As everyone keeps a close eye on the G-8 summit this week, in the background, AOLMusic.com and Live 8 continue to headline news and blogs ("More Live 8 on Web than TV", "Better Live than on TV", "ABC's modest Live 8 special rocked by AOL") around the world as people chatter about the startling online experience.
More than 5 million people logged onto the Web to watch the concerts, with 175,000 simultaneous streams at any one time, making it "by far the biggest Internet event in history," said AOL vice president Ruth Sarfaty.
If AOL's broadcasting of Live 8 was not enough reassurance that streaming TV over the Internet is ready, we not sure what else could be.
As Beth Gillin wrote in the Orlando Sentinel, "The Internet left cable in the dust. To put it bluntly, MTV sank, and AOL soared."
If you haven't already, head on over to
aolmusic.com to listen and watch video on demand of the artists who played at Live 8. After that, click on over to the
forums. We want to hear your thoughts.
Many skipped TV to watch Webcast of Live 8 concertsJuly 4, 2005
"If Live Aid helped launch MTV as a media powerhouse two decades ago, Live 8 not only dethroned the music channel Saturday, but it also made it seem quaintly old-fashioned."
Live 8: Why AOL made Internet historyJune 3, 2005
"The peak of my frustrating TV experience was during Pink Floyd's performance. It was during "Comfortably Numb," I believe, that an MTV VJ cut in and starting rambling about how amazing it was that Pink Floyd was there playing. Yes, I thought. And It's only slightly less amazing that you're cutting away from this amazing performance to yap about it, and then show a Taco Bell commercial."
"At that moment I felt like a lost soul swimming in a fish bowl. I wished I were home, watching the Floyd on AOL instead."
Live 8: AOL is rocking the Web, and making Internet historyJune 2, 2005
"As Senior Web Editor here at the Merc, and creator of this blog, I've got to say that this is the most amazing use of streaming media I've ever seen. On one screen, for free, I've got the opportunity to see what's happening in Paris, London, Berlin, Toronto, Philadelphia and Rome, right now. I feel connected, like a citizen of this planet, as never before."