Tech Forum

There are many streaming videos on lds.org, but not many that can be easily downloaded. Is this policy or can I put in a request for videos that can be easily downloaded? I would like to put them on my computer, iPod, and Dell Axim Windows Mobile devices.

I believe this capability is planned for future updates. There is a Videos page on LDS.org that has one video available for download and a message that more will be added.

I'd love to see more videos available on LDS.org such that they can be downloaded and saved. I wanted to show Let Not Thy Heart Be Troubled to an investigator that was entering boot camp, only to discover that it wasn't available in our branch library. I didn't have time to order it as he as moving two days later. I ended up having to download a program called CoCSoft Stream Down to be able to save the few brief highlights that were availble on LDS.org as streaming video clips. I wish that the hole thing would have been available somehow.

Speaking of which, I noticed that most of the church DVDs are $4.50 from the distribution catalog, but only like $1.18 or $1.50 when you buy them in a full case. I heard that they are always sold at cost, so that implies the cost of having someone open the box to handle them, seperate them out, and package them to ship individually increases the actual cost threefold by up to $3 or more.

If we were to make VCDs or DVDs downloadable from LDS.org in full, I'm sure it would use a lot of bandwidth and server space. But, would it cost more than $3 per download? If not, it actually would be a cost savings verses the production, handling, and distribution of physical DVDs shipped individually.

-Jeff

Question 1:
Would it be a illegal to convert these video ourselves to use on our portable media devices?

Question 2:
Would it be illegal to convert these video files for others who owned the videos that weren't so technologically savvy?

Question 3:
If the church only charges COST for these video to others converting and sharing any church videos with other members wouldn't be competing with the church for income.

I think if the church asked nicely if there was someone who wanted to convert these videos of their own time and effort someone would step up and do it. I think that same someone could create a Google Video account and provide those video for download on said Google video account and it would cost the church nothing at all to put its videos on iPods around the globe.

That being said...this would not be a very good solution if, in fact, the church was making a profit off those videos and someone providing them for free would be in direct competition.

My thought is that having the churched videos available freely from a reputable source would only increase the number of viewers of that content. I think most would concur that someone who was't a member asked them for a copy of any church made movie they would give it to them freely.

That's my two cents...

Mr. M wrote:Question 1:
Would it be a illegal to convert these video ourselves to use on our portable media devices?

If you have the original movie then no.

Mr. M wrote: Question 2:
Would it be illegal to convert these video files for others who owned the videos that weren't so technologically savvy?

If they also have the original then no.

Mr. M wrote: Question 3:
If the church only charges COST for these video to others converting and sharing any church videos with other members wouldn't be competing with the church for income.

Again I don't think the church gains any NET revenue from this, but it might offset the costs and publications of these movies in 3rd world countries. I know that you can buy church resources in those countires for cheaper then the cost is was to produce, just so that the members there can buy these resources with their limited income.

Mr. M wrote: I think if the church asked nicely if there was someone who wanted to convert these videos of their own time and effort someone would step up and do it. I think that same someone could create a Google Video account and provide those video for download on said Google video account and it would cost the church nothing at all to put its videos on iPods around the globe.

That being said...this would not be a very good solution if, in fact, the church was making a profit off those videos and someone providing them for free would be in direct competition.

My thought is that having the churched videos available freely from a reputable source would only increase the number of viewers of that content. I think most would concur that someone who was't a member asked them for a copy of any church made movie they would give it to them freely.

That's my two cents...

I fully agree that it would be nice to have all the church's films on the internet. And maybe the church is actually looking into that as a resource too.

Thanks for the response back. I do hope the church is looking into it.

Mr. M wrote:Question 2:
Would it be illegal to convert these video files for others who owned the videos that weren't so technologically savvy?

When you start hosting a site, the problem you quickly run into is copyright. While the church doesn't make money on their videos, they are protective of their copyrights.

The way that some companies (such as Mark My Scriptures) have gotten around this is that they sell the converter. The tools has a simplified interface that takes care of locating the content and doing all the work. The user just tells it what they want. So using the purchased tool the user downloads the web content of lds.org and convert it to the format needed for their PDA program. If they (MMS) had hosted an already converted format, then they'd have copyright issues. But by selling a simplified converter and letting the user do the conversion, they side-step all that.

Seems like the same approach should work well with the posted video content. Use technology to simplify the technology.

Mr. M wrote:Question 1:
Would it be a illegal to convert these video ourselves to use on our portable media devices?

Question 2:
Would it be illegal to convert these video files for others who owned the videos that weren't so technologically savvy?

Question 3:
If the church only charges COST for these video to others converting and sharing any church videos with other members wouldn't be competing with the church for income.

I think if the church asked nicely if there was someone who wanted to convert these videos of their own time and effort someone would step up and do it. I think that same someone could create a Google Video account and provide those video for download on said Google video account and it would cost the church nothing at all to put its videos on iPods around the globe.

That being said...this would not be a very good solution if, in fact, the church was making a profit off those videos and someone providing them for free would be in direct competition.

My thought is that having the churched videos available freely from a reputable source would only increase the number of viewers of that content. I think most would concur that someone who was't a member asked them for a copy of any church made movie they would give it to them freely.

That's my two cents...

I highly suggest that you check with the Church's intellectual reserve division before doing this as the content is copyrighted information.

Tom

Do you have that contact information? I would love to put them on my iPod.

For those that do a lot of travel, how cool would it be to have a conversation about the churc with someone and be able to say, "Here take a look at this video and tell me what you think?"

That's a great use of that technology.

Mr. M wrote:Do you have that contact information? I would love to put them on my iPod.

For those that do a lot of travel, how cool would it be to have a conversation about the churc with someone and be able to say, "Here take a look at this video and tell me what you think?"

That's a great use of that technology.

You can reach them at:

1-801-240-3959
or
e-mail to cor-intellectualproperty@ldschurch.org

Tom