I wonder what the prices for TV and Internet TV spots are.

Ads in Internet videos work — at least on Hulu.  As a viewer, I’m forced to watch them because:

1. they’re too short (15-30 seconds) to walk away from, and
2. I can’t skip them like I do on my DVR.

I almost never see any commercials on TV.  With a 100% watch-rate for Internet TV spots versus my 0% watch-rate for TV spots, I’m a bit surprised that Hulu isn’t making enough money just on advertising. They’re planning to charge for some access starting next year.  Maybe they’re not charging enough for ads, or maybe the prices for TV ad spots are still inflated.

In addition to the 100% watch-rate, ads on Hulu have much better engagement data.  Marketers can track responses (clicks on the ad) and have demographics data for those clicks (if the user signs in to Hulu).

When do you think marketers will pay more for Hulu ads than TV ads?

Jennifer — my previous pick to win this season of Top Chef — was booted last night.  Boo.

I don’t necessarily disagree with the choice.  It was probably tough on the judges to pick someone to go home out of the final four.  They all seemed to be strong contenders, with no obvious weak link (unlike previous seasons).

But now it’s time for new predictions.  Here’s my take on the three finalists.

Kevin – Simple, but tasty, food.  Seems to always be solid on taste. I would probably eat at his restaurant regularly if it was in LA. Maybe not enough creativity to win against the brothers.

Michael — Probably the most talented of the season. His food is always interesting and highly inventive.  Eating at his restaurant would probably be an adventure (in a good way). High risk, high reward kinda guy. There’s a decent chance one of his creations won’t jive with the judges.

Bryan — Consistently solid.  Has some of the creativity of his brother, though not as flashy. Smart and thoughtful, in that he cares about taste and seems to have an understanding of what each challenge is all about. I imagine his restaurant as a great fine dining experience. Just enough creativity to be interesting, but grounded enough to have great tasting and highly satisfying food.

If I was a betting man (and I am), my new prediction is that Bryan will take it this season.  He seems to have the talent to wow the judges, and still present a really tasty meal. Plus he’s experienced and smart enough to not make a major mistake.  I can’t wait for the finale.

I’m a fan of the Bravo show Top Chef.

Just discovered that head judge Tom Colicchio has a blog about the show and posts after each episode. To my surprise and delight, his posts are authentic and insightful, giving us fans something to tie us over until the next episode. Great job Bravo for the show blogs! And great blogging Tom!

Now for some predictions.

My sister has posited in past seasons that you can guess who the eventual winner is based on how often the producers interview the cheftestants (love that word). I’m talking about those short reality TV interviews within the episodes. As for my sister’s theory — maybe. I wonder if anyone has counted up the mini cheftestant interviews to see if the theory is correct. In any case, that theory is in the back of my mind every time the cheftestants do their reality show interview.

My guess is the final 3 will come down to Bryan, Mike V., and Jen. Kevin and Mike I. are strong candidates too, but don’t see them as strong as the three I’ve picked.

In the beginning, I thought Mike V. was the strongest, then I switched my bet to Bryan. But now, I think Jen is going to be the eventual winner. She seems to be the most consistently exceptional. Plus, she’s got a lot of interview time. ;)

PS: If you haven’t been watching, you can catch a few episodes of Top Chef on Hulu. Unfortunately, Bravo only allows a couple episodes on at a time, and not every episode gets on Hulu. Boo. +1 to Bravo (really, NBC) for the blogs, -1 for the Hulu decision.