Adding still images to videos [YouTube thumbnails]

[Internet]

Hello there,

I came up with a quick tip about how to choose your own video thumbnail on youtube, Without being a youtube partner.

The easiest is to add a still image in 1 or 2 frames exactly in the middle of the video.

Example:
If your video is 5555 frames then you can add a still image to your video in frame #2777 and 2778 (Exactly in the middle of your vid)
Live example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqXiKYG3J7M
Click on "View All 2,911 comment" at the bottom of the page to see all three thumbnails.


Question is how can I do that?!!

Things to consider:
Video quality.
Video width and height [Which I couldn't adjust in sony vegas pro when i tried to export/render the vid]
Video size... Which means to be compressed by XviD or so, not a 2 GB uncompressed video file.
To be sure it is the right frame in the middle.

Thanks in advance.

[zoobie]

huh?
youtoob?
How would you upload your now ruined video with still images exactly in the middle without being a member?
hah!
bah!

[manono]

He said partner, not member. Maybe partners can choose what they want for a thumbnail. Don't know, really.

[Internet]

Yep, YouTube partners can upload huge videos, upload their own jpg thumbnails and a lot of other cool features.
http://www.youtube.com/partners

Lets just stick to the thread :*)

[Gavino]

Yeah, but zoobie's got a point.
You would end up with a video with one or two out-of-place frames in the middle.
Or is the idea that they flash by so quickly no one will notice?

[Internet]

Gavino, one frame ... You'll won't even see it!!
Check out the youtube link I posted above, The dude planted 3 images for all three thumbnails. Play the video and you'll have to reply it like 4 times to notice the thumbnail img.

[Internet]

It is that hard?!

[manono]

The easiest is to add a still image in 1 or 2 frames exactly in the middle of the video.

You're the one that made the suggestion. You're the one that said it was easy.

It is that hard?!

So why do you make a suggestion you have no idea how to accomplish yourself? Personally, I think it's a stupid idea. If I had to do it, though, I'd save the images I wanted and then insert them into the video using an AviSynth script.

[Internet]

manono, I didn't say It was easy, I said it is the easiest way which is not necessarily easy. -compared to other ways-

If I knew how to accomplish it then I wouldn't have posted this thread!!

What I meant by "It is that hard?!" is that the thread got many view and no1 made a useful/helpful comment.

Anyway, Mind to explain more what should I type in the AVS file?

Thanks.

[poisondeathray]

Why don't you just do it in vegas? You can adjust dimensions when you export, and use various options for compression. h.264/aac in mp4 is probably the best for youtube uploads

If it's just 1 or 2 frames, you won't even notice the audio desync (or you can fill with blank audio, but you will hear a blip)

It will be much more difficult for you to learn avisynth (steep learning curve), but it might look something like this for the video only section (assume the image is resized to same dimensions). Then you would multiplex the audio either separately after you encode the video or specify it together in the script with audiodub() if you wanted to re-encode the audio. In this example, there were 2001 frames, and I put the picture lasting 2 frames at frames # 1001,1002 and now the entire length is 2003. (the first frame in avisynth is numbered zero). You would still have to adjust this example it to reflect the properties of your specific video.

a = AVISource("video.avi",audio=false).Trim(0,999)
b = AVISource("video.avi",audio=false).Trim(1000,2000)
c = ImageSource("picture.jpg",fps=23.976,end=1).Conver tToYV12()

a++c++b

[zoobie]

Howdy Paaadner!

We've forgotten to consider the audience.
You'll certainly see one frame but since the amateur video is most likely handheld, of low quality to begin with, then squished to boot, what's one frame among teens?
I certainly wouldn't advocate actually buying any software to further such silliness...but, in the these days of say anything - do anything marketing, certainly anything goes.
Only $499...

[VideoLeadsOnline]

Hey guys... The YouTube trick to put in still shots to grab the right thumbnail images can work easily using a command called "Cut Away" in iMovie. It inserts an image that you drag onto your timeline but keeps the video the exact same length (it also keeps the audio going uninterrupted).

HOWEVER, the exact middle spot (50%) no longer works for YouTube. Nor does the 25% or 75% mark either. That all changed on Dec 3, 2008

You can check out a bunch of videos I have made on the topic at my YouTube Channel named "VideoLeadsOnline" http://www.youtube.com/videoleadsonline

Videos that were posted to YouTube prior to Dec 3, 2008 could use those insert spots, but not anymore. I'm working on figuring it out though.