Facebook and Twitter are reportedly both in the midst of making deals--or trying to--that would add a new layer of complexity to the online video biz. Facebook is trying to sell video ads at $1 million a crack, says AdAge.com. Twitter is working on a video and advertising sharing deal with NBC Universal and Viacom, like the ones it already has with ESPN and the Weather Channel.

By YouTube’s calculations, this is the 57th anniversary of the VCR player and as to mark the date—because we all mark 57th anniversaries in a special way –YouTube has added a special icon to the bottom right of selected videos today. Click on it, and it will allow you to watch the video so they’ll look just as crappy as video did on your old VCR. “One issue with VHS was always the video quality, or lack of it. Scrolling images, distortion and noise were the order of the day back in the early nineties, which is a stark contrast …

The Webby Award nominations this week make you wonder: Are the Web endeavors marked for greatness actually the kinds of Websites people like or are they kinds of sites that just Web-people like? In other words, Art house or fun house? Does a good looking Website help advertisers?

Who knows what will happen to daily newspapers? It seems to me that the entity with the least clear-cut idea is the newspaper industry itself, But Media Program Network has begun offering newspaper Websites free "lifestyle" online videos, mainly recipes, they can run on their sites for free in return for the pre-roll ad positions.

A new piece of Forrester Consulting research for SpotXChange comes to the conclusion that online video is growing so fast, publishers don't want to "give up" inventory in the real time bidding process. Though, at the same time, online video is becoming so plentiful that RTB seems to be the inevitable, most practical solution.

That's what Peter Chernin, in essence would be getting, if his $500 million bid is accepted. Hulu's owners, News Corp. and the Walt Disney Co. would take their programming to their own Websites, leaving the new Hulu without much to show. But as other content sites are showing, there's still plenty to see, and maybe nothing better than original fare.

I smile. Therefore I buy your product. Do commercials work like that? A glowing story about a firm that measures facial expressions leaves me scratching my head.

Attendees at the MediaPost summit at the Mohonk Mountain House discovered there are no TVs in their rooms. It's almost like it was planned. (There are cookies at the gift shop,)

Maybe after all that outrage, Congress will do nothing about tightening gun laws. It could be, as the NRA might have have known all along, yet another time the public's anger flames out.

Online video is still in its infancy. But man,what an odd looking baby. The NCAA March Madness online numbers prove there's a need and a market, but so do all those little videos about funny cats.