Everyone by now should have notice the major change that has occurred over at YouTube. YouTube has recently updated their player and transcoding settings to allow for the playback of HD video (1280x720 or 720p) and also other higher quality versions depending upon the parameters of the source video file. The new YouTube player now defaults to a 16:9 format, with a video playback area of 640 pixels by 360 pixels (the same as Vimeo). So how do the new HD quality YouTube videos stack up against the master of online high definition video--Vimeo? Find the surprising results after the break.
YouTube vs. Vimeo: HD video encoding settings
Although both YouTube and Vimeo offer the streaming of HD video, each one has their own preferred method of encoding videos. HD videos on Vimeo are converted from their source files to an FLV video wrapper with the very popular VP6 video codec. Vimeo's videos also appear to have VBR of 1.5-3 mbps or higher (variable bit rate). Unlike Vimeo, YouTube takes advantage of the new capabilities of Flash Player 9 (and above) by encoding their new HD videos with the more contemporary h.264 codec in a MP4 wrapper. Like Vimeo, YouTube also uses a VBR around 1.5-3 mbps.
YouTube vs. Vimeo: Quality
Due to the fact that YouTube and Vimeo uses different codecs for encoding their HD videos, we would expect to find some differences in video quality. Below are two HD video samples taken from one video source uploaded to both YouTube and Vimeo. The original file was encoded at 720p VBR of 5mbps using h.264 in a MP4 wrapper, the duration is 3 1/2 minutes and file size of 130mb. You will need to click the "HD" button on the Vimeo video to go watch that version in HD.
YouTube
Video specs: 1280x720, h.264 codec, file size 55.2mb
Vimeo
Visit http://vimeo.com/2349077 to watch the HD version
Video specs: 1280x720, VP6 codec, file size 42.2mb
Comparison
The quality on both YouTube and Vimeo look very similar. But when playing back in full screen, the YouTube version appears to be a little cleaner. To enhance the quality differences, below are some enlarge stills from both YouTube and Vimeo.
YouTube Enlarge
Vimeo Enlarge
It is much easier now to conclude that the new YouTube HD videos encoded with the h.264 codec produce a cleaner and higher quality image.
Conclusion
So does this mean that you should start moving all your HD videos over to that old YouTube account of yours? Well, lets list some of the pros and cons of using YouTube over Vimeo.
Pros of using YouTube over Vimeo
- Better HD videos
- Unlimited uploading of HD videos
- Ability to embed our own HD videos
- Ability to scan through videos before they are fully load
Cons of Using Youtube over Vimeo
- HD playback is not on by default (users must click "watch in HD" at least at YouTube)
- YouTube is more about lolcats vs. indie filmmakers
- The YouTube player looks fugly and unprofessional, expecially with the water mark
- Vimeo Plus offers more customization and control over videos (if you can afford it)
Final thoughts
If you need to embed HD videos onto a site for free and can withstand the YouTube player and logo, then uploading HD videos to YouTube is the best option. If you are still looking to embed HD videos onto a website without the distractions of Youtube, then you should probably save some money for a Vimeo Plus account, even though the video quality maybe just a little less.
Comments
Another con with Vimeo Plus:
After 1000 embedded HD plays you have to pay more. (100k plays = $200!)
So I uploaded a few of my HD vids last night to YouTube. They were in the 4 mbps range and were stuttering after clicking "Watch in HD". Fairly new Macbook, so it wasn't an issue of system resources.
So I re-encoded to 2 mbps and I no longer have the "Watch in HD" option. I'm going to try 2.5 mbps or maybe even 3mbps to see if that'll do the trick.
What codec was used to encode the videos? Curious to hear about your results.
What is FLV? (something tells me it's a dumb question:D)
FLV is just a video format, such as avi, mov, and mpeg. It is one of two video formats that is currently supported by flash, which makes it the most common format for streaming online video. Although it is very popular online, it is seldom used for watching movies on your desktop, which is probably why you never heard of it before.
How did you embed the HD version of the footage in widescreen in your blog? Very curious.
Check out the post right above this one on the home page. http://vidlivery.com/2008/dec/10/basics/quick-tip-embed-youtube-videos-hd
Good work! Your post/article is an excellent example of why I keep comming back to read your excellent quality content that is forever updated. Thank you!
When you upload an MP4 video in HD format to YouTube it will play the file as is when you activate the HD button, but the transition is ugly and it will often play at a wrong speed until you restart the video. You are much better off renaming the video to .flv and uploading it to Blip TV. When renamed to .flv Blip TV does not convert it, and the Flash player doesn't care about the extension, it looks inside the file. And voila, you have HD quality in Blip TV's regular player.
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