ABC Revamping Web-Video Player
Network to Add New Navigation and Search Tools, Content-Sharing Tools, Closed-Captioning
By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/22/2008 2:55:00 PM
ABC is revamping the video player on its Web sites.
Added functionality -- such as new navigation and search tools, content-sharing tools and closed-captioning -- will be added to the player when it relaunches.
"Over the past two years, we've been squarely focused on creating a high-quality consumer experience that combines ABC's most popular shows within a network-branded environment, effectively monetizing it through an interactive-advertising model and distributing it openly throughout the Internet from wherever consumers search for our content," said Albert Cheng, executive vice president of digital media for Disney-ABC Television Group, announcing the change.
"Our desire to continually push the envelope to create 'what's next' delivers a widely accessible, world-class viewing experience to consumers and unparalleled returns to advertisers," he added.
The player will still allow for viewing of complete episodes of ABC programming, including some in HD. Improvements include true full-screen viewing; the ability to search shows graphically, by popularity or genre; recommendations based on what programs are viewed; and the ability to embed on outside Web sites and social networks via a “full-episode widget.”
ABC did not announce when the new video player will debut -- only that it would be sometime this fall.
