I wanted to announce that I now have my Facebook TV channel up and running. Configuration was very simple, and I only needed to identify some of the local video content from the home video server that I wanted to share, along with a selection from the list of broadcast shows it had suggested based on my profile.

The application, VideoMe, integrated the content and offered me three different sequences for the first 24 hours of my broadcast. I chose the first one that started off with some video of my 2007 trip to China. It then indicated it would segue in to a recent episode of CSI, followed by some content taken last year around Halloween. Somewhere along the timeline there would be a slide show of the family with a gentle music track. I’m not too sure what came next, but I watched it start off on my PC and it looked pretty good. After a few days I’ll fine tune the content but it seems that the relevance is very high and on a par with Pandora’s ability to select music for me.

I also enabled the advertising feature which will roll commercials for 3 minutes each hour, which allowed me a greater selection of broadcast content.

The program guide is easily available, and I can drag and drop content from one time slot to another to instantly revise the schedule. Commercials follow the new content based on context, time of day and a couple of other factors that I can’t quite fathom. I can also email and IM friends through Facebook to let them know when something interesting is about to come on.

Facebook is selling detailed viewing statistics back to those broadcasters who are contributing content (CBS and FOX) and the advertisers, with demographics to nearest 1 second and location data where the user has given permission. Those who give full permission for personal data are entered into monthly draw for prizes provided by advertisers. Recent advances in battery technology mean that the average user can watch approximately 4 hours of personalized TV without recharging.

Not to be outdone, Google has promised a WiMax interface linked to location which will seamlessly integrate with the VideoMe app while away from home (for use on in-car infotainment systems and handheld devices). It has also promised the ability to go live with streaming content from a Google phone (the Poogle), giving the ability to share it online with those watching the personal channel, or as a standalone video communicator. The quality is likely to be excellent since Google own the majority of the 700Mhz spectrum and have licensed third-party applications to operate within the band.

But this ability to create a personalized video channel for sharing is just the next step in Social Networking. By further blurring the difference between broadcast content and personalized video we witness an enhanced ability of the owners of the infrastructure to monetize our own content and leverage its value to entice our friends to  consume commercials. After all, if our we are encouraging them to watch our content, aren’t we personally endorsing the advertisers that coexist with us?