REVIEW: Vimeo's New Video Tools

Vimeo's simple and functional new feature is a welcome addition to the platform.

A couple months ago, Vimeo added built-in video review tools to its Pro tier subscriptions. As I'm in the process of finishing two feature-length films with multiple collaborators, I decided to try it.

Here's my quick overview of the pros and cons of the new service:

Pros

• Easily navigable notation system—click on a note and it brings you to the frame it was created on
• Ability to locate details with a draggable cursor for each entry
• Once a note has been addressed, you can checkmark it without deleting it

Cons

• Vimeo's render process can take up to an hour, even on short videos. This increases the time between post-upload and when you can get the review page up and running for your clients. Most of the time, this isn’t a problem, but it might be a dealbreaker for some
• It would be nice if you could choose who, with the link, can see the review page. Sometimes, you just want to share the video with someone without giving them access to your internal notes

Competitors

• Wipster (already integrated with Vimeo) starting at $25/month
• Frame.io starting at $15/month

For free Vimeo members, it might not be worth upgrading to the $17/month tier for these tools alone, but if you're using more than 5GB/week bandwidth, it's a no-brainer. The tools are better suited to long-form content with multiple collaborators, as opposed to simple versioning for a client. The time you might save sending or receiving notes to or from a client might be enough to warrant using other services, such as WeTransfer or Google Drive, for quick turnarounds.

The brand recognizability of Vimeo might be a bonus for many, but it ultimately comes down to your personal needs. It would be nice if Vimeo allowed an option to skip its two-pass encoding process for faster viewing of shorter form client work. Overall, it's a welcome addition to the Vimeo platform, especially for existing PRO and Business members.