Startup Watch: Vakaka, the Chinese Joost
Reader James Ding writes in to tell us about the latest online video innovation in China, where IPTV startup Vakaka launched its X-TV beta this week.
Vakaka provides video on demand and live streaming via P2P for free. Ding tells us, “Unlike Joost or Babelgum, Vakaka X-TV provides VOD and live streaming at the same time. So you can both view a VOD film from Vakaka X-TV and a real-time concert scene. Vakaka X-TV has a Joost-like UI, including channel zone, widget zone, playing control zone, and setting zone.”
Ding attests that 3,000 hours of video programs are available including “the latest films and the hottest soap dramas in China,” with many under 500 kbps to accomodate lower bandwidth users. He spoke with Vakaka CEO William Shi, who said the company has no external funding to date. Other Chinese competitors in the P2P TV space include PPlive, PPstream, UUsee, and QQlive, though they are focused on streaming rather than VOD.
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Quote :
“3,000 hours of video programs are available including “the latest films and the hottest soap dramas in China,” with many under 500 kbps to accomodate lower bandwidth users.”
Hmm, under 500 kbps for video you do not have enough quality to really enjoy the content, for instance by viewing it on your large flat TV. You just have “improved Youtube-like quality” to be displayed in a little window of your PC screen.
Under 500 kbps, you can not really benefit of valuable and premium content (movies, TV series, TV shows, live music & concerts…) you just have a downgraded preview of those content.
Pierre Col - UbicMedia on July 11th, 2007 at 7:59 am - Permalink
[...] Written by Om Malik Wednesday, July 11, 2007 at 8:38 AM PT | No comments Another day, another P2P Video, except the latest one, Vakaka is based in China and is targeting the Chinese market. Unlike Joost or Babelgum, Vakaka X-TV provides VOD and live streaming at the same time. Continue Reading on NewTeeVee.com [...]
GigaOM What’s on GigaNET « on July 11th, 2007 at 8:39 am - Permalink
[...] último, hoy mismo se ha publicado sobre una nuevo servicio llamado X-TV de la empresa china Vakaka, que ofrece tanto difusión de televisión en tiempo real [...]
Mi otro blog… » Blog Archive » Más competidores para Joost: Zattoo, Jaman, LiveStation, veohTV, BBC, … on July 11th, 2007 at 3:42 pm - Permalink
Although Joost has stronger financial strength in the global video market, Babelgum and Vakaka have their own advantages in their own home markets and they still try to defeat Joost at some point. The more competitions exist, the more internet TV viewers and the more profits the practitioners can make. The business opportunities belong to every one, including carrier, the content provide and the TV add-on service provider.
So what will happen in the future? Maybe Joost succeeds in the U.S.A., Babelgum works successfully in the EU, and Vakaka grows fast in China.
Vatary on July 11th, 2007 at 4:55 pm - Permalink
That’s hardly a Chinese Joost. They don’t compete. I’m not even certain that Joost is available in China, and who will understand Vakaka outside of China?
What is the 787 Dreamliner? on July 14th, 2007 at 8:17 am - Permalink
[...] Joost will have to playy catch up in China, as the Chinese are the world leaders in P2P TV and P2P streaming media. Well established Chinese firms like PPLive and PPStream pre-date Joost by nearly two years (see my earlier comments). And today, in China, the P2P market is clogged with many more players like UUSee, Vakaka and Vatata. [...]
Myrtis Collins » Blog Archive » Joost entering world’s most advanced P2P TV market, i.e. China on January 23rd, 2008 at 9:13 am - Permalink