How do I upload a video online without losing picture quality?

[Kalla B]

I have a music video that looks great on DVD and on my computer, but once I upload it to different online servers, the picture quality is reduced DRAMATICALLY, as in it becomes grainy and pixilated. This has happened on myspace and on these two sites:

Click on the video tab to view.
http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.asp?epk_id=97531

It's the video titled "Temple Party." Artist Abai.
http://thedolab.com/AN_07spring.html

We are starting to submit this video in online music video competitions and we need it to be showcased in its highest quality even when we have to reduce the size to fit specifications!

Thanks much for any help you can provide. Let me know what other details you need for assessment.

Kalla B

[Baldrick]

Most video sites are using very low video bitrate/file size and that will make the video look like crap. I would use http://stage6.divx.com , better quality than most but then it requires that you install another plugin for your webbrowser. Or convert to wmv,flash video yourself and host on your own site.

[Ai Haibara]

Plus, most of the online video-hosting sites probably re-encode anything you post, so that may well be an unavoidable additional hit on quality. Baldrick's mention of hosting it yourself is a good idea, if you want to maintain absolute control over the quality - but then bandwidth concerns come into play.

[theewizard]

you can't

instead host it your self, on your own website, and you can any size quality you want , limited only by the bandwidth limits of your HOST

[ChildofJah]

I had this exact same question a few weeks ago and I agree with thewizard: they all suck. The best I could do is with www.imeem.com

[Kalla B]

Thanks so much for these suggestions! I will look into these options this week! If anyone has any more, feel free to post away. Thanks again!

Best,

K

[thecoalman]

One thing i have never understood is why for those that have a knowledge of video they don't provide a set a specifications that would insure it doesn't get reencoded. It's a win-win situtation, it's beneficial to them because they don't have to devote the processing power and the user gets his video online untouched. Considering there's something like 70,000 videos uploaded to youtube a day the costs must be enormous. I'd imagine you could power a small town with the electricity they use for encoding alone.

[theewizard]

its BANDWIDTH control, videos with higher specs and bigger sizes take a longer time to reach the viewer and use more of the available bandwidth during the DL.

by controling the RES and the quality they control the time and the display area on your screen, so they can have there adv space.

a larger video res, would take up more display area, and reduce the adv displayed in front of your face

[thecoalman]

theewizard I'm aware of the resons for why they reencode but I think you're missing my point. If they provided a set of specs that was suitable to them then you could just encode the video yourself, teaking it to provide the best quality instead of a one size fits all.

[handyguy]

I just make my videos so that they are small & look great. They don't reecode your stuff much if it's already at or near their specs. Once I started doing this my videos look about the same on youtube as they do on my computer.

[nlec]

There's a recent thread at ArsTechnica where they talk about GooTube's encoding. There are changes in the works. About halfway down that thread there's a post by GiantRobot who seems to know the score (although I can't vouch for him).

He says if your video is encoded H.263 (with a low enough bitrate) and the audio is mp3 then GooTube will just repackage it into an FLV container without re-encoding anything. What constitutes "low enough bitrate" is the question.

[handyguy]

On the front page YT usually has a high resolution video or two. Makes you think that yours is going to be as nice.

[Kalla B]

Hey, everybody!

Thanks so much for all the great suggestions!

We did the Zamzar thing and it worked out okay. Not great, but decent enough for now. We'll explore other options now that we have more time. We were under a deadline before with the music video competition looming. It's all in! The managing director of the contest really likes the video! Yay!

It's not 100% clean, but it's WAY better than it was before! For sure we're going to set up our own website to screen it and for downloads, etc.

Thanks again for being so generous with your knowledge. It's SO great to know this forum exists!!!! Hey, if we win the contest I'll let you guys know!!!

Kalla B