8 reasons not to host videos on your website server
If you want to produce videos for commercial purposes, such as videos to promote products or video lessons for a course, it is not enough to use just any video hosting tool, you will need a really professional service that offers quality and security to host videos.
The decision of where to host your content is quite critical and this choice can have both positive and negative implications for your business. Many companies may be tempted to store videos on hosting they use for their website, seeing this as an easy solution. However, this option comes with a number of pitfalls and, of course, a lot of headaches.
In this article, we are going to present you with 8 reasons why hosting videos on your website’s own server may not be the best choice, highlighting one of the most professional hosting services, Panda Video Hosting.
Can you host your own videos on your website?
Yes, it is possible to host videos on your website, but this can bring you several problems that are difficult to solve. As you may know, for a video to be hosted and played, the server needs to offer good bandwidth and plenty of storage.
In addition, there are issues related to compatibility between different browsers and devices, as not all video formats are supported on certain platforms. It can also be difficult to implement additional features like adaptive quality and subtitles in videos.
The best solution is to use professional video hosting services. These specialized companies offer bandwidth, lots of storage, and all the features you need to deliver a great video-viewing experience.
Why is Panda the best option for hosting videos?
Panda Video Hosting is the best option because it is a tool designed to host and play videos at high quality with total security. In addition, the platform offers several tools, allowing you to edit, add subtitles and change the background of your videos.
To protect you against piracy, Panda Video provides a DRM tool that is able to identify viewers through a watermark. And it’s no use trying to remove the watermark from videos, as Panda doesn’t allow it.
In addition, Panda is available for the main info product sales websites, such as Hotmart, Memberkit, and Builderall. The platform also has technologies that help increase viewer retention.
Prices
Bronze: $14.90 (monthly)
Silver: $37.90 (monthly)
Gold: $87.90 (monthly)
Now, without further ado, let’s get to the 8 reasons not to host videos on the same server as your website.
1. High bandwidth consumption
Hosting videos on your own website can negatively affect the speed of your website. You will also need to upgrade to a more expensive plan on your server due to the substantial size of the video files.
Currently, high-definition videos are preferred by viewers, and they can easily exceed the contracted amount of bandwidth. These large sizes require a considerable amount of it, especially when many users are watching simultaneously, which can quickly overload server resources.
In contrast to videos hosted on the servers of specialized hosting companies, self-hosted videos often need to be downloaded before being played back, consuming additional time and space. This can result in lower viewing quality, especially for those with slow connections, such as travelers using mobile data to connect to the internet.
Hosting providers often allocate bandwidth and other resources based on average traffic rates, without considering serving large media files to a large audience. This can easily lead to bandwidth depletion and negatively affect not only the website hosting the videos but also other websites on the same server.
2. Size and storage limitations
One of the biggest issues with self-hosting videos is file size versus available storage space. Also, many web hosting providers restrict the maximum file size to 50MB or less, which limits the length of the videos. In some cases, these providers may even prohibit uploading videos in high quality.
These size restrictions lead to issues of limitations on the amount of video content that can be hosted under your plan. This can be particularly problematic for businesses that rely on video to promote their ideas and products.
Furthermore, self-hosting can lead to consuming all allocated storage space, especially with frequent uploads of large video files and regular website backups. This not only consumes more disk space but also increases the time required to perform backups.
3. Slow loading or freezing
The loading speed of a web page is very important for any business these days. Life is faster today and people are looking for a smooth and uninterrupted browsing experience, something that can be compromised when videos are hosted on the website’s own server.
Videos are much heavier than other types of media formats such as text and images. This means they require more bandwidth to load. As such, if your server has limited resources or you are subscribed to a basic plan, this can lead to slow load times or even unexpected pauses during playback.
This situation becomes especially worse for users with slower internet connections, who may experience constant freezes and interruptions. This leads your viewer to be dissatisfied with the experience offered.
Also, it’s always good to remember that videos hosted on a server where the company’s website is, often need to be downloaded before being played and, as you can imagine, this considerably increases the loading time and completely harms the overall experience of the website. user.
4. Lack of standard video format
Video hosting platforms like Panda simplify the process by automatically converting files to a format that is compatible with all browsers and devices. However, when hosting videos on your own server, this compatibility task falls to you.
Non-uniformity across browsers is one of the main challenges. For example, Chrome supports most video formats, but Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari do not. In practice, this means that you will need to convert each video to different formats, such as MP4, OGV, and WEBM.
Also, consider that for each type of device and internet speed, you will need to make a different version of your video. Some people, for example, like to watch videos on big screens and have fast internet, while others with mobile devices and slower internet connections will prefer smaller, lower-resolution versions.
Converting, resizing, and compressing each video to make it compatible with all types of devices and browsers is quite a time-consuming task, especially if you don’t have a technical team or don’t know much about the subject.
5. Need for playback software
Although there are good video players, the task of implementing such software on your website is not an easy one. To play a video hosted on your own server, you’ll need software that can detect the user’s internet speed, to then play the best possible version for it.
Integrating this software into your website may also require technical knowledge that not all website owners possess, requiring you to spend more money on hiring a professional to install this software.
Also, while video player apps can be useful, they also come at an additional cost, either in terms of purchasing the software or maintaining it so that it works smoothly on all devices and browsers.
These additional costs can quickly make self-hosting videos a bad option. Even with seemingly simple solutions, the need for playback software adds a layer of complexity and cost that many will prefer to avoid.
6. Risk of having content pirated
The risk of pirated content must be considered when hosting videos on the site’s own server. Even with the protection of content on a website or the use of security measures, the reality is that videos are exposed to the risk of being illegally downloaded and shared, often with great ease. Your unique content could end up on file-sharing sites or even YouTube.
Also, having your videos hosted on your own website makes it easier for malicious individuals to take action. Simply viewing the source code can reveal the path to the video file, making it accessible for download. This issue goes beyond inconvenience and can result in financial loss, especially if you are selling access to content.
While there are tools and platforms that allow you to hide your videos and specify a domain where they can be embedded, this protection may not be enough. Experienced hackers and people determined to access your content can find ways around these protections. Piracy of your content can also affect your reputation, particularly if the content is exclusive or sensitive.
7. Lack of support for troubleshooting
Lack of troubleshooting support is another significant reason why it might not be the best choice to host your videos on your website. By choosing self-hosting, the responsibility for maintenance and troubleshooting technical issues rests entirely with you. This can lead you to face complex challenges, mainly because technical problems while playing videos are not uncommon.
If your video doesn’t play correctly on your website, the solution isn’t as simple as calling support. In fact, in many cases, your hosting provider will not provide support for issues related to playing videos. This leaves you or your team in charge of diagnosing and fixing any issues, which can be time-consuming, stressful, and in some cases beyond your team’s technical capabilities.
On the other hand, when a third-party company hosts videos, support is usually an integral part of the package. These companies are experienced in dealing with any kind of issue and can act fast to get your videos playing properly in no time.
Another benefit of using a video hosting company like Panda is the data-driven insight they can provide into what your viewers prefer.
8. Problems integrating with social networks
Another big issue with self-hosting videos relates to the complications that can arise when trying to connect different social media platforms with a website or video application installed on them. From a technical point of view, integration can be complex due to the constant changes and updates in the APIs of social media platforms.
Security is another area of concern, as a botched integration can expose sensitive data on both the site and users, leading to potential privacy breaches and a lot of headaches. This puts both users and businesses at risk.
The user experience can also be compromised on social media if the integration is not well designed and implemented. Serving slow or stuttering videos can affect user satisfaction, which will negatively impact the effectiveness of your social media marketing strategies.
Finally, the onboarding process can be labor-intensive and resource-intensive, especially in terms of ongoing maintenance and monitoring.
Top questions about video hosting
What is video hosting?
Video hosting is a service that stores and plays video files stored on a server, allowing users to access and view these videos with ease and quality. This can be done using specialized video hosting services such as Panda Video Hosting.
What’s the difference between self-hosted and embedded video?
Self-hosting means that a given video is stored on the same server where your website is hosted. In this case, you are responsible for storage, bandwidth, and compatibility. Embedding is when you use an external video hosting service, such as Panda Video Hosting.
How to host a video on Panda?
To host a video on a hosting service like Panda, you have to log in or create an account, upload your desired video, fill in information like title and description, configure some settings, and publish. Additional features such as sharing and monitoring are generally available after publication.
Where to host course videos?
To host teaching-oriented videos, you can use Panda Video Hosting, a platform specially designed for hosting courses and video lessons. With it, you can broadcast video content with security and at a high quality, making it easier for students to access and view it.
How to post a private video?
To post a private video on a professional hosting service, you will need to upload the video you want to post. Then add the title, description, and other relevant information, and choose the option to make the video private.
Where to host the video for a website?
The best option for hosting video for a website is paid video hosting services, which offer a variety of features and expert technical support. Among these options available on the market, Panda Video Hosting is one of the best solutions available.
