For all of you avid YouTube posters get ready for some exciting news! Starting this week, YouTube will support 1080p high resolution videos. As high-def digital video camcorders become the norm, it was only a matter of time before YouTube caught up and figured out how to support the bulkier, albeit much prettier videos. Personally I am super excited about this. I love posting clients’ videos, but I am always upset when I spend so much time editing, then they just get decompressed when loaded onto YouTube.

Currently the best option to host our HD masterpieces is Vimeo, but with the free subscription, you are only allowed to post three HD videos per week. Plus, Vimeo has a much smaller reach. If you want to get eyes on your videos, YouTube is the best way to go. Now video posters can have the best of both worlds.

YouTube has stated that they are not worried about infrastructure problems or higher costs associated with supporting bulkier files. Videos uploaded form regular users will still have a 10-minuted limit, although the maximum file size will likely be upped from the current 2GB. Now the coolest part: Videos that have already been uploaded at 1080p (ALL of mine!) will be automatically re-encoded to play back at the higher resolution.

Ok – yes – I may be a little over excited about this new development, but us as an agency and our clients have produced some pretty impressive videos (such as the infamous “Donkey at a house party”), it’s a shame that they haven’t been able to be viewed in all their high-def glory!

In all seriousness, although it is considered “high-def” 1080p has really become the standard it was only a matter of time before YouTube caught up.

Posted by: Lauren