While YouTube’s whole business is based on video, both of the UGC and professional kind, Facebook is first and foremost a social network. However, adding new video options means Facebook is now competing with YouTube on a fairly equal footing.
Facebook Vs. YouTube
YouTube has built, and continues to build, its business on video. Sure, the business so far isn’t proving very profitable, but Google is slowly but surely aiming to change that via a whole raft of new measures.
Facebook, on the other hand, has built its business on connecting people, offering everyone the chance to keep in touch with friends, message them, and generally provide an online diary/companion.
Web 2.0
But Web 2.0, which both of these sites belong to by offering a certain level of organization and streamlining of the Internet, means the sites converge into one another at various points. YouTube offers some social networking options, and Facebook offers videos.
High Definition
YouTube has just introduced high-definition video to its roster, and now Facebook has followed suit. There is also now the option to embed Facebook videos on other Web sites. So, could Facebook be about to beat YouTube at its own game?
As announced on the Facebook Blog the same day as YouTube HD started appearing, higher quality video with resolutions up to 1280 by 720 pixels is now a reality on Facebook. Higher quality audio codec support has also been added to Facebook video.
This move was a must, especially in the face of YouTube doing the same thing. It means any bands or movie studios that have balked at the idea of uploading a grainy video clip can now put an HD quality video on the site instead.
Video Embedding
But, not only that, they can then embed the videos around the Internet on personal or professional Web sites. This is a really key point because it’s previously been hard to gain promote or gain traction on any content uploaded to the walled garden that is Facebook.
Unlike YouTube, a Facebook video can only be embedded by the person who uploads it. They also have control over who can watch that video, opting to either allow everyone to see it, or only Facebook friends who are signed in.
MySpace In Sight
Facebook is a long way behind YouTube in terms of video views, but these new options should help the site better compete with the video sharing market leader. MySpace is certainly in its sights, and that would be a sweet victory for Zuckerberg and company.
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