Video Site Virtualizes I/O, Servers

Pixorial is a new consumer Web site designed to let people upload their home videos, but unlike YouTube, it wants users to be able to edit, then share the edited videos through a link on a personal Web site. Consumers can link to a free, low resolution version of a video they’ve created that’s stored and played on the Pixorial site, or they can pay a $1.99 fee for a higher resolution version. They can also order a DVD for another small fee. When a visitor to a Pixorial customer’s personal site clicks on the link to see a home movie, a player on the Pixorial site then displays the edited film. As a result, Pixorial.com is a demanding, “media-type-agnostic” IT environment that has to move a variety of large files around fast, while still operating in an economical manner.