Video sharing behemoth YouTube is under fire from all comers these days. Twitch is stealing away gamers, TV networks are signing up its biggest homegrown stars and now Facebook wants people to stop going there completely.
The social network has revealed it is testing a dedicated video portal where folks can go whenever they want to view videos, without the hassle of sorting through status updates or photos of people’s kids.
Facebook’s video feed, which will feature clips from friends and pages they follow and “other video publishers,” which suggests there’ll be plenty of trending clips and content from partners.
The tests, which were rumoured earlier this year are part of a slew of video-related updates which also include a suggested videos feature, as well as the ability to view videos in a floating screen while continuing to browse Facebook.
The company has been making a huge video push lately, introducing live streaming for celebrities and journalists, while also adding 360 degree videos powered by Oculus.
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However, the headline maker today is undoubtedly the dedicated video feed. Facebook says it’ll be available for a few people right now.
On its Newsroom blog the company wrote: “Lastly, we’ll be testing a dedicated place on Facebook for people to go when they exclusively want to watch video—whether that’s videos they’ve saved for later, or videos from friends, Pages they follow, and other video publishers on Facebook. This new videos section helps people discover, watch and share videos on Facebook that are relevant to them.
“It can be accessed by tapping a “Videos” icon at the bottom of the Facebook app on iPhone or in the “Favorites” section on the left-hand side of News Feed on the web. We’ll be testing this with a small number of people now, so this isn’t something most people will see on Facebook right away. We look forward to seeing how people use it to discover, watch and share videos with their friends.”
Do you think Facebook can undermine YouTube’s dominance with its new feed and array of new video features? Share your thoughts below.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
