As 2012 comes to a close, we reflect on the year behind us and turn our faces to all the possibilities ahead in the New Year. Out with the old and ringing in the new is best done with a bang, a visual video bang, of course. Luckily, there are plenty of videos available online to help kick-start 2013 and celebrate New Year’s Eve (NYE) in style. You can find anything from NYE party decoration ideas to the perfect background video ambiance to exciting countdowns and live stream ball drop coverage.
BRING THE BLING: NEW YEAR’S EVE BALL DROP PARTY IDEAS
If you are hosting a celebration you have many options for turning your home into a party spot that rivals a nightclub setting for friends and family. Take the time to choose decorations based on a theme. There are endless ideas online for ringing in the year in style. Get everyone into an upbeat mood with strobe lights, colored light bulbs, or twinkling lights to create a funky backdrop for your party. Brainstorm ideas by searching for videos online using an array of video search engines when planning your NYE décor. Banners, streamers, stars, clocks, party hats, and noisemakers add life to the party. Here are a few ideas to add some more bling and fun to your party:
Ringing in the New Year: Besides the décor, you need to make a noisy commotion when the New Year turns over, use noise makers and horns, but don’t forget to wear the ultimate accessory for everyone’s New Year’s outfit: a fun pair of 2013 glasses. Forget running to the store to buy a pair, you can easily make your own following the directions from How Cast as shown in the video below. These glasses are bound to increase the party fun and are a great project to do with kids to pass the time before the ball drop.
The Resolution: Making New Year’s resolutions is a time-honored tradition. Simply saying your resolution aloud is so passé. While you are anticipating the New Year’s ball drop, writing your resolution, or “promise” for the coming year on a promise wall is a neat way to share commitments with loved ones. The Because I Said I Would website offers suggestions on how to create and set up a promise wall that all your guests can use at the party.
WATCH THE TIMES SQUARE BALL DROP LIVE ONLINE
The Times Square ball drop is a staple of New Year’s Eve parties across America. Did you know the first NYE celebration held in Times Square was in 1904? Who knew that after one party focused around Times Tower, this gathering would capture the nation and the world.
So your living room isn’t Times Square. Don’t fret, it can still be as exciting, minus the cold, with the right video coverage of the New Year’s ball drop on your big screen TV, laptop, or tablet. This year the Times Square ball drop action will once again be streamed live online:
Livestream will host a live feed of the New Year’s ball drop beginning at 6 p.m. EST (3 p.m. PST) on January 31, 2012.
EarthCam will also cover the party via Ustream, the webcam is live year-round, and is also offering a 3-D feed of the Times Square ball drop celebration on their site.
There is also “The Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball” app for Apple iPhone users and those with Android devices to access a live feed of the party.
Watching New Year’s ball drops from years past is a way to embrace our American history and pass the time reminiscing before ringing in 2013. There are loads of videos online capturing past New Year’s Eve celebrations, but if you want to see how the Time Square ball drop has changed check out the New Years Eve Ball Drops 1976-2012 video which chronicles more than 25 years of past ball drops complete with Dick Clark narrating the countdown.
NEW YEAR’S EVE BALL DROP COUNTDOWN VIDEOS
As the first moments of 2013 draws near you can choose from a variety of videos to help commemorate it. Youtube offers videos featuring various countdowns, loopable confetti imagery, or fireworks displays to set the ideal background at your New Year’s Eve ball drop party. If you want to count down to the big moment, there are videos readily available such as the Happy New Year Countdown 2013 or the classic Fliptime Countdown 2013 available in high-definition.
If you’d rather just spice up the party with a celebratory background ambiance create a holiday playlist of videos filled with confetti and fireworks all easily found on YouTube and a snap to build with RealPlayer. If you don’t have RealPlayer you can download a free version of it by clicking on the orange button in the top right corner of this page.
To wrap up the night, no New Year’s party is complete without the Auld Lang Syne signature NYE song. There’s an Auld Lang Syne version accessible to fit any musical taste from contemporary, symphony, to classic. The lyrics also help on this video so everyone can join together in song:
Using online videos for NYE inspirational ambiance is the perfect way to make memories of the last night of 2012 last a lifetime. How do you plan to celebrate the New Year’s Eve ball drop this year? Do you have a favorite online source for video inspiration and/or ball drop coverage? Will you be using your mobile device to stream coverage online this year? Let us know in the comments below.
Alane Jewel is a journalist, online marketer, and professional artist. She is a social jack of all trades and loves reinventing herself every couple years. She has been a women's magazine editor, newspaper columnist, retail buyer, and fine art artist. She loves sci-fi and to travel, write, paint, and spend her free time sharing all of her business on her social networks. She lives north of Pittsburgh with her husband, Steve, and a large beast of a Great Dane, Duke.
I’ve had the Free Real Player for 10 or more yrs. & now no sound – my mp3s won’t play. They R
all there in Library & in my play lists, but won’t play. Real has always been my default player. I
don’t remember ever having trouble playing music. I don’t know what to do to fix it. Please Help !
By Brinton Felixraja Posted on August 31, 2014
The latest version of RealPlayer does plays all file formats. Click the below link to know more about the supported File types:
I’ve had the Free Real Player for 10 or more yrs. & now no sound – my mp3s won’t play. They R
all there in Library & in my play lists, but won’t play. Real has always been my default player. I
don’t remember ever having trouble playing music. I don’t know what to do to fix it. Please Help !
The latest version of RealPlayer does plays all file formats. Click the below link to know more about the supported File types:
http://cache-download.real.com/free/windows/mrkt/help/RealPlayer-Cloud/en/RealPlayer-help.htm#file-types.htm
To fix this issue, please follow the instructions given in the link below:
https://realnetworks.zendesk.com/entries/24069873
If that doesn’t work or have any additional questions, please send an email to help@real.com