On December 1, 2004, the revision of Sohu Broadband was completed, and users can upload videos independently. Sina also followed suit and launched Sina Broadband, but there is no user upload function for the time being.

Why Sohu Broadband and Sina Broadband, instead of Sohu Video and Sina Video?

Broadband means broadband on the bend side, but in mainland China, the real meaning of broadband is "broadband Internet video". Sohu named its video website "Sohu Broadband", which is equivalent to telling netizens that my videos play very smoothly, after all, "broadband" is synonymous with speed at this time.

The first website to do "broadband" in China is not Sohu or Sina, but 21CN, one of the top ten web portals.

21CN is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Telecom, and has been a video website for more than a year, and there is no free content, all of which require users to pay for on-demand. In the era of pirated video resources, this model seems to have no market, but people's video paid on demand has approached 5 million times - although it doesn't make much money, it doesn't lose much money.

At this time, Tencent's general public relations general manager will be poached next year as the marketing director of 21CN, responsible for brand planning and market operations, and later promoted to the vice president of 21CN. I don't know if he regrets this job-hopping, anyway, there has been no news of this person since 2007, and he has been staying at Tencent and may have the opportunity to become a vice president.

In addition to Sohu, Sina, and 21CN, the three large portals, which have successively launched video websites, there are actually some informal video websites.

This kind of small video site, also known as a "DV video site", is similar to a community forum.

The first DV video website is called Sanbeishui, the full name is Sanbeishui DV Culture Network, which was created by a few college students in Fengtian and gathered a large group of DV enthusiasts. Everyone makes their own videos with DV, and then uses VideoStudio to make videos, and then transmits them to the website to share with friends.

These folk DV lovers all have a heart to be a big director. In 04, there was an old brother who spent tens of thousands of dollars on his father to make a DV movie and upload it to three glasses of water, not for money or fame, just for netizens to be able to praise a few times from the bottom of their hearts.

On the day of the launch of Sohu Broadband, Sohu announced a video solicitation activity: We are all big directors!

There is no limit to the length and type, as long as the film you shoot does not violate national laws and public morality, you can upload it to Sohu Broadband to participate in the competition. The event lasts for three months, and the first prize, second prize, third prize and excellence award will be voted by netizens, with a maximum bonus of 100,000 yuan and a minimum of 1,000 yuan. Mr. Zhang Chaoyang, CEO of Sohu, will personally present certificates and bonuses to the winners.

This activity launched by Sohu is still very eye-catching, especially in the DV video network of three glasses of water, DV lovers simply poured out, and they all picked up their DV and ran to shoot films. Including the webmasters of these websites, they all plan to sign up for the competition, resulting in no one to maintain and manage the website. By the time Sohu's activities are over, it's almost time for these sites to shut down — users have gone to Sohu anyway, and even the webmasters have become well-known video writers on Sohu Broadband.

As a result, Sohu Video received the first advertising list - DJI aerial photography drone.

At Tomson Golf Course, Song Weiyang held the remote control in his hand, looked up at the drone in the sky, and asked speechlessly: "Why is there no image transmission system?"

"Do you think that with this remote control in your hand, you can receive images from high altitude?" Guo Bing asked rhetorically.

Song Weiyang said: "The image can't be transmitted to the ground in real time, so how can you confirm that the drone is shooting the picture that the user wants?"

Guo Bing said: "Based on my personal feelings, if you don't work once, you can shoot it a second time." ”

"That's a fart!" Song Weiyang said.

Guo Bing said: "It's useful, it's more convenient and cost-effective than renting a helicopter for aerial photography." ”

Song Weiyang suddenly smiled bitterly and said: "I gave you 5 million before and after, and you will give me this kind of product?"

"It's amazing," Guo Bing said, "I did a little half a year of experiments, and then I successfully connected the balance ring to the motor, which not only reduced the weight, but also saved the cost." This is a very big initiative in the field of civil aerial photography drones, and I have sold two so far!"

"You're such a genius. Song Weiyang couldn't laugh or cry, invested 5 million, took nearly two years, the product was put on the market for three months, and the sales volume was only more than 70,000 yuan (each drone cost 36,000 yuan).

Guo Bing said: "Although this is not the most advanced in the world, it is definitely the most practical consumer aerial photography drone in the world." Moreover, the flight control system I made is also very stable, and I also brought the alumni of the computer department of Harbin Institute of Technology into the company, and others gave up the work of the institute because of this. ”

"You say yes, that's it, keep up the good work!" Song Weiyang said, patting him on the shoulder.

Guo Bing spread his hands and said, "There is no money." ”

"No money again?" Song Weiyang asked rhetorically.

"Originally, I still had some money, but I spent 100,000 yuan on advertising in Sohu, and the rest of the money was only enough to pay my salary next month. Guo Bing said with a dead face.

Song Weiyang said: "You are here to collect debts, and you will be given another 3 million head office." ”

In today's consumer drone aerial photography field, drones and cameras are separated, requiring users to buy separately and then assemble them themselves. Even the balance ring, which is used to stabilize the picture, needs to be purchased from a third-party company and then installed it DIY - GoPro, which specializes in action cameras, just launched its first film camera this year, and it will be two years before the action digital camera is available.

To put it bluntly, those who have played drone aerial photography these years are all a gang of thieves and rich technology nerds.

DJI drones (including digital cameras) priced at 36,000 yuan are already sold very cheaply, and other drones (excluding shooting equipment) are often sold for tens of thousands, and slightly better ones will be sold for more than 100,000 yuan. Because the mainstream is now monoplane UAVs, which are very expensive to manufacture.

The reason why monoplane drones, which are expensive and difficult to operate, will become mainstream is because this kind of drone is more powerful and can carry heavier things into the sky. However, the current high-end camera equipment is very heavy, and most of the cameras that can be used for high-altitude shooting, multi-rotor drones cannot be carried, and even if they are brought to the sky, they are easy to lose control.

The quadcopter DJI drone led by Guo Bing uses the lightest digital camera at the moment, at the cost of a slightly blurry picture.

Don't say it, in order to participate in the Sohu video event, Kaizi spent 36,000 yuan to buy this thing after watching the advertisement of the DJI drone. Then these Kaizi complained about the poor shooting quality, while boasting about how convenient and practical the DJI drone is, painful and happy.

Practical yarn, the picture can't be transmitted, aerial photography all depends on experience and feeling, often have to be repeated more than ten times to be satisfied.

After more than a year, DJI drones have sold more than 30 units, with sales of only 1 million yuan, but Song Weiyang's investment in this is as high as 8 million yuan. Many DJI employees ran away because they felt that there was no future for them to stay, and only a few classmates were left to continue playing with Guo Bing.

Before the development of image transmission technology, consumer aerial photography drones can only be regarded as toys, and they cannot expand the market scale at all, and they will have to continue to lose money for many years.