Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

JW Player VS Opencast

Compare JW Player VS Opencast and see what are their differences

JW Player logo JW Player

JW Player is an embeddable media player.

Opencast logo Opencast

Opencast is an open source solution for automated video capture and distribution at scale.
  • JW Player Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-25
  • Opencast Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-19

JW Player

Release Date
2004 January
Startup details
Country
United States
State
New York
City
New York
Founder(s)
Adam Fawer
Employees
100 - 249

JW Player features and specs

  • Customization
    JW Player offers extensive customization options, allowing developers to tailor the video player to fit their branding and functionality requirements.
  • Streaming Quality
    The platform supports adaptive bitrate streaming which provides a smooth viewing experience by adjusting video quality based on user's internet connection.
  • Analytics
    JW Player includes comprehensive analytics tools to track viewer engagement, viewership trends, and performance metrics.
  • Monetization
    It has built-in support for monetization through ads, offering integration with various ad networks and ad technologies.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    JW Player is compatible with multiple devices and platforms, including desktop browsers, mobile devices, and smart TVs.
  • Ease of Integration
    The player can be easily integrated with CMSs, frameworks, and various web technologies through its comprehensive API and developer tools.

Possible disadvantages of JW Player

  • Cost
    JW Player can be expensive, especially for small businesses and individual creators, as it charges based on usage and additional features.
  • Learning Curve
    There can be a steep learning curve for new users who are not familiar with advanced video player settings and customizations.
  • Limited Free Version
    The free version of JW Player has limited capabilities and branding, which might not be sufficient for professional use.
  • Ads Restrictions
    There are some limitations and restrictions when it comes to integrating third-party ad services, which can be a drawback for certain users.
  • Customer Support
    While JW Player offers customer support, some users have reported waiting times and variable quality of service.

Opencast features and specs

  • Open Source
    Opencast is an open-source project, allowing organizations to use, modify, and distribute the software without licensing costs, leading to potentially significant savings and the ability to tailor the software to specific needs.
  • Community Support
    Being open-source, Opencast has a community of developers and users who contribute to its development and offer support, which can be valuable for troubleshooting and improving the platform.
  • Scalability
    Opencast is designed to be scalable, making it suitable for institutions of different sizes, from small educational organizations to large universities with extensive multimedia requirements.
  • Feature-Rich
    Opencast provides a wide range of features tailored for lecture capture and video management, including scheduling, recording, processing, and distribution of media content.
  • Integration Capabilities
    It offers integration with other educational technologies and platforms, such as Learning Management Systems (LMS), enhancing its usability in academic settings.

Possible disadvantages of Opencast

  • Complex Setup
    Setting up Opencast can be complex and may require technical expertise, which might be a barrier for institutions without sufficient IT resources.
  • Limited Documentation
    While there is documentation available, some users may find it insufficient or challenging to navigate, which can hinder the ability to maximize the platform's potential.
  • Resource Intensive
    The system can be resource-intensive, requiring substantial server infrastructure to manage and distribute large volumes of video content efficiently.
  • Community Reliance
    Though community support can be an advantage, reliance on it means that urgent issues might not be resolved as quickly as with commercial software with dedicated support.
  • Customization Challenges
    While the flexibility of an open-source platform allows for customization, it can also present challenges due to the complexity of making changes to the codebase, especially for those lacking in-depth technical knowledge.

JW Player videos

JW Player Employee Reviews - Q3 2018

More videos:

  • Tutorial - របៀប Download video ពី JW Player | How to download video from JW Player
  • Tutorial - How to use JW Player 7 with Wowza Streaming Engine
  • Review - JW Player Review: Daily user of JWPlayer
  • Review - Find Out About the Application Process at JW Player

Opencast videos

Opencast Releases Review

More videos:

  • Review - Opencast Overview
  • Demo - Opencast Matterhorn Demo: Hold for Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to JW Player and Opencast)
Video Platform
75 75%
25% 25
Video
44 44%
56% 56
YouTube Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Marketing Platform
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare JW Player and Opencast

JW Player Reviews

Top 26 Alternatives to Vimeo in 2024: Pricing, Features & More
JW Player is one of the alternatives to Vimeo that offers live streaming at a competitive price. So if you’re just starting live streaming and don’t want to pay the hefty costs to live stream on Vimeo, JW Player is Meta description: Explore the best Vimeo alternatives with our comprehensive 2024 guide. Choose from 26 platforms with detailed insights on features, pricing,...
Source: www.dacast.com
Best Online Video Platforms In 2023
Regarding online video platforms, JW Player can also be a fine option. Whether you’re a content creator or a business, JW Player’s versatile features cater to your videos. Its powerful API and analytics capabilities make it a standout choice for those looking to deliver an exemplary video experience.
Source: medium.com

Opencast Reviews

We have no reviews of Opencast yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Opencast seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

JW Player mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of JW Player yet. Tracking of JW Player recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Opencast mentions (1)

  • Ask HN: What is the most impactful thing you've ever built?
    Setting up an automated lecture capture system at my university, based around the open-source https://opencast.org software. We did everything from buying hardware components to build machines that were specifically tuned to encode videos on the fly with the least space/noise possible to be put into lecture halls, writing the software to run on that, to running the video management system with opencast,... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing JW Player and Opencast, you can also consider the following products

VideoJS - VideoJS is an HTML5 Video Player, built with Javascript and CSS, with a fallback to a Flash video...

Kaltura - Video solutions for media, service providers, enterprises, and education - OTT TV, Webcasting, Enterprise YouTube, VPaaS – live and VOD.

Plyr - A simple, accessible and customisable HTML5 media player

Panopto - Panopto is the leading online video platform for businesses and universities. Easily create, host, search, share, and stream videos across your organization.

Wistia - Host, manage, and track your videos with the best video marketing tools in the (known) universe.

Brightcove - | The Leading Online Video Platform |