EmbedPlus is a service which gives you far more control over how visitors to your site or blog can view and interact with videos. Regardless of what platform you use, or even if you don’t run a blog, with a few simple steps, you can add annotations, and show viewers just the parts of the video that you want them to see.
If you’re using WordPress, you will have to install a plugin in order for the embed code to work in your posts. Other blogging platforms such as Blogger or Tumblr don’t require a plugin in order for the service to work.
Once you’ve chosen the YouTube video you want to embed, and selected whether or not you want to embed it in a WordPress blog, simply paste the link into the EmbedPlus website.
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The next step is to start determining each of the settings that you want to use with your video. You can determine the size of the video, and select the exact point where the video will begin and end. This is particularly useful with longer videos. If you want to direct your visitors to just a 2 minute section out of a 20 minute video, EmbedPlus makes it extremely easy and accurate, allowing you to choose the exact point down to the second.
With EmbedPlus you can also add scene markers, giving viewers the option to skip forward to specific scenes in the video, much like you would with a DVD. You can also choose to show real-time reactions on Twitter and YouTube, and add your own annotations. While you can determine exactly when the annotations appear, they won’t disappear unless another annotation is added or unless the viewers close the window themselves.
The specially generated bit.ly link can be shared wherever you want, and also gives you an easy way to retrieve the embed code for the video, whether you plan to use it in WordPress or otherwise. It also displays all the annotations and selections you have made for the video.
Other options that viewers have when watching the video including zooming in and panning, watching in slow motion or in full screen mode.
If we had one request, it would be the ability to go back and edit a video that has already been embedded. If once you’re done, and you realize that you forgot to add an annotation or scene marker, you’ll have to start all over again.
That said, the service’s greatest strength is just how easy it is to use. You don’t have to download any extra software, or fiddle with complicated settings to make sure that a video is viewed just the way you want.
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