RevGTV promotes "virtual TV station," Carnival videos

RevGTV -- a Web site displaying videos (primarily from camera phones), that I previously discussed -- today promoted its "virtual TV station" concept and the videos it took of the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, in a company press release.

The company says it launched RevGTV a month ago and sent some of its staff with camera phones to film the Carnival.  RevGTV seems to have improved the quality of the videos or the way they look on its home page (see above), since I first saw them.  Also, the company has spelled its name several different ways and perhaps now has settled on "RevGTV," rather than "revGTv" or "revGtv."

Joshua Selman, RevGTV's vice president of business development, says in the release, ""We chose Carnival because our viewers want something far beyond reality TV. Imagine a feature film made from 500 video-phone clips....RevGTV users answered with everything from street performers and pet tricks to free style raps and extreme stunts."

A bit of hype

I think the press release is a bit too much when it proclaims, "RevGTV.com has outrun the media and the competition by launching a virtual TV station. Recognizing that personal publishing has marginalized leisure TV, hit movies and big magazines, the station syndicates clips sent in by a self publishing audience using the most personal of objects, the cell phone.

"Reducing the TV process to record, send, display and multiplying it by millions of handsets is proving far more entertaining than mainstream TV's extravagant parading."

A big part of my wireless data consulting deals with business development, including many areas of marketing.  It's tough to pull off over-the-top statements ("outrun the media....personal publishing has marginalized...far more entertaining the TV's extravagant parading") and it harms a company's message.

Hype notwithstanding

Much of TV's fare is for morons -- sports (yes, sports), reality shows, soap operas, many situation comedies, "fair and balanced" Fox News, etc. -- but comparing it negatively to camera phone videos?

I suspect RevGTV believes its statements, but it would have been better to write a less "dramatic" release because it would have improved the company's credibility.

Still...I am convinced wireless imaging -- photos and videos -- will revolutionize social and business processes and I've written that many times.  It will go way beyond wireless games and wireless music -- that will do more to change the businesses of games and music than changing society, as wireless imaging will.

Camera phone videos will be one of the "next big things" and smart companies should be looking at ways to offer appropriate products and services, such as camera phone video editing software.  (Need any help in wireless imaging development?  Contact me.)

Personalized broadcasting

Ray Savant, the president and CEO of RevGTV LLC, says in the release, "TV is breaking free from the studio. With the advent of virtual television RevGTV is bringing media rich personal syndication into the mainstream.

"We offer unlimited channels and see unlimited opportunities to monetize the video/camera phone. RevGTV is guerilla TV worldwide."

There's no doubt that advances in technology, including camcorders and camera phones, are revolutionizing the business of broadcasting.  (One of my degrees is an M.S. in broadcasting.)

I like what RevGTV is trying to accomplish.  Its home page is a good early start and helps demonstrate the way even camera phone videos can draw you in.

Comments

[Raphael Slewicz]

Internet Use Said to Cut Into TV Viewing and Socializing
By JOHN MARKOFF

Published: December 30, 2004

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/30/technology/30internet.html?oref=login

--------------------------------

Friday, 3 December, 2004, 11:14 GMT

Broadband challenges TV viewing

Fast net access is changing the way people consume music
The number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits, research suggests.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4065047.stm

------------------------------------

Gamers Spurning TV, Movies

By Wired News Staff | Also by this reporter Page 1 of 1

02:00 AM May. 14, 2004 PT

http://www.wired.com/news/games/0,2101,63449,00.html?tw=wn_story_related

[tychocat]

Having studied the website for a couple of days, I'd be more impressed by the content if there were any. This is less a step away from traditional visual media, and more of a video grafitti wall. The fact that many of the videos feature either scantily-clad women, or the 'upskirt' shots of women wearing tight or short clothing taken from behind (and apparently without permission), does nothing to help the credibility of this hype. (Citations for the claims that people are turning from traditional TV outlets?)

I would suggest that RevGTV hire an editor or two to either start being more selective about what it thinks "the people" want, or organizing more camphone events to otherwise give itself some editorial direction.

[Joshua Selman]

I meant to add to the above, but that seems not possible.

Alan;

Thank you for your integrity and interest! Of course, we shall consider seriously what you are saying to us regarding rhetorical style.

[Joshua Selman]

Other forms of hype?

"Digital downloads have made record stores obsolete."

"Customers pay more today for monophonic ringtones than for a high fidelity recording of the same music."

"Broadband now allow us to replace entire telephone companies with VOIP."

"Blogs have replaced newspapers as primary news sources."

We stand by what we are saying in our press release. We know the audience is migrating away from the mainstream media channels and we intend to follow their lead. They are migrating while they have the means to do so.