Video is taking over the web. It’s invading news sites, and blogs. It is replacing podcasts, photo galleries, and even starting to replace television. Just a few years ago, you had to be a successful company willing to make a good investment to take advantage of video on the Web; and even then, your users were limited to those with broadband access. Today, users who don’t have high-speed internet of some sort are few and far between and video … well, now the video on the Web doesn’t come from “them,” it comes from you.
Why You Matter to Video on the Web
Youtube and Google Video are the wikipedia of cinematic media. By that, I mean it’s filling the web with captivating content from all ideologies (from conservative to liberal), cultures (all across the globe), and purposes (to inform, entertain, or just to rickroll you.) … and it’s being done by people like you. Anyone can upload a video about whatever they want. It is irrelevant whether this is a great or a reckless idea. What matters is that now you, no matter who you are, can harness the power of video on the Web. And that’s a great thing.
What is to Come for Video on the Web
The future for video on the Web is a thrilling one, full of open-ended possibilities. For starters, plug-ins have been the Achilles heel for videos attracting mass users for years. Well, not anymore. Even as I speak, more and more video is popping up using CSS and javascript as its backbone, and relinquishing any need for a plug-in.
Not that plug-ins are going to go away. Adobe’s CS4 offers unparalleled flexibility for developers to create a rich experience for watching videos in flash. In the meantime, Microsoft proved early nay-sayers wrong with Silverlight, which is showing that it has, hands-down, the best-timed turnaround of any plug-in for video watching. It even became the engine under NBC’s hood for video streaming in the 2008 Olympics.
Throughout the last week, Worthwhile dedicated its blog to educating (and opinion-ating) its wonderful readers (like yourself) on videos on the Web: the good, the bad, and the beautiful. Here’s a recap of what was discussed:
When is Video Appropriate on the Web? Brandon Godwin talks up when is a good time to put video on the web and what ways you should present it. (Yes! You can present video on the Web in a variety of ways.) If you weren’t aware of that, you should read his post covering the conservative and radical views of when to use video.
Three Sites I Like That Use Video Louisa Stephan gives her people’s choice website’s with great videos when you want to know how to or a better way to. She lists Runner’s World, The Food Network and HGTV as her top choices because of their great use of video as a coach. Louisa still finds video usability a work in progress, though. So check out the pros and cons for these and other sites that use video.
Video on the Web: A Technical Perspective Mike McCurdy nerds it up with some techno specs for “do it yourself” video on the web. He defines what makes a video in depth…talking about FPS and data rate. Mike is all for using good video as a means to engage the intended audience.
Developing a Strategy for Video on your Website Chris Rackley hams it up with some strategic ideas to help you see if video is what is missing on your website. He delves into the investment angle, talks about whether video is valuable — and expands on purpose, hosting and players.
So, there’s our team look at video on the Web. We’re excited at how it’s evolving in so many directions — they’re all delightful, and full of potential for you and your customers.
