Power User with HD

[letizido]

Have you considered offering a Power User account but with the addition of HD video uploads seeing that so many people now own HD camcorders? I personally don't yet have the need for all the features in Pro, and don't want to spend $150/yr for them. But I would like to post HD videos. I'm thinking a $69.95 price point would be nice, which is $10 above what Vimeo charges. That would convince me to cancel my Vimeo Plus account and move over to SmugMug.

[Andy]

Thanks for the Feature Request!

[Thronsen]

This has been requested a few times now. It makes little sense for the home user to pay $150 (many times more then other photo sites) for ecommerce features they never use. Yet more and more home users want to incorporate HD video into their galleries.

[det1rac]

Comparing Smugmug, facebook, and youtube I don't see any competitive advantage. FB allows 20 minutes and up to 1024MB, YT offers 10 minutes and 1024 but smugmug is @ 10 minutes and 512MB.

I'd rather see a limitation on time but not size. I can expect next year for many of the compact cameras to offer 720p or 1080p video and Smugmug isn't going to offer a competitive advantage if they are more restrictive with sizing considering its a paid service.

Not to mention the D90, 5DM2, PK7 all now have HD video so we can expect both stills and HDVid from the current pro photographers.

[nigelbb]

Comparing Smugmug, facebook, and youtube I don't see any competitive advantage. FB allows 20 minutes and up to 1024MB, YT offers 10 minutes and 1024 but smugmug is @ 10 minutes and 512MB.

I'd rather see a limitation on time but not size. I can expect next year for many of the compact cameras to offer 720p or 1080p video and Smugmug isn't going to offer a competitive advantage if they are more restrictive with sizing considering its a paid service.

Not to mention the D90, 5DM2, PK7 all now have HD video so we can expect both stills and HDVid from the current pro photographers.A file size limit it is absolutely irrelevant as you just need to use MPEG Streamclip to adjust the but rate & hence file size prior to upload. That is effectively what all these sites do to your video. Decreasing the file size will make your uploads much faster too.

There is also a vast difference between being able to upload 20 minutes of video & having it displayed nicely. Neither Facebook nor You Tube videos are near HD quality.

[nigelbb]

Just a little clarification as to why only the duration of the video matters. The original file that you upload is converted to files of various video resolutions, bit rates, resolution & thus picture qualities all in the H.264 CODEC. Your original video is then deleted. Full HD 1920x1080 video is compressed to about 7Mbps. 1280x720 HD video is compressed to about 3.2Mbps & all the other resolutions have appropriate lower bit rates.

So the size of the file that you upload is irrelevant because whatever size it is it will be compressed to a bit rate of 7Mbps, 3.2Mbps etc A 10 minute H.264 encoded file at a bit rate of 7Mbps will never be as large as 600MB. Whether the file is compressed by you or by SmugMug is your choice but it makes more sense to upload the smallest possible file that is consistent with the maximum bit rate that SmugMug supports as this will minimise the upload time.

[bobovaso]

I second this request. I've recently upgraded both my point and shoot and DSLR cameras to models with HD video and would like to post personal HD videos on SmugMug. Like letizido, I'd be willing to pay a little bit more for it, but not the full pro user price since I have no use for the other pro features (I don't even use any of the power features other than video). If this doesn't seem plausible in the near future, it would at least be nice if downsized 16:9 HD video could be displayed at 852x480 rather than the current 640x360. The latter is not really "DVD quality".

[Andy]

Comparing Smugmug, facebook, and youtube I don't see any competitive advantage.


I'm guessing you care more about quantity than quality? I keep looking for full 720 or 1080p videos on those sites and don't find 'em.

[Andy]

I second this request. I've recently upgraded both my point and shoot and DSLR cameras to models with HD video and would like to post personal HD videos on SmugMug. Like letizido, I'd be willing to pay a little bit more for it, but not the full pro user price since I have no use for the other pro features (I don't even use any of the power features other than video). If this doesn't seem plausible in the near future, it would at least be nice if downsized 16:9 HD video could be displayed at 852x480 rather than the current 640x360. The latter is not really "DVD quality".It's a great request, and I'd love us to do it if we can do it without busting out business model. I want us to be here in 50 years!

[det1rac]

Just a little clarification as to why only the duration of the video matters. The original file that you upload is converted to files of various video resolutions, bit rates, resolution & thus picture qualities all in the H.264 CODEC. Your original video is then deleted. Full HD 1920x1080 video is compressed to about 7Mbps. 1280x720 HD video is compressed to about 3.2Mbps & all the other resolutions have appropriate lower bit rates.

So the size of the file that you upload is irrelevant because whatever size it is it will be compressed to a bit rate of 7Mbps, 3.2Mbps etc A 10 minute H.264 encoded file at a bit rate of 7Mbps will never be as large as 600MB. Whether the file is compressed by you or by SmugMug is your choice but it makes more sense to upload the smallest possible file that is consistent with the maximum bit rate that SmugMug supports as this will minimise the upload time.

Right, so if smugmug will be compressing after I post it, why should I do it? I should not worry about filesize but rather length in time and have the encoding done once.

[det1rac]

I'm guessing you care more about quantity than quality? I keep looking for full 720 or 1080p videos on those sites and don't find 'em.

Andy, I agree, for now (since I don't have HD capabilities) I care about quantity, however as point and shoots, DSLRs etc move to a HD quality (as a common feature) I'll want the same for the HD, uploading with no file size restrictions.

It would be good to add to your architechture roadmap to anticipate this, unless its already being forcasted by capacity / demand management strategies.

I am just forcasting the rise of HD pushing the filesize envalope.

Anyway these are simply suggestions from a novice talking about HD this and that.

[Andy]

I'll want the same for the HD, uploading with no file size restrictions.
We'll need to make sure it works within our business model :D Thanks for telling us what you want, we really, really do appreciate it.

[letizido]

We'll need to make sure it works within our business model :D Thanks for telling us what you want, we really, really do appreciate it.

Personally, I think the Vimeo Pro model is fair. 5GB/week upload. They of course are compressing heavily on the back end (which is why I am here lobbying for you to offer HD), so 5GB probably ends up being 2GB after compression. Setting the GB/week limit gives everyone what they want - high quality or high quantity. The user picks his poison. Lots of 720P or less 1080P.

Like you said Andy, it will be a challenge to work out a satisfactory limit that doesn't break the model, although at this point I would be happy with a simple extension allowing a reasonable number of 10min HD clips (not unlimited) to Power Users, say 5 to 10.