At DEMOfall08, ffwd (pronounced “fast forward”) released the beta of ffwd.com, the web implementation of its revolutionary web-meets-TV service. ffwd’s vision encompasses a radically simple way to navigate the video web, an expansive digital television experience, and a media service that reflects your lifestream.

ffwd aims to connect viewers to online video through personalized adaptive channels of videos from all over the web – replacing 500 channels and nothing on with custom channels for every viewer. Each channel combines the editorial wisdom of the entire Internet audience, the viewer’s social graph, and behavioral targeting, to sort through the limitless web video catalog with the click of a button.

“The ffwd solution fits squarely in two major themes of this year’s conference – ‘Television Meets the Web; Web Meets the Television’ and ‘Getting Embedded with Social Networks’ – and in doing so points to the innovative thinking of the ffwd team.” said Chris Shipley, executive director of the DEMO conference.

“By building an index of videos based on channels rather than individual videos, and constantly updating it with new discoveries made by the entire web video audience, ffwd will be the only channel you’ll ever need.” said Patrick Koppula, CEO of ffwd.

ffwd builds standard channels based on topics or themes, favorite programs or a personality type. Early adopters will have over 500 standard channels available for creating their custom channel lineup – the raw material for creating a personalized adaptive channel. Then what a viewer skips and what a viewer watches will influence what they watch next and the overall makeup of their channel.

Similarly, your social network profile or lifestream service can automatically program your ffwd channel, leveraging the information already provided by your online persona. Future viewers can save time and take advantage of the wisdom of crowds by simply subscribing to channels of viewers they’ve found to be similar to them.

As ffwd continues to implement its vision, you can expect a social experiment where viewers create community around a shared interest and interactively decide what video content to watch in real time.