Videos (including commercial films, films made for teaching and films on public websites) are being used in higher education in many different subject areas. With the arrival of websites such as "YouTube", students can access material of varying quality and content on numerous topics. The purpose of this research has been to investigate student perceptions of the use of video in lectures and seminars in order to assess whether video can enhance student learning and encourage critical engagement with topics. Based on feedback from 134 questionnaires and 20 semi-structured interviews, we highlight some key issues in using video in teaching and learning. Overall, it will be suggested that video can provide useful material for students to engage with, but it needs to be used as part of an overall blended learning approach.