Big-boxer Best Buy thinks YouTube has left something on the table — but isn’t entirely clear on what that is.
The retailer has teamed up with British startup Mydeo for a subscription video storage and sharing service, with subscriptions from $7. Unlike YouTube, they say, it’s safe to put up that video of Jr.’s first messy minutes in the world.
The idea of what is basically a high-end YouTube sounds like a great concept. Let’s see if this is it:
Here are the features, straight from the Best Buy Video Sharing pitch page.
- Send your friends & family emails that can play your videos
- Embed a video on any website, blog or personal profile page
- Add a video to an online auction
- Upload videos up to 90 minutes long each
- Share your videos knowing they will never be surrounded by ads, only the message and video content you intended
- Upload and stream videos at any resolution
- Great service, from real people
Real people! What a concept.
The service allows users to control who else is allowed to see the videos, if anyone. YouTube also allows this. Videos can be embedded anywhere, with subscribers in control of their own links. Eh? YouTube also allows this.
The other main pitch is that the videos never will have ads, unlike the increasingly commercial YouTube.
Best Buy also assures users that it makes no claim to have control of the video content, as most free video-sharing sites do, in the small print. Here’s the part of YouTube’s terms of service that should concern uploaders of personal content: “You retain the copyright for your content, but by submitting it to YouTube you are giving YouTube the right to use the material in any form that it may desire.”
A Best Buy plan that allows loading of videos up to 30 minutes in length and with storage of 100 minutes goes for $6.97. The tier that allows uploading of videos up to 90 minutes with 250 minutes costs $10.47. The premium plan, “ideal for small businesses,” includes video email and viewing stats. There are various ways to save a few bucks.
Kevin Winneroski, a vice president at Best Buy, has your canned statement all ready:
“With the growing popularity of video, fueled in part by social networking sites, we’ve actually seen an increase in customer demand for alternative video sharing solutions. Many customers, particularly families with children, don’t want their personal memories available for anyone to see in the public domain nor do they want to share them in a cluttered environment that includes advertising.”
Best Buy has taken a minority stake in Mydeo, apparently because no U.S. company could provide the service.
The TOS includes a ban on copyrighted material, so your dream of a little bijou just went splat, sorry. Also, none of those really private home videos, bucko.
The site also has a free page with some basic but helpful links to information about video editing and streaming and whatnot.
Best Buy also has a digital music store.
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