Will Over-The-Top Kill the Video Star?

It is impossible to escape intense discussion of "over-the-top" (OTT) video these days, as it has gone well beyond user-generated content on YouTube. If you believe the Hulu-hype, we are on the precipice of abandoning conventional video services from Comcast or AT&T and instead, we will simply watch Gossip Girl on our PCs. Surely, this medium that has attracted 149 million U.S. users and more than 14 billion downloads in March alone must threaten conventional video subscriptions and/or ARPU. Here's what we know: OTT video is neat and convenient. Using services such as Joost, YouTube or Veoh, we can now watch TV shows when we forget to record a show on our DVR; we delete the recording, the DVR becomes full; others are using the TV; we're away from home; or we want fringe or foreign content. People like that the flexibility and user interface resemble the Web. And, TV networks are cautiously placing their content on their own site as well as on joint venture sites like Hulu.