Wikipedia adds video capability

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SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Wikipedia says it has added video technology to its website, allowing users to add multimedia content to articles on the online encyclopedia.

The video player, based on the HTML5 video protocol, has been in the works since 2008, but its introduction has suffered numerous delays caused by infrastructure upgrades and personnel changes, AllThingsD reported.

Video start-up Kaltura and Google have partnered with Wikipedia to launch the service with around 15,000 videos.

"Wikipedia has more than half a billion unique monthly visitors, so any new feature that is deployed needs to be really sustainable and foolproof," Kaltura President Michal Tsur said.

Wikipedia said all footage must first go through Wikimedia Commons to ensure it does not infringe upon the site's terms and conditions or violate licensing laws or copyrights.

Once videos are uploaded, Wikipedia said, people will be able to add captions, translations and more.