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Problems Formatting Video for YouTube

by lerxtjr
10 replies
Okay, I've HAD it! I've got this great kodak 1080p zi8 hd camera that produces .mov files (only compatible with mac I've discovered and I have a pc). When I record even a short video and upload it direct to my youtube account from the camera in .mov format, it's like a HUGE file of course, so anyone attempting to watch it will see it in like 5 second increments until it loads.

So, I thought, "no problem, I'll just convert it to .avi, find out what settings youtube prefers, compress the file and reupload it as a .avi or .flv.

NOT!

I've spent 4 friggin hours downloading conversion tools and all kinds of mess. And even if I manually configure the software after searching for all kinds of khz settings youtube prefers, I then get codec errors!

I've had it. There has to be an easier way.

How can I simply browse for my .mov file and compress it and upload it for youtube specs in less steps or using a one-step software?

Thanks in advance.
#formatting #problems #video #youtube
  • Profile picture of the author Mukul Verma
    I went through a similar issue last year and spent a lot more then 4 hour, I coughed out $60 for a conversion software and problem solved - AVS4YOU Review - Video and Audio Conversion Software (after half a day it came time vs money, since spending too much time).

    Youtube pretty good with format and converting it to flash for you.

    goodluck

    Cheers,
    Mukul
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  • Profile picture of the author Josh T.
    lerxtjr,

    YouTube HD is maxed out at 720p. If you can record in 720p, then that will help. I don't have any problems uploading .MOV files to YoutTube, as this is an acceptable format. But if you don't want to get a Mac, you can edit .MOV files in QuickTime Pro and change the resolution there.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kevin Riley
    Originally Posted by lerxtjr View Post

    Okay, I've HAD it! I've got this great kodak 1080p zi8 hd camera that produces .mov files (only compatible with mac I've discovered and I have a pc).
    Not a problem. I've imported MOV videos into Camtasia and edited them. Add all kinds of titles, etc, then process as an MP4.
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    Kevin Riley, long-time Warrior living in Osaka, Japan

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    • Profile picture of the author lerxtjr
      Really...camtasia? That's awesome and something I would've never thought of trying. Thanks! And, thanks also for the 720 HD issue. Apart from the 40 video testimonials I took yesterday at a seminar in 1028 (oops), I'll start recording in 720. Thanks again all and I'll give these suggestions a whirl.
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  • Profile picture of the author fredjr1978
    Wow, sounds like the quicker thing would of been to just take the camera back since its not compatible with your system.
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  • Profile picture of the author Loren Woirhaye
    YouTube actually bloats many files, which is why I can get
    smoother streaming by self-hosting with total control of
    compression.

    YouTube has problems. That's the source. Even crappy
    videos hang-up and buffer on YouTube. It has not much to
    do with your file size and everything to do with the millions
    of downloaders sharing the same bandwidth pipe.

    If you want smooth, reliable streaming video, YouTube isn't
    it.

    You can try these fixes:

    1)render at 1/2 your present frame rate. Thus 30 fps
    becomes 15. That slashes your file size in half.

    2) render in 32kbit mono sound.

    3) reduce output frame size. A 20% decrease in frame size
    doesn't look like a lot but it reduces file size a lot.

    Still, your real issue is YouTube, but if you were self-hosting
    you would want your combined audio and video to stream
    at 256 kbps or under, with a 3-5 second buffer before the
    video plays. YouTube doesn't give you these options, which
    is why it sucks for direct response videos.
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  • Profile picture of the author mpeters7
    YouTube actually prefers you give them .mov files, so your problem is not conversion but compression, ie making the file smaller.

    YouTube says the optimal setting is in h.264, which is a format that works really well in making videos smaller while maintaining quality.

    If you were on a Mac, I'd recommend ffmpegx as a free program to compress your file. I don't know a ton of options on PC so my best recommendation is to get QuickTime Pro Apple - QuickTime - QuickTime Pro for $30, which will have a bunch of easy presets for compressing .mov files.

    Feel free to PM with any more questions, I've been down this road before!
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  • Profile picture of the author mpeters7
    Also, there's no reason that mov files shouldn't be compatible with a PC. Does this mean you can't get them to play?

    If not, do a search for VLC which is a great free media player. It plays just about any file type.
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    • Profile picture of the author lerxtjr
      Wow, sounds like the quicker thing would of been to just take the camera back since its not compatible with your system.
      ha, yeah, I know...but the sony equivalent (windows compatible version) wasn't coming out for months and I was impatient.

      This is all great advice...thanks everyone. Trying things one at a time so that I can do the same thing every time going forward. I'll report which one works for me.
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