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Will Video Surfing Become Reality?

alinv writes "Australia's CSIRO has developed a multi-media browsing tool callled CMWeb, which makes surfing audio and video content as esy as text (view a screenshot here). The tool, called Continuous Media Web (CMWeb), enables user to activate a link within a video or audio file,and be taken to a related clip in another file, and then return to the original or follow further links into other subject areas, in much the same way they currently do with Web pages."

22 of 116 comments (clear)

  1. No.... by benito27uk · · Score: 5, Funny

    Surely the video isn't big enough to stand on!

  2. hang-10 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Will Video Surfing Become Reality?

    It already is, I call it "changing the channel."

  3. Not going to kick off fast. by mmol_6453 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's not going to really take off until it's much, much easier for the average joe to make the content than it is now.

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  4. Why? by Arioch+of+Chaos · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Not that I want to be seen as too negative or anti progress but, why would I want to do that? The web is bloated as it is. All the animations and stuff that disturb you when you read a text :-/

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  5. Joke bait by fruey · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is rather like flash, but for video content rather than animated vector graphics. Maybe not even that. More like a video file + markup much like something which could be played in a specialised player, but superimposing links? Doesn't seem that revolutionary to me, the DVD format already allows for something like this - albeit in a more rigid form.

    However, the reason this is particularly interesting to the Slashdot crowd is that

    • Provides loads of possibilities for pr0n jokes
    • Screenshot will probably be more exciting for MacOS fans than pr0n itself, look at that lovely Aqua...
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  6. I can see it already by TCM · · Score: 5, Funny

    *listens to some ambient*

    *totally chilled*

    yelling voice: OH AND BTW, IF YOU LIKE THIS TRACK, CLICK HERE FOR MORE!

    *gaaah*

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  7. Re:Why? by mmol_6453 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    From the screenshot, it looks like it might be possible to forgo the audio and video, and just read the texts and click on the link. It looks like the web, repackaged to include visual aides.

    I expect it'd be great for online tutorials, though.

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  8. video surfing by YomikoReadman · · Score: 3, Interesting

    well, from what I gather, this is not so much a way of surfing the net with video as it is a way to find related audio/video content. It kinda strikes me as a relational database, but all the objects are audio and video.

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  9. MPEG-4 by mericet · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I don't see anything here I didn't already saw in the MPEG-4 specifications years ago.

  10. User-Interface? by Advocadus+Diaboli · · Score: 4, Interesting
    enables user to activate a link within a video or audio file

    How do I activate a link in an audio file?
    On a visible interface (video or GUI) I can think about something that I can activate by a sort of "point & click" interface. But on an audio stream?
    Especially since audio is depending on time. Just think that you want to follow a link on the "bottom" of an audio file... should I wait until the link somehow passes by?

    Or do I have to think of something interactive with sppech input like
    Computer: "This article was first posted on Slashdot..."
    Me: "Stop here and tell me more about that slashdot thing"

    Sounds a little bit like "Star Trek" to me.

    1. Re:User-Interface? by popeyethesailor · · Score: 4, Funny

      Remember "Punch the monkey and get a free penis!".

      This will only be harder ;)

  11. wanna bet?. by ConsoleDeamon · · Score: 5, Funny

    You and me, and a vcr pulled by a powerboat.

  12. Audio games! by AtariAmarok · · Score: 4, Funny

    This reminds me of a friend years ago who came up to me and said "I've got a great idea. We know about video games. How about audio games? We should invent those".

    I've not heard from him since, but I am pretty safe to assume he is not a multi-billion dollar audiogame magnate at this time: no-one is.

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    1. Re:Audio games! by twifkak · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Sorry to reply to a Funny with a serious comment, but just FYI, places do make videogames for the blind. Not like you should be expected to know that.. except gamegirladvance is required reading for any videogame enthusiast.

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  13. Parallel surfing by heikkile · · Score: 4, Interesting
    I don't know about Joe Sixpack, but when I surf the net, I have a couple of browsers open, each with multiple tabs. Interesting links are opened in another tab, which may (or may not) get quickly closed again, when I get around to looking at it. No website can expect to get my full undivided attention!

    This would really suck with video, where you have to notice the links at the right time. And what about audio? Will the other pages continue making noises quietly in the background? Wait for their turn? overpower anything else I may be listening?

    --

    In Murphy We Turst

  14. Starship Troopers.. by adamofgreyskull · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Would you like to know more?"

  15. Connection speed by Lokist · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The majority of the world (hey its changing)is still on dial-up... Im out here in the middle of the country so I doubt video surfing will happen over here any time soon.

  16. human brain's capacity? by stonebeat.org · · Score: 4, Interesting

    i am sure we will have enough advance technology to making video surfing a reality, but what about human brain's capacity to process and digest the information given to us in this mode. we are already facing a Information Overload as it is. Moreover the brain's capacity is becomming smaller, due to in-digestion of information (your brain and stomach work in a similar fashion,to process and retain information), and less time for thinking and comptemplation.
    A good book to read about mind and information processing is Steven Pinker's "How Mind Works"
    And I for one do not wanna see any pop-up banners in video surfing. :)

  17. How about XML? by randomErr · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Here my GPL'ed non-LPR 2Â thoughts.

    Why not create a simple XML language that could be associed with the embedded video on a webpage? Example:
    <embed src="myvideo.mpg" width=740 height=480>
    <hotspot timecode="00:00,07:12" cordinates="10,25,180,360" href="http://slashdot.org">
    <hotspot timecode="05:01,09:12" cordinates="80,1,90,85" href="http://www.everything2.com">
    </embed>
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  18. Patiently waiting to see what happens in 10 years by del_ctrl_alt · · Score: 3, Insightful
    My initial thoughts were as most (bandwith, content, Feh, etc)

    but then I thought well it has to start somewhere, hands up all of you that were on the internet 10 years ago (ok bad audience to ask in!) but you get the picture

    I think in 10 or so years time everyone will be wondering how they survived without their inter-thing-a-mabob that does everything and will probably be talking about if going to the local implant shop to get the latest wotsit 'uploaded' is a good idea or will take up too much space.

  19. Sounds Like VRML by David_AH · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Remember when VRML was going to change the Internet? No more text just big 3d world with avatars running around everywhere. When was the last time you visited a VRML site? I don't understand why so many people want to augment or replace simple text and graphics. Sure flash and video and audio add to the web and are great for some applications, but text is trhe real killer app on the web. It is easy and cheap to produce, and thanks to services like babelfish it is easy to translate. Not to mention the problems of getting acurate search results just based on descriptions of viedo or audio.

  20. Been there done that by SPeW · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Audio and video surfing is already here. It's called Winamp 2.91. Yeah it's got shoutcast built in and now a new thing called Internet TV which is basically Nullsoft Public Acces TV. It's starting to catch on too, there are a number of shows ranging from someone getting drive thru at taco bell to shows like Cartoon Network's Auqa Team Hunger Force. So who needs cable when you have a broadband connection.

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