BrightCove 3: Not Just Another YouTube

Brightcove, a video distribution platform, has undergone major changes that will help make this platform an impressive solution for customers looking to produce and distribute video content on the Web. From tiered pricing to API enhancements, this might be the most impressive release from Brightcove yet.

YouTube Knock-off? Not Even Close!

The average Joe and his grandmother use YouTube these days, and there is nothing wrong with that (besides the endless stream of useless comments). However, what if Joe wanted more control and power with the distribution and publication of video content? Well, that person is no longer average, and that person has to be willing to pay for premium services to get that kind of control and functionality. This is where the discussion of YouTube ends, and Brightcove begins.

Brightcove 3's Main Interface

Brightcove 3.0 Features

Brightcove promises to "change the way you use video." These changes begin with drastic improvements: * Improved interface: Previously, users were required to download complex desktop software to upload and manage videos, but new improvements make the experience more streamlined and efficient. * Customizable players: Having control over a video player's styling and functionality is becoming more important, as companies want to make their customers' viewing experience more interactive and appealing. A simple language similar to HTML allows developers to make these customizations. * Improved delivery methods: Do those viewers need HD quality video or the kind that will operate on a mobile phone? It no longer matters because the Brightcove platform enables various methods of video formats and methods of viewing. This ensures that viewers on any connection and various devices can view video content. * API enhancements: One of the more important features is the inclusion of more control through the API. Publishers will have control over adverting while enabling them to add social media plugins as well. Videos will also be made visible to search engines. Finally, information about the video can be pulled and displayed on HTML pages. This is extremely useful functionality for a media format that was previously limited in previous times.

Entering Information About Videos

Tiered Pricing

Another significant change for Brightcove is the adoption of a tiered pricing system, which offers increasing prices for additional features and storage. The three packages -- basic, professional and enterprise -- range from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars; this stuff is not cheap. Hopefully, this will lead to Brightcove's profitability in the future. Each package has its differences. For example, the basic package offers plenty of features but lacks the ability to integrate advertising or heavily customize players. That is fine for distributing video, but pointless if a company wants to generate revenue with their video content (who doesn't these days?).

Tiered Pricing Packages

The professional and enterprise packages seem much more appropriate for business usage. The primary differences between those packages are the amount of storage, API calls and management options.

A Bright Future?

Unfortunately, all this comes with a severe cost that the company has yet to recover. "We are not profitable, but our burn rate continues to go down. We don’t expect to have to raise additional money based on our growth," Brightcove CEO Jeremy Allaire told TechCrunch. The poor economic situation certainly can't be helping Brightcove's efforts. If Brightcove's content delivery network is able to weather this economic crisis, it might be the company's opportunity to really make serious revenue -- everyone knows that video is the future of the commercial Internet. There are those that produce video and those that will enable producers to distribute it. Until we see the day when producers can easily and financially accomplish the tasks that Brightcove handles, this business would appear to be pretty bright for the company.