A discussion about Flash Movies

[Useless]

Originally Posted by grandmascrotum

If the user can't download the video as easily, isn't that better because it means less free porn? I would think it would be a handy thing inside members areas, but then the quality may not be so good.

Frankly, I'm amazed that we haven't seen a greater rush to embrace Flash technology on our sites, both on hosted promos and within the members area. The quality can be very good. I'm building a members area right now, and one of the things I'm doing is running my .wmvs through a Flash software so that I can deliver my own streaming vids for those members who don't want to download the movies. Yes, the .WMVs will be there as well. I wish we could all switch over to streaming-only rather than easily downloadable formats, but today's members think they own our content when they pay for a monthly membership - spoiled brats.

If you're building hosted galleries and free sites, I don't see why any webmaster would complain if you use embedded Flash movies. Surfers love Flash. This is the YouTube generation we're dealing with, after all. When I get around to building my own hosted tools, some distant day, all of the movies, maybe even the banners, will be Flash. I'll still offer traditional .WMV clips for affiliate (ab)use. This is assuming that I actually put an affiliate program together.

[Greenguy]

Originally Posted by Useless Warrior

...If you're building hosted galleries and free sites, I don't see why any webmaster would complain if you use embedded Flash movies...

I agree - I need to look into allowing submitters to use embedded movies on their gallery pages.

[Useless]

Originally Posted by Greenie

I agree - I need to look into allowing submitters to use embedded movies on their gallery pages.

The only thing I can think of at this moment is that you don't want the movies themselves linked to anything since you cannot see the destination URL when hovering over a Flash object.

[babymaker]

Originally Posted by Greenie

I agree - I need to look into allowing submitters to use embedded movies on their gallery pages.

I would love to be able to submit movie freesites with embedded flash, esspecially if i can use my tube cuts, i get tons better conversions and am a good editor, and i hate going back to cutting up a video into 10 15 sec clips and ruining the flow of the content, any chance you could lead the way and allow a standard 4 page freesite, but the movie gallery pages would have 1 longer 2 min or so video and maybe less ads really only one text link under the video would be needed, might help pull some of the tube surfers back to LL's with less clicking and the more modern web2.0 people are now embracing.

[Preacher]

Originally Posted by Useless Warrior

Frankly, I'm amazed that we haven't seen a greater rush to embrace Flash technology on our sites, both on hosted promos and within the members area. The quality can be very good. I'm building a members area right now, and one of the things I'm doing is running my .wmvs through a Flash software so that I can deliver my own streaming vids for those members who don't want to download the movies. Yes, the .WMVs will be there as well. I wish we could all switch over to streaming-only rather than easily downloadable formats, but today's members think they own our content when they pay for a monthly membership - spoiled brats.

If you're building hosted galleries and free sites, I don't see why any webmaster would complain if you use embedded Flash movies. Surfers love Flash. This is the YouTube generation we're dealing with, after all. When I get around to building my own hosted tools, some distant day, all of the movies, maybe even the banners, will be Flash. I'll still offer traditional .WMV clips for affiliate (ab)use. This is assuming that I actually put an affiliate program together.

I love flash, but...

Like you said, surfers do not like it in the members area as the only option. I know this because I promote a sponsor that had DRM movies and they never rebilled and they removed DRM and all of the sudden I started seeing consistent rebills. Like you said, both options would be great, but more time consuming to create.

And for flash vids on freesites/galleries, those offered by the sponsor would go quick, because to not only cut a clip from the members area and then have to encode it in flash is just one more time consuming step, maybe.

Actually this gives me an idea on embedding flash movies, just another thing to add to my ever expanding todo list.

[Useless]

Originally Posted by Preacher

Like you said, surfers do not like it in the members area as the only option. I know this because I promote a sponsor that had DRM movies and they never rebilled and they removed DRM and all of the sudden I started seeing consistent rebills. Like you said, both options would be great, but more time consuming to create.

I blame those FUCKING REVIEW SITES for making DRM and watermarks seem like a horrible thing. They should be making judgments based on quality and quantity on content, not on site owners not wanting members to download everything and upload it to an illegal tube. They may as well hand out chargeback instructions while they're at it, the unwashed pricks. (I have an entire rant about review sites if you want to hear it. And yes, I know they're traffic converts very well. That doesn't mean we have to like them.)

It is time-consuming. Especially when you have your members area videos almost completely uploaded before realizing that you didn't watermark them. I do think it's worth the time, even if it's only purpose is to make it seem like you have more up-to-date gimmicks for the members to play with. One of the many, many useless ideas I have is to convert a bunch of movies I purchased (the ones Preacher wishes he had) to Flash, and stream them as bonus content, rather than paying for 3rd party feeds. I don't want to offer those for download.

Originally Posted by Preacher

And for flash vids on freesites/galleries, those offered by the sponsor would go quick, because to not only cut a clip from the members area and then have to encode it in flash is just one more time consuming step, maybe.

SWF clips are pretty handy on hubs and such. I use them as advertising directly on some of my link list pages. I sort of like encoding my own because I can make them the correct proportions for a given spot and put my affiliate link inside so that if the surfer mistakingly clicks the movie and not the play button, they end up at the tour. Oopsy!