For the past few weeks, I've been exploring how to encode and publish video on the Internet. Although I think it's cool to publish potential association (SAF) content or personal videos on YouTube, there are limits in time unless you partner with YouTube -- which is also an option but in either case, you're still using a third party system. The bottom line for me is that I truly believe video is it, on the Web, and then eventually if not already, on mobile devices.

First I explored Adobe's Flash Technology. They have a suite of products that allow you to do this:

Adobe Flash Media Encoder: http://www.adobe.com/products/flashmediaserver/flashmediaencoder/

Adobe Flash Media Server: http://www.adobe.com/products/flashmediaencoding/

Awesome stuff. Easy to use and was able to encode and publish test files. I was ready to go with any further delay until I watched the iPad launch.

Like most geeks, I was glued to Steve Jobs' introduction of the iPad. Crazy reality distortion field happening during the announcement but what struck me was how Apple was intentionally displaying pages on the iPad WITHOUT Flash -- all you saw was the cube with the question mark. Yikes! And it was Jobs holding the iPad. Then of course, Jobs confirms all this by saying in the press that Flash is a deadend. Really? 80 percent of the Web video is Flash. Youtube, Hulu.com, etc., some big names out there. But Jobs must know something cause he's Jobs.

Anyways, I started looking for alternatives. Not much. Really only viable product is Silverlight.

Check this out: http://silverlight.net/

It pained me to buy the Expression Encoder 3 Web suite considering most of Adobe's stuff was free: http://www.microsoft.com/expression/

Learning any new Microsoft product seems like you need a diploma nowadays but the initial encoding is complete. Just at a point on learning how to publish and stream. I'll keep you posted.

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Autumn in Virginia this year is truly turning out to be a vintage fiery show and this provided the perfect setting for a wine tasting with fellow members of the Concordia University Alumni Association - Washington DC chapter. Our small, but boisterous group included familiar friends Chapter President Therese Morin, Zoran Kahric, Dinesh Mehta and his wife Meera, my own beautiful bride Patricia and new Alumni friends including Rikka Batulan, Soufiane Mebtoul and Harry and Joy Reichel. Click here to check out the full photo gallery of the tour.

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