Video checklist
May 15th, 2008 by BryanDoug Fisher writes some bullet points every news media outlet should consider when pursuing a video strategy on the web. I’m reproducing his list here, but you should RTWT:
- Video has to be as consistent in playback as YouTube or some of the other similar sites. I can’t think of a time I’ve had a YouTube video stall while I was on broadband. Maybe it’s happened, but I’ve never seen it.
- Video has to be enabled to be easily embedded, linked to or otherwise shared.
- But also disable the auto-start. The whole point of the Web is to leave the user in control. I’ll decide when I want to start something. And can the automatic rollover to the next video. Maybe I want to look at this one again.
- Along those same lines, when the video is ended, don’t disable the scroll bar. Maybe I want to go back and review something I didn’t quite catch.
- Use links that real people can read.
It’s somewhat mind boggling that we’re still having this discussion so late in the development of web video.
May 15th, 2008 at 10:39 am
In re point #1: sadly, I’ve had YouTube (and every other video server known to man) stall, despite a 6Mbps cable connection. Maybe it has something to do with the scores of tabs I have open in Firefox, maybe it’s just Windows messing with me for not using IE. But I have to agree that news sites ought to strive for being as good as (or better than) YouTube; all too often news sites treat video like an afterthought. (And doubleplus agreement with the “leave the users in control” sentiment. If I wanted auto-start and no choice in seeing the next clip, I’d be watching TV, thanks.)