20,000 videos available for PSP, iPod

More than 20,000 independently produced, user-published videos are now available to be pushed to Sony's PSP portable videogame console and Apple's iPod. They're from Veoh Networks, which claims to be "the first internet television peercasting network".

Veoh automatically downloads videos of interest to a PSP owner's device each time the PSP is connected to a user's PC.

In recent months the rush to make video entertainment available on the net has increased. The demand has accelerated because of the popularity of products like the Sony PSP that can be connected to the net and are capable of storing and playing high-quality videos. Many of these, such as the PSP and Apple's video iPod, are portable.

Veoh's peercasting network distributes TV-quality, full-screen video to be played on a PC or Mac or on a variety of new portable devices. The company says thousands of iPod owners are already filling their players with thousands of videos available through Veoh. It claims that from music videos and comedy sketches to how-to sessions and all things automotive, PSP and iPod enthusiasts will find compelling content from Veoh.

"Portable video is a hot topic for consumers, with many devices introduced and lauded earlier this month at the Consumer Electronics Show. Consumers clearly want to see their content when and where they choose," Veoh Network CEO Dmitry Shapiro said. "Veoh is designed to support the many viewing choices consumers need, including the living room TV, their laptop and portable video devices. Our network allows anyone to publish TV-quality video that can be watched everywhere."

Veoh integrates with the Sony PSP Media Manager, sold separately through Sony, allowing easy export of videos from the Veoh network to a person's PSP. Veoh's peer-to-peer distribution technology, unlike streaming video, gives portable device owners a place to discover high-grade video they can watch wherever they are.

Veoh software can be installed on a PC or Mac to create a virtual television network. That allows video bloggers and independent producers, as well as film studios and TV networks, to distribute TVquality, full-screen video to hundreds of millions of users with broadband connections. Producers can publish unlimited amounts of TV-grade video content to the network, providing consumers with unparalleled choice in television programming and control over their viewing experience.

Unlike rogue P2P networks that are used to share mostly pirated video, Veoh is a community of publishers and consumers, where published content is approved by editors, and consumers are assured they get what they request. The system also integrates tightly with RSS, providing content producers with easy publishing to multiple video systems.

Meanwhile, Viacom says it has signed an agreement with Apple to make some of its TV series' available through Apple's iTunes online store from MTV, MTV2, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon at $1.99 per episode.

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