Tag: announcements
2011: Year in Review
by Dave Otten, CEO on January 09, 2012
With 2011 behind us and beginning of 2012 well on its way, I thought that it would be a good time to share some of our progress over the past twelve months.
In short, 2011 was an amazing year for LongTail Video. We experienced incredible customer growth across all of our products (more on that below) and successfully released a number of fantastic new products and features. Here are a few of the highlights:
- Over 1.5M sites now actively use our products
- Launched HTML5 support in the JW Player
- Released our new content syndication product called LongTail.tv
- Introduced Bits on the Run Free accounts for our users
- Achieved positive net income and cash flow for the entire year
Of course, all of this could not have been possible without the ongoing support of our customers and community, which provide us with an invaluable feedback on what the market needs. Our entire team cannot thank you enough for all of your input.
Looking forward, we have several exciting product releases on the horizon that we think will further cement our position as the leading provider of affordable video tools for publishers seeking to manage and monetize their online video. We look forward to working with you to ensure that we are meeting your expectations.
Thanks again for your incredible support. Here’s to another great year in 2012!
Best Wishes,
Dave
JW Player 5.8 Released with Support for HTML5 Video Ads
by Pablo Schklowsky on October 18, 2011
This release of the JW Player 5.8 focuses heavily on stability HTML5 playback and secure plugin loading. The major addition is support for HTML5 video advertising for Google DFP and YuMe users. Read more to find out what's new.
Ads in HTML5 Mode
JW Player 5.8 introduces support for HTML5 video advertising. Users of the JW Player have become accustomed to providing a consistent user experience independent of the browser or device of their viewers, but until now the player didn't offer HTML5 video advertising support. With JW Player 5.8, we now enable HTML5 video ad support for both Google DFP and YuMe publishers - allowing users to run video and companion ads on iOS devices (iPhone/iPad). Check them out: Google Interactive Media Ads (IMA) & YuMe.
Increased Stability in HTML5 Mode
With the release of JW5.8, we took the opportunity to focus on video playback in HTML5 mode. Thanks to all the feedback you have given us, we've been able isolate the outstanding issues, and greatly improve the stability in HTML5 mode. We are always working to seamlessly integrate Flash and HTML5 modes, so please keep the feedback coming. For a detailed list of specific HTML5 improvements, see our developer site.
Secure Plugin Loading
If you manage a secure website, then you are probably familiar with the mixed content security warnings generated by browsers, particularly IE, when embedding the JW Player on a secure page. This was due to the fact that the JW Player always loaded its plugins over HTTP. JW Player 5.8 now detects if it is running on a secure page and loads its plugins over HTTP or HTTPS accordingly. Publishers embedding on Facebook should find this particularly helpful!
Download the JW Player 5.8
You can download the JW Player 5.8 for Flash and HTML5 here. As always, we would love to hear your feedback on the release. Just post your comments directly to this blog.
For a complete list of the tickets addressed in JW Player 5.8, please visit our developer site.
Introducing: Bits on the Run Free
by LongTail Video on July 20, 2011
We're excited today to announce the introduction of Bits on the Run Free, a new type of Bits on the Run account which provides a zero cost way for publishers to get started with video. Instead of our previous 30-day Trial Membership, customers can now sign up for Bits on the Run and keep a Free Account... forever.
Bits on the Run Free
Our new Bits on the Run Free Account is recommended for bloggers, individuals and sites just getting started with video. Bits on the Run Free allows users to store and stream their videos at no cost, with full access to the Bits on the Run dashboard - including its player customization options, transcoding system, JW Player plugin support, API and rich video analytics.
What's in a Free Account?
- 1 GB of Platform Usage - allowing users to manage a roughly 1 hour video library free of charge.
- 5 GB of Video Delivery Per Month - which supports about 20 hours of video streaming per month.
Interested? Give it a try! Sign up for Bits on the Run Free.
Bits on the Run Pro
If you're looking for more than what Bits on the Run Free offers, we recommend you upgrade to Bits on the Run Pro. A Pro Account removes monthly limits and follows our unique Pay-As-You-Go Pricing, meaning you only pay for what you use. Included in a Pro Account is premium support, priority transcoding, an extensive reseller program and more!
We generally recommend a Bits on the Run Pro Account for medium to large sites with an online video presence. Read more about the new Bits on the Run pricing plans, and decide which account is best for you. If you're unsure of what account best suits your needs, contact us more information.
Ready to Get Started?
Sign-up for your Free or Pro Account today, upload and publish video to your site with ease and get your video workflow rolling! To learn more about Bits on the Run Free, read the official press release here.
JW Player 5.7: All about HTML5 Playlists
by Pablo Schklowsky on June 23, 2011
This release of the JW Player 5.7 focuses heavily on lifting HTML5 support closer to parity with Flash. The most glaring gap had been the lack of support for XML playlists and for a visual playlist UI component. We're happy to announce that those features are now available. Read more to find out what's new.
RSS Playlists in HTML5
The title says it all. You can now load RSS and mRSS (RSS with "media" extensions) directly into a player running in HTML5 mode. Please note, JavaScript applications must comply with browsers' Same-Origin policy, although there are a couple of workarounds.
Visual HTML5 Playlist Component
You can now scroll through your playlist with a visual component in HTML5 mode. This much-requested feature comes with full skinning support and works in desktop browsers as well as in iOS. Here it is in action:
This example even works on iOS!
Improved Plugin Control Over UI Elements
Calling all plugin developers: plugins can now keep track of when UI elements appear and disappear. This enables interactive plugins (e.g., sharing or advertising) can position themselves properly depending on whether or not the player's built-in controls are visible.
Stability and Performance Enhancements
This release contains 38 bug fixes and player enhancements, making the player more stable than ever before. See the release notes for more details.
Download the JW Player 5.7
You can download the JW Player 5.7 for Flash and HTML5 here. As always, we would love to hear your feedback on the release. Just post your comments directly to this blog.
JW Player 5.6 Adds Support for Audio Files in HTML5, plus YouTube HD
by Pablo Schklowsky on April 28, 2011
While the JW Player version 5.5 release added some exciting new developer capabilities, JW Player 5.6 focuses on bringing publishers a few useful features.
Support for Audio Files in HTML5
Ever since the JW Player introduced support for HTML5 mode back in JW 5.3, we've had a lot of feedback requesting that audio files be playable in HTML5 mode as well. With 5.6, you can now play your MP3, AAC or Ogg Vorbis audio files in HTML5 mode. Just remember that the player relies on each browser's support for any particular media format.
Better YouTube Integration, Including YouTube HD
The player has upgraded its internal integration with YouTube to their latest "chromeless" player. This impacts JW Player users in a couple of ways:
- YouTube HD support — One of the first things you'll notice is that YouTube videos will automatically switch to the HD version if it's available (and if the player window is large enough to accommodate it). If your player window is smaller than the HD version, don't worry - the player will automatically switch to HD in fullscreen mode.
- No more yt.swf — Previous versions of the JW Player included a little helper file, yt.swf. This file is no longer needed; as of JW5.6, the player's YouTube integration is now internal.
- Ad-supported content — As we pointed out in a recent blog post, YouTube has begun blocking certain content that they or their partners consider monetizable. JW 5.6 includes support for ads placed by YouTube over this content, allowing it to be embedded on your site.
This release also consists of some additional enhancements:
- Better tabbing support for browsers and screen readers
- Ability for plugins and JavaScript to show / hide the dock and controlbar
- Ability to pass complete JavaScript (JSON) objects into the player via the JW Embedder
- New onSeek event in the JavaScript API
For a detailed list of tickets, please see this list.
You can download the JW Player 5.6 for Flash and HTML5 here. As always, feel free to post your feedback in the comments section directly below.
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