Adhere to Rights Restrictions While Enabling User Embeds with the Smart Embed Feature

Allowing users to embed videos in their own blogs and websites is one of the best ways to increase distribution and views on your content. However, due the rights restrictions many of our customers have had to eliminate the ability for users to embed videos because playback must be restricted to a specific website.

Thinking about this problem our team came up with a new feature we like to call Smart Embed. Instead of preventing users from being able to embed the video content, instead we allow users to embed the thumbnail for the video and the associated tune in banner. When the user clicks to watch the video, instead of playing in place, it actually links them to a location where the video can be watched.

Take a look at these examples:

While the playback for this video is happening on snappytv.com we can also redirect this to play on your own site, Facebook fan page or blog. We're pretty excited about this innovation in how your fans and viewers can embed your content and would love to hear what you have say about it.

Pushing Video Content to SnappyTV

Our team at SnappyTV has been hard at work, and we've now made it simple for content owners interested in using or testing the SnappyTV platform to push their live video into our system. Send us an email at contact@snappytv.com, and we'll designate an RTMP address and stream name location for your video. For example:

• Address - rtmp://test.server.snappytv/live/
• Stream Name - yourcontenthere

From there, update the settings on your encoding product to match the SnappyTV preferred encoder settings (below) and start working with our team to test the feed. It's that easy.

We Partnered with ABC News to cover the 2012 GOP Debate

SnappyTV and ABC News teamed up to cover the 2012 GOP Debate on ABC News last night. We powered instant highlights that appeared as they happened on ABCnews.com. These clips were shared on Facebook and Twitter and the traffic was substantial. Plus it was a lot of fun to be the first to share the big moments. Here's to sharing more events soon.

SnappyTV Playlist Widget

We're now making snaps (either that you create or that your fans create) available through a widget that can be embedded on your web site or within second screen apps. The widget is smart enough to detect what device a user is on and serve up the appropriate playback format - Flash for the web and HTML5 Video for tablets and smartphones. Of course we've tightly integrated social sharing into the player as well, so highlights can be shared to Twitter and Facebook. It's also smart enough so that is someone is looking at the widget while the show is live, any new highlights will popup for that user.

Take a look at it in action with our partner FOX Sports North daily sports talk show KFAN:

FOX Sports Prep Zone: Top High School Football Plays of 2011

It has been a great season working closely with the FOX Sports team to bring instant highlights of high school football to fans across the country. Here are some of the Most Viewed Plays so far this season:

1. St. Bonaventure at Oaks Christian (California)
Holding against the Seraphs leads to a safety! Lions increase their lead to 29-24, but Seraphs still within striking distance...

2. Valencia v. Hart at College of the Canyons (California)
Under a minute left, ball is tipped but Tim White makes an unbelievable grab for the 39-yd TD. Hart wins it 19-14.

3. Marlington at Louisville (Ohio)
Marlington answers with Dymonte Thomas 67-yard TD rush, blocked XP makes score 21-20, Dukes down 1 to Marlington

4. Harvard-Westlake at St. Francis (California)
McCreary boots in his 3rd FG for the game winner, St. Francis tops Harvard-Westlake, 23-20.

5. Mira Costa vs Loyola (California)
Loyola QB Nick Cotton with a long bomb to WR Kodi Whitfield, Cubs up 7-0 on Mira Costa

6. Janesville Parker at Verona (Wisconsin)
Verona QB Jake Hauser does it himself and scrambles for a long TD. Verona leads Janesville Parker 49-21.

7. Harrison at Kings (Ohio)
Harrison QB Marcus Woelfel 74 Yrd TD strike to WR Kyle Nowlin, then Nowlin kicks the extra point

8. East Ridge at Woodbury (Minnesota)
Woodbury denies the East Ridge Raptors extra point try, and escape with a 35-34 victory!

9. University School v. Chaminade-Madonna (Florida)
Frosh RB Jordan Scarlett 68-yard TD run for University School

10. Rockhurst v. Jefferson City (Missouri)
#18 Ryan Tanner makes the winning field goal in double overtime for the first win Jefferson City has had against Rockhurst since 1999!

PBS NewsHour Covers Obama’s Job Speech

Today we launched an integration with Storify and we're already getting some great attention. PBS NewsHour used the integration to bring its coverage of President Obama's job speech to life.

Include Instant Highlights of President Obama’s Job Speech in Your Storify Stories

Jobs and the Economy. It's at the top of most everyone's mind and President Obama's speech on jobs and the economy tomorrow is going to have the undivided attention of millions of eyes and ears. But once the speech is over, what tools do journalists have to provide the best coverage in a timely manner?

We are pleased to announce that we are debuting an integration with the social news authoring service Storify, that allows Storify users to instantly include clips from live TV into their Storify stories as they air on TV. The possibilities for this are endless and professional journalists and armchair news junkies alike now have access to award winning news coverage from PBS NewsHour everyday, starting tomorrow with President Obama's Address on Jobs and the Economy, 7pm Eastern Time. To join the party visit www.snappytv.com and find the President's speech in the ON NOW area of the homepage.

NOTE: If there are clips that you want to include in your coverage that aren't in the list, email us at contact@snappytv.com and we'll get the specific clip for you.

Check out this how to video to see how easy it is to include clips from Obama's speech in your Storify stories:

Also, for more adventurous users, you can also create clips of the speech on your own during the speech:

We're excited about this integration and to see how Storify users bring this integration to life!