WordPress Introduces VideoPress
WordPress recently released VideoPress, an upgrade that takes the guesswork out of uploading, embedding, and sharing HD quality videos on your WordPress blog. Here’s a video about VideoPress using the VideoPress player:
At first glance, I wasn’t sure how this was any different from uploading your video content to YouTube and embedding it on your blog (other than the fact that it costs about $5 a month), but here are the key features:
- Automatic Video Transcoding
- Podcast Ready
- HD Inside
- Consistent Frame Rate
- Basic Viewing Stats
- Open Source
- Price
Once you upload your video it is automatically transcoded to be played in standard quality, DVD quality, and 1280 x 720 HD quality (depending on the original file)
Here is where VideoPress starts to differentiate itself. All the videos you upload to your library are automatically added to an MRSS feed that is optimized for iTunes, Miro, and other Feed Readers. This makes creating a podcast feed easy and automatic. No more hand coding your MRSS feed each time you record a new podcast or dealing with feed generation software.
All VideoPress embedded videos have the option of viewing in HD.
The frame rate of your video stays the same as the source video you upload. So, if you upload a 30fps video it will play smoothly at 30fps online.
VideoPress currently gives you the ability to monitor basic stats on your videos like views, and embeds; However, I’m hopeful that even more tracking and advertising are in the works because VideoPress is…
The entire VideoPress WordPress video player and transcoder is under the GPL and open to the world, and you know what happens when the world gets involved ? Things get awesome, that’s what.
Although VideoPress is under the GPL doesn’t mean its free. Right now you’ll need a WordPress.com account and about $5 a month to begin uploading videos to VideoPress.
For more information be sure to check out the Official VideoPress Announcement from Wordpress.
