Embedding Videos from WSJ vs. NYTimes (Update!)

Over the last two decades that I have been teaching strategic management (at MIT Sloan School) and IT strategy (MIT and now at Boston University), I have found it valuable to use videos to add some multi-media context to the case discussions. Most videos in the 1980s were CEOs speaking to different classes at Harvard Business School that the publishing arm would distribute to faculty members to use. Some were promotional videos from companies such as FedEx or Intel or Apple to illustrate new technologies or features.
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Fast forward to 2007. I can embed videos in my course blog--either before class or after class--and students can select and watch them when they are multi-tasking (I do not know anyone less than 25 who is not a multi-tasker!). Here is one example of video that I have embedded in my course blog. It can be either a short one (often less than 3 minutes) highlighting a simple point or it can be a long video (such as Tom Friedman's video for the discovery channel on 'The Other Side of Outsourcing.' Either way, I have found that videos complement discussions and enhance learning.

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Wall Street Journal allows its videos to be embedded (much in the spirit of web 2.0). I do not mind watching the advertisements that play just before the video because that pays for the videos to be made available free.
Here is an example that I could have linked to my post before on Microsoft-Ford partnership.


New York Times--on the other hand--still expects that their videos be linked but not embedded. They still seem to operate under the notion that content should be located at their site (reflective of 1.0 thinking!) but not letting their videos to be available on other sites (in the spirit of 2.0). They could still monetize advertisements around their video content(!). So, if I wanted to link David Pogue's discussion/commentary on Apple iPhone, I can only link.

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I think it's just a matter of time before more multi-media content owners make their library of multi-media clips (CEO presentations, speeches, product launches, product promotions, advertisements etc.) available for enhancing education and deriving deeper insights into the functioning of modern corporations.

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Update: Thanks to David Pogue for clarifying that I can do more than link to his videos (which I like incidentally!). Here are his suggestions.

You could embed my video from YouTube, since all of my videos also appear on YouTube.

Or, even better, you could subscribe to them on iTunes--and then enjoy the fully DOWNLOADABLE, much better H.264 video quality.

--David Pogue
New York Times

I will use the YouTube option to embed and then itunes subscription to perhaps show it in class.
Thanks David.
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Update: June 2, 2007.
Other developments to watch as Real Player launches new player.

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The newsrelease from Realnetworks is here.
The key features are:

Consumers can use the innovative, single-click process to quickly download and save videos for later enjoyment.

Consumers can download multiple videos simultaneously with RealPlayer, allowing people to save time and easily multitask. Users can also start downloading in the middle of watching a video, and the entire video will be captured.

Consumers don't need to worry about video format compatibility issues — the new RealPlayer supports videos created in the most popular formats, including Flash, Windows Media, Quicktime, and Real.

Consumers can easily burn videos to CD (or to DVD, using RealPlayer Plus). The Video CD format used by RealPlayer can be played in most DVD players.

Consumers can send links of their favorite videos to their friends with a convenient "Share with a Friend" feature. The link that arrives in their friends' email will direct them to the online source of the video content their friend downloaded.

RealPlayer supports both downloading and recording for popular streaming format (Windows Media, Real, and Quicktime)

RealPlayer will only download/record video that is not protected by DRM (Digital Rights Management) systems.

RealPlayer features an improved look and feel, a streamlined installation process and faster video playback.

RealPlayer will first be released for Windows, and will work with both Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. Real plans a version for the Mac to be released later in the year.

Here is a blog entry from RealPlayer product team on their new offering. and here is an interview with Jeff Chasen, VP of RealNetworks.