NYTimes.com announced this week the launch of a new video platform that introduces video into more sections of the site and provides enhanced user functionality. This new platform emphasizes The Times’s strong commitment to video as an important journalistic medium. Players, now using a high-definition format, are available on the home page, article pages, in blogs and in the video library, making video an even more integral component of the NYTimes.com experience.

The video platform also introduces:

• Widescreen format – high-definition videos are now displayed in a 16×9 widescreen frame;

• Redesigned video library – library offers a clean layout and a black background for optimal viewing comfort;

• Individual video pages – an individual playback page for each video that provides a better viewing experience and enhanced searchability;

• “Most Viewed” – a continually updated list of the most viewed videos across the site; and

• Share tools – the ability to share videos to social sites such as Digg, Facebook, LinkedIn, Mixx and Yahoo! Buzz.

“Demand for high-quality video is on the rise across the Web from both our users and our advertisers,” said Nicholas Ascheim, vice president, product management, NYTimes.com. “To meet this need, we have upgraded our technology, increased our production values and given video even more prominence across the site.”

“As our online audience continues to grow, video is an increasingly useful tool for Times journalists,” said Ann Derry, editorial director, video and television, The New York Times. “By further integrating video throughout the site, we can bring to life the rich stories and characters that are best experienced visually.”

The Times produces over 100 original videos per month, featuring breaking news and analysis, as well as enterprise and investigative reporting by Times journalists around the world, many of whom are shooting video themselves. The Times also continues to develop video series by well-known journalists such as David Pogue, Mark Bittman (The Minimalist), David Carr (The Carpetbagger) and A.O. Scott (Critics’ Picks). NYTimes.com/video currently houses over 3,000 videos. NYTimes.com also offers select videos from CNBC, MSNBC, Reuters and Bloggingheads.tv, as well as more than 15,000 movie trailers and clips. In recent weeks, NYTimes.com has begun hosting video at the top of the homepage, including live streaming video of the presidential and vice presidential debates.

The new video experience uses Brightcove 3, the latest version of Brightcove’s online video platform; The New York Times Company is an investor in Brightcove Inc.

According to Nielsen Online, NYTimes.com had 20.1 million unique visitors in September 2008, and was the No. 1 newspaper Web site in United States, a position it has long held.