Two more interesting developments with rich media and video:

What if we pushed our conception of rich media a few steps further? If rich media technology makes otherwise static content more engaging, couldn't rich media make otherwise linear video content more engaging? I don't mean adding rich media overlays to video, I mean something altogether different and otherwise out there. Why limit rich media technology to ads, or even to ads-as-content? What is the possibility of rich media within the actual content itself?

Three interesting steps in that direction:

• EyeWonder can now stream live video through its units. That could have interesting implications for location-based advertising and for live events, for example, if you were streaming live content through an ad unit to drive digital tune-in.
• DoubleClick + Flash 9+ HD means you can now serve HD videos through DoubleClick's rich media units (full screen optional). Epson gave it a roll with Butler, Shine, Stern and Partners. Load time for me was prohibitively slow, but you can check out the creative here.
• Adobe Pacifica. It's a stealth operation that is doing something with Flash and VoIP. Banners + VoIP? Now that is interesting.

Could we be on the verge of a creative Renaissance?

Comments and dissenting opinions welcome below, or contact me.