In today's installment, Allen and Mike 'cast about the evolving online video market -- a subject we'll be returning to regularly.  For today, we'll focus on Apple's iTunes vs. Google's online video offering. Will consumer-created content be a deciding factor in who owns the online video market?

Apple announced its earnings, and one thing stands out in the company's press release to me, as someone who is fascinated by the rapidly evolving fusion between TV/video and the Web:

 (There have been ) 8 million videos sold since their introduction in October 2005.

The scary thing about that number is that it’s “backloaded,” in that my guess is that the largest proportion of those were sold later in the cycle than earlier. The selection, of course, has grown meaning more choices, more downloaded.

I have to wonder with the seamless link between the store and video iPod (which again saved my life on a 3 hour 41 minute flight) can anyone catch Apple? At this point, Apple has such a huge lead (and my guess is there is more great content to come), so the race might be for second place.

Mike and Allen try a new field-recording kit at a place where both have worn out more than a few shoes: CES in Las Vegas.

In the most recent installment, Allen and Mike talk about PC-based media-editing applications vs. web-based editing tools; AOL-Google and media overload. Oh, and we audibly cringe at the SFGiants new, but really really old, outfield.

Some more thoughts on NBCU content on the video iPod:

1. There has to be search. I want to find the episode of “Dragnet” where Joe Friday said, “No one said that to me ma’am.” (My wife’s favorite Dragnet line). Rich media search can do that.
2. I don’t think all shows should be priced the same, but for starters it’s fine…the marketplace will show these Media Titans what sells and what doesn’t (and rejigger pricing to suit). I don’t think an old episode of “Adam-12” is worth the same as last week’s “Monk.”
3. There has to be recommendations to sort through the titles. Just like celebrity music mixes or mixes from music aficionados, I’d like to see (Tv critic) Tom Shales’ top 10 episodes of “Law and Order.” Or maybe even (former Tv critic) my top 10 episodes of “Hill Street Blues. (wink, wink). That will get TV shows to fly off the shelf.
4. By the way, with NBC-U, I’d like to see “The Rockford Files,” “Hill Street Blues,” “Cosby,” “I Spy” and (of course) “Seinfeld.”

The best is yet to come. Welcome to a new world order for TV. Apple is at the forefront. No suspirse!