Video Sharing Websites

Above: Blip.TV
Below: Youtube

Tuesday 8/9/09
I am going to compare video-sharing websites today.

First example will be the ever-popular YouTube, which has set the high standard for today's video sharing market.


YouTube
YouTube was created in 2005 by Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, who proceeded to become the first members of the YouTube management team and currently serve as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer respectively.

Features:

• Video embedding: Users can insert a YouTube video into Facebook and MySpace accounts, blogs, or other Web sites where anyone can watch them.
• Public or private videos: Users can elect to broadcast their videos publicly or share them privately with friends and family upon upload.
• Subscriptions: Users are able to keep track of their favorite users' new videos.
• Record from Webcam: Users with a webcam and Flash software are able to instantly record video responses or normal videos onto the site rather than having to prerecord and then upload the video.
• TestTube: This is an area where YouTube engineers and developers conduct alpha testing for new features in development. Users are encouraged to participate in the development process and are welcome to evaluate the feature.

Blip.tv
Blip TV is an up and coming Video-sharing website that is currently in BETA mode, therefore it is not the final edition. The main aim of Blip.tv is to showcase independent shows to an audience, giving indie show creators the chance to show-off their skills.

The site has a useful dashboard feature, making it easy to find shows and to navigate your way around the website.

Comparison

Blip TV uses advertisements to generate revenue which is one disadvantage due to the fact that Youtube has no adverts on their website, meaning that users will find Blip TV slightly more annoying.

The fact that Blip TV also doesn't have many videos or major links is a disadvantage, however I get the feeling that Blip TV is aimed more at creating a community and allowing others to share their work and talk about their shared interests and comment on the work whereas Youtube is aimed at a more generable audience, a more marketable audience.

I would say that Youtube is a lot better than Blip.tv, but the fact is that Youtube are an established worldwide commercial success while Blip.tv are still in the beta stage, so it is hard to compare the two when there is such a difference in development.