Defining Video Podcasting

When the first edition of Secrets of Podcasting: Audio Blogging for the Masses first appeared on the shelves, it covered the heart and soul of podcasting, which at the time was audio-based podcasting. Sure, video blogging had been around for some time, but the vast majority of podcasting revolved around the audio version. Probably the biggest reason was that at the time, there really weren't any mainstream portable video players that allowed users to watch podcasts away from their computers. In fact, the computer was pretty much the only viable device on which to view video podcasts, and though many people enjoy watching podcasts on their computers, a huge part of the appeal of podcasting is that it's a very mobile medium that allows you to enjoy podcasts nearly anywhere.

In October 2005, Apple released its new iPod, which users immediately dubbed the video iPod. Featuring a 30 GB or 60 GB hard drive and a crisp 2.5-inch color screen, the new iPod could play movies; music videos; television shows; home movies; and, yes, even video podcasts right in the palm of the user's hand. This single product announcement took video blogging from a small niche that a few people explored with their computers to a legitimate segment of the growing podcasting realm.

Certainly, a few compact digital media players could handle video content before Apple jumped into the fray with its video iPod, but like it or not, Apple's role in the world of digital music, digital media players, and podcasting is a significant one. Therefore, I am not ignoring the other players on the market; I'm just sticking to the events that propelled video podcasting into the mainstream.

Video podcasting has quickly taken a share of the podcasting market, with content that ranges from network television shows to mom-andpop vodcasts created in dingy basements. How video podcasting will continue to evolve is anyone's guess, but in a few short months, it has caused plenty of ripples in broadcast media circles.

Vlogs

As I mentioned earlier in this book, blog is a term that derives from the words that describe it: Web log. Web log became blog, and in much the same way, video Web logs became vlogs. Vlogs are really the precursors of video podcasts, although vlogging per se never really took off and reached a large audience.

Video blogs first appeared around 2000, but they didn't start to find purchase in the fertile soil of the World Wide Web until 2004, when programs like Transistr (formerly known as iPodderX) offered video podcatching features.When the fifth-generation video iPod hit the market, and the iTunes Music Store started selling television shows and music videos for it, video podcasting really began to take off. Now the number of video podcasts available in the directories grows daily, and popular video podcasts like "Tiki Bar TV" (Figure 4.1) are finding an audience as the evolved form of video blogs.

Figure 4.1. "Tiki Bar TV" is a popular video podcast.