Post-Newsweek sites’ expanding home page player
Cory Bergman May 1st, 2007
I was browsing KPRC’s site today, Click2Houston, and I just noticed a nifty home page video player that I thought was worth sharing. One of the big challenges for TV sites these days is effectively integrating a video player on the home page without devouring up too much space — and without ending up with a player that’s too small. The Post-Newsweek sites, which are powered by Internet Broadcasting, have a small player that expands and layers over the home page when played. While the player isn’t perfect, the functionality is slick, if you ask me. Screen grab of player in action…
Adds Warren in comments: “They’ve had this at least 7 months. The only problem with it is that until you notice the ‘play’ word you have little indication its a video player. They need to make it LOOK more like a minature video player… for the longest time, I thought it was just an ad.”
6 Comments Add your own
1. Eric | May 1st, 2007 at 7:20 pm
I like how the KOMO site just integrates it into the top story image:
2. Mike Escutia | May 1st, 2007 at 11:35 pm
I happened to see that expanding video player on one of the P-N stations’ site the other day. It’s pretty neat.
On a related note, I like how IBS has given each station group (Post-Newsweek, Hearst-Argyle, NBC, Meredith, etc.) its own “feel”. This wasn’t the case a few years ago, when all of the sites had the same layout. (Take a look at any Cox-owned station’s website to see the old design still in use.)
3. Mark Moulding | May 2nd, 2007 at 4:32 am
I like that a lot - very slick indeed.
One minor criticism is that the small player that appears when you load the page doesn’t really stand out as it’s a bit dark compared to the rest of the site. But that’s nothing that couldn’t be easily changed.
4. warren reid | May 2nd, 2007 at 6:44 am
They’ve had this at least 7 months…
The only problem with it is that until you notice the “play” word you have little indication its a video player…
They need to make it LOOK more like a minature video player…. for the longest time, I thot it was just an ad.
5. Tom Blahnik | May 2nd, 2007 at 7:19 am
Yeah, an ad with a headline maybe. And a play button. And the words FEATURED VIDEO over the top.
Would a rabbit-ears antenna make it look more like a TV?
6. warren reid | May 2nd, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Ah, Tom. Thanks for just stoping short of saying I am an idiot…
Here is what I mean:
A video icon would help…
Player CONTROLS would help…
A slider would help….
Scaling the image so that it is widescreen proportions OR so it had some player attributes would help…
A BIG play button with the arrow would help (not the tiny one they have now)
Basically it looks anything like video despite words that say video (or a headline — that doesn’t even LOOK like a headline)
KING5’s site, for example, has a video player on it, and it certainly *looks* like a video player.
There are a dozen things to make content look like video and I can’t say that click2houston’s thingie LOOKS like video. (Words don’t convey LOOKS)
Thanks again for your kind words…
Please feel free to call me an idiot — no one cares what becomes of me…
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