For the past few weeks, I've been exploring how to encode and publish video on the Internet. Although I think it's cool to publish potential association (SAF) content or personal videos on YouTube, there are limits in time unless you partner with YouTube -- which is also an option but in either case, you're still using a third party system. The bottom line for me is that I truly believe video is it, on the Web, and then eventually if not already, on mobile devices.

First I explored Adobe's Flash Technology. They have a suite of products that allow you to do this:

Adobe Flash Media Encoder: http://www.adobe.com/products/flashmediaserver/flashmediaencoder/

Adobe Flash Media Server: http://www.adobe.com/products/flashmediaencoding/

Awesome stuff. Easy to use and was able to encode and publish test files. I was ready to go with any further delay until I watched the iPad launch.

Like most geeks, I was glued to Steve Jobs' introduction of the iPad. Crazy reality distortion field happening during the announcement but what struck me was how Apple was intentionally displaying pages on the iPad WITHOUT Flash -- all you saw was the cube with the question mark. Yikes! And it was Jobs holding the iPad. Then of course, Jobs confirms all this by saying in the press that Flash is a deadend. Really? 80 percent of the Web video is Flash. Youtube, Hulu.com, etc., some big names out there. But Jobs must know something cause he's Jobs.

Anyways, I started looking for alternatives. Not much. Really only viable product is Silverlight.

Check this out: http://silverlight.net/

It pained me to buy the Expression Encoder 3 Web suite considering most of Adobe's stuff was free: http://www.microsoft.com/expression/

Learning any new Microsoft product seems like you need a diploma nowadays but the initial encoding is complete. Just at a point on learning how to publish and stream. I'll keep you posted.

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SAF's slow, but sure propagation into the realm of social media continues as we've added a YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/SAFVision to our growing number of outposts. Our first official attempt at capturing video was at the recent SAF 125^th Annual Convention at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, AZ. And I would say the results are great.

I first started to explore starting a YouTube channel earlier this summer after SAF's Technology Committee suggested at the Spring Meeting we try to capture video vignettes at all futures events. So my first action was to canvass the gadgetland for light, cheap video handhelds. You can check out my exploration here. We eventually decided on the Flip, mostly for its reputed video quality and it did not disappoint. I then checked out how to get the association on YouTube and documented the process in this Floral Management Plugged In column.

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I want to push the Society of American Florists (SAF) from a primarily photo oriented publishing shop to video. SAF will certainly not abandon photos altogether but video is it when it comes to providing a richer media experience especially when delivering content via social media.

My mind was made up after attending the DigitalNow Conference a few months ago when uber geek Amber MacArthur provided me with some great tips (on stage no less) on how to better leverage several SAF Convention events to promote SAF's brand to the masses (member and non) via YouTube, Facebook, et al.  The events I have in mind are the annual Outstanding Varieties Competition and Sylvia Cup Design Competition.

In essence, every year, SAF selects the No. 1 Flower and the No. 1 Designer in America! The photos from these events have always been top notch and dramatic but still static. And if you're a fan of Iron Chef, apply those concepts to the Sylvia Cup Design competition. So it's almost a crime not to capture this annual floral feast on film.

I'll cut to the chase, I went with the Flip UltraHD for $199 rather than the Sony Webbie HD Series or Creative's Vado. Here are my reasons.

Video Quality. After reading copious reviews from several sources for all cameras, including CNET, PCMag, I was narrowed down the three options to two - the Flip and Vado. Almost all reviewers slammed the Sony Webbie HD for the less than stellar video quality, which quite honestly shocked me since I've always relied on Sony because of consistent video quality. But many of the samples I viewed online confirmed this opinion.

Finally, I went with the Flip because the Flipshare software. You can run it on a Mac (great for me!) or PC, which enables me to hand it to anyone on staff. The process was extremely simple, you press the lever on the Flip to release the USB extension, plug it in which then automatically launches Flipshare. Once you download all the movies you've taken, you can upload your movies to your YouTube account in about three clicks.

In addition, I found that the Mac sees the Flip as an external drive. You can download the clips manually and import them into iMovie if you'd like more editing capability and Final Cut Express or Pro if you're a video ninja.

For my floral industry friends, check out the August 2009 edition of Society of American Florists' Floral Management Magazine on how you can create a channel and use the Flip to market your talents to the world. For my association tweeps and peeps, check out the August 2009 edition of TechnoScope for the same but couched in our non-profit association flavor.

Check out a video sample I captured during a recent trip to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. The day was a bit overcast but I was taking a fast moving object aka the spectacular Griffon roller coaster splashing through water. 

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Kudos to Edvard Ananyan for his GTranslate program found at: http://edo.webmaster.am/gtranslate. I've been looking around for a language translator for my Joomla blog but haven't been satisfied with either the function or graphic look of the software. GTranslate so far is the first to satisfy both requirements and runs on a variety of platforms. As you can guess, GTranslate uses  Google's translation service to power the translation. In addition to Joomla, Edvard developed versions for Drupal and good ole' php as well. I'm using the free version but figure I'll pony up the $80 once I've thoroughly tested the software.

As you'll see if you click on the "Languages" tab on the upper right corner of my blog, GTranslate provides both a drop down list of languages and tiny little flags representing the country/language.

Just the fact he included Filipino was an instant winner for me. Here's the complete language list:

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