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Ice Cube Talks Silverlight-Powered UVNTV.com

by Errol Pierre-Louis
April 16th 2008
AppScout.com

Ice Cube Interview

Ice Cube has had a varied career. One of the pioneers of gangster rap, he's also a successful film and TV actor. His newest role finds him partnered up with long-time friend and hip-hop producer DJ Pooh to redefine Internet TV.

Their site, UVNTV.com (UVN stands for "U View Network"), which launched in early January of this year, aims to revolutionize the way we watch real-time video content online: It's part TV service, part social network, a place where you can tune in to see content ranging from hip-hop videos to video-game previews in real time or on demand. You can also create your own profile to interact with other UVNTV members or upload video content of your own.

UVNTV.com is one of the first sites to employ the new Silverlight platform, Microsoft's answer to Adobe Flash. I had a chance to talk with Ice Cube (who called from the set of his new movie Comeback) and his partner DJ Pooh about their online venture using Microsoft's newest media-delivery technology.

How did the idea for UVNTV come about?

DJ Pooh: We've been messing around with the concept of Net TV for a while. We wanted to create a platform for people who didn't want to go through the "suits" to reach the public. We wanted to invent a delivery system for artists to deliver content without sacrificing integrity.

Ice Cube: This is a place where any artist, company, or individual can present their content to the fans in a real-time, unedited channel. The possibilities are endless: anyone with something to say and sell can do it here, and display it they way they want.

What are your roles on the site?

Ice Cube: Pooh's been a techie since I met him in the 80's. He always had to have the latest tech gadgets. He handles the technological side. I'm the one coming up with ideas and going after companies who can make [UVNTV] as sexy as we want it.

What does this site offer to viewers?

DJ Pooh: UVNTV is a TV site, in a nutshell. We deliver real-time content parallel to, say, Dish Network. In a lot of ways, it works better than a video-sharing site. On YouTube, you pretty much gotta play the DJ and go hunting for cool stuff to watch. On our site, it's played for you. You could tune into your favorite show at 3 o'clock, but you can also find it on demand. When you become a member, the site becomes your TV remote. You could set up your profile, meet and network with other members. Or you can just watch it like a TV. I can just log in anytime and watch Cube's channel Hiphop24/7. It's bangin'—I can watch it like every day.

Ice Cube: It's the best of both worlds: You can watch programming in real time or watch what's on demand. What really sets us apart [from sites like YouTube] is there's no time limits on our clips. Our videos are as long as 2 minutes or 2 hours, in full-screen DVD to HD quality content.

What kind of content do you have on the site?

Ice Cube: We have 20 free channels featuring different companies and individuals. We have celebrities like Snoop Dogg, P. Diddy, Dame Dash, and [fashion designer] Christian Audigier who have their own channels. So you see where this is going and could go. We've worked hard on structure of the site and what it'll do. Now we're focusing on content.

DJ Pooh: You can watch game previews on Rockstar Game's channel, and users have their own ad-sponsored channel where you can upload your own videos. We have many different ways to deliver content. At the South by Southwest Conference in March, Cube put on a live show, exclusively through the site from the Events page. We can do all sorts of live events on the site. We also run The Source magazine's web site. The Source will revamp the Source awards, so people can view it live on UVNTV and TheSource.com. People can even vote on awards and see results live.

How did you guys hook up with Microsoft to use Silverlight?

DJ Pooh: We've mastered it on all platforms, but Microsoft offered a lot more with Silverlight. They're gonna give Flash a run for the money. We designed the real-time timeline for a media player, but we figured it out for the future technology. Silverlight gives seamless uninterrupted flow. It doesn't leave you stuck. You don't have to wait for the video to stop, pop, and load.

What advantage does UVNTV have for artists?

DJ Pooh: Artists can push their content online, without turning into a complete idiot to get on TV. We have a channel called Chartbound showing tomorrow's artist today. We'll be hosting a live event [for the channel], but haven't named the place yet. So it's a great platform for artists to deliver content untouched by labels. People will find the next stars and shows through our Web site; this is the future. Most artists are signed because they already have a viral thing going. No one really gets signed by demo tapes anymore. It's about people going out, hustling, and creating buzz; this site is for them.

Ice Cube: This site is for anyone who has something to show or say. Whether you have 30 minutes or 2 hours of content, here's a place you can do it. We have a way for you to deliver it, the way you want. We have a community to fuel this stuff. [Content] will promote itself; you basically can't get this nowhere else online.

How is UVNTV better than network TV?

Ice Cube: We're sexier in a lot of ways. We're worldwide, not stuck in any country. That's why our slogan is "The world is watching." No one else really can provide that right now. On our site you can watch a channel or be channel.

DJ Pooh: [Networks] can even extend their reach through us. It's a vehicle for them to test out shows, and see if it gets a buzz. We give you the same excitement of network TV. We're here anyone with something interesting to say but might not have a billion dollars to blast it off the satellite.