YouTube Tests HD
March 4, 2008 by Mike Abundo
Filed under Computers
More information on Online Video.
In November, YouTube announced plans for HD. They’re now testing it in some of their videos. Add &fmt=18 to the end of a YouTube video page URL to see if an HD version is available. Ergo this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQzUsTFqtW0
…becomes this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQzUsTFqtW0&fmt=18
If an HD version isn’t available yet, the regular version will play.
To get an HD embed, add &ap=%2526fmt%3D18 to each of the two instances of the video URL in the code. Ergo this:
…becomes this:
The Skateboarding Dog demonstrates below.
Regular
HD
YouTube is internally testing a player that will offer an HD option. I can’t wait for easy HD to roll out to all YouTube videos.
So I wonder why I can’t select “HD” or “compressed” when I upload? I’d love to be part of the beta. I can’t STAND how terrible my videos look on YouTUbe (relative to how silky smooth they look on my monitor or even on a HDTV when not compressed and transcoded).
It’s high(er) quality, not HD.
Thank you so much for this code! I can’t tell you how much this helps me. I’ve seen all of my videos in much higher quality and I have put them on my Myspace page. I know this might be too soon, but how do I increase the quality on Facebook? I know, YouTube is not enough, why is HD never enough? Well, I figure I’ll get this question in now before things really start to heat up. Agina, Thanks!
Thank you for the interesting and great information on what is going on on the inside. Curious how you know such things and so much ;) Can you share? If so let’s talk.
We find your blog interesting reading. The better quality of the new HD YouTube is welcome in a world where 20% of the HTTP traffic is said to be YouTube videos.
Want to let you know better than the ‘new’ YouTube HD videos online can be watched by clicking on the upper right menu on our website, designavs.com. To see a computer 1080p example on your machine right now click on ‘Spiderman 3′.
The 1080p full screen video there is native 1280 x 624 pixels optimized to play full screen on EXISTING normal notebook computers WITHOUT upgrades including Linux at wi-fi wireless speed and looks great (ten times smaller than the original). 480p is also shown (848 x 436 px) and is sixteen times smaller built for those of us who have old clunkers around to fill up the screen. At similar to the file sizes YouTube uses now, as viewed by checking our temporary files, can do better.
Without our solution original quality HD video at normal connection speeds to watch without delay is not possible. Downloading or waiting for a buffer to fill is a pain and part of why YouTube is so popular today.
Please notice our sound is also way better than YouTube or any others. Current video compression solutions often muffle sound as well as makes it not synchronized to movement /action. Our results not only look the best they sound the best as you will hear when you turn up the speakers if you visit our site.
If anyone knows the decision makers at YouTube have them get in touch with me as can help them after development for seven years and filing our patents. Can enable anyone who wants to distribute HD video online with the best quality in the smallest file sizes. There are millions of existing computers and mobile devices.
Unfortunately, many of the newly touted HD ’solutions’ require new hardware and/or software and often have operating system limitations (examples: Intel, TI, Adobe, Microsoft, …). The big hidden problem is the videos for the new HD ideas of today will only play on a new idea creator’s configuration. What about those of us who want HD on existing machines and ‘old clunkers’? What if someone want to distribute internet advertising to maximize their audience? Smaller files with great look/sound play better today and in the future to make money through bandwidth and storage improvements.
Thank you YouTube for the upgrade to quality in a way it runs on existing machines. Hope to talk about ways of doing things even better.
Glad to answer any questions from anyone. Can prove we are the best anywhere today. For those curious, we are a funded profitable start-up, after just a few weeks officially with our doors open, who sells software and services to those who want to distribute the best HD available anywhere today.
~ SMaki
That a look at that web site you can search, watch and download Youtube HD videos.
http://www.ilikeyoutube.com/index-hd.php
Enjoy.
I wrote about this over at my blog, but not about embedded vids. THANKS!
http://chvnx.com/2008/03/youtube-hack.html
Hopefully youtube can offer similar quality to what stage6 had with their divx videos.
Watch YouTube HD – higher definition, and download MP4 videos, check this site :
http://www.ouideo.com/youtube/
Really good !
It’s just better quality, probably the bitrate is about 600 Kbps,the actual is 300 Kbps, HD is 720p or higher and this looks the same classic 320×240 we know, but much better though.
Thanks very much for the tips ! I was looking for it for a while.
Keep it up !
No way is this HD It’s classed as “HQ” for High Quality.
It seems the youtube guys disabled this embed technique of getting HD content.. Jerks..
They could at least leave us an appetizer..
BTW who the **** cares if it isn’t HD, nobody could handle HD content doing what youtube does anyhow..
Note, the more resolution you want, the more sucked into DRM you will be.. It’s not for me.. Screw the RIAA/MPAA.. They can go suck cold spaghetti for all I care.. I convert all my video content to OGG Theora anyhow.. I run Ubuntu.. To the Record and Movie industry
*Auh fart in your general direction*
Vista is a failed attempt to establish Microsoft as the HD platform. HD-DVD is dead.. Ha ha, nice try..
If I want HD I’ll get a PS3.. I think the whole american economy will be better off without Windows.
The embed comes in three settings:
Low, Medium and High, this is the flash plugin..
This new content format can’t be called HQ because it will be confused with the HQ quality on the old format.. Maybe it should be called SHQ..
Or “roughly as good as full resolution NTSC”..
This has nothing to do with HD. It’s just high quality and not HD (High Definition).