CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF EQUITY (Unaudited) (USD $)	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Accumulated Deficit [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	YOU On Demand Shareholders' (Deficit)/Equity [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Total
Balance at Dec. 31, 2011	$ 10,467	$ 54,505,825	$ (43,704,225)	$ 468,471	$ 11,280,538	$ 3,614,501	$ 14,895,039
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2011	10,467,400						10,467,400
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Warrants issued for service	0	36,023	0	0	36,023	0	36,023
Common shares issued for service	44	178,388	0	0	178,432	0	178,432
Common shares issued for service (in shares)	43,971
Stock option compensation expense	0	602,466	0	0	602,466	0	602,466
Stock purchase right	0	43,748	0	0	43,748	0	43,748
Conversion of Series B preferred shares into common	320	726,463	0	0	726,783	0	726,783
Conversion of Series B preferred shares into common (in shares)	320,000
Common shares and options issued for Sinotop acquisition earnout	245	1,308,145	0	0	1,308,390	0	1,308,390
Common shares and options issued for Sinotop acquisition earnout (in shares)	245,274
Common shares and warrants issued for cash in connection with August 2012 private placement	646	2,287,894	0	0	2,288,540	0	2,288,540
Common shares and warrants issued for cash in connection with August 2012 private placement (in shares)	646,250
Issuance costs in connection with August 2012 private placement (in shares)	80,813
Issuance costs in connection with August 2012 private placement	81	(633,746)	0	0	(633,665)	0	(633,665)
Deconsolidation of Shandong Media	0	0	0	0	0	(497,383)	(497,383)
Reduction of registered capital for Zhong Hai Video	0	0	0	0	0	(1,094,778)	(1,094,778)
Exercise of options	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Exercise of options (in shares)	324
Share adjustment for round lot holders in connection with 75-for-1 reverse split	1	(1)	0	0	0	0	0
Share adjustment for round lot holders in connection with 75-for-1 reverse split (in shares)	716
Net loss	0	0	(11,989,844)	0	(11,989,844)	(1,482,536)	(13,472,380)
Foreign currency translation adjustments	0	0	0	(57,067)	(57,067)	(52,256)	(109,323)
Unrealized losses on marketable securities	0	0	0	1,201	1,201	0	1,201
Balance at Sep. 30, 2012	$ 11,804	$ 59,055,205	$ (55,684,069)	$ 412,605	$ 3,785,545	$ 487,548	$ 4,273,093
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2012	11,804,748						11,804,748