FAQs

1. So, just who we, anyway?
2. Who are the users of this web site?
3. How are contributors selected?
4. I'm a photographer. Can I market my clips and images on this site?
5. I am a research scientist. Can my institution market my videos and images on this site?
6. Do we deal with lower/higher video resolutions than HD?
7. Royalty free means no charge, right?
8. What is Pay-by-the-Pixel?
9. Where are the tornado videos?
10. What about 4K videos?
11. Can I extract stills from videos and stay within license terms?
12. How long can I use 'comp' Images?
13. Can I share my review bins with anyone?
14. If it is on the Internet, it is in the public domain, right?
15. I am a teacher. Why do I have to pay to license your products?

If your question isn't answered please contact us at info@weathervideohd.tv.

SO, JUST WHO ARE WE, ANYWAY? Our site was created by a meteorologist (a past President of the American Meteorological Society) and a software engineer with the goal of providing access to a wide variety of hard-to-find video and graphic assets illustrating the weather, the sky above and geosciences in general. The site is also a vehicle for researchers and weather videographers / photographers to distribute their works to the media, documentary producers and educators with a minimum of hassle, while actually generating some additional revenue for their intellectual proprietary rights. See 'About Us' for more details.

WHO ARE THE USERS OF THIS WEB SITE? The site was initially designed to meet the needs of (1) documentary producers and (2) educators requiring assets that can be used not only in the classroom but also in textbooks, podcasts, distance learning web sites and public outreach efforts. However, already many others ranging from set designers, museum science exhibit builders and advertisers have found our offerings of great value.

HOW ARE CONTRIBUTORS SELECTED? Starting with our own extensive library of videos and photographs, we are inviting world-renowned researchers and those skilled in obtaining unique and exiting video and images of atmospheric and related phenomena to make their collections available through a single, easy to use site.

I'M A PHOTOGRAPHER. CAN I MARKET MY CLIPS AND IMAGES ON THIS SITE? Yes. But unlike many other sites where materials can just be downloaded automatically, we are more selective. We are looking for offerings that have both excellent technical and aesthetic attributes, but also tell a story about how the atmosphere works. Each offering has detailed information describing the phenomena involved. If you have clips or stills, especially in areas were our offerings are less robust, please contact us! We will be delighted to chat with you. For more info, click on 'Become a Contributor' on the home page.

I'M A RESEARCH SCIENTIST. CAN MY INSTITUTION MARKET MY VIDEOS AND IMAGES ON THIS SITE? Absolutely. The genesis of this site arose from the ongoing conundrum facing many researchers - (1) we have some great imagery we want to share with the public and contribute to informal public science education, and (2) dealing one-on-one with producers and editors is time consuming and often rather invasive. Our site provides a simple means to resolve these issues (and help with your NSF Criteria 2 issues). We do have to be careful when designating who actually owns the copyright for assets produced by those working for institutions and also assure that the license fees are sent to the right place. For more info, click on 'Become a Contributor' on the Home Page.

DO WE DEAL WITH LOWER/HIGHER VIDEO RESOLUTIONS THAN HD? Yes, we do. Our initial video offerings were almost all acquired in HD (1920x1080), and now, 4K. However, we realize there are many exciting clips of unusual and historical weather events that are only available in legacy formats, ranging from HDV to DV and even S-VHS. (We have quite a few of our own that we will be adding.) So, if you have some really great stuff, even if it's not HD, let's talk!

ROYALTY FREE MEANS NO CHARGE, RIGHT? Sorry, not so. Royalty Free, as opposed to 'Rights Managed,' means that upon payment for a license, you can do pretty much anything you wish with the asset (within the generous terms of our license, which you must read) and that you will not be charged over and over again for use. Our licenses are 'in perpetuity.' By contrast, with Rights Managed licenses, you must specify exactly your intended use, typically pay a one-time use fee over a fixed period, and re-negotiate for every subsequent use. Royalty free is becoming the dominant licensing modus operandi, simply because we are all too busy to deal with mountains of paper work. So while our costs may initially appear a little high, once you have acquired the license, you may use and reuse an asset many times over without ever making a payment or obtaining permission.

WHAT IS PAY-BY-THE-PIXEL? More and more, images are originating from realty large sesnor DSLRs, with sensors yielding 10, 20 or even 30+ megapixels per image. This massive resolution is great if you are planning to create a vast wall mural. But if you only want a 3 inch wide picture at 72 dpi for a website you don't want a 20 mp image! So we just charge you for what you need. At the bottom of each image Preview Page, you can dial in the size (and density) of the image you actually need, and pay for only what you need.

WHERE ARE THE TORNADO VIDEOS? Just search under tornadoes! Also check out Advanced Search feature and poke around in the Weather Science & Tutorials section to find many useful graphics about tornado safety. We also are honored to have many tornado clips from the late Tim Samaras, a dear friend of ours, and a researcher who made many key observations about nature's most violent weather event. s

WHERE ARE THE 4K VIDEOS? In spite of the HD in our name, we are going 4K, like the rest of the world. Just type 4K into the Simple Search field, and up will pop our current offerings. These will be greatly expanding in number and topics duiring the upcoming year.We define 4K using the Ultra HD (UHD) nomenclature (3840x2160 pixels).

CAN I EXTRACT STILLS FROM VIDEOS AND STAY WITHIN LICENSE TERMS? Yup. When you license any asset from us (please read the terms carefully), you are free to do (almost) anything with it. If you have a video clip, you can extract and use still frames. Or change the format or resolution. Just be creative and do your thing. With some obvious exceptions, such as not reselling the clips or images, our terms of use are probably among the most generous in the business. But remember, you have agreed to those few restrictions in your license. Please be aware of them.

HOW LONG CAN I USE 'COMP' IMAGES? After six months, we request you remove downloaded Comps (or videos screeners) from your system. You can always re-download them. Comps are a service we provide so you can use lower-res, watermarked versions of an asset in timelines, layouts, mockups or any other draft work so you can 'try it before you buy it.' You may also show them in classroom lectures if you don't mind the watermark.

CAN I SHARE MY REVIEW BINS WITH ANYONE? Please, do!. Click on the link on the Home page for more details. Review Bins are really handy tools allowing you to assemble and save any number of thumbnails that you are considering for possible use on a project. These thumbnails are collected on a webpage which is freely accessible to you, your client, sponsor or collaborator.

IF IT IS ON THE INTERNET, IT IS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN, ISN'T IT? No. No, and No! 'Public domain' is a very specific legal term, and generally refers to certain creations that are very old, some government resources, and items that have been released for public use by their owners. As such, items in the 'public domain,' meaning they can be used without payment or restrictions (though sometimes with attribution required), are few and far between. Just by being displayed on the Internet, whether with or without a formal copyright notice, does not convey public domain status. If you lift something off the web, and use it without proper licensing or grant of permission, you and your organization could face not only some very unpleasant 'cease and desist' letters from nasty attorneys, but also be liable for substantial monetary damages. That's the law.

I AM A TEACHER. WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY TO LICENSE YOUR PRODUCTS? The concept of Fair Use is a complicated one. First of all, "Fair Use" is not a right...it is a legal defense when you get sued! Images, however obtained, can sometimes be used without payment under copyright law provision within the strict confines of a classroom lecture (though this does not apply to items on our site). However, the minute you use these same assets in a text book, part of an online distance learning program, course handouts or lab manuals, etc., it is a whole different ballgame. Moreover, copyright law expressly prohibits purloining under bogus 'Fair Use' those items offered for sale as instructional aids to educational institutions. You should note that most educational uses of videos and pictures are relatively low resolution (in Power Point or Keynote presentations, for instance). That is why we offer our low-res products at a very small fraction of the cost of the higher resolution masters. And once you do license an asset from our site, you may use that asset (within the confines of the organization which purchased the license) for virtually any purpose without having to worry about intellectual property issues with every Power Point or Keynote slide you show. Your institution most likely has guidelines on this subject. AND...register as an educational user of the site, and many of our images can be accessed almost free for lectures (for small service charges).