Sun Microsystems is introducing a new platform for streaming on-demand video over IP networks that promises to deliver 160,000 TV channels to your home.

Sun Streaming, with a suite of Sun software to manage the system, delivers 160,000 video streams, or 40,000 high-definition TV streams, simultaneously at 2M bps (bits per second). Fifteen of these systems, at about 5,000 titles per system, theoretically could stream the entire library, all at once, of 75,000 DVD titles from Netflix Inc., which distributes DVD rentals by mail.

“The most natural way for people to enjoy video is to download it from a server,” said Andy Bechtolsheim, co-founder of Sun and designer of the Sun Streaming System.

The Sun Streaming system uses four Sun Fire x4100 servers, one x4500 storage/server and a new product, the Sun Fire x4950 streaming server, based on server technology developed by Kealia Inc., which Sun acquired in 2004.

Another home sex tape is hitting the Internet - American Idol contestant Olivia Mojica missed becoming a finalist on American Idol, but is going all the way in a home sex video being distributed by Vivid.

Mojica is the latest celebrity to see a video she recently made with her boyfriend find its way into the public arena. The DVD, Hardcore Idol, will be in stores across the country on May 3rd. Vivid is the same firm that is distributing the Kim Kardashian/Ray J sex video.

“We have a great combination here. American Idol may be the most popular show in the history of television. Olivia is really cute, the sex is really hot and there is much controversy surrounding the show,” said Steven Hirsch, co-chairman of Vivid. “If she was in the adult business, she would be an instant superstar.”

The video, which Mojica made with her boyfriend Adam Roberts a month ago in her New York City apartment, was obtained by Vivid, which is currently trying to contact Mojica to see if she will help promote the video and share in revenue from its sale.

Apple has updated its podcasting specs and is sending out emails to video podcasters with tips on how to make them look great on Apple TV.The tips include:

• Encode at 640×480 or 640×360. This will look much better than 320×240 on HDTV, and will still port to the iPod. While 720p looks great, they say, it won’t work on an iPod.
• Don’t make two formats for different resolutions - it dilutes the popularity of the podcast and reduces exposure in charts.
• Don’t add letterboxing to make videos to a 4:3 aspect ratio. Leave them at 16:9.

If you’re creating video podcasts, recognize that Apple’s recommendations are a compromise that sacrifice Apple TV quality for compatibility with video iPods. While they recommend using just one format to get the highest ranking within iTunes, there may be enough interest in HDTV that there could be benefits to moving to 720p widescreen and treating lower resolutions as legacy formats.

via Podcasting News

Tokyo’s election commission Thursday asked the popular video sharing website YouTube to take off clips of candidates for the local governor’s race, saying it gave some of them unfair advantages.

The election commission said it wanted to “ensure fairness” among candidates ahead of Sunday’s election in the world’s largest metropolis.

“We made the requests via e-mail and fax to the YouTube office in the United States,” said commission official Hiroyoshi Yone.

“The site has allowed only certain candidates’ speeches to be viewed freely on the site, with which we cannot ensure the fairness of the election,” he said.

But the commission has not received any reply from the operator of the US website, he said.

via Physorg

A chilling video purportedly showing a gang-related beheading has appeared on video-sharing Web site YouTube, and its makers called on Mexicans to kill more members of the gang.The video appeared as the rival Gulf and Sinaloa gangs wage a bloody battle for trafficking routes and President Felipe Calderon is taking on organized crime with thousands of troops sent to drug-plagued areas.

“Do something for your country, kill a Zeta!” read a written message opening the five-minute video posted Friday. The Zetas are believed to be ex-army operatives serving as hit men for the Gulf cartel.

The footage shows a man in his underwear tied to a chair with a “Z” written on his chest and the message: “Welcome, kill women and children. Continue Ostion.” It is unclear who Ostion is. One of the man’s legs is marked with the name “Lazcano,” possibly referring to Heriberto Lazcano, the suspected head of the Zetas.

The man is shown being interrogated about the Feb. 6 killing of five police officers and two secretaries in the Pacific resort city of Acapulco. The unseen interrogator repeatedly asks him about the killings, punching him several times until the man says he participated in the attacks. He is then beheaded. The footage ends with a message in red saying, “Lazcano you’re next.”

via Forbes