Here are some general questions about what is included in the Video Streaming service. Have specific questions about your 60-Monthly Installments plan? Check out our article on FOREVER® Permanent Video Streaming Installment Plan FAQs.
1. What’s included in FOREVER Video Streaming?
With a Video Streaming Plan, you and your loved ones will experience the joy of watching and reliving your video memories in your FOREVER account on any computer, smartphone, or tablet, at any time. You and anyone you share your videos with can watch them over and over again in full HD quality. With FOREVER Video Streaming, you can also optimize your videos for long-term storage if you choose. Optimization reduces the amount of storage you need to save videos. Learn more about video optimization and video file types here.
2. Can others watch the videos I share with them?
Yes. If you have FOREVER Video Streaming and share your videos with others, they will also be able to watch them while visiting your account in FOREVER on any computer, smartphone, or tablet, at any time, even if they do not have a Video Streaming Plan of their own. If another person downloads the videos you shared with them and then saves them to their own FOREVER Account, they will need a Video Streaming Plan to watch them from their own account. If you do not have a Video Streaming Plan, and share your videos with others, they can download your videos and watch them offline using their computer’s available software. Or, if they have FOREVER Video Streaming, they can copy the videos to their own FOREVER Account and watch them in FOREVER on any computer, smartphone, or tablet, at any time.
**Currently you cannot download videos to Apple devices from the mobile web. they must be downloaded from the FOREVER App, which can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store.**
3. I uploaded videos to my FOREVER Account before purchasing Video Streaming. Will I be able to watch those videos?
Yes. If you have an active FOREVER Video Streaming Plan, you and anyone you share your videos with can watch all of them in FOREVER on any computer, smartphone, or tablet, at any time. The first time you play a video that had been uploaded prior to your purchase of a Video Streaming Plan, there may be a slight delay while we prepare your video for online viewing. This delay will only occur the first time you watch that video in FOREVER.
4. What if I want to cancel my Video Streaming plan?
You can cancel your Monthly or Yearly Video Streaming subscription at any time, but once you do, you and anyone you share videos with will no longer be able to watch your videos in your FOREVER Account. You can still upload, organize, share, and download the videos in your FOREVER Account and watch them offline using your computer’s available software.
You can also stop making payments on your 60-month installment plan at any time. If you do, you will be able to watch videos in your FOREVER account for 2 additional months for every installment made. For instance, if you made 4 installments before you stopped paying, you can watch your videos for 8 additional months in your FOREVER Account.
5. Why not use a “free” service to watch my videos online, such as YouTube?
You can certainly upload and watch your videos on YouTube, but YouTube is not free. Users “pay” to watch their videos by giving up their privacy and digital rights and allowing their precious memories to be data mined and commercialized. As soon as you stop using or cease to be valuable to these so-called “free” sites, they delete your precious memories. At FOREVER, we do not sell or rent FOREVER Storage Owners’ personal information to third parties. We enable you to control what content you keep private, and what you choose to make public or share with others. And of course, with FOREVER’s unique business model and guarantee, your content (including your videos) is preserved for many decades to come. The bottom line is that so-called “free” services do not preserve important memories in a way that ensures they are safe, secure, and accessible for generations.
6. Can I watch the videos that are stored in my FOREVER account without a Video Streaming Plan?
YES! If you do not have a Video Streaming Plan, you can download your videos and watch them offline using your computer’s available software.
7. Can I upload, organize, and share videos without a Video Streaming Plan?
Yes! You can upload, organize, and share videos in your FOREVER Account just like photos, print products, audio files, and documents.
8. Will the FOREVER Guarantee apply to the videos that I upload if I do not have a Video Streaming Plan?
Yes! Once you have purchased a FOREVER Storage Account, all videos, photos, documents, and audio files you upload will be guaranteed for your lifetime plus 100 years regardless of whether you have a Video Streaming Plan. Over time, file formats may become obsolete and require your video to be migrated to modern standard formats so they can continue to be shared, viewed, and enjoyed. We will perform this migration when, in our professional judgment, a video can no longer be viewed or played on commonly available devices. This is true whether you have a Video Streaming Plan or not.
9. If I send video tapes (VHS, Beta, Hi8, mini DV tapes) and reels (8mm, Super 8mm, 16 mm) into FOREVER to be digitized, will those videos be uploaded to my FOREVER Account?
Yes. As part of our Conversion Service, we upload all videos that we digitize for you to your FOREVER Account for 60 days. You also have the option to store these files in your permanent storage where they are subject to the FOREVER Guarantee. However, if you choose NOT to store these videos in your permanent storage then they are NOT subject to the FOREVER Guarantee.
10. Can I watch videos you digitize and upload to my FOREVER Account without a Video Streaming plan?
Yes. You have two options once your digitization order is complete. FOREVER provides you with 60 days to stream your newly digitized video files through the My FOREVER Box Center in your account. Simply click to see your memories come to life. Following the 60-day period and if you do not have a Video Streaming Plan, you can download any videos in your account and watch them offline using your computer’s available software.
11. Are there any limits on the videos I can upload?
You can upload videos from your phone, tablet, or computer in the following formats only: .mp4, .avi, .mov, .mpg, .mpeg, .wmv, .mkv, .m4v, .mts, .mt2s. Individual videos must be less than 4 GB in file size in order to upload. You may upload multiple videos at a time as well as upload videos and photos at the same time. If you have videos that are larger than 4 GB or need further help uploading videos, please contact us at 1-888-FOREVER (1-888-367-3837).
12. Can I upload videos using the FOREVER mobile app?
Yes! You can upload videos from your mobile device to your FOREVER Account just like photos. Furthermore, you can choose to include or exclude videos when you back up or auto-sync your mobile device.
13. Can I upload videos to my FOREVER Account directly from Historian?
No. In order to get your videos from Historian to your FOREVER Account, you must first export the videos from Historian to a folder on your computer. From that folder, you can upload videos to your FOREVER Account using FOREVER’s web uploader. If you need help, just call us at 1-888-FOREVER (1-888-367-3837).
14. Can I upload videos to my FOREVER Account directly from Facebook or other social media sites?
No. You must first download and save videos from Facebook and other social media sites to a folder on your computer. Then, from that folder, you can upload videos to your FOREVER Account using FOREVER’s web uploader. Once again, If you need help, just give us a call at 1-888-FOREVER (1-888-367-3837).
15. Will FOREVER de-dupe my videos during upload like it does my photos?
The FOREVER Mobile App will de-dupe videos for you when you upload from your mobile device to your FOREVER Account (assuming they were already uploaded from the same mobile device). However, if you are using a web browser, FOREVER is not yet able to de-dupe your videos during the upload process.