The feature will enable users to skip straight to the interesting part of live videos that have already taken place. Instead of simply having to guess when those good parts are, you’ll be able to see how people who did watch the whole video reacted.
When a live video is being streamed, viewers can either react to the video or comment. Facebook will use these reactions to create a timeline for the video, showing when users got excited, mad, or liked the video. The timeline will be overlaid on the video progress bar. Using that information, you’ll be able to skip to the parts of the video that are most interesting to you.
This feature isn’t totally original: Soundcloud has long offered something similar, allowing users to see comments from others at different points during the playback of the song. Sure, you may not find the “best” part of a song, but you will see who reacted to the song and when.
Of course, the new feature could be a double-edged sword. While it could help make even amateur streams more interesting, it could also seriously impact the flow and narrative of a video.
It makes sense that Facebook is pushing to add more features to live videos when they are viewed after they have stopped being streamed. According to the company, two-thirds of live video views take place after the broadcast has ended. The new feature is rolling out to users now, and Facebook says that the feature will remain exclusive to live-streamed video rather than all videos on the site.
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