Looking for Input - App vs Internet Choice...

[Bassman]

Hello,

I have an event video production company and I am looking for a way to move to a digital delivery method. YouTube, Vimeo etc... will not work for my purposes, so I am trying to make the choice between building an App or going for a web-based browser implementation. I will have a lot of video clips to upload, so I will need some kind of database/CMS to interact with the app or website as well. I can use Xara to build all of the web design aspects, but do not know if Xara is the best choice for coordination of many video files etc...

This is a large topic. I am just looking for opinions on what might be possible with a web based deployment that might equal an App. The costs associated with an App are quite huge! So the web option is looking better, but only if it will work as well. I need to have:

- Privacy.
- Passwords
- Compatibility
- Ease of use
- Ability to download files
- Local playback of downloaded files

I am not opposed to hiring somebody who has experience with larger type media sites/apps to work with. Here is a little mock-up of the app I made a few days ago. (cell variant only) It is crude but the functionality is displayed.

Thanks for your input!

http://www.metroplexmultimedia.com/apptemp/index.htm

[Initiostar]

To make an informed decision, I would establish an outline functional spec, must-have features, process workflows and optional features that would improve the visitor's experience.

Good starting point would be to look at https://www.videvo.net/ and https://www.pexels.com/videos/. These are video library websites with user login, category / keyword searches and download capability. I think you would need two databases, CRM style prospect/customer/billing and a searchable video library. There are cloud-based CRM and video library plugins you could use, but a fair amount of integration /coding will be required to achieve a practical solution that looks and works well.

One route is to identify a CRM and video library app that works for your business and define the UI/ wrapper that would be required around these modules. It would then be a decision about the effort/cost/practicality and resulting useability, of (a) starting from scratch or (b) acquiring the core modules and building a wrapper around them.

Not sure though that Xara would be the best option for building a UI/wrapper, but other TGers and coding wizards may have a different view.

[Acorn]

The hardest part is determining if you need a subscription model or a pay per view.
Neither are readily achievable within Xara though there are utilities and plug-ins that might work.

Personally, I would put taster clips within Xara and farm out the rest (registration, privacy, billing, downloads) into a proper CMS. My first call might be WordPress.

An App would be very expensive and you would need for both Apple and Android.

Acorn

[Bassman]

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate your insight. Please let me share some more details and maybe a more direct approach will surface.

My primary function of this item is to deliver the video product to the customer. Currently, this is in the form of a DVD which is ordered and paid for separately. So the digital delivery approach would not need any type of payment, just access and simple, solid viewing.

I was hoping for the functionality of an install so the customer would not even need to create an account. Since this is a delivery only, no commerce, the app install could remember their password login, favorites or downloaded files. Simple seems like an over-arching theme.

Each event would have between 1 to 65 video files associated with it. This one event would need to be password protected which would be provided on an organizational level. My initial thought would be some kind of server side folder setup with htaccess permissions per organization.

The example I put up is kind of the total extent of what is needed. Searching sounds like a great suggestion but I think it could be successful without it since each event will be walled off. So scrolling down a list might be just as easy for the customer.


I have been reading about Progressive Web Apps. This seems like a nice middle ground between websites and applications. The main feature that sticks out to me is the ability to use the app offline. This is probably a must have feature.

So, all of this to determine - Can Xara be used in progressive app development? I am in the middle about trying to use Xara (which I can do a lot of the design work) or hiring this out completely. If I need to hire, any suggestions?

Thanks again!

[pauland]

The hardest part is determining if you need a subscription model or a pay per view.
Neither are readily achievable within Xara though there are utilities and plug-ins that might work.

Personally, I would put taster clips within Xara and farm out the rest (registration, privacy, billing, downloads) into a proper CMS. My first call might be WordPress.

An App would be very expensive and you would need for both Apple and Android.

Acorn

Absolutely.

This is a lot more work than you might imagine. In this kind of application it's not the main functionality that takes the work, it's the admin parts that are the most tricky, but you definitely need a CMS.

Do you really need a bespoke setup or just some customisation of an existing service?

You absolutely need to consider where your costs will come from and where the income to support the business will come from.

[Initiostar]

So the digital delivery approach would not need any type of payment, just access and simple, solid viewing. I was hoping for the functionality of an install so the customer would not even need to create an account. Since this is a delivery only, no commerce, the app install could remember their password login, favorites or downloaded files. Simple seems like an over-arching theme. Each event would have between 1 to 65 video files associated with it. This one event would need to be password protected which would be provided on an organizational level. My initial thought would be some kind of server side folder setup with htaccess permissions per organization.

Here's an idea I have used with Xara (which provides a secure username and password protected customer download). In my case Initiostar (as a business) has a software product that customers can login and download (and in my case it uses htaccess for protected directories). I provide them with the download link page, username and password, from where the software downloads in a zip package. Many of my customers are global corporates e.g. HSBC and this process works fine for them. In my case, Initiostar, does not make the download page visible on the website; it is provided as a link when payment for the software licence has been received.



If you take Acorn's suggestion though, you can create an appetiser for each event, a promo video if you like and have this placed in Xara. As a first step, you could create a request form (Google or similar) and embed that alongside the appetiser videos. Google Forms or similar will keep track of your requests; you can keep track of who your authorise to download each event. A simple CRM solution could be deployed to automate this process later; there are lots to choose from.

As you have confirmed you do not need to integrate this with billing (at least initially), you have the basis for a fairly simple media distribution capability.

Footnote: you would upload your zipped event packages direct to your host server (that's how I upload our software); you can organise event directories to make this manageable.

[Bassman]

Thank you for taking the time to help out. Looks like I might have some options beyond creating a custom mobile app.

CRM is not an area I am well versed in. My main question is link population on the client side. I would prefer to just upload the group of video files for an event to a folder and have the database software populate all of the videos in the client app. Is this easy or difficult to accomplish?

My hope is that the security will come from within the app, so it would not matter so much who downloaded the app, without the password(s) they would not get past the first screen anyway.

[Initiostar]

My main question is link population on the client side. I would prefer to just upload the group of video files for an event to a folder and have the database software populate all of the videos in the client app.

IMO Xara is great for creating static websites; with the help of additional coding you can achieve more, but if you are thinking database and client app in the same sentence, you are headed towards a purpose-designed app.


1. The start point from earlier in this thread is you collect payment and send out a DVD.

2. Next step could easily be upload an Event folder to Drive, OneDrive or even Google Photos etc. and share that folder with those who have paid for it; with Google Photos you can create an Video Album where the layout shows all the videos in that album; simple and works well.

3. You can create a 'website' to showcase your collection (ref. Acorn's appetiser). This could have a promo video for each of your events; each event could have a password protected page. On that page you could either have a list/thumbnail of the videos in that collection; a viewing window that would play a selected video or a link to each of the videos in that collection. You would require coding: where you have a single viewing window (to enable you to call each video) and where you have more than one video in a collection on that page, starting one has to pause/stop the other playing (video and sound).

CRM is not an area I am well versed in

You don't need CRM to do the above; you might want a simple form to capture and alert you to visitor interest though.

Hopefully this helps.

[Bassman]

Thanks for your help.