YouTube goes to a widescreen player on the site, leaving lots of "black space" for the classic 4|3 videos

YouTube announced yesterday that they would be moving to a 960 pixel width for their video player on the YouTube site:
http://www.youtube.com/blog?entry=0i22UDAOfj8

Yesterday it was announced on their blog that they were increasing the width of the YouTube viewer to 960 pixels. This was great news to me as you can now upload even larger videos to the site.
Over the last year, YouTube's video specs have increased from 320x240 pixels and under 100 MB in comparison to the size of the more recent 640x480 pixels allowing for video files up to 1 GB, but no more than 10 minutes. These 640x480 files were ultimately displayed in the YouTube player on the site at a reduced 480x360 pixels. It was always such a shame to see your video letterboxed, cropped or squeezed to fit the viewer size. So, I am pleased with the latest news of the widescreen viewer on the page. The older 4/3 aspect ratio was a pain in the neck for anyone creating videos that were widescreen.

I was wondering what videos at the old aspect ratio of 320x240 (4|3) would look like on the now massive video player on the site:
Example No. 1: This is a 14 second machinima that is 320x240 pixels in size and was captured at 4|3 aspect ratio. This video was uploaded a couple of years ago, so a legacy YouTube example. Click on the YouTube icon to view it in the YouTube window, or follow this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ux0L3UQzXw



Actually, not so bad, but I have always tried to upload videos at the top end of the spec.

The YouTube blog post was a brief paragraph or so (with no supporting details or
updated specs for anyone interested in knowing whether the specs for video have been upgraded to HD720 - 1280x720 pixels).
The blog read, "And don't worry, your 4:3 aspect ratio videos will play just fine in the new player."
Well... there were 873 comments hit the page in the last 24 hours from the unconvinced and the pleasantly pleased subscribers.
The comments are a great read! Now you know where I spend my time.
I do agree with many of the comments and choice of adjectives relating to any of the legacy videos, particularly the postage-stamp sized 320x240 pixel videos, and I'll not be looking forward to viewing cell phone videos in the massive new viewer.

Example No. 2: So here is a video that I have just uploaded. It's a 320x240 video that was originally captured in widescreen, but shows the black letterboxing at the top and bottom of the screen (added by me). It was originally a widescreen video, 201 MB quicktime file (saved at the best possible quality after down-converting from a 1280x720 quicktime file). The audio (banging doors, and people in background) is awful.. apologies in advance.
You will need to click on the YouTube icon in order to view the video in the site... or follow this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_MXLW6K0YU



So because the file is so small (320x240) I am not being offered a 'high quality' view. That is to be expected.
None of the help pages for anyone uploading videos are easily findable.. and NONE is up to date.

You will get the best help from other users. No wonder we love to read and post comments!

Here's a search on the user help pages on 'widescreen' and nov 2008
http://help.youtube.com/support/youtube/bin/search.py?query=widescreen+nov+25+2008+Nov&ctx=en%3Asearchbox
It'a really great help community.

Just keep the video at the highest quality possible and be prepared for a lot of black space in the viewer on the YouTube site.
Users helping Users: This is pretty good but also not up to date YET.
http://www.youtube.com/user/YouTubeHelp

YouTube Handbook: this has not been updated and still contains spec for the 640x480 videos!
Wow, introducing a new service with old documentation... oh, no!
http://www.youtube.com/t/yt_handbook_home

YouTube on your Phone: (this is unrelated to the viewer):
http://www.youtube.com/mobile

More cool stuff (unrelated to YouTube though):
http://lipas.uwasa.fi/~f76998/video/conversion/#conversion_table

OVPC sporting the OLPC image

OVPC sporting the OLPC image, originally uploaded by HVX Silverstar.

I am assuming that the little green raptor is racing to Amazon.com to get an OLPC X0 laptop. Give a laptop. get a laptop. change the world. http://www.amazon.com/xo
Learn more: http://www.laptop.org
and check out the raptor sporting the OLPC image... http://www.velociraptorz.org/

OLPC - One Laptop Per Child X0 X0 X0 X0 X0 X0

Raise your credit card for the Green & White OLPC... Give one, Get one!!

Raise your credit card for the Green & White OLPC... Give one, Get one!!, originally uploaded by HVX Silverstar.

Give a laptop. get a laptop. change the world. http://www.amazon.com/xo
Learn more: http://www.laptop.org
and check out the raptor sporting the OLPC image... http://www.velociraptorz.org

OLPC - One Laptop Per Child X0 X0 X0 X0 X0 X0

One Laptop per Child XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO... OLPC laptop!

Join the One Laptop Per Child movement by participating in any way you can at: www.laptop.org
For a short period this year, Give ONE Get ONE for US $399 at www.amazon.com/xo
or Give ONE for US $199. and send a gift to foster creativity and learning to a child who may change the world...
So it's using the university's wireless, Google Docs, Google Spreadsheets courtesy of Ken F. who has just sent me an email from the XO using Yahoo Classic.... super cool!

"Give a laptop, get a laptop, change the world."

London in April... forgot my avatar

IMG_0152, originally uploaded by SwansonFamily.

so i'll have to find a similar coat for my avatar and add her to the picture.

Virtual Ability Island in Second Life®: virtual world community and orientation for people with disabilities or chronic illness

Here is the last of the 3 part introduction to the orientation areas of Virtual Ability Island (VIA) in Second Life®.

Virtual Ability Orientation Tours with Gentle Heron and HVX Silverstar following along (me!):
ONE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVlPD4TPNp8
TWO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVzyi0MOsJM
THREE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cnyt6rASfo0
End of Part Three

Congratulations!

Where limitations are just stepping stones...
to a place with no limitations.

Virtual Ability Island... first stop...
Tour courtesy of Gentle Heron
Virtual Ability Inc.
http://www.virtualability.org
and the
Alliance Library System
Peoria, IL USA

Alliance Virtual Library blog: http://www.infoisland.org
funded by the
National Library of Medicine

Music
"Countercall"
by Jarrod Pedone ASCAP

Machinima by HVX Silverstar
Machinima Institute
in the
Info Archipelago
Alliance Virtual Library

Creative Commons Attribution
No Derivatives (by-nd)
September 2008

Filmed on location in the very beautiful Second Life®

Virtual Ability: Orientation TWO in Second Life® (part 2)

Join Gentle Heron for Part TWO of the tour of the orientation areas of Virtual Ability Island. Gentle will be showing some of the instructional design features in the specialized virtual world orientation area or people with disabilities or chronic illnesses.
Virtual Ability is a joint project of Alliance Library System and Virtual Ability Inc., 'Share the Health' funded by the National Library of Medicine.
Visit Healthinfo Island or the log at http://www.healthinfoisland.org
and http://www.virtualability.org
Drop by the reference patio on Info international Island in Second Life to find out more from the Alliance Library System's projects in Second Life.®
Don't miss Part ONE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVlPD4TPNp8
This one: Part TWO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVzyi0MOsJM
and the final segment, Part THREE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cnyt6rASfo0
Flickr screen captures from the video: http://www.flickr.com/photos/photolibraries/sets/72157608761236669/

Virtual Ability: Orientation ONE in Second Life® (part 1)

Join Gentle Heron for Part TWO of the tour of the orientation areas of Virtual Ability Island. Gentle will be showing some of the instructional design and assessment features in the specialized virtual world orientation area or people with disabilities or chronic illnesses.
Virtual Ability is a joint project of Alliance Library System and Virtual Ability Inc., 'Share the Health' funded by the National Library of Medicine.
Visit Healthinfo Island or the log at http://www.healthinfoisland.org
and http://www.virtualability.org
Drop by the reference patio on Info international Island in Second Life to find out more from the Alliance Library System's projects in Second Life.®

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/photolibraries/sets/72157608761236669/

"...at this defining moment, change has come to America..."

President Elect Barack Obama!
"You have earned the new puppy that is coming with us to the Whitehouse!"

Dancing in the Air in Second Life!! Congratulations President Elect Barack Obama!

Obama Celebrations!, originally uploaded by HVX Silverstar.

Thank you!!