Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Instagram Allows Longer Videos In Challenge To YouTube (nbcnews.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the ready-aim-fire dept.

On Wednesday, Instagram launched a new long-form video portal called IGTV, "marking one of the biggest shifts in the app's history," reports NBC News. The new app will rival YouTube, allowing people to post videos up to one hour in length and start their own channels. One of the key differences between IGTV and YouTube will be the user interface: IGTV will be in the vertical format. From the report: IGTV will be a part of Instagram's explore tab and will also be a standalone app, where people can watch vertical videos from "many hundreds of creators" who Instagram worked with to help populate the platform ahead of the launch. Some accounts have privileges letting them post videos lasting as long as an hour, co-founder Kevin Systrom said.

"Right now, we are focused on building engagement, and right now, there are no ads in IGTV from day one," Systrom said, adding that he sees an opportunity for creators to monetize their followings in the future, similar to how they already can on YouTube. Systrom said IGTV is run by a small team, but noted that the company would be staffing up its moderation team to ensure content on the new platform adheres to Instagram's rules.

7 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. Yeah.. by Mr0bvious · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Vertical format videos. That sounds awesome.

    sigh.

    --
    Never happened. True story.
    1. Re: Yeah.. by cayenne8 · · Score: 2

      I wonder if they'll ban gun videos too, or any other perfectly legal activities/topics....that might go against their political bent?

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  2. Re:"vertical format" by mccalli · · Score: 2

    Yeah, targeting the one demographic that's always on their phones sounds like a really bad idea...

  3. Vertical Video Syndrome - a PSA by OzPeter · · Score: 2

    From 6 fridge years ago Vertical Video Syndrome - A PSA

    Don't people ever learn??

    --
    I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
  4. Public service by drinkypoo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    One of the key differences between IGTV and YouTube will be the user interface: IGTV will be in the vertical format.

    Let's hope all the dillholes who currently post their vertical videos to YT take them to IGTV instead. Then I can just never, ever go to IGTV and my user experience will be improved.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  5. Controls.... by Vrallis · · Score: 2

    Maybe we'll finally get a fucking volume control on videos?

  6. Re:No web interface? by iampiti · · Score: 2

    We've been going backwards in terms to device and OS agnosticy since the first apps for smartphones were developed. Before that information and applications were steadily migrating to being available on web browsers and that let be user be less dependent on the underlying OS.
    After smartphone apps were introduced some services went to be only available through said apps, others give advantages to app users (e.g. Just Eat in ,at least my country, gives special discounts only if you order through their app). This gives more power to Google and Apple and the app makers and makes life harder for users.