By Mark Milian, CNN
New York (CNN) – That a popular video-sharing website is retooling its layout to highlight, of all things, the video on each page seems like a head-slapping idea.
But that's exactly what's happening at Vimeo, an online video site with an artsy fan base.
Vimeo, which is owned by Web media giant InterActiveCorp, began welcoming some subscribers and nonpaying users to a test version of its new site Tuesday morning. The website is painted in pastels, with large fonts and videos.
The revision was conceived of in 2009, the company said, and development has been going on for more than a year, Vimeo CEO Dae Mellencamp said in a recent interview here at the company's headquarters.
Clicking a Vimeo link brings viewers to a page featuring a video that typically fills the screen. In order to see similar videos, the visitor can click a banner that hangs discreetly in the corner, which will trigger a ticker to drop down from the top of the page.
"We're putting the video front and center," Mellencamp said. "The idea is to show less by default and welcome more requests."
By that, Mellencamp means that Vimeo won't be bombarding visitors with text, buttons, related videos and advertisements dancing around the centerpiece content.
Compare that to YouTube, which is by far the largest video site on the Web. Below the YouTube logo on the page is the video's title, then buttons leading to more videos, and then the main video (in "small player" mode by default), surrounded by "more recommended videos," and "suggestions." On a typical video, more than a dozen distractions line the side of the page.
The new Vimeo home page is also a stark contrast to YouTube's. The layout looks more like a blog or a Tumblr dashboard by default. Users can switch, like iTunes, between other types of views, such as "couch mode" with videos filling the screen. Meanwhile, YouTube's home page, which was redesigned last month, has three columns packed with links to videos.
During Vimeo's current test period, the designers will learn whether they have concocted the magic formula for online video, or whether their long-in-the-works experiment missed the mark. And during that time, a key indicator will be how many people choose to switch back to the old design.
In a few weeks, Vimeo will begin allowing any registered user to get access to "the new Vimeo," as Mellencamp calls it. By July, Vimeo expects that the new version will take over the entire site, a spokeswoman said.
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Hi StuartI think there is a lot to learn for eveyrone. We can't all be experts in everything or be bale to come up with all the answers on our own.Thanks for your comment.Baz
Hi I think you're one of the world's greatest artists. I am a African-American male 50 years old. I would love to work for you, free of charge. I have ideas from the South where I grew up.
I've been posting on Vimeo for 2+years and love it. Youtube is too busy and commercial for me.
eexnllcet submit, very informative. I ponder why the other specialists of this sector don't realize this. You must continue your writing. I am sure, you've a huge readers' base already!
Joefest99 on March 10, 2011 Call me crazy, but I belveie that you should be obligated to pay back what you borrow. I racked up a bunch of debt in college and didn't settle but paid it back in full. I actually went hungry and set the thermostat lower than I would have liked in order to do so. I know some deadbeats that settled for less than what they owed but not me!But I'm the kind of guy who paid for my own college, even thought a family member offered to pay it. Sadly, I don't think there are many people like that.
Their current application for Samsung Smart TVs (I have a D7000) has been sporadic since their last app upgrade. Sometimes the video is smooth...sometimes freezing makes it impossible to watch.
I really enjoy the site and I hope they'll pay attention to the growing number of people who want to watch Vimeo where it really shines...on a HDTV.
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i find your voice snoihtog and sensual. i like to light some candles and put my rinry game game play list on repeat when i'm lonely at nights.
Hi Anish ?Quick 30 sonced review: They don't suck! They look well produced, good content, along with the design of the site. (That's what I can share in a glance.)
Why would Mellencamp and Vimeo develop an entirely new platform for 2 years, only to THEN test it with users and see if it's going to work? That experiment could fail miserably. This is exactly what "Lean Startup" is trying to solve, huge assumptions like this.
I never had any luck watching a Vimeo flick as it was always herky-jerky. I never got a good steady stream so I quit even trying. Vimeo? Click.
The problem is on your end. Vimeo beats Youtube any day of the week.
I rlelay dislike having the Facebook comments so near these comments. I already accidentally posted one comment to facebook that I wanted to post here. Need to delineate between the two. Or is that your plan?
Are you on dial-up?
Sometimes watching it online, my videos end up little lagged as well, but its probably my system. I watch them mostly on my Roku box with the vimeo channel. So much better and on an HD screen
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