Today, SublimeVideo, a cloud-based HTML5 video player service, is launching commercially with plans starting at under $10 per month. Developers will also have access to a free, unlimited plan which they can use for testing purposes. The service, developed by Switzerland-based development and design firm Jilion, allows Web publishers to easily deploy HTML5 video on their websites, without needing to understand the complexities of different browsers versions and their associated specifications.
Instead, with the SublimeVideo service, a plugin-free Web player is provided that uses HTML5 to display the embedded videos Web publishers want to host online. When a user visits a site using an older browser, a “fall back to Flash” mode switches the player to use Adobe Flash technology for more universal compatibility.
We first discovered SublimeVideo back in February 2010, when the company was just beginning to explore the potential of HTML5-enabled Web video. In August, Jilion launched the Video-Player-as-a-Service program, which provided the zero-maintenance deployment of HTML5 compatible Web video players to Web publishers. At the time, the service was in private beta, with invites given out on a first-come, first-serve basis.
But as of today, SublimeVideo is available to all, no invite required.
Pricing Plans
The company struggled with the pricing plans, it admits, saying that figuring out the right model was “more difficult than we initially expected.” Jilion surveyed some 2,000 users about their expectations and based much of its decision surrounding pricing on the feedback it received.
“We decided that all plans will only be differentiated by their volume levels,” notes the company, “and not their feature sets.” That means you don’t have to buy a bigger plan to get the features you need – everyone has access to the same options.
Another nice addition to the service is something called Peak Insurance. This flexible feature lets a publisher temporarily exceed their video pageview limit (as is the case when a video goes viral), without having to upgrade their plan.
Early users of the service include LittleBigPlanet.com, a game website owned by Sony Computer Entertainment, design-focused site MethodandCraft.com and Campl.us, home to the popular Camera+ mobile application.
All plans are available now. Interested publishers can choose theirs here.
