Jun
23rd

Oneupweb Reviews: YouTube Video Editor

Posted by Adam D on June 23, 2010 at 3:16 pm

Recently, YouTube announced that it’s testing out a new online video editor. This editor allows even the most novice video producer the ability to shorten and merge videos into one.

To use the editor, simply navigate to YouTube.com/editor after you log into your YouTube account. All your uploads will be displayed similar to what is seen above. From this interface you can drag the video you would like edit into the editor’s timeline at the bottom of the screen. Now mouse-over a video’s thumbnail and you will see a pair of scissors. Click them. A pop up will display allowing you to move the indicators at the beginning and the end of your video. When finished you can preview your video in the upper right of the interface. You can also add a music overlay to your video. Here is a quick mesh-up I did with some Oneupweb videos.

YouTube’s online video editor will help many YouTubers improve the quality of their videos (no more awkward pauses). At the moment it’s very basic for a video editor. The main features allow users to cut the beginning and the end of videos as well as merge several together. But I would like to see a fade-to-black transition so that the videos don’t suddenly stop at the end. I like the direction that YouTube is taking with this so for that I give it a

Oneupweb Reviews: Thumbs Up

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Apr
19th

Oneupweb Reviews: Howcast

Posted by Adam D on April 19, 2010 at 10:01 am

Howcast is a website that provides entertaining how-to videos. Including different filmmaking techniques, such as claymation and animation, Howcast takes practical how-to content to a new level of entertainment.

Howcast.com was launched on February 6, 2008 by co-founders, and former Google employees, Jason Liebman (CEO) and Daniel Blackman (COO). The two previously worked on YouTube together and wanted to create their own video site with high-quality, how-to videos.

When you arrive at Howcast.com you can easily search for videos or select categories, then choose what videos to watch from there.

When most of us hear about a how-to video site we think of YouTube or Expert Village, where users create and upload video content. This is where Howcast is different. Most of the videos on the site are produced in-house through Howcast’s Emerging Filmmakers Program. Filmmakers choose from ready-to-shoot scripts in different categories and then create their instructional video.

Here is an example of a how-to video produced by Howcast on How to Use Twitter:

Howcast has found a way to make both advertisers and viewers happy. Everyone wins. The viewer learns something new and advertisers gain exposure to a targeted audience.

Official Oneupweb Review: Thumbs Up

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Mar
31st

Oneupweb Reviews: The New YouTube Video Page

Posted by Adam D on March 31, 2010 at 3:40 pm

YouTube is offering users who opt-in here the ability to test drive the new video page redesign.

The redesign includes revamped comments section, relocation of the embed and URL links, and some added play list features.

The first thing you’ll notice is that the page has been simplified. At the top you have the YouTube logo, search bar, and a drop down box where your user name is.

Here you will find links to your Channel, subscriptions, inbox, videos, account, and favorites.

Another drop down has been added to view all the current users’ videos.

You can scroll right or left and see all the videos that the user you’re currently viewing has uploaded.

Directly under your video you will notice two more drop downs. One to expand the information of the video,

and the other to view the insights of the video.

YouTube’s plans are to eventually roll out the new design to everyone, but they are taking user input as they release features. I like the simpler user interface. It seems there was a short period of time where YouTube began feeling bloated and unattractive. The designers must have agreed, and the new look is an improvement in that aspect.

Advertisements have gone missing from the new design, but it would be nice to see where these will end up. You may have also notice that the 5 star rating has been done away with. To replace it YouTube has added the familiar Facebook Like or Dislike thumbs. The nice thing about this is all your liked videos will be compartmentalized, so that you can watch them later in playlist form.

Speaking of playlists, now users are able to turn on an Autoplay feature, and as soon as one video is done in your playlist, the next one will begin automatically.

Change is usually difficult no matter how well designed something is. I hope that YouTube continues to keep users updated on the new features being released, as this will help users to accept the changes.

Official Oneupweb Review: Thumbs Up

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Mar
12th

Oneupweb Reviews: Funny Chatroulette Videos

Posted by Adam D on March 12, 2010 at 1:31 pm

Is there any other place where you can jump into people’s lives with no greeting, no process of getting to know that person, or no time to decide if that person is a weirdy or not? Not in real life there isn’t (perhaps for the best). But in Chatroulette land, that’s exactly what happens. And as you can imagine, the results can be very funny.

Earlier this week we reviewed Chatroulette, which has received a lot of attention from the media. Although Chatroulette has yet to find a way to monetize its service, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a lot of fun. So today, in Oneupweb Fun Friday tradition, let’s take a different spin on the review blog and watch some of our favorite Chatroulette videos.

If You Turn Your Head I Win

Man, I have to admit this video got to me. If you turned your head you lose, and whoever is behind the paper wins. A simple concept, but you gotta love how it makes almost everyone smile.

Don’t Think, Just Dance

Sometimes we over analyze life, and in the process forget to take time to enjoy the simple things. Sometimes you need to just smile, laugh a little, and as the video suggests – dance. I find it wonderful that the people in this video, once they figure out it’s not a setup, let their hair down and have a little fun.

One Day On Chatroulette – And Then There Was Weird

Don’t let the Halloween masks scare you. This video is not scary at all, at least not in the normal sense of the word. It’s just so weird it makes you laugh. My favorite parts are just seeing how people react to what they are watching.

A Word of Caution

There are many other Chatroulette videos uploaded on YouTube that I couldn’t post here. After all, this is a family blog – we try to keep it PG. But if you think you can stomach some of the stranger videos, check them out yourself.

But as for the clean, funny, creative Chatroulette videos, we give them an…

Official Oneupweb Review: Thumbs up

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Mar
9th

Oneupweb Reviews: Chatroulette

Posted by Adam D on March 9, 2010 at 11:47 am

Russian roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance in which participants place a single round in a revolver, spin the cylinder, place the muzzle against their head and pull the trigger. Chatroulette on the other hand is different… on second thought, they’re pretty much one in the same.

How Chatroulette Works:

Although there is no actual live ammunition and your life probably won’t be in danger, Chatroulette shares many similarities with Russian Roulette. Chatroulette is a game of chance, risk and randomness. It’s also a website that uses video chat to let the user communicate with complete strangers.

It’s a simple process: once you click accept and your webcam is detected you’re ready to go. You will be automatically matched with a chat partner. Once face to face with your partner you can then chat via instant message. If, for whatever reason, you don’t like the partner you have been given, you simply hit Next and you will receive a new chat partner.

From a user’s perspective, Chatroulette can be pretty interesting. Thrusted into people’s lives at the click of a button, Chatroulette provides one with hours of scary fun. I say scary because, to warn you, there are many chat partners out there that you just don’t want to see face to face. Take the below screen shots for example.

As a user we can see, for the shock value, Chatroulette is pretty entertaining. However, for a business I don’t see any uses at the moment.

In the future Chatroulette could adopt video ad overlays, or a quick video ad before you’re connected to a each user.

Even though Chatroulette gives users the ability to report a video, until they get the obscene videos under control, I don’t see it being taken seriously by businesses. So for now we give Chatroulette an…

Official Oneupweb Review: Slightly Frightened Thumb Sideways

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Feb
17th

Oneupweb Reviews: YouTube Thumbnail Flipbook

Posted by Adam D on February 17, 2010 at 4:09 pm

Have you ever uploaded a video to YouTube and wondered if it’s actually being uploaded? Or after waiting an hour for your video to upload, you find out there was an error, and you have to start uploading from scratch?

This has happened to me on more than one occasion, especially the larger my video files get. And with high definition becoming more popular the upload times have grown right along with the size of the videos. That’s where the new thumbnail flip book feature comes in handy.

Now when you upload a video to YouTube you can see a thumbnail flipbook of your video. This is not only great to watch, but it assures you that your videos are indeed being uploaded to YouTube.

YouTube’s blog says the video must be a fast start video to see the thumbnails during the upload. If it’s not then you will see the thumbnails after you upload like this:

Official Oneupweb Review: Oneup-Thumbs-Up

This feature has been incredibly useful with my video uploads. My guess is that it will become even more popular the larger video files become. At the very least it gives the user the peace of mind that their video is being uploaded and processed, and the assurance that their time waiting for the upload is not being spent in vain.

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