Nearly all online video ads are still copies of TV ads. About 90% of video ads in the first quarter were repurposed TV spots and generated an 85% completion rate on average, said Tremor Video's VideoHub in a just-released report. The video advertising company studied 2.3 billion impressions that ran through its VideoHub platform that quarter, and reported that the engagement rate for ads doubled that of a typical pre-roll when an ad included interactive elements.

It's hard for even the savviest of brand managers to keep up with the latest advancements in online video. Just when marketers reach a comfort level with search engine marketing tactics or display strategies, our industry moves on to programmatic buying and cross-device targeting. To that end, here are six questions every brand manager should consider when evaluating his/her online video media plan:

The launch of Apple TV in 2006 doesn't seem that long ago, but seven years is a lifetime in tech. Today, over-the top (OTT) video revenue has grown to exceed $8 billion and is expected to hit $20 billion by 2015. Apple is just one OTT publisher and platform among many others (Roku, Boxee, GoogleTV, Netflix, Hulu, RIP MSNTV), and audiences have an unprecedented number of choices when it comes to where to stream video content from. Although I think the growth of digital video and content choices are a good thing (it's my business after all), I also believe …

Over the past two weeks, blip.tv was acquired by Maker Studios, while Grab Media was acquired by blinkx. The deals share some similarities. Today we'll look at some of the lessons of the fate of blip.tv.

Tablets might be the ideal video viewing device for ads. That's the finding of a research report by IPG Media Lab and YuMelooking into consumer interaction with videos and video ads on tablets.

A recent New York Times article by Alina Tugend, "Sometimes Second-Best Makes a Better Role Model," supports the notion that ultra-gifted superstars, in any field, may be poor role models. The idea is that people from Miguel Cabrera to Sheryl Sandberg are so exceptional that it becomes difficult, if not useless, to emulate their path or use them as a beacon. Tugend goes on to explain that consistent, high-level performers may be better role models. The same can also be said for digital video and other forms of content marketing - and the relentless search for a viral video.

The home theater is clearly taking over the share of the market once controlled exclusively by the movie theater. Of course people still like to go to the movies, but not as often. So how does this system continue to keep itself sustainable? Embrace technology and go where the audience is moving: do everything possible to exponentially facilitate movies getting to the home viewer as a primary, not ancillary, revenue source.

Rupert Murodoch just spent $70 million for a 5% interest in Brooklyn-based Vice. Here are seven lessons from Vice's rise to fame and quest for global domination.

Video advertising is alive and well. The number of online video ad impressions in the second quarter rose 40% over the first quarter, according to video ad platform Videology.

Online publishers have embraced original content because of its power to create loyalty for their channels, keep viewers on their channels longer, encourage social sharing -- and, most importantly, stand out in an era where everyone's content is the same. Netflix's "Orange is the New Black," Amazon's "Alpha House," and Hulu's "The Awesomes" are just a few examples in a growing list of original programming available through streaming platforms. But what most people don't realize is that Netflix isn't responsible for creating "House of Cards" -- Media Rights Capital (MRC) is. There seems to be a giant industry misconception taking …