Tag Archives: discount

Online Video

Creative & Sponsor Trump Peanut Butter & Chocolate

6 Comments

I love it when a certain artist, video creator, or web series finds THE sponsor. Not a sponsor, but the ideal one. The kind of sponsor that you’d think would be stalking the entertainer, but sadly probably doesn’t know they exist. There are matches made in heaven: iJustine or Happyslip and Mac, Rhett & Link and any CPG brand, MysteryGuitarMan and a cool electronic device, SxePhil and Tequila, LisaNova and Stayfrees, ShayCarl and Twinkies.

To my surprise, while catching up with Revision3’s FilmRiot via TiVo, I heard Ryan Connolly (host) announce B&H as a sponsor. Yes it’s peanut butter meets chocolate, and I can’t imagine how they scored it. I don’t think of B&H as the type of marketing organization that would be so savvy.

Anyone serious about video, audio, production or schweet home entertainment is probably well aware of B&H. I think I’m an affiliate, and I think I’ve made nothing. But what the store lacks in marketing acumen it makes up for in an insane inventory of well price stuff, informed people, and excellent prices. That said, it’s easy to forget about them and go to what’s “top of mind” (like Amazon or BestBuy). The store is 50% of heaven for me, but missing the pools of white chocolate, dancing midgets and a few other things I’d like not to mention.

Electronic deals and discounts from Revision3 FilmRiot
FilmRiot, a quirky, informative, well cut show... now sponsored by B&H, which is to video creators what virgins are to terrorists. Only we video creators actually get the equipment, and the terrorists just get the promise of virgins but burned weiners instead.

I always thought Netflix was getting the deal of its life with FilmRiot. I wonder if Netflix dropped, which would be enough to make me drop- maybe Louderback will spill the beans if I get him drunk enough. BTW Louderback (because I think you actually do read this blog) I just received a friggin’ awesome ethernet-via-electrical socket device on his reco and it rawks my previously stalled webTV rig). Next time I open my Roku I’m going to switch from Netflix to Revision3 shows just to pout. [5/12/2010 7:45 am Louderback says Netflix didn’t drop it’s rotating].

Anyway I think there’s an even better FilmRiot ROI for B&H — which wastes not a penny on promoting the show. It’s better than paid search, because it’s reaching the exact people who will/do buy there. Paid search churns money on people that will shop on B&H but buy locally. Yet B&H is unlikely see the direct benefit, just like Netflix will never know that I returned as a customer mostly because of FilmRiot and I’m its friggin’ dream customer (never quite watching/ordering enough movies to cost them much, but always paying my bill).

Check out Film Riot’s Technical Deal Recommendations and find out some killer electronics you can buy me for my birthday, which just arrived 3 minutes ago. Hey- I’m spending my birthday with TiVo and a laptop, and a wife and family asleep. Stupid nap today. What could I do? I had a pain procedure. I was sleepy.

book, Online Video

Best CyberMonday Online Deals & Websites for 2009

27 Comments

If you’re like me, you bagged Black Friday because it’s a horrible consumer experience. I stopped at BestBuy last night, and found myself stressed by the nervous energy, manic customers, and stacks of electronics jammed into the isles. How am I supposed to know if the hysteria over “power deals” are worth the low prices?

cyber-monday

So I’m researching CyberMonday in hopes that your Monday desktop shopping is convenient and productive. I’m also working on a video that answers the frequent question I get, “which video camera should I buy.” Tips welcome.

First, here are some top online-electronic sites, and the deals they’re offering. Who really believes the LATimes article (citing Neilsen data) that suggests CyberMonday is passe?

Now some price-savings & comparison sites you may or may not know about:

Google Product Search, Shopzilla, Shopping.com, GottaDeal.com, Dealnews.com, YahooShopping.com, PriceGrabber.com, Shoppingg.com, Bizrate.com, Nextag.com, MySimon, Bing.com Shopping, QueenofCheap, Overstock.com 5-star deals, Dealtime.com.

CNET’s Rick Broida has a nice site called “Cheapskate,” that spotlights nice electronic deals all year round. You need to watch frequently, because many of his hidden gems vanish days after he posts.

Again- I welcome any additional sites… comment below! Remember, kiddies, free shipping and deep discounts on crappy electronics isn’t the point.

book, Online Video

How to Keep Your Videos Copyright Clean

13 Comments
Daisy Whitney Customized Her Hair Based on Viewer Feedback

Daisy Whitney Customized Her Hair Based on Viewer Feedback

New Media Minute‘s Daisy Whitney has published an eBook titled “Keeping You and Your Content Out of Courts.” WillVideoforFood readers can enjoy 50% off the $34.97 by using the promotional code “Hitviews.” (I work with Hitviews to connect advertisers and online-video audiences, and its a sponsor of the book. Stand by for a new Hitviews.com redesign).

We all need to keep our videos from violating copyright laws, and if the $17.48 price saves you 45 seconds of an attorney’s time… it’s paid for itself already.

Keeping Your Content out of court
Some of the book’s topics that we discuss here at WVFF without any authority:

  • The Four Fair Use Factors
  • The Transformative Test
  • The Difference Between Parody and Satire
  • The Four-Pronged Test
  • Understanding Marketplace Harm
  • Is News Exempt?

 

 

 

 

For a free excerpt and to learn more, check out her eBook page. Just get your 3D glasses ready for her patented pink and gray branding.

Online Video

Small & Easy Camcorder for $89

7 Comments

Woot.com (a bargain site) is listing the Pure Digital Flip Ultra Series F260 $89 plus shipping. It’s a good buy if you need an affordable, portable video camera. These won’t give you great resolution, but they’re small and sufficient for most online-video. More importantly, they’re very easy to use — from shooting to drag/drop to desktop for uploading. I like hiding them in a paper cup (with a small hole) as a hidden camera.

Just try not to have too much movement when you record. I have a few of these floating around for moments where I need a quick shot or vlog. My recent rant about the Mac Shuffle used one, although it was a more recent model.

Pure Digital Flip Ultra Series f260 camcorder

Example of me using the newer generation Flip (pretty close to what you’ll get), while I whine about the Mac Shuffle:

video cameras, Videocameras

Where to Buy Cheap Video Camera and Gear- New and Used (B&H)

14 Comments

Unknowingly I was approved as a B&H affiliate last December (I should check e-mail more often). So here’s a banner below. For those of you that don’t know, affiliate programs allow bloggers and website owners to earn some small portion of your purchase if you visit the e-commerce site via the blogger’s coded link or banner. So bookmark this page!



A lot of people ask me what video equipment to buy, and where to get it. I default to BestBuy for impulse electronics, and often buy from Amazon.com. But my “heaven on Earth” is the NYC B&H store. I’ve mentioned it several times before (even before I had the old “affiliate” hidden agenda. 🙂

B&H is like FAO Schwartz for digital video, audio and camera nerds. They sell video cameras, digital accessories, sound gear and computers. Prices are amazing, and I’ve never had an issue with service or returns (bought my recent Canon HV20 there for a steal). I’ve been burned by NYC retailers before, but the place is run by Amish I think.

My original blog (revverberation.com) was littered with low-revenue text ads, but I’ve deliberately not junked this blog up with low-profit Google text ads. They’re an eyesore. But here’s an affiliate banner for B&H. I have no idea how much I make if you go there via this banner, but I thought I’d give it a try. I’m pimping, but I know I’m not steering you wrong.

So if you’re on the market for gear and you can find a better price at B&H, go there via this link and you’ll be helping me offset my Bluehost fee for this blog! Again- I wouldn’t send you there if I wasn’t really happy about my experience with B&H, and most of the prosumers (professional/consumers) I know buy all of their gear at B&H — whether they live in NYC or not. Double check Amazon.com because occasionally you’ll find a better price there, but the options on Amazon for video enthusiasts are limited.

The actual NYC store is a dreamland. Get there if you can. I drove past it recently with Mr. Safety and told him about the giant conveyor belts that shoot your product from the warehouse to the register and he thought I was teasing. When I shop there I hear circus music in my head and people’s heads transform to giant lollipops.


Online Video

The Poor Man’s Guide to Electronic Toys

2 Comments

picture-7.pngWow- in searching for a SATA-to-firewire external drive converter thingy, I stumbled into what’s going to be one of my favorite new blogs. Our debt level has pretty much maxed out, but my appetite for toys remains insatiable. Now I’ve found a great source for discount electronics, and clever “work arounds,” and it’s called The Cheapskate by Rick Broida (CNET).