While not every tweak to YouTube’s system deserves a post, this one is pretty significant, though very straightforward as well. First, the 1GB file limit for YouTube videos has been doubled to 2GB; this is a boon to many users who have been uploading high definition content more than a few minutes long. Ten minutes of 1080p footage can easily exceed a gig, especially if you’ve been editing it and weren’t careful about re-encoding. A 2GB limit should soothe that particular pain.
Next, the update now allows for direct linking to HD streams, as well as easy embedding of same. While it wasn’t impossible before now to get an HD video by default on your page, or to link right to one, it required a little work. But now YouTube has apparently decided that they are ready for the bandwidth shock as thousands and thousands of users default to HD instead of SD — increasing the average amount of bits being sent by a huge amount.
Linking to HD is unfortunately not integrated with the UI yet. You have to add “&hd=1″ to the end of your link — thusly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDiC26-iAs8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDiC26-iAs8&hd=1
With HD link, without HD link.
And here’s a sample HD embed. It’s not really worth it this size; HQ looks fine and loads faster.
What will the next improvements be? Upload speed is solid, compatibility is good, it goes without saying that they’ve got enough users. More social aspects? More integration with Google Apps? Personally, I’m hoping for a live video broadcast service like Qik — that would make liveblogging things about a thousand percent easier, and I know it’d be Android-compatible. Only Google knows.
Too bad a lot of us still have a connection on which it would take a couple of days to actually upload a 2GB file.
Thats a great News , It might be benifitial for YoutubeEdu users a lot .. to See the continuous lectures
Now we get to watch longer and high quality videos for a change. That’s awesome!
Well, you get high definition – nothing is said about the quality.
the Embed HD code has been around for a while now. I’ve been doing it for weeks now
I would have much preferred the length increased from 10 minutes to 20 over an increase from 1GB to 2GB in size.
Even on relatively fast connections, upload speeds are still slow. To upload a 2GB file would take many, many hours.
This change means nothing to most consumers.
Supposedly you can get longer lengths by switching your account to a director account. I’ve done that, but it’s not accepting longer lengths yet. Sigh. Thankfully we have TubeMogul and other services like Viddler and Blip.tv, both of which are awesome.
Er They changed it aaages ago so directors get exactly the same limits duh.
Standard users get (last time i checked) 10.59 limit.
And partners get more, and I believe specialist users apply and get masses more.
For example the universities (presumably) get hours as they upload 2 hour long lectures etc.
Apply to the YouTube Partner Program (I can’t believe they wouldn’t approve Scoble!!) because they allow UNLIMITED length uploads. Now I am uploading 30-45 minute episodes. The upload tools have been improved also. I let some uploads run overnight. This is also a great use for an older PC. I have 6 of them sitting around to do uploads. In the future we will be going to HD productions using Wirecast, which is WAYYYYY cheaper than a HD switcher.
By the way, I’m uploading HD videos done with my Canon 5D Mark II DSLR at http://www.yout....com/scobleizer — awesome quality.
I agree with Jason, this is nice but I would like to have seen the 10 minutes limit increased over the 2GB file upload. But HD embeds is nice.
Also we’re coming up on a year from the rumor about youtube offering a live stream service. I wonder will it happen at all and if so when?
Jason: You’re right, but this is more a response to the increase in popularity due to the recent video additions on the iPhone I think.
how is it a response to the iPhone? iPhone doesn’t record in hd or produce files sizes anywhere near 1gb.
I recorded twelve minutes of video on to my Nokia 6120 phone, as far as I know it’s on highest QUALITY settings, Format: video/mp4 Resolution: 320×240 (this isn’t the newest of handsets) looks good on phone and computer screen. This came out at nearly 40megs. I’m going to edit it and post it on YouTube, it’s file size will change but not by much. Scale that up and sooner or later maybe 2gb file limit might not be enough either…
If I could upload files as big as this, then this would mean something to me. In most countries, upload speeds are still poor, and with that uploading huge files is a problem ’cause you tend to get an error halfway through…
If I could upload files as big as this, then this would mean something to me. In most countries, upload speeds are still poor, and with that uploading huge files is a problem ’cause you tend to get an error halfway through…
This is GREAT news! Thanks for the heads up.
I can’t even imagine the increase in bandwidth costs after this update… yikes.
This increase is further going to eat up the bandwidth, is it not going to cost more millions per day?
Sounds great!! Hope they increase their uploading file limit as well
Right now YT only allows 100 MB files for uploading
The 10 minute limit should increase
http://voipsms.blogspot.com
Not to steal your thunder, but I think the HD feature has been there for a while
That is cool, the better the quality the better
Now if the ISP’s would just give us more UPSTREAM bandwidth like they do is South Korea.
How about detecting and distributing bandwidth-appropriate instead of using a button or embed methods.
doesnt youtube lose hundeds of millions per annum? wouldnt it be an idea to concentrate on monetizing the site above anything else?
or does the google welfare dollar make profitablity vulgar?
If people leave YouTube because they don’t fully support HD, then they won’t ever achieve profitability.
Nice!
I already made some HD videos, but more space is always nice (although I can’t believe there’s still the 10min limitation….2 GB for 10 minutes?)
Anyway this is my video on Earth:
http://www.yout...NlhI&fmt=22
this is really a good news for me ..!!
Oh wow! Now it will be more exciting to use it.
Problem I am running into is trying to get a 8min HD video under 2gigs….