This is the first in the twenty-part series of my “2009 Digital Media Predictions”… with twenty predictions of course. Each segment is going to add color to one of the predictions from the initial list. And while I have no idea how long this project will take (hopefully it’s completed before 2010) – it certainly keeps me focused.

You’ll be able to follow all of the predictions here.

Prediction:Video will grow further as people’s appetite for online content moves significantly beyond 30-90 second clips

The success of internet video – and decline of traditional television – has been credited with the dwindling attention span of viewers. The sweet spot for a YouTube clip, for instance, is less than 150 seconds.

And while many argue that this is because we have become less engaged, attentive consumers, I’ll take a different approach:
It’s too damn hard for the layman to create good content that lasts over 150 seconds. It either is too difficult to produce or too difficult to remain interesting. Likely both.

But Hulu’s success has proven that we are willing to sit in front of our computers for entire programs. And as CBS Interactive, Fox, YouTube HD and others continue to produce high quality content – our viewing habits will mature. More content is moving online… and more importantly, more high-quality is moving online. As our bandwidth and screens support it – so too will our taste and willingness to watch it. And as these trends change, it will pave the way for computers and online content in the living room.

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