals in the works. Ultimately, we hope the set-top box will continue to open up such that a presence in the infrastructure will be an opportunity for the vTap service, and a win for our partners and end consumers….As for the carriers, several in Europe are working on ways to incorporate vTap into their offering, and we have the attention of the major handset manufacturers.”
