So I've been experimenting with YouTube HD ever since it officially went public a few weeks ago. I've determined best-case-scenario settings and I'd like to share them with you:

Apple Quicktime mp4 file format/wrapper
H.264 codec, Main Profile.
1280x720 width/height

Non-interlaced video. If you shot interlaced, de-interlace it!
Framerate: 29.97 for NTSC 60p/60i originated videos. 23.98 for "24p" videos. For PAL, use whatever your originated settings were (25p if you shot 1080/50i)

8000kbits/second video bitrate, Multipass. I use single pass without issue but for motion intense material multipass will obviously be better.

Audio: AAC-LC, Stereo, 192/kbps, and MOST IMPORTANT Sample Rate 48 kHz. If you do not set your sampling rate to 48 kHz you may have choppy video playback once uploaded to YouTube and that's obviously NOT GOOD!

Automatic Keyframe

Input Color Space (if you have this option): YUY2


IMPORTANT!

Use the Bulk Upload Plugin. It is blue link on the Video File Upload page. I have on numerous occasions had video errors while uploading using the single file method. For whatever reason the bulk uploader works a lot better (no errors yet) and it also gives you a percentage upload status.


Samples of my own videos using these settings:

YouTube - 1989 Ford Mustang vs. 1989 Daihatsu Charade Piece of Shit Races in HD (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1WqIHqBX-s) - Panasonic HVX200, 720/60p originated converted to 29.97p
YouTube - Matt Pless in HD - Love's a Funny Feeling (live at The Black Hole) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn6ZiK4wadw) - Sony EX1, 1080/24p originated, converted to 23.98p.

Adam, that is awsome. Thank you.

Dude, how the hell could you lose that race...

Nice encoding though.

You're welcome, Karel.

Ken...I think it was Danny's decals. They whopped my H2O bottles hp boost.

That's really good. How do you get the video to show the watch in HD pop-up?

Get a couple of decals with some good religion in them. With Jesus on your bumper you'll get that extra push! (Just pray he doesn't get some Satan decals!)

And yes please - do let us in on the HD balloon trick!

p.s. I think you might like this:

http://www.youtube.com/v/j1WqIHqBX-s&hl=en&fs=1&&ap=%2526fmt%3D22

Karel,

that link works great.
is there code to totally go full screen in HD?
thanks!

here are my hd 1080/30p stuff with your code.

1. home with lame attempt at stereo sound.
http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?swf=http%3A//s.ytimg.com/yt/swf/cps-vfl70443.swf&video_id=dED23diy00Y&rel=1&showsearch=1&eurl=http%3A//www.dvinfo.net/conf/dvd-web-video-delivery/139637-my-hd-youtube-secrets.html&iurl=http%3A//i3.ytimg.com/vi/dED23diy00Y/hqdefault.jpg&sk=-VwQU1WXAjXmz93_3p70q1FQWe9pT_zVC&use_get_video_info=1&load_modules=1&ap=%26fmt%3D22&fs=1&hl=en

2. at disney (what HD is all about, after 6.5 minutes, the climax!)
http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?swf=http%3A//s.ytimg.com/yt/swf/cps-vfl70443.swf&video_id=oLkRx2H03IM&rel=1&showsearch=1&eurl=http%3A//www.dvinfo.net/conf/dvd-web-video-delivery/139637-my-hd-youtube-secrets.html&iurl=http%3A//i3.ytimg.com/vi/oLkRx2H03IM/hqdefault.jpg&sk=-VwQU1WXAjXmz93_3p70q1FQWe9pT_zVC&use_get_video_info=1&load_modules=1&ap=%26fmt%3D22&fs=1&hl=en

3. statue of liberty
http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?swf=http%3A//s.ytimg.com/yt/swf/cps-vfl70443.swf&video_id=GvvQ52m-tjY&rel=1&showsearch=1&eurl=http%3A//www.dvinfo.net/conf/dvd-web-video-delivery/139637-my-hd-youtube-secrets.html&iurl=http%3A//i3.ytimg.com/vi/GvvQ52m-tjY/hqdefault.jpg&sk=-VwQU1WXAjXmz93_3p70q1FQWe9pT_zVC&use_get_video_info=1&load_modules=1&ap=%26fmt%3D22&fs=1&hl=en


from these older recordings, i realized that if the video encoded bit rate is too high, say over 8kbs, then even with H264 or DIVx, youtube has that stuttering issue on anything with less than a stellar graphics card.
all of the above plays smoothly with macbooks made within the last year and a half.
not the macbook air.

paul






Get a couple of decals with some good religion in them. With Jesus on your bumper you'll get that extra push! (Just pray he doesn't get some Satan decals!)

And yes please - do let us in on the HD balloon trick!

p.s. I think you might like this:

http://www.youtube.com/v/j1WqIHqBX-s&hl=en&fs=1&&ap=%2526fmt%3D22

That kid is amazing. Wish I could play like that.

karel,

Thanks!
his mom is so proud.

btw, can we do full screen, bypassing the extra click with a code?

paul


That kid is amazing. Wish I could play like that.

Not as far as I know. I think we're lucky we can do even that - some hosts have disabled that.

you're right!
incredible that it is still free.




Not as far as I know. I think we're lucky we can do even that - some hosts have disabled that.