A new Internet video sharing site Yoqoo (??) was launched in Beijing last month. Similar to YouTube in the US, it allows users to generate short video clips and share online with their friends and families.
The founder is my friend – the former COO of Sohu Victor Koo! According to Victor, Yoqoo lets people to watch funny clips to relax themselves before they start their day at work or when they leave their offices in the evening. “That will be a new lifestyle,” Victor said.
Video sites that offer clip sharing are getting increasingly popular in the United States. For instance, YouTube has quickly become one of the most-viewed website, with users uploading 50,000 video clips per day. The video offerings of Google and Yahoo! have also generated a lot of traction.
What’s different about Yoqoo is it taps into the opportunity of the convergence of broadband Internet, 3G (third generation) mobile technology and traditional TV networks. With the country’s 400 million mobile phone users and 3G technology, Yoqoo will allow users to download video clips to their handsets.
As to business model, Yoqoo is targeting advertisements from TV companies and even film makers. It also expects some studios to post trailers at the site as part of their marketing strategy.
However, the question remains who would watch video clips and how to navigate the ocean of information overload. In my opinion, an aggregator site that can help users sort out useful and quality information will be critical.
It seems to me in the past when we talked about Internet, it was about text and pictures. Now it’s about audio and videos. User-generated content is the trend. As Yoqoo’s logo says: “?????” – the world is watching!
I think there is a misprint in the link and it should direct to yoqoo.com. Another China based browser-based player rather similar to YouTube is at toodou.com.
Also interesting to observe will be the regulatory response to user uploaded video content. Government is keenly pushing related standards (including mobile IPTV standards). SARFT and MII will likely battle for regulatory control in video content giving a nice return to the territorial battles of a few years ago when convergence ideas first emerged. User generated video material should hopefully avoid some of this territorial battle but will likely still suffer content risks, while the IPTV area is likely to be subject to a significantly more stringent operating environment.
While yoqoo and toodou seem to be moving ahead based on market and technology demand, IPTV is advancing with the added imposition of significantly greater government interest at this stage – in April CCTV received its IPTV broadcast license following the licenses that were issued to subsidiaries of the Shanghai Media Group last year. The success of IPTV in China will be interesting to observe – as you point out the subscriber base for Internet (and broadband users in particular) and telecom users is phenomenal – but, without decent content it will be tough building market.
There is still a dearth of good content on local TV. At this point the thought of watching the same Chinese channels’ material via IPTV (either broadband, dialup, or on 3G handsets) really doesn’t sound appealing. Obtaining new overseas content will meet the typical content challenges (however, SMG’s broadcast of the World Cup on its IPTV portal was significantly more appealing if having to watch it across the internet). User driven content on yoqoo, toodou, and YouTube via browser based players is going to be an interesting area to watch as it plays out in-market.
Thanks for your correction of the link of Yoqoo.
Thank you very much for sharing your perspectives. I really appreciate it. I absolutely agree with you if there is no good content what these IPTV and Internet video clips for? However, it seems YouTube is doing well and Internet video will pick up. We’ll see….
I hope to see you often!
Gostei do teu blog, é interessante.
Felicidades para o Futuro…
Cara D’Anjo
Portugal
Grr, I can’t read the site. lol
Helen, this is cool. But I disagree with one aspect. Although people may love the clips and respond well to them, ensuring advertizing and entreprenurial success, it does not mean that these clips will actually be medically relaxing. Relaxation is an active process, not a passive process. One needs to participate in the act of relaxing, one cannot watch it happen. Relaxation also generally has to do with the emptying and quieting of the mind, not with filling it. Thanks this was interesting, I hope that your good friend does well!
I need to learn Chinese!
Liz, I agree with you on active relaxation. For instance, I need to do exercise to feel relaxed.
I think Yoqoo could be like Gather but in video and audio forms. Look at how many people are addited to Gather? :-). There must be a reason.
Joshua, thank you for your explanation. Sorry I didn’t understand your question well. Yes, follow your instruction, you can translate the site and get some ideas what it is.
okay, here’s how to view the site in decent English. Google YoQoo, and next to the URL, google has, in parentheses, (translate this site). Click on this, and most of the site will translate pretty well.
Great site, I wish I could read Chinese. Google is a help
what about CYTV?
I thought they were YouTube in China….
Rowland,
As far as I know, there are about 180 YouTube in China. Who will be the final winners is still hard to see…
I found a way to access youtube from china using a web based proxy. I was able to access any restricted website.
http://www.youtube.thezerogroup.com
They also have a nifty tool that lets you download you tube videos which is handy as there was no internet at the place I was staying: http://youtube.thezerogroup.com
Youtube is working in Shanghai now.
Yoqoo changed their domain name to Youku earlier this year and it has grown very quickly.