1. Computing
About.com
Desktop Video

Discuss in my forum

Showyou Mobile Video Watching App

By , About.com Guide

The amount of visual media on the web can be daunting. By aggregating the media that pertains to you, and letting you access it through a pleasing user interface, Showyou lets you stay connected and up-to-date with the world of online video.

Overview of Showyou:

Showyou is a social video watching app for the iPhone and iPad that updates by the minute to show you all the most popular videos on the web, including those watched by your friends and family. Showyou integrates directly with your Facebook and Twitter accounts, so that the videos liked by you, your followers, and your friends, end up creating a personalized network of media. Showyou is nominated for a Webby award for Best Social App, and has been called an "Outstanding Social App" by Wired, so it's definitely worth checking out.

Getting Started With Showyou:

Showyou is a really simple app to use. Although you can browse the app without signing in to decide if you like it, you'll really only get the full experience once you sign in with your Facebook or Twitter accounts. Like most apps that integrate with other social media accounts, Showyou will let you decide who sees your activity. Make your account private so that only you can see what you watch on Showyou, or make it so that your friends can see what you're up to.

Showyou will then ask for permission to check out posts in your newsfeed. This is one of the ways Showyou aggregates videos -the app draws from videos that show up on your Facebook homepage and then puts them in your Showyou stream so that you can browse them anywhere, anytime. Once you've integrated your Twitter or Facebook accounts, videos you share on each respective network will also be shared on Showyou.

Building Your Network:

Once you've signed in, Showyou will search for Facebook friends and phone contacts that also use the app. You can choose to follow the friends that it finds, so that every time they post a video it will show up in your notifications. Based on your Facebook or Twitter profile, Showyou will also recommend different channels to you according to your interests.

If you want to look for more friends, go to your profile page. Here you'll be able to synch your Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo, and Tumblr accounts to Showyou. With each account you add, Showyou will find more friends and videos to enhance your viewing experience, and increase the interactivity of the app.

Watching and Sharing Videos With Showyou:

You'll also find a tab that says "Sharing Options" on your profile page. You can share any video to Showyou by sending the link to share@showyou.com, and you can also choose to publish your videos to a web grid. Showyou displays all of the videos a user shares in a personalized cluster called a "Web Grid". Anyone can access your Web Grid by going to showyou.com/username. The Grid presentation is best suited for the iPad, as the larger display allows for a greater selection of videos.

Once you watch a video on Showyou, you can like it or make a comment, both of which will show up in your followers' feeds. You can also share the video via email, Twitter or Facebook, or add it to your "Watch Later" list, so you can check it out when you have more time. Underneath the video, you'll see a list of icons of all the different users who have shared the video. You can browse these users' profiles to see if you share similar interests, or to become a follower.

If you get bored with browsing what's popular, get outside your network and check out Showyou's awesome selection of channels. Ranging from Art & Design, to Comedy, to Knowledge, you might find a channel run by your favorite magazine, blog, or institution - even the Smithsonian has a Showyou channel!

©2013 About.com. All rights reserved.