The Death of YouTube?
In what must seem like an ongoing series of Matt vs. the online video upload services, I have had my latest upsetting encounter, this time with YouTube.
First, let me say that I genuinely love YouTube. I think it's an amazing service. I love being able to communicate with other users, watch their videos, and get feedback. The only major problem I have with YouTube is that they don't allow users to upload more than 10 minutes/100 MB of video in one sitting. They used to offer a way around this: apply for a Director's account, in which you would fill out an online application detailing specifically how much video you had stored on your computer that you wished to upload. Well, the other day, I saw that the Director's account no longer requires the application process. So, I went ahead and registered, and had my nice new Director's account. I went to upload an 11 minute video, however, and was promptly informed it had been rejected as too long. How can this be, with a director's account? After emailing tech support, I received an email explaining that YouTube has done away with the ability to upload more than 100 MB/10 minutes, even for director's accounts.
Which probably means it will be returning as a pay service. The problem is, YouTube is all about being free...open to all video makers. Now, if it becomes a pay service, at least for selected features, it will limit the number of people who can afford to use it, thereby limiting the growing art of Internet film.
I am very disappointed by the changes at YouTube. I genuinely hope that that the site survives these changes and continues to provide the service it has in the past.
In the meantime, for those who follow my films, I will be posting longer format projects at Google Video (which, in its Beta format, is still frought with bugs), and making them available for viewing at my MySpace page:
www.myspace.com/mattbarry84
I may also, from time to time, post videos to this blog if they are relevant to film.
Labels: beta, bugs, film, google video, internet cinema, youtube
posted by Matt Barry at 7:42 PM
2 Comments:
I have had the same problem with YouTube which I really like a lot. I do see videos of one hour or more though.. Maybe this was prior to the limitation they put up? Or is could be a lower resolution.. Yet some of these long videos look pretty darn good to me..
6:45 AM, July 04, 2007
Yes, many of the longer videos you see went up before the limitation went in place. For people who signed up for the director's account option prior to the switch, they can still upload more than ten minutes, but are still limited to 100MB.
The videos you're seeing that are an hour or more in length are most likely being paid for by the companies that produced them. You'll notice that many production companies now do major tie-ins with YT, including uploading feature films.
10:28 AM, July 05, 2007
Post a Comment
<< Home