Let the content come to you
For quite long time, I use to aggregate audio file (PODCAST) on my desktop and then listen to it on my PDA, while commuting.
Its not the easiest way, but I got used to it, and it works fine for me. My aggregator will work in background (as any RSS aggregator will do), and will download an maintain the files, since I move the files to me PDA, and do not play form the aggregator itself, I need some way to distinguish between the sources, and most aggregator will just store files in different folders, according to source, good enough for me.
The aggregator (and most will do the same) will also remove old files as per your setting, so the files do not occupy too much of your precious space.
It was all good for Audio, I did not try it with video, which are bigger files, and cannot (in my case) be 'consumed' while commuting.
Few months ago I heard about new project by one of Skype founders, called Venice, and it was supposed to get Video to your desktop from various sources, making the aggregation easier and transparent. I registered to the Beta but still no news, its open now only to limited invitees.
But I came now across another player (Open source) called Democracy player, and I kind of like it very much. It will take as source every RSS feed I add, or even Bitorrent files, and also to search some video sites, like Youtube and Google.
You can then subscribe to the feed, and new videos will be downloaded automatically, and also removed after few days as per your setting (6 as default). So you actually have TV guide with all the channels you just added
The final result is that I have very easy to use IPTV at home, I subscribed to channels like DL.TV and TWIT, its all coming to me, and I can see it on same platform, while exercising or just relaxing at home.
It also enable you easily to share video (not by sending the actual file) and rating it, two fundamental services of the new Internet era (Web 2.0)
I think such service has huge potential, the issue as always is not getting one video, or playing specific format, its making your life easier, simplifying the effort, and that's the type of services we all lack on Web, and that's the strength of RSS distribution and tools like this player.
Also an revolution we should expect is more HI Def user generated content, as more people have now Hi Def Video camera and other means to simply take good sources, and edit it, of course still we have the issue of limited Bandwidth, but it will also improve, and as long as its Download and not streaming, it will take some more time, but will get there eventually.
So I am sure in the near future we will see more commercial user generated content for small fees, like cooking lessons and similar services. or maybe its already there.......
Stay tunned.
