Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Client Reviews via Roku

Here's an idea for those of you who work with the same clients on a consistent basis--or even those working a one-time job that will entail multiple client reviews of the production as it progresses.

Why not send them a Roku box so they can view your "proofs" on their HDTV? Viewing online is okay, but does not give them the full experience they are used to getting when they watch on a large television with a good sound system. How would it work? Before sending them the Roku, simply create a channel that points to your Vimeo account. When they plug it in at home, they will be able to select your channel and play the video(s) you have uploaded for them--in high definition. At around $100, the Roku is cheap enough that you could have several in "circulation" among your clients, or you could just give it to them as a gift to keep. They will be able to access Netflix, Amazon, Facebook and a ton of other stuff that will make it a useful gift and a reminder that somewhere out there is a video producer they once hired to do a production.

Soon the Vimeo channel should be available on the Wii (Wii2 will be in HD) and on the new Internet-equipped HDTV's and BluRay players, so the fact of the matter is you may not need to buy a Roku at all--but you get the idea. Until the day we have a cheap and easy solution for doing client reviews in HD and in real-time, this option is a good one to consider.