I think the video is a good idea; unfortunately my cards are packed away and I won't be able to work on this for a few months.
9+ hours of reading rulebooks is definitely the wrong way to do it. Ket's suggestion of getting on gemp is probably the easiest way, but as an alternative, I'd suggest you buy two starter decks from the same block and use the starter guide that comes with the decks to play a couple of games. (Examples of the starter guides are posted here:
http://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php/topic,345.msg76137.html#msg76137). Don't be discouraged by the length of the guide; the pages are tiny in real life, to the point that I bet you could fit all the text on a single piece of letter paper.
If you're trying to read/understand all the comprehensive rulings, please stop. Most of those will only apply in very specific situations, and you don't need them to enjoy the game.
In general, the earlier blocks will be easier to learn because fewer game mechanics had been introduced. Later sets added site control, Unhasty Ents, initiative, threats, and the variable site path, etc. This doesn't mean you can't start in block 4 or 5, but I'd suggest block 2 or so.