Open Media Network Announces Free Internet Media Service

Open Media Network (OMN) was founded by Internet pioneer and Netscape veteran Mike Homer and includes Marc Andreessen as an advisor and board member.

Open Media Network is powered by grid delivery technology from Kontiki, which already provides secure delivery of content libraries for a range of companies such as Ernst & Young, Verizon, AOL and the BBC. Kontiki’s grid delivery technology speeds the distribution of video and music files by allowing participants to share unused bandwidth on their computers and servers. There are already over 20 million users of Kontiki’s technology today.

Because OMN uses Kontiki’s grid delivery technology, all content is centrally managed. Programs which violate copyright or are unsuitable for viewing can be removed from the network. Kontiki’s technology has built-in digital rights management (DRM) through support of the Microsoft Windows Rights Manager and allows publishers to choose whether content can be shared, duplicated or viewed a set number of times. Future versions of OMN, due this summer, will offer producers a secure payment system for premium content.

OMN offers entertainment, information and education programming from public television and radio stations who are interested in worldwide distribution of their programs via the Internet. Stations such as WGBH, KQED, and KWSU are among the initial public television and radio stations offering content.

"When fully implemented, OMN will give us virtually everything we were envisioning for the digital distribution core of our service," said Dennis Haarsager, general manager of Washington State University’s 15 public radio and television stations. "It has given us a twelve to eighteen month head start in reaching our goal of widespread online distribution of our shows."

OMN also includes innovative new forms of grassroots content, including video blogs and podcasts. Podcasts include WNYC public radio’s “On the Media,” IT Conversations including The Gillmor Gang, Engadget.com, shows from Northwest Public Radio and a host of sports and music programming. Unique video content includes Witness.org video alerts which document and expose human rights abuses across the globe. Independent films, which include full-length features, short films, trailers and full scenes are available. The Cinequest collection includes many full-length features that are available in DVD quality for download. In addition, a wide variety of films from indie film pioneer Undergroundfilm.org are available.

A key aspect of OMN that will debut this summer is the engagement of the OMN audience in the ratings, ranking and organizing of the content library. Producers provide initial information, including parental guidance rating suggestions, and authorize use of their material through Creative Commons licenses. Each viewer then rates the quality of the program through familiar one-to-five star ratings, provides their parental guidance recommendation, and can notify OMN if they identify potential copyright issues. In addition, users can organize their downloaded programs by adding personal tags, or keywords, to their selected content to aid in search and browsing.

Open Media Network can be used by anyone with Internet access across the globe without charge. The program guide is available at www.omn.org, or is automatically downloaded from any website where OMN programming is listed. The user automatically gets OMN with their first video or audio download. They can then use the program guide to choose additional programs to be automatically downloaded in the background. The programs on OMN are authorized for public use by the producers and most are licensed under Creative Commons.

Open Media Network