Once upon a time, as co-host of a weekly television segment about online trends, I compared Netflix to Movielink back when they were both new.

Netflix mailed movies. Movielink played them right on your computer. Idealists were hot for Movielink because sending anything in the mail seemed old-fashioned. Turns out, Netflix's good-enough solution trumped Movielink, which was ahead of its time.

You'll know the day has come for online video when Netflix adopts a Movielink-esque model. Well, only recently Netflix created the option to "watch now."

If your newspaper.com lacks a strategy for developing video coverage, then a big opportunity is about to pass by. A recent study showed that newspapers are successfully using online video as a chance to steal advertisers from television competitors.

Most local TV sites are underdeveloped because when the Web was born, it was slow, and TV news had nothing to post except video.

Newspapers boast a huge headstart in the race to snatch market share online. With video's arrival, it won't be long before local TV stations stake a greater Web presence.

Advertisers follow audiences. Get their advertisers while the getting is good.