YouTube offering higher quality video / Stage6 ends services!

[bayme]

Strange, Firefox does not keep a cache there... I got in my profilemap but there is not cache map.

It does, but it's probably a hidden or system folder. I don't know, because I always see everything (using TotalCommander for these tasks)..

[dtfinch]

That why I was using hobocopy. Videos appear my Firefox cache folder while they're downloading, then they're deleted as soon as it's finished, leaving only the copy in my temp folder, which is also deleted as soon as I leave the page. Videos are redownloaded from scratch every time I view them.

[stsin]

Never mind, got it with Internet Explorer . Thanks. Btw, I see it comes directly from Google instead of Youtube... I download it from some strange Google location.

Right. That's how I quickly know if I'm watching a HQ stream. The LQ streams are coming from youtube.com, while the HQ streams are coming from vp.video.google.com. Shows on the bottom left of Firefox.

[diddyman4real]

please explain to me whats padding a stream and how to do the process of it. i want to learn so i can do the duration cheat like 45tripp said you can do in the other thread.

[reez]

hey i found this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daJrmkWFUS4
it comes from that video.l.google.com place but it's from 2006
so are they upgrading old ones or did they start it a while ago

[rajman]

Hi, I used to use the old method of FLV on my youtube page where I had many high quality videos, you can see the, here: http://www.youtube.com/rajmanreturns
Than sadly after 4th Feb that methos I used stop working, so Ive been trying different methods on getting my videos at high quality using youtube's new compression service, I tried many like WMV,XviD,MPEG1,MOV,MP4 but they wouldn get converted at high quality......but While messing about I found out that if I uploaded videos at MPEG2, resolution of 720x576 and at 9000kbps than my videos got converted to high quality shortly after it was up and running, here are some examples and the quality is amazing:
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Teaser:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcEnR3v1spA

Kung Fu Panda Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8nc6T5Ww2c

The Forbidden Kingdom Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvU9DD3NUos

The Happening Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3MfswI5nPg

Although the quality is great, the only problem is that with this method the videos are very large in memory, all these used here were over 140MB each!

[bayme]

While messing about I found out that if I uploaded videos at MPEG2, resolution of 720x576 and at 9000kbps than my videos got converted to high quality shortly after it was up and running, here are some examples and the quality is amazing:
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Teaser:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcEnR3v1spA

&fmt=6 still needs to be added at the end, for me to see the HQ version.
Also, it's mono audio, which I think is a sad step back..

[wonderpierrot]

Never mind, got it with Internet Explorer . Thanks. Btw, I see it comes directly from Google instead of Youtube... I download it from some strange Google location.

Right. That's how I quickly know if I'm watching a HQ stream. The LQ streams are coming from youtube.com, while the HQ streams are coming from vp.video.google.com. Shows on the bottom left of Firefox.

vp.video.google is the same address Google Video uses (at least for videos that don't link to YouTube), so I'm assuming YouTube is storing these HQ videos on Google Video servers.

hey i found this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daJrmkWFUS4
it comes from that video.l.google.com place but it's from 2006
so are they upgrading old ones or did they start it a while ago

Yes, they are converting previously uploaded videos with resolutions greater than 320 x 240, but the exception is the resolution is set to 448 x 336 instead of 480 x 360.

Wonderpierrot, did you give it 24 hours to upgrade?
If it does happen, please let us know...
Perhaps i'm just hitting the right buttons with my test videos.
If i discover anything else, i'll be sure to post my findings here...

WMV @ 640 x 480 (any other settings is mostly irrelevant) is working great for me now. Uploaded 10+ WMV 640 x 480 videos and all were converted to HQ within a hour at most (usually just takes about 10 minutes). Any other format like DivX that worked in the past sadly doesn't seem to working for me.

[bayme]

WMV @ 640 x 480 (any other settings is mostly irrelevant) is working great for me now. Uploaded 10+ WMV 640 x 480 videos and all were converted to HQ within a hour at most (usually just takes about 10 minutes). Any other format like DivX that worked in the past sadly doesn't seem to working for me.

WMV and mpeg2 avi are easier to convert from. What's even stranger is what they recommend:
http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?answer=55745&topic=10526
And what's with the 30 fps ? 25 is more than enough, I'd say.

[reez]

What's even stranger is what they recommend:
http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?answer=55745&topic=10526
And what's with the 30 fps ? 25 is more than enough, I'd say.

haha do you have ANY idea how many posts are out of date or USEless in the YT help section..after reading something there i would also try to read about it out elsewhere.

[mohnitor]

Does anyone know, how to play all files in a playlist in HQ ? All in a row, without putting &fmt=6 on each video.
It changes back to normal with every new video.

So, starting the playlist, and all videos have the &fmt=6 addon. How?

[gus999]

glad to hear you've sussed it wonderpierrot.
my videos play in HQ automatically, i don't understand this "&fmt=6" thing,
or does that just apply to previously uploaded videos?
either way,
wmv, 640x480
25 OR 30 FPS both seem to work well.
Perhaps better sticking with native fps as i believe the less you mess with a file the better...

[Denizzje]

How's everyone's converting going.... I still only have 4 of my 47 converted. And all are WMV's. None of my XviD's and mp4's has been converted yet . I guess my 104 minute XviD will never be converted...

[45tripp]

Although the quality is great, the only problem is that with this method the videos are very large in memory, all these used here were over 140MB each!

100mb limit?

[reez]

100mb limit?

not when you upload using the second uploader. the one you get when click "click here" under "having problems"
id think there ever was a 100mb limit

[rajman]

100mb limit?

not when you upload using the second uploader. the one you get when click "click here" under "having problems"
id think there ever was a 100mb limit

I heard that for files over 100mb you have to use the Youtube Multi Uploader...but I didnt, I upload all my files the normal way and they are over 100mb

[reez]

did anyone see this
http://system.opendns.com/2008/02/24/58/

[bayme]

did anyone see this
http://system.opendns.com/2008/02/24/58/

Yeah, OpenDNS sucks either way. They localhost-loop many domains because of 'adult content' or some blacklisting moral, sites which aren't even porn or porn related and such, and I really hate when people do that. I use my own adblockplus and filtering thank you very much, if my DNS provider already makes decisions FOR me, **** 'em, I will use different DNS resolvers.

[tmh]

I don't get this....does one need to add something when posting the YT video or does adding that stuff to the URL automatically take you to a better version of the same video (no matter who posted it)?

[wonderpierrot]

I don't get this....does one need to add something when posting the YT video or does adding that stuff to the URL automatically take you to a better version of the same video (no matter who posted it)?

Adding &fmt=6 forces YouTube to display the HQ version if there is one of the video, if one so happens to not be able to receive the HQ version automatically.

[bayme]

I don't get this....does one need to add something when posting the YT video or does adding that stuff to the URL automatically take you to a better version of the same video (no matter who posted it)?

Adding &fmt=6 forces YouTube to display the HQ version if there is one of the video, if one so happens to not be able to receive the HQ version automatically.

Which is all clearly explained in the first post.
I don't get why people don't get it. They should learn how to read and think before posting that question.

[bourboner]

what's the lowdown on vids over 10mins? Still impossible?

[tmh]

bayme, IF this was so easily undrstood then WHY is this now an 80+ post thread? No, it is quite complicated as is much in the video world. Maybe YOU do lots on you tube (maybe you have no job so you have lots of time to do it?) but I don't. So just keep your non-helpful comments about how well you can read and think to yourself. My guess is you aren't all that bright or maybe you'd have added something useful!

Sorry, all, i just can't stand these little people who MAYBEhave some knowledge in a very narrow area and then think they are some sort of genius. YouTube just isn't the focus of most people's lives so it takes a while to "get it" on the details.

[bayme]

bayme, IF this was so easily undrstood then WHY is this now an 80+ post thread?

Because YouTube is a very popular medium. They host 145 million videos. People like to discuss their quality because of that. Nobody asked about the &fmt=6 addition, except for you and 1 other that had not read the first message of this thread (which you would have known if you had actually read any of the 80+ posts, which you were too lazy to do).

And no, it isn't complicated at all, you just HAD NOT READ the first post. It's all in there, and still valid. Clearly, the little people you speak of applies more to yourself than to me. I have a very wide range of areas of expertise. Your problem is your laziness. You need to learn how to read more than 1 or 2 sentences about a subject before firing away at people like you do.

what's the lowdown on vids over 10mins? Still impossible?

The maximum duration is 11 minutes. Or maybe 10:59.99 I'm not sure. Also, see the thread linked to in the first post of this discussion. 45tripp has posted yet another explanation on the left-over method to 'fool' YouTube's software.

[tmh]

I have a very wide range of areas of expertise.

yeah......I'll bet you are just some kind of all-around wonderkid! Actually, I'm not sure knowing the suffix to add to a URL to get higher def YT videos is really an area of expertise......about how much does this wonderful talent pay? Or can you also search a keyword in Google? WOW! Very impressive!

Dude, what you are is a snotty little brat. Now, I am here to put you in your place. If you'd have just either added something useful or just ignored my question we wouldn't have this problem, but you are so into yourself you just couldn't do that. You see, I didn't ask YOU! i asked anyone who wanted to answer, which you obviously didn't want to do. So you just stuck your useless and snotty comments in is all.

Anyways, thanks to all on this thread who contributed to the discussion. No thanks to those who didn't.

[dtfinch]

"&fmt=18" gives you H264 with AAC audio. Still 480x360, and lower bitrate than the 480x360 FLV. I haven't taken a good look at the audio. You'll need Flash 9.0 r115 for it to work.

There's also "&fmt=17" which is a very low quality mpeg4 at 176x144, 12fps. Flash just shows a blank video with only audio because it doesn't support it.

[mohnitor]

dtfinch:
thanks, great sweet little 18...

Just checked one of my files.
avc1 - H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
480 x 360 (all from Gspot)
Bitrate almost 600 kbps.

Sound:
mp4a: MPEG-4 AAC LC
44100Hz 118 kb/s tot , stereo (2/0) (yep, there it is !!!)

And really: Looks great !

[bayme]

"&fmt=18" gives you H264 with AAC audio. Still 480x360, and lower bitrate than the 480x360 FLV. I haven't taken a good look at the audio. You'll need Flash 9.0 r115 for it to work.

There's also "&fmt=17" which is a very low quality mpeg4 at 176x144, 12fps. Flash just shows a blank video with only audio because it doesn't support it.

Hehe, I had already tried up to format 11, and then gave up on trying more. :P They're clearly testing out a couple of formats. Sweet to find that all my H264 uploads are available under the 18 format. Pity I upped them in mono at 320x240 at the time..

Another thing they seem to be testing with is the new notice:
This video is not available in your country.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzDB5gki3i4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6itXaHpiTE

Denniz, if you're reading, is this video also "country blocked" for you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAzdgU_kpGo
There seems to be a way around it;
http://www.youtube.com/v/hAzdgU_kpGo
but still, I think this is really bad, selectively censoring countries to take part in rating, commenting, responding to videos on YouTube. WTH? Do we live in communist Europe now? Is this the result of some type of internet control? All the more reason to vote for net neutrality over there in the US, y'all!

[bayme]

Sound:
mp4a: MPEG-4 AAC LC
44100Hz 118 kb/s tot , stereo (2/0) (yep, there it is !!!)

I haven't heard a stereo one yet under format 18. Do you have a link?

[wonderpierrot]

dtfinch:
thanks, great sweet little 18...

Just checked one of my files.
avc1 - H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
480 x 360 (all from Gspot)
Bitrate almost 600 kbps.

Sound:
mp4a: MPEG-4 AAC LC
44100Hz 118 kb/s tot , stereo (2/0) (yep, there it is !!!)

And really: Looks great !

That's interesting if it is actually stereo; however, the loss of 250+ kbps hurts the look of some of my converted vids quite badly. Since I believe video quality is more important than sound quality, I hope they don't end up using this format, unless they up the video bitrate a bit.