Doug 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.
on 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.)