Download vs Streaming: What's Your Paysite Offer?

**LavenderLounge** · 04-22-2009, 12:56 PM

Chris,

Here are my suggestions:

1. Stream it.
2. Make short clips. If they steal it, it will be one more step for them to string them together.
3. Watermark everything.
4. Shrinkage is a fact of life in food service and retail. Plan for it.

**DrChango** · 04-22-2009, 02:12 PM

From an "end-user" standpoint, I have to admit to signing up for one month with a paysite, downloading everything I could from them (often handling downloads while I was doing something totally unrelated, like homework or laundry), and then canceling my membership. I'd have enough content on my harddrive to last me six months or more if it was a mega-site.

With streaming, prior to flash becoming more common it made a lot of sense to have the download option as streaming WMVs are kinda crumby (especially when you can't navigate through the clip and the default size is tiny). With flash clips you get a better streaming experience, which I think would make a lack of a download option less of an issue.

While it is true that you can save virtually any flash stream, unless I'm wrong it is a longer process to do so on a large scale than the old 'save as' feature, so if nothing else, it limits how much of your content a member can "stockpile".

Granted, I'm not as up on the technical aspects, this is more observations from the end-user's perspective as I was that for a hell of a lot longer than I have been working in the industry. Anything I am missing or incorrect about would be appreciated as I am as interested as the rest of you folks on the nuts and bolts of this subject.

(BTW, really impressed with how respectful everyone is being on this thread, even with diametrically opposed views...on other forums this would have already descended into name-calling

)

**msm** · 04-22-2009, 07:30 PM

I'll speak as an enduser also and say that if you're using Flash streaming that does not allow the user to jump around any part of the video instantly (assuming they have broadband) you are probably going to lose that member very soon. And Flash videos that do not give the option of full screen are also something I hate.

Sometimes I think webmasters need to remember why they got into the biz, which I assume is because they liked to j/o to naked men videos. Put yourself in the customers place and create a site that you would pay for and use.

But my real reason for entering this discussion is to ask if anyone has ever considered a two tier membership option, say $14.95 for Flash streaming non-downloadable videos and $24.95 for WMV or MOV videos you can save. It's sort of the difference between "leasing" the content and "buying" it. Consumers are accustomed to the idea of "leasing" in other areas (cars, homes, etc.) so why not porn?

**DrChango** · 04-22-2009, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by msm

I'll speak as an enduser also and say that if you're using Flash streaming that does not allow the user to jump around any part of the video instantly (assuming they have broadband) you are probably going to lose that member very soon. And Flash videos that do not give the option of full screen are also something I hate.

Sometimes I think webmasters need to remember why they got into the biz, which I assume is because they liked to j/o to naked men videos. Put yourself in the customers place and create a site that you would pay for and use.

But my real reason for entering this discussion is to ask if anyone has ever considered a two tier membership option, say $14.95 for Flash streaming non-downloadable videos and $24.95 for WMV or MOV videos you can save. It's sort of the difference between "leasing" the content and "buying" it. Consumers are accustomed to the idea of "leasing" in other areas (cars, homes, etc.) so why not porn?

you're a damn genius!
like seriously

**nicedreams** · 04-23-2009, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by badpuppyben

Hello,

I'm not going to go into the debate exactly but I did want to correct Jake. There is 100%, absolutely, no doubt, several ways to steal a stream from Wowza AS it is streaming. Sorry, I've myself seen 3 different software examples. Naturally I don't use them but because we use Adobe streaming technology I have researched this often.

I'd like to know more about this also. I have not see a way to download a streaming wowza video.

Jimmy

**Lee** · 04-23-2009, 10:22 PM

The other thing that needs to be taken in to account when choosing between streaming or downloadable content is that these days digital media is the new 'product' when it comes to porn.

Instead of buying DVDs, magazines, etc, people want to be able to download their online content and prize it as they used to physical product we were talking with someone we are going to be teaming up with later this year to roll some new exclusive content sites out and when we discussed the model of streaming or download for content, all of us agreed that surfers want to treat their digital content like they used to treat hard goods such as DVDs and mags, they dont actually want to 'hold' a product, but they want to 'own' a product and streaming makes this difficult but, none the less, streaming content definitely has a place in the market right now.

Regards,

Lee

**Jake** · 04-24-2009, 07:33 AM

Originally Posted by nicedreams

I'd like to know more about this also. I have not see a way to download a streaming wowza video.

Jimmy

I know I asked for a private message from badpuppyben but maybe a public posting would be better. I'd like to take any information I can get to the main guy over at Wowza. I've had a few private email conversations with Charlie and he seems like a great guy. I'm sure any volubility (if one actually exists) would be closed in a second.

**Jake** · 04-24-2009, 08:30 AM

Originally Posted by Jake

I know I asked for a private message from badpuppyben but maybe a public posting would be better. I'd like to take any information I can get to the main guy over at Wowza. I've had a few private email conversations with Charlie and he seems like a great guy. I'm sure any volubility (if one actually exists) would be closed in a second.

damn that spell check! Had to look that one up just to know what it meant...[Middle English, moving easily, from Old French, from Latin volbilis, revolving, fluent, from volvere, to roll; see wel-2 in Indo-European roots.]

**DrChango** · 04-24-2009, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by Jake

damn that spell check! Had to look that one up just to know what it meant...[Middle English, moving easily, from Old French, from Latin volbilis, revolving, fluent, from volvere, to roll; see wel-2 in Indo-European roots.]

remind me to never play Scrabble with that guy

**msm** · 05-07-2009, 06:46 PM

I thought I'd bring this string back to life in order to mention that I just bought one of those Western Digital media players (WD TV) at Best Buy for $100 and I must say I am impressed. I plugged it into an old external hard drive I had with a bunch of downloaded videos, connected it to my HDTV via an HDMI cable and wow... those videos never looked so good! I highly recommend this purchase if you have a lot of videos stored on hard drives.

**Michael B** · 05-11-2009, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by msm

I'll speak as an enduser also and say that if you're using Flash streaming that does not allow the user to jump around any part of the video instantly (assuming they have broadband) you are probably going to lose that member very soon. And Flash videos that do not give the option of full screen are also something I hate.

Sometimes I think webmasters need to remember why they got into the biz, which I assume is because they liked to j/o to naked men videos. Put yourself in the customers place and create a site that you would pay for and use.

But my real reason for entering this discussion is to ask if anyone has ever considered a two tier membership option, say $14.95 for Flash streaming non-downloadable videos and $24.95 for WMV or MOV videos you can save. It's sort of the difference between "leasing" the content and "buying" it. Consumers are accustomed to the idea of "leasing" in other areas (cars, homes, etc.) so why not porn?

Just a note on jumping around in a flash video ...this can be done as long as the person encoding into flash sets the keyframe at say every ten frames or actually 30 frames this will allow the viewer to scrub to most any part of the video.

**StunnerJesse** · 05-12-2009, 01:29 AM

Originally Posted by msm

I'll speak as an enduser also and say that if you're using Flash streaming that does not allow the user to jump around any part of the video instantly (assuming they have broadband) you are probably going to lose that member very soon. And Flash videos that do not give the option of full screen are also something I hate.

Sometimes I think webmasters need to remember why they got into the biz, which I assume is because they liked to j/o to naked men videos. Put yourself in the customers place and create a site that you would pay for and use.

But my real reason for entering this discussion is to ask if anyone has ever considered a two tier membership option, say $14.95 for Flash streaming non-downloadable videos and $24.95 for WMV or MOV videos you can save. It's sort of the difference between "leasing" the content and "buying" it. Consumers are accustomed to the idea of "leasing" in other areas (cars, homes, etc.) so why not porn?

That is a great idea!

Except I would make the "download" price much higher -- prohibitively higher. That way, you are giving them the option, but who would pay for it? The only people who would pay for it are the one's who are going to download the entire site anyway. Might as well pad your pocket if they are going to be doing that.