Take My VOD, Please

Talking about a company’s VOD seems akin to speaking about one’s spouse…people just don’t like it. The latest complainer is DirecTV, blasting us for saying its VOD isn’t true VOD. "VOD technology, as you know, is basically a server that houses/delivers programming to the viewer," DirecTV’s Bob Marsocci emailed. "It doesn’t matter to the viewer if the server is at the headend (cable’s model) or in the receiver (our model)." Our Steve Effros responds: "DirecTV’s video recorder on the top of a set can hold only so much. So he’s right, they will offer a library shelf full of video to choose from. We have the capability to offer the entire library. With DirecTV, it’s the video THEY choose that is available with their ‘VOD-lite.’ With cable, it will be the video the customer chooses." — All this VOD talk is doing wonders for shares, though. Concurrent gained 8% to $1.79 and SeaChange is up 9% to $6.75 in the 2 days since Comcast and DirecTV announced their deals. — Gotuit Media Corp will bring musicians from the Koch independent music label to its music VOD service, including Ringo Starr, Jim Jones and Scarface (yes, we used the word musician liberally).