Best quality for YouTube uploads?

Dave3232

Member Joined: Jan 30, 2011 17:05 Messages: 64 Offline

Solved by

Feb 16, 2011 11:07

Hi, all:

Apologies for this post - I realize that it's been discussed before but after reading through the other threads, I'm still not clear on what to do.

I want to know how to produce the best quality for videos for YouTube videos. I have an HD Camcorder (Sony HDR-CX350). I produced a video and uploaded it to YouTube (HD 1920x1080), and the video quality on YT is poor compared to the original. What can I do to improve it? As far as the tradeoff between file size vs. video quality - I'm inclined to lean towards quality.

Is it true that I should produce to disk first and then upload manually? I'd prefer the convenience of direct upload from PD to YT, but I'll do what I have to do to get better video than what I got.

If it matters, here is the MediaInfo information on the source video:

ID : 0 (0x0)
Complete name : C:\Users\Dave\Videos\2-14-2011\20110213142952.m2ts
Format : BDAV
Format/Info : Blu-ray Video
File size : 50.2 MiB
Duration : 1mn 3s
Overall bit rate : 6 612 Kbps
Maximum Overall bit rate : 18.0 Mbps

- Dave

Dafydd B

Senior Contributor Joined: Aug 26, 2006 08:20 Messages: 11973 Offline

Feb 16, 2011 11:58

Hi Dave,
All YouTube file formats which PD uploads are *.wmv. The YouTube templates can be found here:

C:\Program Files\CyberLink\PowerDirector\Language\Enu\Profiles

To edit a prx template you will need WMEncoder9.exe and that is no longer available from Microsoft's site.

Both the YouTube and the other FullHD templates offer a CBR (Constant Bit Rate) of 10.3 which is better than the *.mts variable of 6,612kbps of the original.

Hope that helps

Dafydd

Dave3232

Member Joined: Jan 30, 2011 17:05 Messages: 64 Offline

Feb 16, 2011 12:04

Dafydd:

Thanks!

So it sounds like you're saying that the FullHD template should be more than enough? If so, is there something else to explain the stanky quality of my YouTube video as compared to the original?

I also have a followup question. Once I have this solved, I will still have an issue - I need to split my video to get by the 15 minute limitation in YouTube. I know PD can split your video for you. This actually didn't work for me - my video is 51 minutes. PD split and uploaded two 15 minute videos, then hung. So there seems to be a bug in PD. Even if I can get that to work, it isn't ideal - I'd prefer to choose where to split it. So is there a way to do that in PD, or can you recommend a (preferably free) tool to manually split a video?

Thanks again.

- Dave

Dafydd B

Senior Contributor Joined: Aug 26, 2006 08:20 Messages: 11973 Offline

Feb 16, 2011 12:51

Tip: If you really want to retain your video quality, render to a HD *.mp4. Select one of the HD templates. Then upload it independently to YouTube.

Dafydd

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Feb 16. 2011 12:58

Bubba in TX

Senior Contributor Location: Central Texas Joined: Dec 12, 2009 21:32 Messages: 1332 Offline

Feb 16, 2011 12:52

I would split the video manually myself. That way the splits are where you want them, the way you want them.

As far as upping the video quality in YT, I cant help there. You might get a good answer from someone in here that uploads to YT a lot. __________________________________________
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Dave3232

Member Joined: Jan 30, 2011 17:05 Messages: 64 Offline

Feb 16, 2011 23:04

Ok. I did what you guys suggested, and created high quality MP4 videos, and split them manually in PD, then uploaded them manually to YouTube. The quality of the MP4 files as played by QuickTime isn't as good as the original, but I can live with it. However, viewing the videos in YouTube is a different story. I don't know the terminology, but basically they're extremely smudged and blurry - due to excessive compression I assume. What gives? I have seen very good HD video in YouTube. Is there something I can do to keep YouTube from compressing my mp4's so much?

- Dave

CubbyHouseFilms

Senior Contributor Location: Melbourne, Australia Joined: Jul 14, 2009 04:23 Messages: 2208 Offline

Feb 16, 2011 23:16

Hi Dave

I produce my videos using MPEG2 1080i HD and the quality seems OK with me. My camera files are similar to yours.

Check out my www link to see the quality. I upload via YT NOT PD.

You might need to update your graphics drivers to the latest version as I've been told that old drivers might not be able to cope.

Good luck

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Feb 16. 2011 23:17

Happing editing

Best Regards

Neil
CubbyHouseFilms
My Youtube Channel
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Dave3232

Member Joined: Jan 30, 2011 17:05 Messages: 64 Offline

Feb 17, 2011 00:10

But if the mp4 source files look fine before I upload them, how could my graphics card cause the YT upload to be overly compressed? Seems like it's YouTube's issue. Do you think YT would be nicer to mp2 files?

CubbyHouseFilms

Senior Contributor Location: Melbourne, Australia Joined: Jul 14, 2009 04:23 Messages: 2208 Offline

Feb 17, 2011 00:24

Quote: But if the mp4 source files look fine before I upload them, how could my graphics card cause the YT upload to be overly compressed? Seems like it's YouTube's issue. Do you think YT would be nicer to mp2 files?

You can only try

Happing editing

Best Regards

Neil
CubbyHouseFilms
My Youtube Channel
My Vimeo Channel
PD3.5, 5, 6 & 7. Computer: Dell Dimension 5150, Intel Pen. 2.80 GHz, 2GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT 256MB, Windows XP Pro!!
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Robert2 S

Senior Contributor Location: Australia Joined: Apr 22, 2009 05:57 Messages: 1461 Offline

Feb 17, 2011 00:42

Bit rate is a major factor in video quality. Lower bit-rate equals smaller video in Mbytes and lower quality. Higher bit rate equals larger video in Mbytes better quality video up to a point.

No use producing a raw video recorded in the camera at 6Mbps to 24Mbps and expecting blu-ray quality which is 24Mbps.

I produce my HD GoPro footage recorded at 12Mbps to between 15-20Mbps to squeeze a bit more quality out of it by the time Youtube renders it for the web.

I also produce mine to H.264 AVC as it offers a better compression ratio while keeping the quality up.

Cheers

Robert2 S My youtube channel====> http://www.youtube.com/user/relate2?feature=mhsn

Dave3232

Member Joined: Jan 30, 2011 17:05 Messages: 64 Offline

Feb 17, 2011 03:27

Hi guys. Thanks for the suggestions. I appreciate it. But, it seems like you're not getting me. Or maybe I'm not get g you. You seem to be talking about what I can do to improve the quality of what I produce out of PowerDirector. What I'm saying is that what I'm producing Out of PD looks fine. I'm producing an mp4 file that looks good - nice clear HD. It's only after I upload it to YouTube and watch it in YT that it looks poor - very soft and overly compressed.

So what can i do to either give something to YT that it will not alter as much, or to configure YT to not compress so much? I'm getting HD in, SD out - and want HD in, HD out.

Thanks again,

- Dave

Robert2 S

Senior Contributor Location: Australia Joined: Apr 22, 2009 05:57 Messages: 1461 Offline

Feb 17, 2011 03:46

You can't configure YouTube, they do what ever they do.

I would suggest using a 10 second test clip and produce it to all different settings, then upload them to youtube to see which one suits you best.

I use a custom setting under H.264 AVC at 15-20Kbps My youtube channel====> http://www.youtube.com/user/relate2?feature=mhsn

Dave3232

Member Joined: Jan 30, 2011 17:05 Messages: 64 Offline

Feb 17, 2011 06:55

Ok, thanks. It just feels like I'm doing something fundamentally wrong. The difference between the original and what YouTube does to it isn't subtle. It's night and day.

I will try going the route of finding a format that YouTube likes the best. Would you mind giving me the details of your H.264 setting?

Robert2 S

Senior Contributor Location: Australia Joined: Apr 22, 2009 05:57 Messages: 1461 Offline

Feb 17, 2011 07:00

No problem Dave,

My custom profile is 1920X1080-progressive-high profile-15000 bit rate-max slider-deblocking ticked- Audio-stereo-192Kbps.

Now this is the setting I use for my HD GoPro camera which shoots at 12,000 bit rate or 12Kbps. If your camera shoots at a higher bit rate make your custom profile at least as high as the raw footage.

Cheers

Robert2 S My youtube channel====> http://www.youtube.com/user/relate2?feature=mhsn

Dave3232

Member Joined: Jan 30, 2011 17:05 Messages: 64 Offline

Feb 17, 2011 07:15

Ok, thanks. As per the Mediainfo properties above, of one of my clips, the bitrate is about 7mbps, and the "overall bitrate" is 16mbps. So what should i use?

And can you elaborate on why youtube prefers H.264 over mpeg4?

- Dave

Robert2 S

Senior Contributor Location: Australia Joined: Apr 22, 2009 05:57 Messages: 1461 Offline

Feb 17, 2011 16:41

I would use 16mbps. I prefer H.264 because it gives me a smaller video to upload to youtube. I have very slow upload speed to the net, so a smaller file takes less time and to my eyes the quality is the same as mpeg4. My youtube channel====> http://www.youtube.com/user/relate2?feature=mhsn

twincitybulldog

Senior Member Location: Winter Haven, Florida "Home of Legoland" Joined: Aug 03, 2009 14:59 Messages: 159 Offline

Feb 18, 2011 08:05

I use H.264 also. The quality is pretty good. Click on the link below. I have a test video I uploaded using Cyberlink PD9 for editing rendered at 1920x1080P.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk_2pktELF8 Windows 8 Pro 64bit
Cameras. Panasonic AG-HMC40, GoPro Hero 3 Black
Edition.

Dave3232

Member Joined: Jan 30, 2011 17:05 Messages: 64 Offline

Feb 18, 2011 08:13

Thanks. Your duck video looks great. Much better than mine. I think the problem with mine is that there's a lot of motion (it's of a kids' basketball game). Plus it was pretty dark - Not great contrast.

CubbyHouseFilms

Senior Contributor Location: Melbourne, Australia Joined: Jul 14, 2009 04:23 Messages: 2208 Offline

Feb 18, 2011 16:10

Quote: Thanks. Your duck video looks great. Much better than mine. I think the problem with mine is that there's a lot of motion (it's of a kids' basketball game). Plus it was pretty dark - Not great contrast.

Hi Dave

"Pretty dark.... fast moving..." These two do not go well together on any motion camera.

Try uploading a clip of a non moving item in a well lit area to see if it is the ambient setting causing the problem.

Good luck Happing editing

Best Regards

Neil
CubbyHouseFilms
My Youtube Channel
My Vimeo Channel
PD3.5, 5, 6 & 7. Computer: Dell Dimension 5150, Intel Pen. 2.80 GHz, 2GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT 256MB, Windows XP Pro!!
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Dave3232

Member Joined: Jan 30, 2011 17:05 Messages: 64 Offline

Feb 18, 2011 16:25

Ok, but again - the original is fine. I created an MP4 of the clips that looks fine on my computer. It's only after uploading to YouTube that it's overly soft. So it isn't the camera that doesn't like the dark and fast moving material, it's YouTube.