Hi,

I'm just starting to experience with SmugMug's video uploading feature. It is great so far, my only question would be: is there any chance we can create automatic watermarks for casual viewers that are not present when someone buys the video (like with photos)? Or is this feature already there just I've missed it?

Thanks,
Istvan

This is something that has become more important now that video has a higher priority. I've wanted video watermarks for years now, even if they were just a graphic overlay on the SM player.

Implementing watermarking wouldn't be too tough, but it would be permanent. In other words, you couldn't remove it. Since SM discards the original file and only keeps the converted copy, if a watermark is added during the conversion, there would not really be a way to change it back. Unless an unwatermarked copy is also generated...hmmm...but then that uses 2x the space for every video that has watermarking enabled upon upload. That's another issue. Watermarking could only be done upon upload, not after since the original video would be discarded by then.

Hi folks,

If you haven't already, please vote on this feature here!:

http://feedback.smugmug.com/forums/1...ideo?ref=title

Originally Posted by phototristan Hi folks, If you haven't already, please vote on this feature here!: http://feedback.smugmug.com/forums/1...ideo?ref=title

I for one voted on it. Now that the download option is there it would help in selling videos instead of just viewing online.

One other option I would like to see is the ability to set a default dimension viewing option. My experience is that the 960x540 viewing option works best, but I would like to upload to the highest resolution in the event people with higher bandwidth can view it. Most people will not know about changing the viewing dimensions at the top of the screen.

Phil

Originally Posted by lifeinfocus I for one voted on it. Now that the download option is there it would help in selling videos instead of just viewing online. One other option I would like to see is the ability to set a default dimension viewing option. My experience is that the 960x540 viewing option works best, but I would like to upload to the highest resolution in the event people with higher bandwidth can view it. Most people will not know about changing the viewing dimensions at the top of the screen. Phil

The size selector is automatically chosen based upon the viewer's browser window size. However, if they change it to some other size, it should remember their favorite size for next time.

Originally Posted by phototristan The size selector is automatically chosen based upon the viewer's browser window size. However, if they change it to some other size, it should remember their favorite size for next time.

I would think that it would be better to have the system somehow determine the connection speed, and default to what will play without stopping....

My relates complain that my videos "don't play smoothly... they start and stop" I tell them how they can change the size, but for some, it just seems too difficult..... I know, I know... But there are some in-laws and grandmas out there that barely know how to get to the site or navigate through the galleries.

Originally Posted by lifeinfocus I for one voted on it. Now that the download option is there it would help in selling videos instead of just viewing online. One other option I would like to see is the ability to set a default dimension viewing option. My experience is that the 960x540 viewing option works best, but I would like to upload to the highest resolution in the event people with higher bandwidth can view it. Most people will not know about changing the viewing dimensions at the top of the screen. Phil

IMHO, the new video sales feature has not really been thought through carefully. It seems like the feature has been added, due to many requests, but rather then think through the full implications of video sales, it seems to me that the capability for video downloads and video sales have simply been added to the shopping cart, and thats it! What we now have is simply a sales download feature, ADDED to the video sharing feature that has been around for several years.

In reality, if people can view a video, share a video, capture a high-res video (with screen capture software) especially with no watermark, what incentive is there to buy?

In order for Video sales to become a legitimate feature at SM, I believe that it really needs to become separate and distinct from video sharing. It can't be a patchwork, add on.

I believe that there needs to be a place to "opt In" for Video sales... someway to let SM know that you are setting up a site, or galleries, where you are being very intentional about wanting to sell videos (as opposed to sharing videos) Then, at these sites, or galleries, any video that is uploaded, only ONE small, watermarked version shows up in the gallery for preview purposes. Then, if added to the shopping cart, the client can choose the size/resolution they want to purchase, based on the purpose, or target device they want to use the video for.

At checkout, the coding engines can go to work and pump out the requested resolution. This way SM would not have to encode and store five or six versions of every uploaded file. Just the original, and the one watermarked version.

On the issue of the original file, I would propose that If SM were to standardize the encoding requirements for video sales uploads, I believe that we could come to a good compromise that would allow for a decent h264 file that would be small enough to be stored on their Amazon servers, and still be a high enough quality that would allow this service to be used by those of us that would like to sell stock video to broadcasters. The space that would be saved by not having to store five or six versions, could allow for one good quality original, and one low Res watermarked version for display.

My 2 cents...

Frank

Originally Posted by phototristan The size selector is automatically chosen based upon the viewer's browser window size. However, if they change it to some other size, it should remember their favorite size for next time.

I didn't know that; however, many of my potential customers will not have the latest computer and bandwidth maybe marginal. We do a quite a few videos that are created by tools like Photodex Proshow, which as you may know creates videos from photos, videos, music, voice-over and text. I just finished an 19 minute show that took three full weeks to build. It had over 600 photos (a sizable portion was sort of time lapse), 6 songs, and 8 voice-overs.

For somebody using say an older laptop with little graphics memory but say a 15 inch size screen, the automatic sizing in my experience doesn't work. The viewer often has to downsize to 960x540. So, a feature allowing me to choose a default size would be good.

Thanks for your consideration.
Phil

If watermarks are not coming, could we at least have a way to shut off "auto" display. If I choose "Medium" as my "largest size" in settings, I see that the size of video is just one size above Web size, and no matter what size you select the display remains the same, except for "Auto", which jumps the size up to quite a large display that could easily be captured and stolen, especially with no watermarks.... (Auto also seems to be the default display, which presents thieves with the best capture opportunity, by default)

If watermarks are coming down the road, do we know at this point if they can be added after the fact, or only at the point of upload. I am currently in a place where Internet speeds are fast, and would like to upload my portfolio before I head back to Asia. But if watermarks are coming but can only be applied during upload, I will wait.

Frank,

Would you mind adding your video size suggestion to our feedback pages:
http://feedback.smugmug.com/forums/17723-smugmug
That way other users can vote and comment on your suggestion and we can keep track of all suggestions made.
Thanks!

Originally Posted by rainforest1155 Frank, Would you mind adding your video size suggestion to our feedback pages: http://feedback.smugmug.com/forums/17723-smugmug That way other users can vote and comment on your suggestion and we can keep track of all suggestions made. Thanks!

OK, I have added the request.

Sometimes I feel like there are only about five users here that are interested in selling video, based on the votes that I got for the suggestion to add watermarks to videos. Is this the only way to get a change implemented at SM, is to get a lot of votes here?

I may be missing something here but, why would anybody choose to buy a video clip of their event, if they can simply watch it on line at SM, or send the link to their friends to watch it at SM? Or capture it with Snagit?

It seems to me that in order for this feature to become viable, we need to at least be able to watermark or limit the viewing size, by shutting "Auto" off. Are we just relying on the good will and honesty of people, to do the right thing and go ahead and pay?

Frank

Originally Posted by videoopp ...why would anybody choose to buy a video clip of their event, if they can simply watch it on line at SM, or send the link to their friends to watch it at SM? Or capture it with Snagit?

This is what I'm thinking as well. Especially with the spread if on-demand viewing via phones, I don't see a market to sell videos unless it is for a stock service like you are doing or for viewing on legacy formats such as dvd/blueray. Unless you are giving them something more such as HD, etc.

Originally Posted by SamirD This is what I'm thinking as well. Especially with the spread if on-demand viewing via phones, I don't see a market to sell videos unless it is for a stock service like you are doing or for viewing on legacy formats such as dvd/blueray. Unless you are giving them something more such as HD, etc.

There was one SM user who said that he was a Scuba tour guide and that being able to sell videos on SM would be perfect for him... And I can really see that. I have visited the apartment of a scuba guide, and watched as he and some of his buddies were madly trying to edit and make DVD's for their clients so that they could deliver them before their clients left the beach. This would be a perfect way to deliver the videos to their clients, after the fact. Now comes the issue of getting people to actually buy the video, if it is streamed at this high res, on the auto format, without a watermark. The guy could get the cash up front, but then SM looses their commission, and I think that SM is going to want to avoid that, if they want to keep this service paying for itself.

Perhaps not many people know how to capture video from the screen, or they are counting on the fact that not everyone has a fast enough connection to capture the High Res playing in real time, and that may be true for now...

I have reached a point where I have decided to go ahead and start uploading stock video clips for sale. I believe that I have come up with a solution to be able to deliver my clients a high quality version of the clips that they license at the full HD. In addition to the file that they can download from SM, (which they can use as a kind of Full-res for comp. purposes), as soon as I get notification of the sale, I will send them a link to download the file from another cloud server that I am also uploading my files to, so that in the end, they will get a version of the file at a much better encode and bit rate.

Ideally, this would have worked out best if it had been the SM Vault, and this process could have been automated, but I want to get going with this, and I have not got any action from SM on this idea.

My stock portfolio is doing quite well at Pond5, and Clipcanvas, and I probably wouldn't bother to take the time to put them up here as well, except for the fact that at SM, my clients will be able to have the option of paying less for stock if all they are putting together is a web spot, or a PP presentation. Plus, I like the fact that I can group themed shots together, and offer a full gallery download at a discount. I always like this feature when buying video stock from Artbeats. It is not available at Pond5 or ClipCanvas. The 15% commission sure beats out the others as well!

My last hurdle now is the "auto size" for the default display. This size is just way too big, especially when there is no watermark!

Please SM.... We need a way to shut this off in our gallery settings!

Frank

Either watermarking or limiting the size needs to happen pretty soon as a remedial first step. I never thought about simply using SM as a delivery method for a finished video and getting the money up front...hmmm...

would love to have the watermark feature. I just started making HD slideshow films from weddings and want to sell the videos to clients through sm. But now I am watermarking the video through my movie making software and uploading the watermarked version. Then inform the clients and viewers of the video in the gallery description to contact me via email for video purchases. A pain... but my work is not up there unprotected.

Originally Posted by ImissFilm would love to have the watermark feature. I just started making HD slideshow films from weddings and want to sell the videos to clients through sm. But now I am watermarking the video through my movie making software and uploading the watermarked version. Then inform the clients and viewers of the video in the gallery description to contact me via email for video purchases. A pain... but my work is not up there unprotected.

Thanks for adding your vote for watermarks over at "feedback". We need more votes for this!

I have given some thought to just uploading video that I have watermarked, and explaining to my clients, somewhere on my website that the video that the get when they place an order is only for "comp" purposes and that within 24 hours they will get a link for the full res, un-watermarked, high bitrate version, that I store up in the cloud somewhere. But it all seems kind of messy, and not what stock buyers have come to expect. They want the instant download. I know that I do, when I am working on a deadline edit in the middle of the night, and have "holes" on my timeline that need filling.

Frank

How are the ideas in this thread coming?

I'm not too concerned about my videos not being watermarked since I'm only uploading video from p&s cameras... but that 5DMkII of my friends looks like fun to play with and I would certainly want to protect videos shot with that by utilizing watermarks.

What concerns me is the thumbnail image for the video not being watermarked as well as the feature photo of a gallery if a video is chosen. Can I get these thumbnail images watermarked without some crazy work-around that worked two years ago but no longer does because you now have to add four extra steps but then you may not be aware that the workaround opens up your images to some security loophole that you haven't been informed of?

Also, can we sell videos yet? Although, before setting prices would I want a few sales or the videos to remain on my site to encourage visitors to return and maybe think about purchasing prints every time they visit?

I'd love for video watermarking to exist and be as painless as it is for the photos. The problem is that with video sales now here, SM would have to keep several copies of the video watermarked and non-watermarked, doubling the storage requirements. Unfortunately, I don't see it happening. :(

Wow! Still no video watermarks? I was ready to open a new business account! Glad I did the trial first. Moving on.....

Definitely post here if you find a service that has them. I'd be highly interested!