Web Shows Get Ambitious.(Reflejos)

Technology and media companies are racing to create Internet-video hits closer to the scale of traditional TV, as consumers start to watch more video on Internet-connected televisions and tablet computers.

But companies like Yahoo Inc., AOL Inc. and Hulu LLC are also ramping up their efforts to secure original Web productions, investing more dollars in Web shows.

New on Hulu's slate: "The Confession," an action thriller in five- to seven-minute episodes that stars former "24" star Kiefer Sutherland.

"It has the potential to prove that an A-level show can originate online," said Chris Young, chief executive of Digital Broadcasting Group, which produced the show with Mr. Sutherland and licensed it to Hulu.

Several companies, including Sony Corp--which operates the Internet-video site Crackle--and NBC, have regularly developed original Web programs. But the industry's track record overall has been spotty.

Most online shows have been short. Now the market is heating up again, as tablet computers and Web-enabled TVs makes watching Web video as easy as plopping down on the couch for a prime-time show.

The average Web-video watcher spent four hours and 39 minutes watching Internet video in January, up 45% from a year earlier, according to measurement firm Nielsen Co.

Yahoo said it is looking to increase its output of original programs, which already include TV recaps and news-style shows, and is considering moving into scripted programs, too.

Productions also are pushing beyond the three to 10 minutes typical for a "webisode." Max Benator, vice president of digital media at Hudsun Media, says his company is developing some Web shows with half-hour and hour-long episodes.

-- By S. S.