Six video sharing sites which are great alternatives to YouTube:
Vimeo is a popular video sharing site that was founded in 2004. Vimeo allows users to upload videos in several different formats and has full support for 720p high-definition video. With a desktop uploader users can easily upload multiple videos without visiting the site. They do not allow gaming videos, commercial videos or pornographic content. Basic users (free accounts) are allowed 500 MB per week in uploads. For more features there is an upgrade available, Vimeo Plus, which cost $60 per year. Vimeo plus users get 5000 MB per week in storage space, are allowed to upload unlimited amount of HD videos, can download an unlimited number of videos and get access to more detailed statistics.
Dailymotion has been online since 2005 and is based in Paris, France. The site currently gets over 72 million pageviews per month and is one of the top 50 sites in the world. Standard users can upload MP4, AVI and MOV videos with a resolution of 640×480 (4:3) and 720×480 (16:9) and audio bitrate of 320 kbps stereo. Users who create original content (MotionMaker user account) and official content producers (Official User account) are allowed to upload videos with unlimited length in high definition format (1280×720 resolution). In June 2009 Dailymotion launched their HTML5 player which allows users to view videos without the the need to install the Adobe Flash plugin.
LiveLeak is a video site focusing on media, news and reality-based content such as war, terrorism and politics. The site was founded in 2006 by the company behind Ogrish.com. LiveLeak became well-known in 2007 when the execution video of Saddam Hussein was leaked and posted on the site. Basic membership is free but upgraded users ($9.95/month) get more features, including 500 MB limit on videos, higher quality videos, direct download links, no advertisements and access to the premium forum sections.
Metacafe is a video sharing site that focuses on entertainment. The site was founded in 2002 and currently has over 40 million unique visitors per month. Unlike many video sites, Metacafe does not allow any kind of video to be posted. Instead the site specializes in short-form original content – the average video is just 90 seconds long. Everything on Metacafe is determined entirely by it’s users. Videos are generated by the users and selected, reviewed and rewarded by the community. For example, the thousands of videos that are uploaded each day are reviewed and approved by a panel of 80,000 volunteers.
Hulu is an online video service founded in 2007 that provides content from more than 225 content producers including Fox, NBC, Warner Bros and Paramount. Hulu is ad-supported and provides users with free streaming video of TV-shows such as Glee, Family Guy, The Office and House. The content is currently only offered to users in the United States. Videos can be watched in Flash Video format with a 480p resolution on the Hulu website or in a stand-alone desktop program called Hulu Desktop which is available for Windows, Mac and Linux. Upgrading to a HuluPlus account costs $7.99 per month and gives the user access to 720p (HD) videos and access to full seasons and series of several popular shows.
Break.com is a humor site which provides users with videos, pictures, flash games and other content. The site was launched in 2004 and is one of the top 600 most viewed sites in the world according to Alexa. For uploads, the maximum size is 500 MB per file and a total of 5000 MB per user. A large number of file formats are supported, including mpeg, wmv, divx, avi and mov. For users who produce original content it is possible to earn money if the content is posted on one of Break.com’s featured pages.