Expanding on the success of online photo-sharing sites, Grouper Networks Inc was set to unveil a new service yesterday that lets users share their homemade videos over the Internet and play them on portable devices such as the iPod.
The startup, based in Mill Valley, says the free service will give users the platform and software tools to present photos and video taken from their cameras to an online audience of their choice, whether privately with a circle of friends, or publicly with the world.
"By offering the core features, capturing, editing and sharing videos in one application, we have made it simple and exciting for anyone to share their lives through video," said Josh Felser, chief executive of Grouper Networks.
Grouper, which was founded last year as a file-sharing, peer-to-peer network for music and other digital information, is among a small but growing number of companies capitalizing on the video-sharing trend.
The company will now offer unlimited uploads of video clips to the service. Videos lasting longer than three minutes are accessible to others as downloads. Users can also choose to have their handiwork viewable by only a private network of friends.
Videos can be transferred onto portable video players. Grouper's downloadable video application, which works only on Windows XP-based computers, also lets users edit their movies, add music and effects and compress the files.
The service lets users publish their filmstrips or videos to other Web destinations as well, such as social networks Friendster and MySpace.
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