SplashCast stays competitive on video player — adds mobile

September 13, 2007 | Chris Morrison | Comments | |

splashcast.bmpSplashCast, which offers an online video player that can be used to share videos and other files, announced two more moves today in hopes of setting itself apart from the competition.

The Portland, Oreg. company has entered into a non-exclusive partnership with Columbia Records, opening up its platform for the company’s artists to set up their own channels. Regular users can also create channels based around Columbia’s artists.

Second, it has added new functions to its video player, most importantly a mobile component. Until now, users of SplashCast have been able to start their own video channels, which they can then integrate other content like pictures and RSS feeds into. A new feature, FanCast, will now allow mobile publishing. The channel’s owners will be able to use FanCast to send new content to the player from their phones, which could prove to be valuable for bands on the road. The fills a much-needed hole for SplashCast, which did not have a mobile feature like competitor Kyte.TV

The remaining two new features, live chat and Twitter functionality, add a real-time communication component to SplashCast’s channels. With the latter, someone can send a Twitter message out from the player, streamlining the sharing process (the friend getting the Twitter message clicks on link within the Twitter message, and it takes them to the player).

The Columbia deal will be one of SplashCast’s largest successes to date. While the service has partnerships with smaller labels and subsidiaries, partnering with Columbia will give them the chance to prove their viability for professional media distribution over rivals like Kyte.tv and Springdoo.

The features aren’t all immediately available, with FanCast going first to the band Coheed and Cambria and live chat to Columbia artists.

Splashcast has raised $2 million in venture backing.
SplashCast2

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About the Author, Chris Morrison

Chris Morrison writes about cleantech and environmental issues for VentureBeat, with occasional forays into gaming and semantic technology. He got his start writing about tech for Business 2.0 magazine, but quickly realized new media was the ticket when that institution closed its doors in 2007. Chris has also covered public equities and regulatory issues. He originally hails from southern Virginia, graduated from Evergreen State College in Washington, and now lives in San Francisco.

  • Stefan
    Hi

    Interesting post again. As a kyte.tv user I'm really interested in your opinion. I think kyte.tv does the whole package a little better. The integration with the mobile worked perfectly from without configuration. What do you think are the advantages of kyte.tv?

    I really like the way you write. Keep it up!

    Greets
    Stefan