I appreciate that it's better than flash. I still don't think it is good UX.

Good UX is doing things the user expects when the user wants, and not presuming it is okay to take their attention when you see fit (ahem, popups).

It's almost always a compromise to a websites usability to include autoplaying video (or video alikes). It may even improve conversions, but it's definitely a UX compromise, not an improvement.

No one scrolls through a website and thinks "I sure hope I get interuppted on my way to the action I am trying to complete" even when that action is content discovery.

I did like some of the articles ideas though. I think the role of cinematography is overplayed a little bit, some of the suggestions are just good UX decisions.