VidTeq – Video Maps for Bangalore [Fancy or Need?]

February 19, 2009

By sinha

Vidteq is a Bangalore based startup that has launched video maps based driving direction for Bangalore.

For instance, you can get the driving directions from forum mall to indira nagar – in text format as well as via video.

There are subtle features implemented in the product – for instance, you can click on the specific direction route and get the video for that (i.e. need not wait for the entire route video).

The monetization is thru’ ads that are contextual to driving direction.

Overall, VidTeq seems interesting – but here are some bigger questions for them.

Data collection is of course manual – they have a video capture team whose job is to go and capture videos of all the roads (Main and Internal) in Bangalore city.

We have a camera mounted vehicle which gets used for this purpose. What they get is the raw video. The raw video then goes through stabilization process before it gets delivered to the Media team for editing. Once edited, these videos get geo-tagged and stored. We have built a whole set of proprietary tools to handle the complete process of geo-tagging the Video clips. This is true with Images as well.

Video Maps: Fancy or Need

While the experience of Vidteq is good, the bigger question is whether their video maps is solving a bigger need or it’s just a fancy thing to do?

The challenge with Indian roads is the lack of structured data and hence not a single entity in this space has got the lat/long/data right. Routeguru has implemented landmark based driving direction for NCR – but these are highly operational intensive operations – and that’s why scaling up is a challenge.

The point that I am trying to make is whether it makes sense to invest in building video maps – instead why not geo tag the metro cities (navigational as well as PoI data)? Why not focus on getting the landmark-based-driving-direction first?

Do video maps really solve a bigger pain? I would like to believe that, but my inclination is towards well implemented text-based driving directions.

What’s your opinion?

Also check out: latlong

Tags: Bangalore, gps, vidteq

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Mukesh on February 19, 2009 at 1:46 pm

They have good detailed data for prominent places..but not otherwise..i kinda agree with you on focusing on 1 thing at a time.

Video maps are a ‘good-to-have’ feature, but not something so important..

Data is the key.

ravi on February 19, 2009 at 2:42 pm

Hi, I am from Vidteq. Mr. Sinha thank you for covering us on Pluggd.in
I would like to clarify couple of things, if I may.

“video maps is solving a bigger need or it’s just a fancy thing to do?”
I say they are both Need for visual directions is there in India for the lack of street name boards.

“hence not a single entity in this space has got the lat/long/data right”
Points of Interest (flashing blue and pink balls) are indeed collected with field survey, so they are lat,lon accurate.

“well implemented text-based driving directions”
If you look at text directions, each line has list of landmarks (if we collected the data) on that particlar road. So, they are landmark based text directions. Soon, we will be introducing DoI images (decision point of interests) showing the images of intersections you would be traversing through as part of the given route. These images will also be sent via Email, if you click on Email tab.

I agree with the fact that data collection is labour intesive task. But someone has to do it Another way is User Generated Content (UGC), we will enable that soon, once filtering mechanisim is in place.

So far user response is positive.

Ravi

Priyadarsan Venugopalan on February 19, 2009 at 9:37 pm

This is innovative. I love to have video directions when i am new to a place ( only then i need directions )

Hats off vidteq..

Piyush on February 19, 2009 at 3:03 pm

Dear Ravi,

Firstly, accept my congratulations for the product conceptualization and delivering it so neatly. I personally found it great and the plans that you have mentioned looks even greater.

The need for directions exists in a very different way in India. Mostly we do not plan but need directions when we’re lost. More than the features it needs disruption in the way directions can be delivered at the right time. First-Mile and Last-Mile problems are still intact with so many innovations in the space.

While this service is nice to have, but the business case has much bigger questions waiting for you than for other companies in the space.

ravi on February 19, 2009 at 3:19 pm

Piyush,

Thank you. About your last point, lets see what the market feels about it.

Ravi

Shashank on February 19, 2009 at 3:04 pm

I think video maps is the need of the hour for Indian roads. Text direction certainly helps when u r bit familiar with the roads & area. But, what if a user is new to the city?
Well..it also depends on personal interests…. i like to watch movie rather reading novels…:)

Miheer on February 19, 2009 at 5:01 pm

It is very good service(videos), text directions are good when u know something but if u don’t know anything then video is a better option.

one remembers video properly instead of text

Ram on February 20, 2009 at 12:41 am

How about night time ?

picsFoo on February 21, 2009 at 11:54 pm

I have tried this . This is absolutely a need . A very innovative product.

- picsfoo.blogspot.com

Gaurav on February 24, 2009 at 4:13 pm

It is an Impressive product. Congratulations to the founding team !!
Landmarks and Graphic (Video/Images) are 2 ways around the unmarked street/crossing problem

Landmarks are half-useful if i dont know the place at all, bcoz i may not be able to see the identify the landmarks with name/hidden signboard/just dont want to divert attn from driving.

Video comes at a cost; To watch a route of 5 km, i have to watch a video of 8 min, which is a waste of time. Basically, i have to spend the same time wathching the route as i would spend travelling.

I would rather have a map with a 360 degree view of each decision point on the way. This way, i get the best of both worlds.

However, I think, the video maps would be useful in use cases, where the user is actually watching the video streaming while he is travelling. Wait for 3G services, and this might be a reality soon.

Nagendra on March 17, 2009 at 10:57 pm

I think we need something different than video. Maybe we need new media all together. Convertin map to video map may have application or may not have. It is just incremental. But going back to fundamentals and solving for media type to enable navigation in india would definetely solve the problem. Good iniative Best of luck!

Sumedh on April 16, 2009 at 2:19 pm

This is AWESOME !!!

I think this definitely needed much more in India rather than developed world, because “the landmarks” aren’t standard, and mean very little when there are extreme inconsistencies in the signs of the road…plus language problems…

I think this is a great product idea, if implemented well…