SmugMug needs to improve the options for creating video galleries. SmugMug view is a really poor way to view videos. Unlike a still image, where a single frame thumb can give you a pretty good idea of what you'll get when you click, thumbs are much less useful for video. This means that the caption for the video is even more important so that the viewer will know what he's clicking on.

The only view that pops up a video clip in one click is SmugMug view. This view does not allow one to see the captions of the videos without first clicking on each thumb, a really annoying thing to have to do. If you choose a viewing style that DOES show captions for browsing, then you have to click twice.

You may answer, "just link the lightbox of the video," but I don't want to link just one video. I want to link the gallery. And I want useful information presented to the viewer when they get there.

So far, nothing is accomplishing this.

Originally Posted by DavidTO Unlike a still image, where a single frame thumb can give you a pretty good idea of what you'll get when you click,

Well, one thing is how about a better keyframe, hopefully we can allow some choice on that.

Originally Posted by Andy Well, one thing is how about a better keyframe, hopefully we can allow some choice on that.

That would be great, as well.

It wouldn't help my particular challenge this time around, since the videos are all in the same boring room.

If I had to choose, I would prefer a better viewing option before a better poster frame.

It's getting worse.

So, I want to give up on SmugMug viewing style for videos, for the reasons I've stated above.

Journal view would be fantastic. Yah, people will have to click 2x, but maybe I can live with that....until I find that the play button icon (the thing I'm most likely to click on) is not clickable. So I click and click and think it's broken, only to realize that the icon that LOOKS like it's there to get me to play the clip is not clickable.

Screengrab of what I'm talking about:

Originally Posted by DavidTO SmugMug needs to improve the options for creating video galleries. SmugMug view is a really poor way to view videos. Unlike a still image, where a single frame thumb can give you a pretty good idea of what you'll get when you click, thumbs are much less useful for video. This means that the caption for the video is even more important so that the viewer will know what he's clicking on. The only view that pops up a video clip in one click is SmugMug view. This view does not allow one to see the captions of the videos without first clicking on each thumb, a really annoying thing to have to do. If you choose a viewing style that DOES show captions for browsing, then you have to click twice. You may answer, "just link the lightbox of the video," but I don't want to link just one video. I want to link the gallery. And I want useful information presented to the viewer when they get there. So far, nothing is accomplishing this.

I agree. I've never fully liked the "lightbox for videos" approach. Photos, yes. Vidoes are a different beast though & shouldn't be treated like photos. Its a little clunky IMO.

Also, a visitor has to start playing a video before they can choose a different size. Why would they wanna choose a different size? We automatically detect their screen res & serve them up the proper size, you might say?? Well, therein lies another problem. Screen res shouldn't be the only factor used in determining the size video that is shown.

For instance. My 12" PowerBook ALWAYS gets served the "Mid-Def" size & that size is just too much for the little PowerBook to handle & it always skips/putters along. So what happens? I have to manually click down to the next size down, every single time I play a video on Smugmug. I cant imagine I'm the only one.