As a follow-up to its company pitch (Coincident TV: 5/3/10), StartUp Beat did a Q&A with Coincident TV’s David Kaiser, the company’s co-founder and CEO, about its interactive video application.
SUB: How do new products like Google TV affect Coincident TV? Do you consider Google a competitor? How is your product different?
Kaiser: I view new products like Google TV and the growth of web television with excitement. Products like Google TV just mean that more doors are opening—and that the shift towards interactive online video viewing experiences is becoming a reality.
As consumers begin to adopt web TV more, Coincident TV can bring enhanced interactivity to all of these experiences, no matter what the platform or “screen.”
SUB: On the developer side, who are you targeting? Who do you hope adopts the technology?
Kaiser: We are currently targeting content creators and media companies, as well as the industrial and educational video markets.
CTV’s software suite, including a player, editor and analytics tool, gives content creators the freedom to seamlessly design, manage and measure hypervideo experiences. They can integrate pre-existing video content accessed from our source across the web, while enhancing navigation through creative hot-spotting, overlaying, picture-in-picture viewing, split screen, social media integration and other methods of engagement within the video player.
For media companies, CTV technology provides a true premium video solution that quickly and intuitively allows content producers to create revenue-building opportunities. These opportunities include new advertising platforms, educational videos, subscription TV models, increased brand integration and e-commerce while offering audiences dynamic engagement with characters, brands and stories.
SUB: On the viewer side, is a special CTV player needed to view videos and access the features you make available?
Kaiser: CTV was built to be easy to use and simple to integrate within existing video players and content. The software suite uses Coincident TV’s Cue Point Language, an XML-based language that is designed to work with digital video content available via the Internet, broadcast, DVD, tablets, mobile devices and more. The CTV editor then creates files that can play across any technology platform, including Flash, HTML5, Silverlight and more. That’s a huge win for our technology: build it once and it plays virtually anywhere.
SUB: What types of companies are you targeting for content partnerships? Are you casting a wide net or focusing on certain industries or types of media?
Kaiser: From day 1, our plan was to first target Hollywood studios and media companies for content partnerships, for several reasons. First, we wanted to showcase our technology to the largest possible audiences to fuel wider adoption. Second, we saw the big media companies as having the greatest need to find new ways to monetize their content online and offer more dynamic web experiences to their audiences.
We’ve been able to partner with multiple studios and thought leaders to demonstrate that Coincident TV is well worth embracing as a path to better, more lucrative online video experiences in the future.
Though the entertainment industry has been the first to adopt our technology, I see numerous long-term possibilities for CTV and our technology, namely in the educational and industrial markets. We are already turning our attention to these vast potential markets for our technology.
SUB: Besides the press/media, how are you getting the word out about CTV?
Kaiser: In addition to having a presence at relevant trade shows and conferences, we are spreading the word about CTV by working with influential players in relevant fields and exposing them to our technology through our private beta program. We’re also working closely with several major technology companies who can help us improve our product and refine our business model—even if these companies aren’t necessarily focused on creating web video content.
SUB: Are you or do you plan to look for more funding in the near future?
Kaiser: We’re always open to funding opportunities if it’s the right fit but we are currently focused on our private beta and securing more content partnerships.
SUB: Finally, what advice do you have for budding entrepreneurs that may be just starting out or thinking of starting a technology company?
Kaiser: My advice for those thinking of becoming an entrepreneur is to have patience. When starting any company, it takes time to raise funding, and of course, you don’t immediately see a profit. Instead of starting a company in a sector of technology that is saturated, find your niche and be the best. By filling a void in a particular area of technology that is untapped, you’re more likely to be successful.
The challenges you encounter only make the journey that much more exciting and rewarding when you finally introduce your technology to businesses and consumers.
Coincident TV – www.coincident.tv
