User-generated and shared tutorial videos: Sclipo
While YouTube continues to be one of the most popular and widely recognized Web video sites, there's a rather large smattering of niche video services out there. Sclipo (formerly known as Visuarios) serves up a bevy of instructional videos in nine different categories. The service won "Best Start-up" last week at the StartUp 2.0 awards in Bilbao, Spain.
Like other video-hosting sites, Sclipo users can rate, comment on, and share the videos with others. What makes it so interesting is its revenue-sharing model. "Masters," or users who provide skills videos, will get a portion based on traffic (a la Revver). They will also soon be able to opt-in via PayPal to be "tipped" by their viewers.
For a young site, there's already a considerable amount of content. Sclipo encourages its users to post multiple videos on the same subject, and you're likely to spot some overlap here and there. One of the more enjoyable categories is food and drink, where you're likely to find a technique or recipe that's both entertaining and instructional.
Where Sclipo varies from some other how-to sites is its upcoming platform SclipoLive. It's essentially a video-conferencing tool, where users can teach their own classes via Webcam. Sclipo is integrating a revenue model, so teachers will be able to charge students and make money off their efforts. Students and teachers will be able to record these sessions, including a transcript of the accompanying text chat. Compared to something like Skype's Prime service, there's a potential for serving more users, and effectively making more than you would if limited to one-on-one expert sessions. While Sclipo is marketing this as a teaching tool, it could just as easily be used as a consulting platform. The SclipoLive service is currently in private beta.
I've embedded an example video off Sclipo below.
Other similar how-to video services: SuTree, HelpfulVideo, TeacherTube, ViewDo, Expert Village, 5min, and VideoJug.
Josh Lowensohn is an associate editor for Webware.com, CNET's blog about cool and otherwise useful Web applications and services. If you've found a site you'd like profiled, shoot him an e-mail. E-mail Josh.
It is interesting to see more companies coming to the space, yet BitWine is so far leading the pack.
www.BitWine.com is part of the Skype Extra program and has gained a Skype Certified status for usability and scalability. There are thousands of experts already registered at BitWine and each Advisor can link to a video showing his/her expertise if they like to do so.
BitWine is not a Video site, but rather a market place and a platform where people can find the expert and use Video to directly talk to the expert. The Expert get paid instantly after each session, and the clients do not have to pay up-front.
Current limitation: Video sessions are limited to one-on-one. When adding more participants the call changes to audio only. The Buyer or Advisor can easily add more listeners to form a classroom for which the advisor have the tools to charge more for.
As soon as Skype moves to Multi-participnats Video this limitation will disappear as well.
As a platform BitWine let partner sites to use a white label widget to add Live Advice functionality to any site, that wants to enjoy revenue share from the paid sessions.
Check this out at www.BitWine.com