Jerky movement, poor quality video that buffers, and very ordinary to nonexistent sound seem to be all adult sites can manage nowadays, even with the latest improvements in streaming.
I've been a Webmaster for several years and a keen observer of where streaming video is going, and often question the methods taken by adult sites when viewing their videos. Web surfers are not going to tolerate poor-quality video if they can get better elsewhere. If you are going to provide video content, either do it right or not at all.
Providing high-quality movies comes at a price, especially if you're giving them away. However, it would be worthwhile to do so, as your site would then do what most sites don't - offer high quality video content. This in turn will attract customers, and in an age where the Internet is getting faster and cheaper all the time, more and more people will visit and join your site.
Broadband is rapidly outstripping dialup as the most expedient Internet connection. Adult sites that don't cater to broadband users are foolish. Many of the sites I've been to take a "one video for all bandwidths" approach. These are too large for modems to handle, and yet don't effectively utilize the true bandwidth that broadband users have available to them.
I am tired of being tricked into believing the advertising for adult sites, but then subsequently not receiving what I expect. I've come across only a handful of sites of sufficient quality. And why don't adult sites actually provide a "FREE" movie when they say they do, and why if they're going to give something away wouldn't they make it the highest quality so that customers will return and possibly join?
Larger sites could even look at providing real-time streaming. Unlike progressive streaming, which is video streamed from an http server, real-time streaming requires a special streaming server, such as a QuickTime streaming server, a Real Networks server, or a Windows Media server, which have their advantages over progressive streaming.
Video streamed for real time plays automatically. You don't need to download the entire video before playing. You can jump to any location in the video clip and the clip always resides on the server. Video encoded for real time streaming generally tries to keep pace with the user's connection speed in order to minimize interruptions and stalling. There's nothing you can do about general Net congestion, but the streaming server at least tries to compensate by maintaining a constant connection.
For the sites that don't have streaming facilities, to capture more of the market and expand your site - in my experience and opinion - it is important to look into these possibilities to help your site attract more signups.
Remember, if you produce high quality video with a high frame rate, a large viewing window, and a high data rate, you will get a video that looks great but will only be viewable for people with fast connections; if you encode with speed and delivery in mind, the quality suffers. The optimal goal is to produce the highest quality video that streams with minimal or no interruptions and a quick download.
So what's the point? In an increasingly saturated market, high-quality streaming movies will not only be the future of adult entertainment and adult sites, but will also be the benchmark and distinguishing factors between the average, good, and "must join" sites.
Ross Philips is a Webmaster based in Australia.
