Americans (United States residents) watched over 500 million hours of online video in the last quarter of 2010. That is more viewing hours than all the major networks combined.

What prompted the increase in online video viewing? Convenience, cost, variety of new releases, variety of available titles, the quality of new laptops and personal computer screens, and the programmability of new televisions all had an impact on the growth of the online video business. The slowly recovering economy was a factor as well. The smart phone revolution was also a major factor.

Convenience is a major factor. A person can watch a video online anywhere and anytime the choose. Most online video stores offer a stop and start where you have a function that allows you to see the complete video even if you have to stop in the middle of it.

Cost is also a large consideration. An online video is dirt cheap compared to going to the theater, renting a video at a store, or even having a video mailed to you. A movie date is now an on line video and a pizza for many young people. The economic downturn was an economic bonanza for online video.

Availability of new releases is also a prominent factor in the growth of online video sales. Newer films are coming on line faster than ever before as the major players in movie production either buy a piece of an existing company or create their own online video store.

The quality of the video experience provided by new video graphic cards and interfaces as well as numerous upgrades in monitors have made online video just as real and enjoyable as a movie in a theater. 3-D videos from an online store work just like 3-D videos in the theater or on a television.

Many newer televisions are equipped with a computer interface so downloading and watching an online video is very easy. You can even pick what you want to see, pick the time you ant to see it, and let the computer and televisions do the rest.

Smart phones and iPads all allow their owner the convenience of buying and watching an online video almost anywhere and anytime. The video quality of these small devices is superb. The sound quality is also tremendous. Because the phone is the most important possession of any under thirty year old, the online video is a sure hit. You can watch a video while you work, study, talk to friends, or browse the net.

Probably the most important factor in the growth of the online video business has been the growth in online video advertising. The total number of online video advertisements viewed grew by 4.2 percent from July of 2010 to December of 2010. Online video advertising has become almost two percent of the advertising content on the internet.

Certainly, one of the big drivers in online video sales and advertising is social networking sites. People gather in groups to discuss and cuss at the latest online video. There are groups within every major social networking site that are either directly involved with the discussion of videos as their sole topic and an ever growing number of actor and actress fan sites that discuss the stars latest offering ad infinitum.

So it really is not a great surprise that the online video business had outstanding growth in 2010. A marketing blitz on every internet site, on all the social networking sites, and on regular television caused the growth in the online video market share. New technological developments in phones, computers, and televisions made the online video as good as a movie in a theater. The convenience of movies anywhere and anytime as well as a low cost made online videos a hit in 2010.