Vimeo, one of our favorite online video services, just announced a number of interesting updates. In the near future, Vimeo plans to give its users the ability to use an Adobe AIR desktop tool to upload videos to the service. These videos will also play in a larger video player. In addition, Vimeo plans to introduce a more advanced stats package for users with paid accounts.
All of these updates are forthcoming, but you can already request access to the desktop uploader here.
Desktop Uploader
The desktop uploader will allow Vimeo users to upload multiple videos at the same time. Users also won’t have to worry about browser time-outs anymore, and the uploader will make it easy to pause and resume uploads if necessary.
Stats
The new stats package will aggregate data about likes and plays, referrer data, HD vs. SD plays, loads and finishes, as well as information about how often a video was shared and downloaded. Most of these features will be available only to users with paid accounts, though some of the more basic functions will also come to Vimeo’s free accounts as well.
While the desktop uploader should be available fairly soon, Vimeo stated only that the advanced stats would be launched “before the end of the year.”
Overall, it looks like Vimeo is on the right track with these updates. The uploader is useful, but the stats are a must for a paid online video service these days. Some of Vimeo’s competitors like Blip and Viddler also offer stats, though Vimeo’s new stats look to be far more in-depth than what its competitors currently offer.
