Today’s post was written by contributing writer, Marie Williams.
Let’s face it: When it comes to online video, YouTube may be your main squeeze, but that shouldn’t keep your eyes from wandering. Ever wonder what hot, new online video service is waiting in the wings to sweep you off your feet?
Today, socialTNT gives you the rundown of most eligible suitors. Let’s make YouTube a little jealous this Valentine’s Day by checking out your options:
Viddler: The girl (or boy) next door
Viddler has a great selection of organic video content created by people like you and me. The coolest part: You can comment at various time stamps in the video. Viddler even has the heart of online lifecasting and social media queen iJustine (she’s even featured in the “How To” video on the site). C’mon, if iJustine thinks Viddler’s hot, isn’t it worth a try for you? Check out iJustine’s original music video, “Lifecaster.”
[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.477807&w=425&h=350&fv=]
Revver: Good for a short-term commitment
The content on Revver is well-produced and slickly packaged. The site is also endorsed by iJustine. The plus for Revver is its revenue sharing programming, splitting the revenue 50/50 between Revver and publishers. I have to admit: The ads running across your screen are a bit annoying, but it’s still a great place for short n’ sweet clips like this one by Mike Burk of Cupid dancing on a stripper’s pole. Dance, Cupid, dance!
[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.477808&w=425&h=350&fv=allowFullScreen%3Dtrue]
Blip: Content Casanova
Blip, currently in beta, will charm you with its sleek design and professional-grade content. Billed as a TV alternative, it has a lot of cool, well-produced serial shows by publishers like Alive in Baghdad and Wallstrip. Like Revver, there is a 50/50 revenue sharing. Yes, there are embedded ad captions, but, due to Blip’s spacious screen, the ads appear less intrusive than on Revver.
With so much amazing content, you’re guaranteed to find something you like, and may even want a second date (or a third, or a fourth, if you get hooked on one of their original shows). Here’s a video by WatchMojo for you singles (and possible V-day haters):
[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.477848&w=425&h=350&fv=]
Metacafe: You hafta get to know ‘em first
With reposted television advertisements and promo vids taking up prime real estate on the splash page, Metacafe initially seems devoid of original content. After we scratched the surface, however, we came across a huge cache of technical videos–perfect for Geek Love!
Metacafe’s publisher rewards program and well-organized interface make it great for distributing content. The below video, from KentChemistry.com, helped them earn a whopping $9,299! But ads BEFORE the videos are SUPER annoying. Who wants to watch a full-on spot for Jack in the Box before you get to the goods? Total deal-breaker. Our reviewers are not giving it a second date.
[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.477849&w=425&h=350&fv=]
Now that you have some newbies vying for your heart, tell us: Is YouTube still the top dog, or are you finding yourself attracted elsewhere? Who’s your online video sweetie and what’s your fave place to create and view content? Tell us in the comments!
Don’t miss a post: Add us to your RSS reader [what’s that?], or Sign up for our Email.
[The above photo, “._* { Sometimes I wish my life was a movie, I can puase, rewind and forward when ever I want or need to !! } *_.” by Adoodi , ™ in Manchester <3 , on flickr, used under Creative Commons license.]
Related posts:
- “3sday’s 3Q’s in 3 Min: iJustine, iJustine.TV” It’s the last Thursday before Christmas. If you aren’t out...
- “And…Cut! How Not To Pitch Video Content” Last night a top-tier blogger told me they were having...
- “Please Standby: Rethinking Online Video Strategy” Ahhh, what a difference a year makes. Last year, “You”...
- “Hi Mom! I’m on TV: A Seesmic First Look” Last Friday I was honored to receive an invite to...
- “May I Have The Embed Code, Please? Evaluating the Oscars Social Media Strategy” Can’t get enough Oscar? Neither can we. But, unlike other...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Viddler is cool (as is Vimeo) because it allows for HD video. I actually find those Viddler tags highly obnoxious, and I know that I’d only want my own content tagged like that in certain circumstances. Can you turn that off?
I love Blip.tv. It’s player is simple and elegant, and the site is very easy to work with. I’m not exactly a video guru, but in my experience, Blip is great.
Of course, I really loved Brightcove, back when it was just a classy counterpart to YouTube. The site’s changed, though, and now caters strongly to professional content publishers and is just plain overkill — too complicated — for a regular Jane/Joe who wants to post a simple clip or two.
Hey Mike:
Yeah, we are looking for a YouTube alternative for the blog, and I think I’m choosing Blip. It’s also the platform tomorrow’s guest uses for her highly-trafficked blog. Viddler’s in-line comments are cool, but I agree: the tags really suck. I also really liked brightcove, but now think it’s too much!
Chris
Thanks! With the YouTube 10 minute limit, I’ve been researching other online video options. Thanks for doing a lot of the work for me. I’d been experimenting with MegaVideo. The interface is nice, but their conversion time is going on 3 weeks now, and I also see that they get some questionable material posted that I’d rather not be associated with, so I’ve been seeking other options.
Based on your article, I’m now testing Viddler.
Best regards,
Chris
Hi Chris:
Thanks for your comment! Viddler looks like a great platform. Let us know how it goes!
Chris
Chris,
A year later I can tell you that I am a dedicated user of Viddler. I had done a lot of research, and had no recollection of how I found out about Viddler, but serendipitously I was just doing some vanity-research for a piece I’m writing, and found this post. I owe you a thank you. I wholeheartedly endorse them.
cheers,
Chris
Viddler is my favorite because it’s so easy to use and the comment feature is cool. I also like Vimeo though, because it has a pretty UI. Blip is also good. I’ve used SplashCast as well, but I usually stick with Viddler or Vimeo nowadays.
Happy vlogging!
I think Blip will work well for you, Chris, because your video content fits that “TV series”-style Blip caters to so well.
Mike, Chris, Amanda, thanks for your comments!
Mike, re: Viddler tags, if you go to bottom right hand corner of the video screen and click “menu,” you can disable showing the popup tags in the video by clicking on the little bubble in the top left corner.
Chris, depending on your content, you may actually want to check out Metacafe in addition to Viddler. We were really impressed with how sleek the channels are—much better than YouTube. It’s a good place to direct people to.
Amanda, I haven’t checked out Vimeo yet but since you and Mike both mention it I’ll have to give it a try! The only video creation I’ve ever attempted personally is on Seesmic, which failed miserably because I have an ancient computer that was unable to convert the video file from my camera. Once I get a new computer I’ll give some of these others a try for vlogging.
[...] “Jealous, YouTube? Find Your New Video Platform Valentine” PROGRAMMING NOTE: [...]
[...] Load the video to YouTube, Viddler, Blip.tv (Need help choosing? We review each of the platforms here) [...]
I’m looking for another alternative, since reading this I’ll be heading over to Viddler to give it a try, thanks.