I was asked by a client to look for a very simple method of taking a Video File and converting if for the web, uploading and inserting into a blog post or webpage.
I work with video the odd time, enough to know that its a very complex area with tons of different formats, codecs and with horrible conversion times. When you want to put it on the web, a whole new set of problems arise related to file sizes, physical sizes, upload times and download times.
So I blindly searched the internet and found a few sites that did file conversions but they all had certain unrealistic limits before you had to pay out. I came accross https://heywatch.com/ and had a quick read of the home page and it sounded perfect. The home page lists what you can do and has only 2 links (apart from some admin ones at the bottom), Register and Login!
Once you signup, a very simple and intuitive dashboard greets you and asks you to get started by uploading or encoding a video.
Heres the list of EXCELLENT things Hey!Watch can do:
- Upload or reference an existing video on the web eg, youtube,
- Upload almost any video file format,
- Upload any video file size or duration,
- Convert to tons of different video formats for both devices such as mobile phones and regular DVD or web flash format.
- Watermark your encoded video with your own image/logo,
- After Encoding, send the new video file to your website via ftp or to your Amazon S3 account,
- Create your own encoding formats to precisely set video and audio size and bitrate (quality),
- Email video to Hey!Watch,
- Use the Hey!Watch html code to allow your website visitors to upload video through your site to your Hey!Watch account,
- Excellent pricing at 7 cents per encode (under 45 mins),
- Pay via Paypal,
- I’ve saved the best till last, you can setup your account to automatically encode uploaded video using your default encoding profile AND then send it to your site via ftp!! You even get an email when its finished!
I’ve been testing the system for the last few hours and its just the business! – works very well with fast uploads, encodes and transfers to your site. I don’t know how they do it (Amazon services perhaps) but it could be the answer I’m looking for!
Leon.
Reverb Studios Design 