At first glance, Redux has a very appropriate name: It looks like it’s just another version of the aggregation and conversation service FriendFeed. But a new feature is fairly awesome. “TV” allows you to easily share video clips, just as you would share links on FriendFeed or Redux’s main Stream area.
Officially, Redux says it’s a “personalized entertainment guide to the web.” But really, that’s what most social sites are these days. We need new features to distinguish them. And solid usability. And that’s what Redux offers in this video area.
The main problem I have with online video is that there’s way too much of it. I visit YouTube, but I have no idea what to watch. If I try to browse random videos, most of it is crap, and really, it’s just a waste of my time to do that. Most of the videos I consume, friends send me, and that’s exactly the idea behind Redux’s video area. (Finding and consuming videos in a stream is also the idea behind Magma, which is still in private beta). But because it’s an actual video player, the sharing and watching of videos is seamless.
You go to the area and you are served up videos that your friends have liked (or, given “props” to, in their words). If you like the video too, you can mark it as such, and it will send it to your other friends. You can also comment on the video, right from the player.
I’m sitting here trying to write this post, but I find myself lost in video watching now, it’s quite addictive. Sure, FriendFeed and other services allow you to share videos and watch them from within the service, but the way Redux does it is much nicer, and makes it easier to lose yourself in the content.
The idea behind all of this is a larger one. “In 2-3 years when we turn on our TV we’ll have the same content discovery problem,” Redux co-founder David McIntosh tells us. The site has been around for about 5 months now in private testing. So far, there are over 5,000 users, but now it’s time to expand.
As such Redux is making 500 invites available to TechCrunch readers. Simply follow this link to sign up.
So what’s the business model behind all of this? Well, it’s two-fold. First, there will eventually be video advertisements placed in the video section. The other idea is based around micropayments. Say you like the show Mad Men, and only want to see content related to it, you could pay a small fee and get access to just that content. There is also the possibility of using micropayments to give users “super prop” privileges.
Right now the video clips only include YouTube, but we’re told additional services will be added in the future.
Link at: follow this link is broken. Missing “h”
works now, thanks
You can embed YouTube videos directly as entries on FF, and make comments under them, so what am I missing? The player? The ability to view adverts or pay? Hmm…
I think redux is just videos, images, and websites from what I’ve seen…so no status updates, just online entertainment
Youtube is a video library and assuming that they can become profitable down the road, they’ll eventually be a video storage platform as bandwidth costs can be too much for startups to bare. Of course, they may not have to be profitable as a stand alone platform as Youtube videos enhance Google search quite a bit. But what we are starting to also see a specialized/niche video websites emerging. In long run, video will be integrated into different platforms as a valuable add on.
Here’s the link – http://redux.com/signup/techcrunch
I agree, I don’t get it. FriendFeed already has videos and such, it can get my favorites from YouTube, stuff I find via Digg or Facebook, etc. If I want to put a YouTube video directly into FF, I can.
Okay, so it lacks an embedded player or a “TV” section specifically for videos. The embedded player is a good idea that FF will probably work on, but a separate section for it seems silly.
Have you seen the adword campaigns these guys run in the past? They are really shady! I’ll pass!
When they originally got funded about 3 years ago, they were going to launch a full-on “MySpace killer” but they couldn’t get the work done. So I guess this is the result.
How do companies with absolutely no vision get funding?
I am a little confused here because I thought redux had been out for a while… This is about the 3rd homepage they have had…
This is interesting.
I tried to create a dramatically simpler version of the basic idea behind this using a complicated FriendFeed filter.
It didn’t work particularly well–most of the videos it returned did not interest me at all–but Redux ought to be pretty effective at finding me good video content.
Yah but who wants to have another account on another site. Wouldn’t this be more effective as a facebook app?
and I hate the name.. redux.. it sounds like a medical condition..
This does look quite interesting. However, all these types of ideas arent great or going to gain too much traction cause they keep all the community within their site online. Im more excited about tools like this in which you could send to people and everyone on the web could access it.
Sometimes I can’t believe the funding these startups get. Just for fun I created a project almost exactly like this about a year ago, and it was completed in 2 weeks (part-time). Where does all that funding go?
It goes for paying someone to cover you.
hooray ! I’m a redux-er ! I’m so glad this site is FINALLY getting some press.
I’ve been on here for a while now and it’s the best of all online communities. You have your friends, but without the obnoxious “status” updates. You have your live stream of videos and articles which are inevitably a mixture of informative, hilarious, and completely absurd (and can be organized however you want them to be).
It is VERY user friendly, aesthetically pleasing (I’m a designer! these things matter to me!), and unlike other social networking sites, “following” or becoming a “fan” of someone on Redux is not like becoming a “friend” on Facebook. There’s no in-depth profile to worry about keeping “private” (which is a nice change) and anyone who “follows” you is actually following you because they like what articles/videos/etc. you’ve posted, not because, say, you have a hot profile pic?
oh and I’ve yet to find things on here that HAVEN’T interested me. so I guess all us redux-ers have good taste, too?
Are you an investor in Redux?
no no no. just a friendly user. I’m 25 years old and poor. I merely invest my TIME in Redux.
How’s filming of the Hobbit going?
+100
clever…
hmmm.. it sounds interesting but seriously, with their resources, i won’t think that it’ll survive the competition against youtune. or perhaps i am wrong…
Why y’all up in MG’s business huh? Shit. Redux ain’t so bad. And neither is MG. MG, you alright.
PS, what does ‘MG’ stand for?
Redux is awesome- as a busy working professional it’s great to take 5-10 minutes of my day and surf what people are sharing without having to search. major props!
I’m trying this as I type this out…looks pretty simple, sort of like friendfeed, but who the heck uses ff? i like the concept, entertainment in real time, no more “i am with my dog” pointless status updates. One thing that I don’t really like is how it seems too simple, can you message people, have a list of favorites?? Also, what happens when theres like hundreds of updates, the items will go crazy(wait and click on resume updates, and you’ll see this crazy shuffling)