This 1kb os json still sounds like a modern thing, where you need to download many MB of JavaScript code to execute and display the 1kb json data.

What you want is to just download the 10-20kb html file, maybe a corresponding css file, and any images referenced by the html. Then if you want the video you just get the video file direct.

Simple and effective, unless you have something to sell.

▲

pjc50 3 days ago | parent [-]

The main reason for doing video through JS in the first place, other than obfuscation, is variable bitrate support. Oddly enough some TVs will support variable bitrate HLS directly, and I believe Apple devices, but not regular browsers. See https://github.com/video-dev/hls.js/

> unless you have something to sell

Video hosting and its moderation is not cheap, sadly. Which is why we don't see many competitors.

▲

a96 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

P2P services proved a long ago that hosting is not a problem. Politics is a problem.

What we don't see is more web video services and services that successfully trick varied content creators to upload regularly to their platform.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PeerTube also must be mentioned here.

▲

Zopieux 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

And by "not many" you really mean zero competitors.

(before you ask: Vimeo is getting sold to an enshitification company)

▲

axiolite 3 days ago | parent [-]

Those "zero" include: Rumble, Odysee, Dailymotion, Twitch, Facebook watch... etc.

And a decent list here: https://ideaexplainers.com/video-sites-like-youtube/

▲

pjc50 3 days ago | parent | next [-]

Twitch does live streaming but recently severely limited the extent of free hosting for archived content.

Not actually heard of the first two, what's their USP?

▲

treyd 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Rumble and Odysee and populated with crazy ragebaiting rightwingers, conspiracy theorists, and pseudo-libertarians.

Twitch has the issues the other commenter described, and both Twitch and Facebook are owned by billionaires who are actively collaborating with the current authoritarian regime. Facebook in particular is a risk space for actually exercising free speech and giving coherent critiques of authority.

Dailymotion is... maybe okay? As a company it seems like it's on life support. There's a "missing middle" between the corporate highly produced content that's distributed across all platforms and being a long tail dumping ground. I did find things like university lectures there, but there isn't creators actually trying to produce content for Dailymotion like there is on YouTube.

▲

axiolite 2 days ago | parent [-]

> Rumble and Odysee and populated with crazy ragebaiting rightwingers, conspiracy theorists, and pseudo-libertarians.

So, just like Youtube, then?

	▲	treyd a day ago \| parent [-]
		Proportionally speaking, there's a much higher concentration.