Watch Internet Video Untainted By Obtrusive AdsMicahville

Watch Internet Video Untainted By Obtrusive AdsMicahville
Some of you might have heard about Google's move to place ads on YouTube. Although reports about mandatory pre roll advertisements have been discredited, I am still opposed to any mandatory ads on my internet TV "network". This revenue model just alienates viewers like me, and hence many of us disenfranchised viewers might be [...]

Author: Micahville

Some of you might have heard about Google's move to place ads on YouTube. Although reports about mandatory pre roll advertisements have been discredited, I am still opposed to any mandatory ads on my internet TV "network". This revenue model just alienates viewers like me, and hence many of us disenfranchised viewers might be searching for some additional sites.

You are in luck, as I have foreseen this problem, and decided to compile a selection of alternative, relatively unscathed video sites.

I want to preface this article by adding that some of these sites do have ads (seeing how this revenue model is now the cure-all solution to cash flow problems). Don't worry; they aren't obtrusive ones, and hence your mind can filter them out. If it can't, I suggest AdBlock Plus for Firefox.

Vimeo

Pros: Outstanding user interface. Although deemed by some to be YouTube clone, it relies solely on user created content. This means more interesting video blogs, less Heroes repeats. User community focuses on quality over quantity. Along this line: videos often get lots of useful feedback, and users can link their comments to certain points in a video. Privacy options make sure that that stalker from down the hall can't watch your shorts. And the best part is that once you sign up, all the ads get up and leave.

Cons: Although Vimeo has a tons of original content, it does not feature any non-original content. The users are hip, and won't tear your video apart. Be prepared for lots of constructive criticism. Other than that, it is the premiere source for some creative or off the wall content. If you make tons of videos, you are limited to only uploading 250 megs of them. All the cool kids come here.

Best Feature: Customization of the embeddable video player makes sure that you can tweak the already attractive interface to your desires.

Revver

Pros: Video player is very minimalistic. Revver provides the choice to add adverts or not. Each view of your video earns money, split between Revver and you. Number and length of submissions is virtually unlimited, as file size size can not exceed a whopping 100mb per video. All videos have default Creative Commons copyright licenses. In depth stats let you track how many peeps have viewed your videos.

Cons: Some people do decide to add pre-roll advertisements. That is, advertisements prior to the showing of a video. These ads are short, and there is a limited amount of users who choose this option. Don't come here for fanciness.

Best Feature: Opt-in monetization allows advertisers to control their videos and still make money passively. In twelve months, Revver has paid out $1 Million to its users (solely from clicks on the unobtrusive ads following the video). Time to make money off of those cute baby videos from your childhood.

Dailymotion

Pros: Lax copyright control means a smörgåsbord of TV and Video, all online. Multi-lingual support translates into wider audience. Obscure and unforeseen videos pop up every day. Share your videos with RSS feeds and subscribe to your favorite publishers.

Cons: The interface reminds me of 1995, yet the staff have been working on some improvements. In addition, a copyright violation detector is in the works. Of course, this is only at the urging of the record industry. Some channels do have pre-video adverts which are exitable and only shown once (until you clear your cookies). Once again, number of advertisements is inconsequential.

Best Feature: It has an iPhone video browser to replace your iPhone's silly YouTube capabilities. Beat that.

Blip.tv

Pros: Classy site yields a wealth a wealth of well thought out videos that actually have plots. It is the home of such well knowns as Rocketboom, and my personal favorite internet sitcom Break A Leg. Crossposting features let you maximize publicity. Community features ease the building of a fanbase. Statistics let you see how popular you are.

Cons: Niche video content might bore some. Advertising is opt in, so the money grubbing publishers can choose to add some if they care to. Many don't because they know it will drive viewers away. More traditional media includes sitcoms, and less spontaneous offerings.

Best Feature: A recent partnership with Pando means that your high quality videos can be distributed over its HD P2P network.

OurMedia

Pros: The only site that has text, video, audio, and images. Content is downloadable, and their hosting is handled by a partnership with Blip.tv and Internet Archive for storage. Based on the popular Drupal content manager, all of its code is released to the public. You can download it here.

Cons: Doesn't look pretty. Honestly, the design makes me cringe. Everything will be saved for ever by the Internet Archive. don't post anything you wouldn't want your grandchildren to see. User moderation might lead to edit wars.

Best Feature: User involvement is streamlined. Think Wikipedia but on a multimedia site. Complete with all of its idiosyncrasies and advantages.

Wrap Up

All of these services are superb, yet none is perfect. Which one or ones you choose to switch to depends on personal preferences. Tell me what you want, use, or want to use.

Currently I am using Dailymotion the most because of an awesome little video aggregation site entitled TV Links. Someone has deigned to gather all of the smörgåsbord mentioned early onto one proverbial table. Dig in by clicking here.

So, which one do you use, and why?

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