You tube query
August 22, 2006 8:12 PM   Subscribe

Why should two videos uploaded to youtube, both about the same length (2min)

and both about the same mb (15) display differently, eg the images in one are considerably larger (and so clearer) than in the other?
posted by A189Nut to Computers & Internet (6 answers total)
 
Response by poster: should add that the original images are about the same size too. Both made with Windows moviemaker.
posted by A189Nut at 8:14 PM on August 22, 2006


My guess is it depends on the encoding process. I would say two different codecs would be the most likely culprit, but since they were made with the same software (by you, I assume?) chances are good it is the same codec.

In that case, from my limited knowledge of video encoding, it depends a lot on how much movement and/or definition/lighting was present in the original video files.

I.e. a movie with a still camera and with just a single person moving in the center of the frame (example: karateka doing kata demonstration) is probably going to require less "work" than, say, a scene from a Hollywood action flick with tons of crazy camera movement and explosions and what have you (i.e. almost the entire frame is moving constantly).

So if you have two videos, same run time and same file size, the only thing that can really change is what you're seeing--quality and resolution--and so a movie that needs less encoding (the one with less movement and etc) would be able to splurge more on better quality/resolution.

Hopefully someone will come along with more knowledge about this sort of thing :)
posted by cyrusdogstar at 9:15 PM on August 22, 2006


Pretty much what you said, cyrus.

The smaller one was compressed by someone who doesn't know what they're doing, is the short version.
posted by baylink at 9:34 PM on August 22, 2006


Response by poster: That would be me I suppose.
posted by A189Nut at 2:30 AM on August 23, 2006


Response by poster: And the answer is.... one was encoded in widescreen.
posted by A189Nut at 9:31 AM on August 23, 2006


Forgive me, I misread the original question, and didn't realize they're things *you* encoded.

Yeah, a much larger original would lead to a much larger output. Though, oddly, I'd expect such an original to also be larger before encoding; you didn't mention the original sizes...
posted by baylink at 4:16 PM on August 23, 2006


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