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Dailymotion Cloud Video Solution

By , About.com Guide

If you want to take care of your streaming media needs with one simple network, look no further. Dailymotion Cloud is a new turnkey video solution that allows you to upload, encode, stream and host video online. With a simple user interface and straightforward pricing, Dailymotion cloud is a great CDN solution for bloggers and web developers who don't need the customized services of larger CDNs. Not sure yet? Dailymotion cloud offers a free thirty day trial with ten hours of free streaming so you can make sure it's the network for you.

Uploading and Encoding with Dailymotion Cloud:

When you sign up for Dailymotion Cloud you'll be directed to the Dashboard. This is where you can upload videos, customize your streaming media player, and manage pricing and payments.

Uploading videos with Dailymotion Cloud is simple. You can upload video directly from your hard drive or import it from a url. This means if you already have video on your site but would rather host it with DM Cloud, you can upload your old video library into your new user account. In addition, if you already have an account with the Dailymotion.com video sharing site (separate from DM cloud), you can automatically import your videos into the Dashboard.

This may have you wondering, why should I use Dailymotion cloud if I already have a Dailymotion account? DM Cloud allows you to manage all of your videos, and export them to the websites of your choosing. In addition, you can export your video to a website that has pay-per-view options. In short, DM Cloud allows you to have more control over branding, statistics, volume and monetization compared to video sharing sites such as Dailymotion.com and YouTube.

All of the videos you upload to DM Cloud will be encoded with H263 and H264 codecs, and .flv/mp4 file formats. These codecs and formats are great for high quality HD streaming while keeping file sizes to a minimum. An added perk is that DM Cloud doesn't charge extra for HD streaming. Last but not least, DM Cloud uses adaptive streaming, which means your viewers will see the best quality video any given internet connection allows.

Livestreaming with DM Cloud:

It is possible to use DM Cloud as the host for a live streaming event. In order to set up a live streaming event, you'll need to go to the Dashboard, and go to the "Add Media" option. This will allow you to create a new event, but after that you'll need to use a different software such as Flash Media Live Encoder in order to actually send the live recording of the event to the DM Cloud. There is separate pricing for live streaming media depending on your needs. Although DM Cloud doesn't provide complete set-up and support for live streaming events, there is plenty of documentation on the site to help along the way.

Dailymotion Cloud Plans and Pricing:

DM Cloud charges for its service based on viewing hours. There's a handy payment calculator on the site that allows you to project your monthly costs. You can choose to pay up-front, automatically pay as you go with Paypal, or use a check or bank transfer.

All prices as of September 2012

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