Vimeo Changing it's File Storage Policy

**Ian-T** · 2009 July 1st, 19:45

I have not seen any one mention this here yet but Vimeo, starting August 1, is putting a cap on how long our original files are stored on their site. They are planning on giving "free" users only one week to keep their original video files (in the format you saved it) and then they will delete them. What they plan on doing instead is re-converting our footage to a lower resolution .MP4 file for others to download. Nothing changes for Plus users by the way. You can read about this here:

http://www.vimeo.com/blog:215

I'm not sure I like this because the file they will be using is the same low res file that is being played in their browser. I understand their need to save server space and be competetive but honestly, if the quality on their site were to be the same as it was over a year ago then I wouldn't mind so much. So, really, what this means is our best bet is to upload the highest possible data rate file so that when we take that hit...it won't be as bad. But still....we will take a hit.

**Ian-T** · 2009 July 1st, 19:54

I have to say though...at least they are giving us "some" time to download original source material. Regardless of how much I like or dislike this change I think Vimeo is doing our community good with this type of service. After all....they do have to find ways to generate funds to stay in business. And I would hate to see them drift away like how Stage 6 drifted away.

**CycleWriter** · 2009 July 1st, 20:36

I'm mad at the whole thing with Vimeo.

I hate that they started out as a free service to attract people and get a huge database of user info (that they can now sell to advertisers) and then shifted gears to become something completely different. If the free model was unsustainable, so be it, but I would like them to purge all my personal info from their service when I close my account in August.

**tvnewsbadge** · 2009 July 1st, 20:46

Originally Posted by Ian-T

I have to say though...at least they are giving us "some" time to download original source material.

I'm not so sure this makes any difference to me. I don't care if anyone downloads my stuff , but that's not why I put it up there. I put it up there to be linked to my various blogs and whatnot.
If anyone wants high quality copy, I'd rather they contact me anyway.

**Eugenia Loli-Queru** · 2009 July 1st, 20:46

Vimeo is doing the WRONG thing. Vimeo has attracted pros and enthusiasts, people who CARE to download the original file for one reason or another. But obviously, Vimeo doesn't know how to maintain that niche. I wrote a long post about a potential strategy for them, but it all went to the toilet it seems: http://vimeo.com/forums/topic:9423

Speaking for myself, because I offer Creative Commons videos, this would suck if people are not able to download the higher quality versions. They can't properly remix them in low quality sh*t.

It all makes me sad, because I really like Vimeo and its aura.

**Eugenia Loli-Queru** · 2009 July 1st, 21:02

I just talked to someone at Vimeo, they insist the company is in good health and they do whatever makes sense for them after having researched the issue.

**Eugenia Loli-Queru** · 2009 July 1st, 21:09

As for the VGA issue I mentioend above, apparently all videos are now getting re-trancoded in VGA, but the windowed version in the site's design is still 504px. You need to watch something in full screen (with scaling OFF) to watch it in 640px.

They also said that their HD re-encoding is now 30p too, not just 24/25 fps.

1 · 2009 July 2nd, 07:11

Great!

It would be cool if these streaming sites all went away, and we'd watch movies the old-fashioned way: by uploading a file somewhere and either downloading it through a link, or using QT's fast start.

Sorry, was never a fan of YT or VIMEO, and all the others anyway...
I prefer my uploaded movie to be watched the way I upload it (or as close to that as possible), not a re-encoded version with ads, adware or spyware all over the place, or a requirement to login (not that YT or Vimeo has ALL of those things).

**Rumpelgeist** · 2009 July 2nd, 09:02

I can understand them, but I hate they lured people with free stuff and now take it away. They even make it retroactive. I am pissed, but not because people won't be able to download my stuff (no one does), but because I am losing faith in them -- what they will take away next time?

**threadhanger** · 2009 July 2nd, 09:30

So, it would seem a Youtube account with a link to a free storage site of the original file is the way to go? Anyone know of any good storage sites? I'm not sure what the correct term is.

**net** · 2009 July 2nd, 09:49

Originally Posted by threadhanger

Anyone know of any good storage sites?

28 Free File Storage Hosting Websites

Not all the sites have an image in the article...look on the left side of the page for any site with an underlines link - whether it has a site screenshot or not.

**threadhanger** · 2009 July 2nd, 10:16

Originally Posted by net

28 Free File Storage Hosting Websites

Not all the sites have an image in the article...look on the left side of the page for any site with an underlines link - whether it has a site screenshot or not.

Good call, Net. Do you know, by any chance, which one of these is the best?

**net** · 2009 July 2nd, 12:32

I remember I had that bookmarked, so I thought I would pass it along.

Out of those, I've only used MegaUpload..it does this thing (for the free accounts) where it makes you wait a minute before download - as you look at their details for the paid version.

I don't know about the others, check them out/maybe someone else has experience with them.

**Rikki** · 2009 July 2nd, 13:35

Vimeo gets worse. If YT offered a paid service at a decent price and didnt limit to 10mins I'd be a happy camper.

Thankfully Ive got a few director accounts from before the lock

**Lightloch** · 2009 July 2nd, 13:35

All/most free upload/storage sites will delete the file after something like 90 days, and only offer limited amounts of downloads of individual files (something around 10 downloads only).

To me, this isn't the end of the world. Vimeo still offers great quality streaming for the price (basic free). A minor setback for some, perhaps, but it is free after all, and I don't want to imagine the cost it is to them with increased bandwidth traffic these days.

Does YouTube even offer downloading at all? I don't think so if I remember correctly off-hand. YT doesn't even allow you to "replace" existing videos with improved versions. All in all, Vimeo is still a better service.

**Ian-T** · 2009 July 2nd, 13:43

Originally Posted by Lightloch

YT doesn't even allow you to "replace" existing videos with improved versions. All in all, Vimeo is still a better service.

AHHAAA!!!! Maybe this is a loophole we could work around. It just means we would have to archive all of our own videos and "re-upload' when we want to share with others.

**Rumpelgeist** · 2009 July 2nd, 13:57

Originally Posted by Lightloch

Does YouTube even offer downloading at all? I don't think so if I remember correctly off-hand. YT doesn't even allow you to "replace" existing videos with improved versions. All in all, Vimeo is still a better service.

The point is not who is better NOW. The point is what they will remove NEXT. Their change is retroactive, which does not instill confidence in me.

**Maxwell** · 2009 July 2nd, 15:41

Soooo basically Vimeo is saying: UPGRADE TO VIMEO PLUS?

**zigi-zigi** · 2009 July 2nd, 17:39

Youtube actually does store SOME of the original videos and there are ways to download them, not officially, though.

Just google for "download HD from youtube" or something.

In particular, I use this service to download HD videos in max quality from YT:

www.keephd.com

Just enter the YT link and click on download button.

It does not allow downloading EVERY HD video out there, however.

I've tired that with my own HD videos and they're exactly the same they were before uploading. However, I compress all of my HD stuff to 5 mbps mp4 before uploading. That is probably why they are left untouched.

I guess there's some limit above which YT decides whether to leave the uploaded video as it is or to recompress it. That's the way it was before they went HD, BTW. I believe that it does not store originals uploaded in HDV, AVCHD etc space consuming formats.

And, more to it, the whole HD thing at YT is officially at beta stage. No guarantees whatsoever that they will keep their policies, technical standards, formats etc.

As for Vimeo, certainly, that new policy is a bummer, and I cannot say that I'm very happy about it, but let's face the truth - if every new owner of 5DM2 as well as other fresh fancy-gear (and they grow in number rapidly) starts uploading every "cat test" that he made in those new crazy-bitrate formats, there's simply not enough storage to place them all. Time to wake up to reality, this was going to happen sooner or later as the amount of information that circulates around the net grows exponentially. It's not just about the money, there are physical limits to any growth, first and foremost.

**CycleWriter** · 2009 July 2nd, 18:50

It's not so much the change as the way it is being implemented. The people that helped build the service get short shrift, as usual. Between this and their stupid TOS I will not be a Vimeo customer/supporter much longer.

**Redge** · 2009 July 2nd, 19:54

I can see why it can be problematic for some people, but to be honest, you can't realy blame Vimeo for doing this. Everyone know that bandwidth/hosting for that kind of service isn't cheap.

And 60$/year isn't that much when you think about it.

**tvnewsbadge** · 2009 July 2nd, 20:32

Originally Posted by CycleWriter

I will not be a Vimeo customer/supporter much longer.

There's a great line in "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly" spoken by the Eli Wallach character:
"If you going to shoot, then SHOOT, don't talk".

**CycleWriter** · 2009 July 2nd, 20:35

Originally Posted by tvnewsbadge

There's a great line in "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly" spoken by the Eli Wallach character:
"If you going to shoot, then SHOOT, don't talk".

Dude, this is a discussion forum. Why do you feel the need to try and shut me up? I expressed my opinion. Don't like it, STFU and move on.

**tvnewsbadge** · 2009 July 2nd, 20:53

Originally Posted by CycleWriter

Dude, this is a discussion forum. Why do you feel the need to try and shut me up? I expressed my opinion. Don't like it, STFU and move on.

Not trying to shut anybody up, just pointing out, in a creative, amusing and entertaining fashion, that I've heard this line from you a few times before.

If you're offended, I certainly apologize. No need to get harsh.

I guess you missed the big fat "smiley". It's the law on the Internet that if you include a "smiley", you can say what you want and no one can take offense because it means the statement was not meant to be taken seriously.

**CycleWriter** · 2009 July 2nd, 22:32

Originally Posted by tvnewsbadge

Not trying to shut anybody up, just pointing out, in a creative, amusing and entertaining fashion, that I've heard this line from you a few times before.

If you're offended, I certainly apologize. No need to get harsh.

I guess you missed the big fat "smiley". It's the law on the Internet that if you include a "smiley", you can say what you want and no one can take offense because it means the statement was not meant to be taken seriously.

You should have put the smiley at the end of your missive. I almost never see the titles when I'm reading a reply.

Thread: Vimeo Changing it's File Storage Policy

Thread Tools

Display

Vimeo Changing it's File Storage Policy

Does it really matter?

So go already

Not trying to shut anybody up

Posting Permissions