DELIVERY - Digital Video with download link after purchase?

[Silas Barker]

Hey guys,

I have been shooting some live events for quite some time where the audience purchase a DVD and usually there are several hundred DVDs made per year.

Recently my client and I have discussed the option of moving away from DVD to either digital copies of the show or Blu Ray. I prefer Digital.

Does anyone have any experience with a paypal payment system that emails you the download link after you purchase? The link could only work once so that people don't share the show for free.

Any suggestions??

Thanks!

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Silas Barker

The link could only work once so that people don't share the show for free.

Once the first customer gets the link they can downloaded it to their computer then make as many copies as they like. Have you thought this through?

[Silas Barker]

Now that's a interesting thought! I had not - any ideas or solutions?

[Mark Williams]

Might want to look at Vimeo on Demand. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/startselling

[Silas Barker]

$199 a year for a couple shows a year seems a little steep to me - but its a good idea; I'll see what else we can come up with

[Mark Williams]

Well a cheaper option on Vimeo (if they allow it) would be to provide a password after payment is received but then there is an issue of the password being given away for free.

[Vince Pachiano]

You don't mention what relationship the audience has with each other.
Are they parents of the participant, where they all have each other's email?
Are they total stranger, and thus less likely to share a download.

[Chris Harding]

We have a guy here that does shows and supplies a USB on the same night ...they just churn them out with no editing and the people pay and pick up. You could also do a PayPal link but physically mail them a USB which is a little less prone to "sharing" than a digital download. PayPal has code that sends people to a download link but as Nigel says once they have the video they can give away copies for free to all their friends. Then again they can also copy a DVD but with physical media they are less inclined to do so as it involves extra work. Whatever you do, be it disk, USB or download people will still copy it if they want to!!

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Most people like something physical that has artwork and that they can easily play on their large screen tv.

It also gets expensive hosting and maintaining large videos. How long do they stay available? What are the legality of distributing videos that often has copyrighted material in it?
It opens up a can of worms.

The real question is why do you want to do it?

[James Manford]

Stick to physical media.

I personally do not trust cloud. It is the most unreliable method of delivery / backing up. Can be hacked, accessed by anyone, restricted, changed etc.

[Kyle Root]

I thought we discussed this a few weeks ago... Maybe somewhere else.

Anyway, for my dance recitals, I'm moving to a mandatory $15 media fee as part of the recital cost.

Every student pays in. Then the studio cuts me a check for the total. So if 100 kids, then $1500.

In return, I upload every dance to smugmug and then there is a password protected gallery. At that point, they can download and share away.

I'm scared to do a pay then download because at that point it's too easy for everyone to copy. Id rather have everyone pay in.

I'll still offer DVDs of the whole show, but this moves me in to the digital delivery with minimal risk of financial loss due to copying.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

The part that all students pay into a pool makes sense it lowers the cost for everyone while making it worth your while.

Sure it's easier to distribute it digitally for you but everyone wants a physical copy of the video. This isn't a netflix movie that once they've seen it they don't need it anymore. It's a time capsule of their kid they'll want to hold on to. Yeah they downloaded it but what if their computer dies and how are they going to watch it on their tv?

Digital download should only be an extra feature that sets you apart from the competition not the primary delivery method.

[Vince Pachiano]

Originally Posted by Kyle Root

Anyway, for my dance recitals, I'm moving to a mandatory $15 media fee as part of the recital cost.

I shoot several recitals where some kids dance one dance, and some dance 10 dances.
You better believe those parents with only one dance hate paying full-fare for one dance

Originally Posted by Kyle Root

I'll still offer DVDs of the whole show, but this moves me in to the digital delivery with minimal risk of financial loss due to copying.

My recitals are always more than 60 minutes, thus I use double-layer DVD's. While dual layer DVD's are just as easy to copy, most common-people do not know about them, and don't purchase 2x blanks.

[Mike Watson]

Originally Posted by Pete Cofrancesco

Sure it's easier to distribute it digitally for you but everyone wants a physical copy of the video. This isn't a netflix movie that once they've seen it they don't need it anymore. It's a time capsule of their kid they'll want to hold on to. Yeah they downloaded it but what if their computer dies and how are they going to watch it on their tv.

The digital download will still be rattling around with their digital photo collection in 50 years. The DVD-R will have long since had the dye wear off and be unreadable.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

I have dvds that are 20+ years old that work. In that same period of time I have had many hard drives fail and computer come and go and video codecs change.

Most people of the generation who buy dance recitals don't use a computer to watch movies. It's like arguing that digital books can out last paper books. While it might be true in theory it isn't in the real world and is misleading. It is easier to lose digital files than physical copies. But you don't need to convince me just do digital delivery and everything should be fine.