Now that the iPad has hit the streets, the humble eBook reader has moved from being a simple device capable of displaying easy-to-read electronic text to a multimedia device capable of displaying full Web video and sound. What does this mean for eBooks? What does this mean for Web video?

The iPad won’t likely affect online video other than providing a portable platform for accessing it. However, it could affect how eBooks are produced. Currently, eBooks consist of text and black and white graphics. With its color screen and video capabilities, it makes sense that eBooks of the futures would incorporate videos. Currently, if an eBook producer wants to share additional content such as online videos, a link to an external Web site is provided. In the future, an eBook could have embedded videos, eliminating the need for the reader to venture away from the eBook itself.

Imagine reading an eBook about any topic and then being able to watch a professionally produced video in context. The possibilities are endless – and they’re in sight! While the iPad is grabbing the headlines, other eBook readers are quietly making headway. For example, Qualcomm’s Mirasol displays, which are expected to debut this year, are full color, low-battery consumption displays that make it possible to view full color images – and video – in sunlight. In Japan, full color eReaders by Fujitsu are already in use. In addition, new two-display eReaders capable of displaying standard e-ink on one display and color Website videos on the other are becoming more common here in the U.S.

With eBook technology moving from black-and-white technologies to offering full color displays, it’s inevitable that video will play a more prominent role in eBooks. Just as the CD-ROM of yesteryear introduced multimedia to software programming, eReaders with their new multimedia capabilities will likely transform how eBooks are produced.

Whether you’re a video producer, eBook producer, or a consumer of eBooks, the prospects are exciting! The written page will no longer rely strictly on words to communicate. Imagine reading a biography of an American president and being able to watch actual video clips of his inauguration or famous speeches. Imagine reading an instructional eBook and seeing step-by-step video demonstrations. Imagine reading a novel by your favorite author and being able to watch video interviews or book discussions led by the author. Just as DVDs often have “bonus features” such as commentary by the director and actors, so too could an eBook now that the video display technology is coming of age.

As you imagine the possibilities from a reader’s point of view, switch gears for a moment and consider the possibilities from a marketing point of view: Your online videos may reach a larger audience if eBooks are successfully able to merge the written word with video components! In addition to producing Internet videos, consider creating eBooks, special reports, and white papers with video content and issuing them in formats for video-capable eReaders.

Are you excited about the future of eReaders and video’s potential role? How will you be using Web video in conjunction with the iPad and Mirasol technologies? Share your ideas with us.