YouTube to begin offering HD videos

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Mar 2008 2:59 User comments (8)

Back in November, YouTube boss Steve Chen promised that the popular video sharing site would begin giving viewers the option to watch some videos in High Definition beginning in March.

As promised, the site has now begun to offer higher definition streams based upon the source file uploaded. The site also promises more videos coming over time.

Users have the option to see the higher definition streams by checking an option in their Account page. Select "always show me higher quality when available" or "never show me higher quality" depending on your personal choice.

The official YouTube blog had this to say about the new video quality. "Our philosophy is to make sure that as many people as possible can access YouTube and that videos start quickly and play smoothly".

"That's one reason why you don't see us racing to call this 'Super Duper YouTube HD' because most people don't want to wait a long time for videos to play."

<Zune to finally make it to Europe? >Demonoid tracker moves to Ukraine

8 user comments

117.3.2008 15:45

atomicxl

Inactive

This is a good move. Once internet speeds get high enough, I think they're gonna be even more hardcore about copyrighted content. Right now its up but the quality is absolute garbage. There will be MAJOR issues if the content is up and the quality is the same as over the air HD broadcast or DVD. You start to eliminate the need for other services like cable when so much stuff is on demmand and HD.

I think they should go ahead and upgrade their standard quality. I was watching something on CNN and I actually was shocked at how nice it looked and that it was playing fine on my crappy DSL (the slowest speed offered by my ISP). I'd say it was a good 2-3 times better than what you see on YouTube.

217.3.2008 18:09

techluver

Send private message to this user

Newbie

Yes it is about time for youtube to get the quality improved a bit - there have already been other sites popping up giving users better quality video eg. vimeo is a good site for that , although not as well known yet , hence fewer videos.

317.3.2008 20:52

dragnandy

Send private message to this user

Senior Member

finally!! youtube quality videos are awful. i wish all the youtube users would have switched to stage6 earlier before it shut down. well, maybe this would make things better.

418.3.2008 14:42

leady

Inactive

Maybe Youtube should take over stage6 if possible

518.3.2008 15:44

TBandit

Send private message to this user

Member

WOW FINALLY damn Ive been waiting for them to go high def. Got tired of watching some vids so pixelated thought it was NES muhahaha

618.3.2008 15:46

goodswipe

Inactive

Now you kids can start watching those slutty strip tease videos in HD!

/YouTube FTW!

718.3.2008 23:30

Kazi

Send private message to this user

Newbie

about effing time! Stage6 (r.i.p.) was there to begin with!
I'm so sick of the pixelated crap on youtube, and the losers that post video blogs- I guess that's more of a personal thing.

825.3.2008 21:06

kubapolak

Send private message to this user

Junior Member

This is great news!
It might put a strain on my connection but HD is worth it.

Comments have been disabled for this article.

	Android 16 will launch sooner than expected (01 Nov 2024 6:45) Google announced that upcoming Android 16 will break the traditional once-a-year cycle of major Android launches. Next Android is poised to launch in Q2 of 2025, so Android 16 should ship before end of June, 2025.
	Winamp ends its "open source" project that wasn't really open source (20 Oct 2024 11:12) Less than a month after the legendary MP3 player Winamp made its source code public, the company has made a sudden U-turn and removed its code from distribution. 2 user comments
	Winamp released its source code - but didn't go open source (25 Sep 2024 12:38) The source code of Winamp has now been officially released. However, it hasn't become a pure open-source project, as its licensing terms prohibit the creation of new, different versions.
	Does your phone rattle? Here's why it happens (25 Aug 2024 8:30) When you shake your phone and hear a light rattle, clatter, or jingle, it's likely not broken. The culprit is probably the optical image stabilization (OIS) system in your phone's camera, meaning everything is functioning as it should. 2 user comments
	CEO of Messaging App Telegram Arrested in France (25 Aug 2024 7:12) French authorities have detained Pavel Durov, CEO of the messaging service Telegram, amidst an ongoing investigation to determine whether Telegram moderates its platform adequately. 1 user comment

	Guide: Is Your Wi-Fi Sluggish or Slow? Here's How to Fix Do you have problems with you Wi-Fi? Slow connection or is it cutting off constantly? This guide aims to remedy these problems. 1 user comment
	What happens if you don't update Android? Sometimes it can be tempting to avoid updating to a new Android version. What happens if you decide to delay major updates to the OS?
	Guide: Phone battery drains quickly - how to fix (iPhone / Android) In this guide, we go through the most typical reasons for rapid battery drain with phones, and look at potential reasons or solutions.
	Does your phone rattle? Here's why it happens When you shake your phone and hear a light rattle, clatter, or jingle, it's likely not broken. The culprit is probably the optical image stabilization (OIS) system in your phone's camera, meaning everything is functioning as it should. 2 user comments
	GUIDE: Wi-Fi speeds are slow? Here are some tips Having problems with Wi-Fi speed and stability at home? Here are some tips to follow to alleviate the issues. 1 user comment

YouTube to begin offering HD videos

8 user comments

Latest news

Reviews

Guides

News archive

Subscribe

Sections:

Follow us:

	Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra review - obstacle avoidance doesn't work as it should, otherwise almost perfect robot vacuum We put the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra through a very, very long review process. The $1800 mopping robot vacuum is almost perfect, but its obstacle avoidance was surprisingly bad, considering the price - and compared to its competitors.
	Sharge x OnePlus Pouch review: Beautiful power bank that supports SuperVOOC charging In our review, we take a look at Sharge's power bank that supports OnePlus SuperVOOC quick charging technology as well as standard USB PD charging. It has small design flaws, but despite those, the Pouch is very nice product. 1 user comment
	Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets Roomba Combo j7+ is the very first Roomba model to combine robot vacuum with mopping features. And Roomba Combo j7+ does all that with a very clever trick, which tackles the problem with mopping and carpets. But is it any good? We found out.