Apple surprised a few people in June when they rolled podcasting support into iTunes 4.9, giving users the ability to download recorded audio programs automatically through the iTunes Music Store. What is less known is that the company took another step and added support for video podcasts (or vodcasts, and some people call them). That's right. No longer do you only get to hear news and opinions read by people in their underwear, now you can watch them, too!

The quiet, fanfare-less launch of video podcasting (in fact, it's not even clear when it was launched) is a bit surprising for the company, but there may be a reason: there's not too many video podcasts out there in the wild. Furthermore, video podcasts are currently only playable on your computer, although it seems clear enough that a video iPod is on the way. If you didn't believe it before, you should definitely believe it now.

For now, it looks like video podcasting content available through the iTunes Music Store is limited. For instance, Crookz, a video podcast (iTMS link) spoof of Cops, appears to be one of the few video offerings out there that's actually working. However, you can bet that webcams and DV cameras around the world will be dusted off in the wake of this news. Everyone wants to be a radio-star killing video producer, don't they?

When podcasts first hit the scene, I was underwhelmed to say the least. I can read much faster than someone can read to me, and if I'm somewhere like the gym where reading isn't really possible, then I'd much rather listen to music. Still, podcasts have become all the rage, and plenty of sites are now offering podcasts. If enough people wanted them, we might do a weekly podcast for our readers, as well. Let us know.

The thing that occurred to me when podcasting caught on, however, was how we're basically headed towards the democratization of video content. A brief outline of the revolution (if we can call it that) is as follows: from text, to audio, to video. Blogging caught on once it became dead easy for non-techie types to publish online. Podcasting has followed in its wake: why read or write when you can listen or speak? (Or so the thinking goes.) And now, coming full circle in many ways, the video podcast is poised to take on other forms of video entertainment head-on. What's needed is that proverbial "killer app" that could make video production as easy and recording a podcast. And just who do you think is going to pull that off?

Would you be surprised to learn that Apple has applied for trademarks relating to the word iPodcast? According to AppleInsider:

The first filing seeks a trademark on the term iPodcast, which covers hardware-related goods, namely "computers, computer peripherals, hand held computers, computer terminals, personal digital assistants, electronic organizers, electronic notepads, apparatus for recording, transmission and reproduction of sounds, images, or other data; magnetic data carriers." A second filing requests that the iPodcast trademark cover services, including "telecommunications services; communication by computer, computer intercommunication; telex, telegram and telephone services; rental, hire and leasing of communications apparatus and of electronic mailboxes; electronic bulletin board services," etc.

If I look into my crystal ball, I see a video iPod launch accompanied by an iPodcaster application aimed precisely at producing and optimizing video podcasts. I'd suggest that it would be an addition to the iLife suit, but to be honest, I think success will hinge on Windows support.

Update: after digging a bit deeper, it looks like video Podcasting support has in fact been around for an indeterminate amount of time. The strange thing about it is, where's the love from Steve Jobs? Jobs will tout the saltiness of a peanut if he needs to, but Apple has been quiet enough on this front that most of us were caught off guard by the happenstance discovery. In fact, the reader who pointed this out to me said that the Wall Street Journal is also reporting on this topic today.