Streaming Video:
Streaming happens when you press a video's play button, and it begins playing while it's still downloading. It's common on sites like YouTube and blip.tv. Streaming lets viewers instantly and casually watch your videos.
If you host your videos on a sharing site, they should be able to both stream and get embedded on your blog or website (see below). If you self-host a DIY Wordpress blog, you can set up streaming with Show in a Box.
Embedding Video:
Embedding is putting a video from one site onto a different site, using just a little bit of HTML code. It allows bloggers, friends, famous people, and your grandma to easily add your video to their website. All embedded videos can be streamed (see above).
Embedding from a video sharing site: locate the block of embeddable html code. It's usually on the video page, or sometimes inside the video player itself — the code usually begins with <object... or <embed.... Once you've found it, copy/paste the code into your blog post, website, or social networking page. Make sure to test the page before you publish.
Embedding can Leave a Single Point of Failure
Embedding is a totally amazing way to spread video, but it is somewhat vulnerable. Let's say a bunch of your friends embed your video, and the original gets taken down for some reason —perhaps a bogus copyright claim— every embedded version of the video simultaneously stops working. In other words, no one anywhere can see your video.
Pushing your audience to a blog or website that is separate from your video hosting service can minimize the risk of a suspended or revoked account. This way, your videos can be hosted and/or re-uploaded from any other sharing site, without losing any of your hard earned audience.
Downloading Video:
Making your video available for download allows your audience even more flexibility in how/where they watch your video. Downloading is especially useful for: high-definition, podcasting, superior subscription services. You'll learn more about the benefits of syndication and downloading in the next section.
Some video sharing sites, for example YouTube, don't encourage downloading, others, like blip.tv, do let you offer downloads.
Why Let Them Download?
It may seem scary to let people download your videos. There are two big reasons to face this fear. The first: if you put it online, a savvy individual can capture, download, and remix/repost/repurpose your video, no matter how many locks or limits you put on it. Second: downloads can deliver a great user experience, for example your audience can subscribe with Miro. You might as well give your audience the best experience possible.
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