As of November 2007 YouTube plays back videos limited in both size and quality. The size is limited to pixel dimensions of 320 by 240 and the quality is limited to a bitrate of around 314kbit/s with a frame rate dependent on the uploaded video. YouTube limits the playback size and quality by re-encoding the user's uploaded video at the time of upload. In 2006 YouTube permitted playback at higher quality, larger sizes, and in stereo, but some time after January 2007 YouTube applied quality reductions to new uploads.


On September 14, 2007, Members of the VIDEOHelp.com forums discovered a method to allow high-quality video and stereo sound. The method involved converting a video to the .flv format YouTube uses, and using a Hex Editor to extend the video's displayed playback time (usually to 10 or 11 minutes for non-Director accounts), thus "tricking" YouTube into believing that the file's bitrate was much lower than it actually was. Although load times significantly increased for videos, both video and sound quality was notably better than in comparable videos uploaded without the method. However, on February 4, 2008, following a maintenance period, YouTube took countermeasures against this method, and it is now impossible to upload high-quality videos.


Discuss.

But why? It's like they are SABOTAGING themselves.

I think Youtube Inc. and Google are trying to discourage Movie & TV show uploaders by keeping the standard quality low. I'm sure they may also be trying to manage bandwidth costs as well but it's no doubt that they are doing everything possible to not facilitate illegal uploading of copyrighted material.

It's just streaming, you can't expect good quality anyway.

Yeah, I've noticed that too.

But hopefully they can make a solution to that. I want HQ videos!

I've noticed lately that the videos on youtube are NOT high quality :-\

Dailymotion all the way

myspace videos are clearer to me anyway

YouTube has gotten a lot worse, especially in the last few months. I was barred from uploading music videos on YouTube (aka FascistTube) for allegedly "violating copyright rules from Warner Music artists."

I agree

i now use multiply and dailymotion to watch videos

I use Dailymotion everyday, not YouTube

WRONG. I think you need to check this and this before saying that.


We're in 2008. It's like listening to your music in mono radio quality. It's our right to watch HQ videos online. Not only that, but apparently, YouTube videos are taking forever to load even with the ****** quality.

I think the founders of YouTube sold their site off to google at the right time. X___X

Dailymotion should be growing in populairty as well as whatever video-streaming-system Myspace has.