AOL is on a product-cutting spree. In addition to the shuttering of XDrive, AOL Pictures, MyMobile And Bluestring, the company will also be shutting down the AOL Video Uploads service starting this week.
Users must move their videos prior to December 18, when the service closes for good and the videos will no longer be available. AOL is recommending that users transfer videos to Motionbox, a New York based video sharing and editing startup that we first covered in 2006.
The FAQ that AOL will distribute to users this week is below. This change doesn’t appear to affect AOL Video itself, which focuses on professional content from Hulu, CBS and other sources.
AOL Video Uploads
Q. When will the AOL Video Uploads close?
Effective December 18th, 2008 , AOL Video Uploads (uncutvideo.aol.com ) will be closed and all videos stored will no longer be accessible through AOL Video Uploads. AOL has evaluated several personal video offerings, and believes Motionbox, a leader in online personal video, to be the best suited to handle the needs of AOL Video Upload users. Motionbox is FREE and includes some great features.
We are recommending users go through a simple transfer process to move their videos to Motionbox, and also giving them the option to download or delete videos stored on the site.
Q. When/how will users be notified?
A. Anyone who has stored videos on AOL Video Uploads will receive an official AOL e-mail the week of November 17, 2008.
Q. What are the options for retrieving video from AOL Video Uploads?
A. AOL recommends users transfer their videos to Motionbox, a free service that supports all of the features users enjoy with AOL Video Uploads.
Basic Motionbox service is FREE and includes:
– Easy transfer of your existing videos from AOL Video Uploads.
– High-quality video playback, with full-screen viewing options.
– Sharing, with privacy settings to help protect your content.
– Fast, reliable uploads of almost any video format.
– Simple editing and mixing tools so you can trim and combine video clips.
– Video embedding on your blog, profile page, or Web site.Additionally, users may download or delete their videos from the AOL Video Uploads before December 18, 2008.
Q. What happens to videos if users do not take action before December 18, 2008?
A. After December 18, 2008, users will no longer be able to access videos through the AOL Video Uploads site. However, before December 18, AOL can help users move their existing videos to Motionbox® to continue accessing them online. Users may also download files from AOL Video Uploads or delete them.
If a user doesn’t delete the video or transfer to Motionbox, it will be removed from AOL Video Uploads as part of the closing of the service.