The
key for YouTube to display your video the best possible way, is to upload the best possible quality video that meets
or exceeds their requirements. That is by encoding videos the right way.
I'll show you a few ways on how to
encode, compress or optimize your videos before uploading them to YouTube.
But first, let me tell you why your
YouTube videos look awful.
Two Reasons Why
1. Poor Transcoding: In Normal
Mode, YouTube converts anything you upload to Flash 7 video (250 kbps) which isn't so great by today's standards. However
most installed browsers will play Flash 7.
2. Scaled Up Player: YouTube expands the video for viewing to 480x360 pixels in its website, thus degrading
the actual video resolution of 320x240 pixels, namely the video looks softened and sometimes pixelated. It's the same effect
when you view a DVD at full screen in your computer. You're not increasing the number of pixels, just spreading them out further.
They made a decision that most users would favor size over quality. They know what they're doing, they're overwhelmingly
popular!
High-Quality YouTube Videos
So do you want your videos to look as good as these YouTube videos?
Read more, keep watching and then try my encoding recipes!
640x480 (SD) or 1280x720 (HD) for 4:3 & 16:9 aspect ratios.
Frame rate should be the same as original video
Sampling rate: 44.1KHz for MP3/AAC audio
3. Your source video needs to be ideally high resolution.
For instance: MOV or AVI file, NTSC 720x480, HDV 1080i, 720p or VGA 640x480.
4. It's very important that
you keep an aspect ratio of 4:3, otherwise the quality of your video will be degraded. Flash 7 codec performs best when the
frame width and height use multiples of 16. This is optimal for video playback.
5. You need to get a high quality video encoder. Keep in mind that most video editing programs such as Apple Final Cut Pro, iMovie, Adobe Premiere Pro, Windows Movie Maker
or Sony Vegas, come with an encoding engine so you can export your videos directly from the timeline.
6. In Normal
Mode, YouTube resizes your videos to 320x240 pixels, encodes them to Flash 7 at a data rate of approximately 250 kbps
and compresses audio to mp3 (22.050 KHz, monophonic).
7. YouTube has updated its technology, and now you
have the option of watching some videos at a higher quality or in HD 720p Mode. ReadYouTube High Definition for more in-depth info.
8. In Hi-Res Mode, YouTube creates 2 new copies of your video:
The following tutorials will give you an idea
on how to compress videos for YouTube, but you need to understand that the key is to input the right settings.
Compressing Videos for
YouTube Using Sorenson Squeeze
This is my favorite compression tool!
Very user friendly. You can encode your video to the most popular formats in the video industry
(H.264, WMV, RM, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MOV, MP3, MP4, SWF, On2 VP6 and Spark FLV) with a variety of codec compression settings.
Recommended for intermediate or expert users.
Squeeze is a little bit pricey, although it's worth every cent. But you can always get a copy for a fraction
of its regular price, $500, on eBay. Check it out!
This book is loaded with lots of information about
the elements of producing quality web video, including tips and recommendations about equipment purchasing and use, guidelines
for shooting scenes and editing footage, and creating appealing stories. The book provides guidance on types of shooting:
events and interviews, video blogs, news, and how-to videos.
Creating High Quality video for YouTube in Sorenson
Squeeze
Amazon Price: $99.95
(as of 12/31/2010) Used Price: $63.73
Learn to compress and deliver high quality QuickTime, MPEG-4, Flash, Real Media, and Windows
Media files. You'll also learn to create MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 files for CD or DVD delivery. This training includes the hottest
tips and tricks for outputting "Squeezed" files for use with severs, authoring programs, audio programs, multimedia presentations
and much more!
Compressing Videos for
YouTube Using QuickTime Pro 7
Tutorial
Powerful application ideal
for creating high-quality audio and video content, QuickTime Pro lets you create H.264 video. Powerful and easy to use, it's
also very affordable. Recommended for intermediate users.
Digital Movies with QuickTime Pro is the first comprehensive
book to teach home computer users (Windows or Mac) how to make digital movies from start to finish.
Powerful tool for encoding Windows Media Video (WMV) Files. Though
free, it has steep learning curve. Recommended for expert users.
Produce and Convert YouTube
Videos
Wondershare
Video Converter Ultimate is an all-in-one DVD Video Converter, by providing you a one stop solution for
family video/DVD conversion. You can convert both SD and HD videos to any video format for your portable media player or cell
phone including iPod (Classic, Nano and Touch), iPhone, Apple TV, Zune, PSP, Pocket PC, Creative Zen, Archos, and 3GP mobile
phones, etc.
iSofter DVD to YouTube Converter is fast and easy to use DVD to YouTube video converter software. It helps you convert
home DV or DVD to YouTube supported video MPEG-4(DivX,XviD) with excellent image and sound quality.
The YouTube converter tool also supports convert VOB to MPEG-4(*.avi). It supports audio
formats such as MP3, WMV, M4A.
Compressing Videos for
YouTube Using Windows Media Encoder
Tutorial
Excellent tutorial on how
to use WME to encode WMV files. You would need to use the parameters I use in my recipe.
VirtualDub (Free) Very powerful video capture/processing utility for Windows platforms. Easy to use interface, although compression codec
settings are somewhat for knowledgeable compressionists. Recommended for expert users.
VirtualDub or VDub is a very sophisticated encoder for those who have experience with compressing tools. A straight
forward approach using Xvid codec.
YouTube has just announced
that users now have the option of watching some videos in 720p HD. These streams are available on certain videos, depending
on the source file uploaded to YouTube. The ability to upload higher quality videos means improve...
If you are making a video
that is going to be displayed on the Internet, there are a few things you can do to improve the look on the computer screen.
With better techniques, you can create videos that compress easier and play better on the Web.
Much has been said of YouTube
selecting randomly the poster frame of your video, or using a complicated algorithm to pick up the main thumbnail. I was even
told that YouTube hires specialized personnel who carefully select the still frame based on i...
Filmmaking is the process
of making a film, a movie, a video. It's a collaborative art and the process is one where the film gets written many times
before you end up with a finished print. All film elements must work together to support the s...
The book begins by describing the basic concepts
of video compression, explains why you might choose a particular compression tool over another, and covers important workflow
practices. A valuable learning tool for anyone learning to encode video, whether they are bloggers, DVD authors, video editors,
or students.
Convert Your Home Movies
Into YouTube Movies
Video Capture Your Analog Movies Into Your Computer
Convert your VHS, S-VHS, Hi8 and 8mm analog tapes to DV into your computer.
Coming up next, I will explain to you few techniques,
in detail, on how to encode high-quality videos for YouTube. If you follow them correctly, your videos will be greatly improved.
Enjoy!
PS: Please let me know how it went with your videos.
How Do You Like This Lens?
If you would like to rate this lens, then you can do so here.
If you got to this stage in the article then you are probably pretty serious about gettingthe best settings and filters compressing videos for YouTube using QuickTime Pro or Sorenson Squeeze.
1. Use H.264 codec, the best MPEG4 codec in the market today.
2. Set Quality to Best.
3. Set
rate control to 1-pass Constant Bit Rate (CBR). So no Variable Bit Rate, no Multipass. YouTube transcoders prefer CBR.
4. Set
key frames to every 30 frames or less. The more key frames the more information your video will have. YouTube transcoders
loves keyframes. I usually set key frames every 15 frames in my high motion videos, however keep an eye on the file size.
5. Set
data rate to 10000 kbps or more, depending on the running length of your video. Keep an eye on the file size.
6. Set
aspect ratio to 640x480 for NTSC or PAL, or 1280x720 for HD video.
7. Set frame rate same as original video.
8. Set audio compression AAC: 44.1 KHz, 128
kbps (320 kbps for HD video), 16 bits, stereo.
9. De-interlace your NTSC or PAL source videos, especially
if it's high motion.
10. Apply filters to improve the look of your video: a bright/contrast filter and/or
an image sharpening filter.
Remember, all these compression settings are the best compromise between keeping the
video smaller than 1GB and keeping as much information as possible from the original video file.
H.264 Encoding Example
Watch YouTube Hi-Res version here. Or watch YouTube Lo-Res version below.
2. Open VirtualDub and "Open video file" so it loads into the viewer.
3. From Video menu, choose Compression and it opens a new window. Select video compression: Divx 6.x codec
(2 Logical CPUs) and click Configure.
4. Then it opens the Divx Codec Properties which has 3 tabs. Please use this DviX tutorial as reference.
5. On the Main Tab. Set Certification Profile to Unconstrained. Set Encoding Presets
to 10. Set Rate Control mode to 1-pass quality-based, and Fixed quantizer to 4. This action will set the bit rate to about
10Mbps.
6. Leave Codec Tab the way it is.
7. On the Video Tab, Set Format In to the appropriate value, depending on your source and Format Out to
Square Pixels. Check "No resize or format conversion". Leave everything else as default, since Filters will be used to resize,
deinterlace, etc. Click OK twice to close the DivX settings.
8. Now we're ready to apply some filters. From VDub's Video Menu select Filters...Then apply deinterlace
filter if your source is NTSC ot PAL video, resize filter to set aspect ratio to 640x480.
9. From VDub's Video Menu select Frame Rate...If your source is 29.97fps or 30fps, set "Frame rate conversion"
to No Change. If not, click "Change to 30 frames per second". Leave everything else the same.
10. Install
the MP3 codec for VirtualDub LAME MP3 encoder. Once the downloaded file is extracted, select, right click the LameACM.inf file and do Install.
11. From VDub's Audio Menu select "Full processing mode", then select "Compression...". The choose 44.1KHz
128kbs Stereo CBR.
12. Apply other Filters to improve the look of your video: a bright/contrast filter and/or an image sharpening
filter.
13. From VDub's File Menu select "Save as AVI" and your source file will be processed.
Remember,
all these compression settings are the best compromise between keeping the video smaller than 1GB and keeping as much information
as possible from the original video file.
DivX Encoding Example
Watch YouTube Hi-Res version here. Or watch YouTube Lo-Res version below.
QuickTime 7 Pro makes it really easy to create stunning video with
the new H.264 video codec in QuickTime 7. Simply follow these straightforward instructions to get impressive results:
BackgroundTube.com is here to serve one very small purpose, to give
you free, professional looking backgrounds to use on your youtube channel. Backgrounds you find here will always be free and
awesome..
This is a good tutorial on how to encode YouTube videos using Apple
Compressor. I'd recommend you read it, however you can apply my QuickTime settings ad compare results.
by: Mohammed
Al-Mualla, C. Nishan Canagarajah, David R. Bull
Amazon Price: $118.00 (as of 12/31/2010)
This book considers how to enable real-time, mobile
video communications by raising coding efficiency, reducing computational complexity, and improving error resilience. The
solutions are based on video source coding, and use a motion-based approach to address the problems.
3. Encoding FLV Videos
for YouTube
You Must Have a Flash 7 aka Sorenson Spark H.263 Video Encoder
Another way to have a high-quality YouTube video, is to avoid that YouTube servers re-encode your uploaded videos.
How can make YouTube servers not to touch my uploaded videos?
The
trick is to fool YouTube into NOT re-encoding you FLV file. So the only way is to upload Flash 7 files to YouTube with a bit
rate NOT higher than 350 kbps, so that YouTube will NOT re-encode your file. DO NOT use On2 VP6 Flash codec (FLV 8), since
YouTube will re-encode your video, thus it'll be degraded. Remember, the goal is to make YouTube to accept your video without
"touching" it.
I would recommend this method if your video is an animation, a presentation, has little motion and/or
few scene changes.
Unfortunately this method is not working anymore, we're researching for a different method to
achieve similar results. Please feel free to experiment with it.
Which Flash encoders can I use?
Flash encoders such as Sorenson Squeeze, FFmpeg, Riva FLV Encoder or MEncoder. I particularly like Sorenson Squeeze for its user friendly interface. Flash encoders are for intermediate to advanced compressionists. They are not designed
for the casual user.
Which parameters should I use with my Flash
video encoder?
These are the main parameters to use with your Flash 7 (also known as Sorenson Spark H.263) encoder
to accomplish the goal:
1. It's very important to have a high-quality source video.
2. Set
target bit rate to 347 kbps.
3. Output aspect ratio should be 320x240.
4. Set frame
rate to 15fps if your source is 29.97 or 30fps, and 12fps if your source is 24 or 25fps.
5. Set key frames
to every 100 frames or more without compromising the quality of the video. The bigger the value, the smaller the file.
6. Set
rate control to 2-pass Variable Bit Rate (VBR) or Multipass.
7. Set audio compression to MP3, 22.050 KHz,
48 kbps, 16 bits, monophonic.
8. De-interlace if your videos, especially if they are high motion videos.
9. Apply
filters to improve the look of your video: a bright/contrast filter, a noise filter or/and image sharpening filter.
10. If
your video looks good already after applying the above settings, you can still improve it, but remember you need to keep your
bit rate to less than 347kbps. So you may try one or more of these settings:
Up aspect ratio to 448x336
pixels
Up audio rate to 44.1KHz 64kbps Stereo
Up audio frame rate to 30fps if your source video is 29.97 or 30fps
Up audio frame rate to 24fps if your source video is 24 or 25fps
Most of the
time these improvements will look good with graphic/text videos but not with motion videos.
How can I calculate and measure the bit rate of my Flash video file?
1. Use the
Flash video FLV bit rate calculator to figure out which parameters you are going to use. Select Video Codec: Sorenson Spark.
Play with the Adjustments to find the best values for your Flash video encoder. Keep in mind that the calculator is not 100% accurate, so it'll be some trial and error involved. Click
on the picture below to start.
by Robert Reinhardt
2. There
is great free tool to get the bitrate of a flash video file called MediaInfo
FLV Encoding Example
I compressed the clip below using the techniques described in the previous section. I even
added stereo sound, check it out!
By the way, if you are an expert compressionist you can check out the excellent VideoHelp
forum to learn how you can improve the quality of your YouTube videos using advanced techniques.
I uploaded 3 encoded videos to YouTube from the same source. Now the source video is an animation, namely it has far less
color and luma information than a straight video.
Source Video Video: DV NTSC 740x480 29.97fps 30Mbs Audio:
PCM 16bit 44.1KHz Stereo
As you can see and listen, video 1 has stereo sound and it looks fairly good. Now, videos 2 and
3 look similar to each other in normal mode, but they both look worse than video 1. However, in hi-res mode, they both look superior to 1.
This experiment shows that for an animation, video 1 like settings can be an option since it looks good enough, in spite of some blur on scene changes, but it will be displayed with the
same resolution and quality, at all times and anywhere, regardless of the user bandwidth,
If after reading the whole article and suggestions,
you still have trouble understanding the encoding procedure for YouTube and you want to implement my recipe to your videos,
you can contact me for a phone consultation.
By the
way, if you have a YouTube video that looks really, really great as a result of my advice, please let me know.
Can I Use Similar Settings For Other Video
Sharing Sites?
Absolutely. The video compression settings shown above
will improve your videos as well on Web 2.0 video sites such as: AOL Video, Blip.tv, Castpost, ClipShack, Dailymotion, eyespot,
Flurl, Google Video, Grouper, iFilm, Metacafe, MySpace, Revver, Stage6, Veoh, VideoEgg, Vimeo, vSocial, Yahoo Video, etc.
Can I Set Up A Still Picture
For My YouTube Video?
A new breed of dogs is brewing.
Dogs that can do sports like skateboard, snowboard, skimboard and surf. The funny thing is that they know what they're doing
and they love it! Many of them are English bulldogs, but other breeds like to do these k...
Wingsuit skydivers can achieve
forward speeds of more than 100 mph (160 km/h). They look like flying bullets, and they can glide with such precision! Also
their high-performance bodysuits allow them to slow down their descent to as low as 30 mph (48...
A espresso coffee maker is
perhaps the best way to make a capuccino, but you have to pay a very high price and deal with the complicated machine features.
In my opinion, this humble espresso aficionado, stovetop's espressos can match the great...
Puerto de la Cruz, a cosmopolitan,
delightful, charming old-colonial town, is located on the north coast of Tenerife, which is often regarded as one of the last
remaining paradise islands. Amuse your senses with the incredible views, amiable climat...
Montreal is a multicultural
city that blends its French accent with many ethnic communities, and charms visitors with its Euro-Canadian super ambiance.
Many people call it "Paris without the jet lag". Better yet, la belle ville is fully bilingual, a...
1. Read 
sophia 
If you got to this stage in the article then you are probably pretty serious about getting the best settings and filters compressing videos for YouTube using QuickTime Pro or 
Another way to have a high-quality YouTube video, is to avoid that YouTube servers re-encode your uploaded videos.
I uploaded 3 encoded videos to YouTube from the same source. Now the source video is an animation, namely it has far less
color and luma information than a straight video.
If after reading the whole article and suggestions,
you still have trouble understanding the encoding procedure for YouTube and you want to implement my recipe to your videos,
you can 
Absolutely. The video compression settings shown above
will improve your videos as well on Web 2.0 video sites such as: AOL Video, Blip.tv, Castpost, ClipShack, Dailymotion, eyespot,
Flurl, Google Video, Grouper, iFilm, Metacafe, MySpace, Revver, Stage6, Veoh, VideoEgg, Vimeo, vSocial, Yahoo Video, etc.
