We have decided that it is time to ditch the ad-hoc method of deploying video on our web properties and pick one or more Video Platforms to handle this task for us. High level requirements are:
- Needs to have an easy to mount and embed player.
- Needs to make uploading and converting existing video.
- Needs to have strong analytics, preferably integrated with google analytics.
- Needs to be capable of “canned” video (ie — video on demand) and live streams (ie — live events).
Some other things that could tilt the balance:
- Mobile-friendly.
- Multiple-bitrate streaming.
- Flexible APIs.
Hosting this ourselves isn’t an option–we just don’t have the manpower to care/feed for it. Price is not a major object.
So, who would you pick?
I’d recommend Ooyala or BrightCove as a professional video platform for mid-to-large size businesses. Both have scalable pricing as demand increases (including support for mobile, API’s and live-streaming). They’re expensive (see pricing: Ooyala and BrightCove), but acceptable for mid-large businesses. Brightcove is used by big names such as Fox, DiscoveryChannel, etc. Ooyala is used by EA, Dell, etc.
Competitors to also consider: Kaltura, Delve, Viddler (no live), Wistia (no live).
Ps. personally I wanted to recommend Vimeo because I love their player’s interface, but Vimeo Plus’ 5gb/week limit means it’s probably not suitable for businesses.