Is technology limiting retail adoption of video?

Beyond the limitations imposed by an unfamiliarity with the medium, are there technology constraints keeping retailers from embracing video programming as a selling tool online? I use the phrase "video programming" rather than "video" because retailers have no trouble embracing "video". It's the programming part that seems to be a struggle! I digress......my apologies.

Technologically, what would a perfect integration of video programming into an ecommerce site look like? Let's start from what it should and should not do. Here are few observations from my research into the subject.

First, it should not take the consumer outside a normal shopping pattern or behavior. Any deviation from an expected and comfortable path will have an impact on site abandonment. Period. Second, it should be easily accessed without making the consumer an expert on site search options. Third, it should be linked to the ability to buy, easily and seamlessly. If the intent of the programming is to establish an emotional connection designed to sell merchandise, it makes sense to streamline the ability to act on that connection (not impulse, but connection). Fourth, it must be browser agnostic, avoid pop-up blockers and be functionally displayed without regard to the consumer's screen size or resolution.

Here are some things on what it should NOT do. First, it should not open a new browser window or separate and distinct window of any kind. Site abandonment rises immediately with new windows and off-page pop-ups. New windows of any kind do not keep the consumer within the existing experience....which is and should be the shopping page. Second, it should not take the viewer away from the video programming in order to shop. Current research categorically indicates that multi-product videos have a much higher trust and acceptance rate than single product videos. More on this another time. Suffice it to say that if you are going to create a video with multiple opportunities to purchase in it, it's just not smart to use technology that knocks the consumer out of that video experience when they try to shop the items shown. Third, it should not present a materially different shopping experience than the one the consumer could have had at the item level.

Imagine: a technology which integrates seamlessly into existing nav patterns, doesn't open new windows, provides item-level comparable conversion support and is completely shoppable from within the video program experience. Clearly there are a number of other best practices in UI to review, but this would be a good start, wouldn't it?