Video Hosting
Video hosting refers to the location/domain where your video’s source file is stored. Video hosting services such as Youtube or Vimeo allows you to upload your video clip to an internet website for viewing. The video source file is stored on that website’s server.
Video hosting services such as Youtube provide you with a variety of options to control the look and feel of your video such as custom titles and descriptions. The advantages to using a video hosting service is that you can be sure your video will (for the most part) always play smoothly because the V.H.S. has a strong server with maximum bandwidth tn ensure your video can be viewed by numerous individuals simultaneously without the fear of your video stalling or crashing.
Disadvantages of using a V.H.S. is that depending on which one you choose, you are at the mercy of their watermarks or brand control of your video. For example, if you are sending a high end video to a client, you may not want that pesky “youtube” watermark to mess up the classiness of the video content. Additionally, your video may be subject to video pop up ads or outros that do not jive with your style. While the larger video hosting services will provide maximum exposure for your video, they are generally the ones who maintain the most brand control
If you are looking for full control over your video, then you’ll need to embed a video player in your website and host the video from your server. Your I.T. department, media solutions partner or genius cousin who only communicates in binary code will likely be the only people that can help you achieve this. FLash (FLV) players are the most efficient and will will be your best option for smooth playback (depending on the size of your video). The disadvantage to hosting a video on your own server is that the playback fluidity
Embedding Video
Embedding video in your website is the relationship of your video’s hosting method in conjunction with its display mode. If you “embed” your video into your website through a video hosting service, you will be subject to all the display controls that you are also subject to on the host site ie) youtube watermark, google ads. While embedding video from a popular V.H.S. guarantees the fastest stream and highest quality you may want to opt for reduced quality in exchange for full manual control of the video’s presentation.