Amazon is deploying drones, Facebook is going video, and Google is surely working on a T-1000 prototype as we speak. 2013 has been a year where technology literally dominated our news feeds. We read about the new iPhone on our old iPhones and watched YouTube videos from every screen in the house. Digital video alone had a number of tech breakthroughs from YouTube’s “troll-free” comments to Vine continuing its quest to destroy our attention spans 6 seconds at a time.

But for all the great digital video innovations, five specific technologies stuck out this year. These are the tools and tech that redefined how we consume and create digital video on every platform.

5. TouchCast

TouchCast is all about interactive digital video. Using its proprietary technology, TouchCast allows creators to insert vApps (video apps) into videos, which open up interactive elements like scrollable web pages, social media accounts, polls, and over-the-shoulder video clips. With this, creators can direct viewers to multiple other resources while keeping them tuned-in to the original video. Interactive video may be the next step for modern digital video; if it is, TouchCast looks to be leading the charge.

4. Offline Viewing for YouTube and Vimeo

While the technology may be simple (users download clips, then watch them in offline mode), non-connected viewing represents a massive step towards the 24/7 presence of digital video. No longer is web video limited to a web connection, which clearly bodes well for online video’s ability to reach a broad range of users anytime, anywhere.

3. Wochit

In the Wochit mission statement, the news platforms writes: “We know that digital content will soon outperform traditional news production. News will not be created by a few, select taste-makers, but instead, by endless sources with multiple points of view.” Looking to curate those points of view, Wochit produces thousands of news clips daily with topics ranging from religion to local and international politics. Wochit is a news provider for the digital age, a 24-hour, streaming source in journalism.

2. Twitter “See It” Button

Late this year, Comcast, NBCUniversal, and Twitter announced a partnership that would allow users to watch live streaming from set-tops, tablets, or mobile devices simply by clicking on the “See It” button embedded into select tweets. Mobile is the new standard for digital video and Twitter is helping push that agenda along. While the service is currently only open to Xfinity customers, Twitter has expressed interest in expanding the service to additional video content providers.

1. Chromecast

At around $35, Chromecast is hands down the best web-to-TV option out there. Plugging in via a HDMI port, Chromecast lets users send web content straight to a TV. This means Chromecast owners can watch YouTube content with the click of a button, which given Google’s big push towards owning the living room, is a huge step in the right direction.

Article courtesy of www.thevideoink.com.