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YouTube Adds Full-Length Television Shows
Posted by
timothy
on Mon Oct 13, 2008 06:26 AM
from the what-about-magnum-pi-and-square-pegs? dept.
from the what-about-magnum-pi-and-square-pegs? dept.
thefickler writes "YouTube has moved to put full-length television shows on its site for the first time. Historically, YouTube has hosted a bewildering and attractive variety of video clips, the vast majority of which have been under ten minutes in length. YouTube has announced that it had finalized a deal with CBS to offer shows such as Star Trek, MacGyver, Beverly Hills 90210, and The Young and the Restless. I can't wait to watch The Young and the Restless!"
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Technology: Higher-Resolution YouTube Videos Currently In Testing 214 comments
jason writes "YouTube has never really been known for streaming videos at a high resolution, but it appears that they are taking early steps at providing higher quality videos. The project was announced last year by the site's co-founder Steve Chen, and now appears to be in the earliest stages of deployment. By adding a parameter onto the end of a video's URL you're able to watch it in a higher quality (in terms of audio and video) that is actually quite noticeable. Not all videos have been converted at this point, but they do have millions upon millions of videos that they need to do."
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Still using Flash (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Still using Flash (Score:5, Informative)
I don't disagree that I would like to see that happen, but think about it from the perspective from someone who works at GooTube and wants to keep that job: would it really make sense to switch to a brand-new standard only supported by [let's be generous] 25% of the market?
Ok, you may respond, why not maintain two parallel versions of the site: one for legacy users and one for browsers that support the new standards? And to that I say, it's a little bit hard to go to management and ask for the resources and time to implement a second parallel version of a service that already works splendidly well.
I would be just as happy as you if YouTube started offering video streams in other formats and other access methods. Until they do, though, I'll continue watching their FLV streams directly with VLC. The newly-released 0.9.2 even has a Lua scriptlet specifically designed to allow you to drop a YouTube URL directly into the playlist.
Not good, but good enough. At least you don't need Flash.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Switching now would be rather premature, given that the HTML5 spec isn't set yet. In fact, they still have a big red box for what codecs are a must in all browsers, because no one can finally make up their mind and just use mp4/h264 already.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Given, I would like to see the inclusion of h.264 in Flash as a supported format for video. VC-1 would work as well (even if it is from MS). I wouldn't expect to see Theora or the like supported on YouTube any time soon, unless it is as widely available as flash is. Flash is a PITA on x64 Linux, I am well aware of this, however, from a business standpoint y
Re:Still using Flash (Score:5, Funny)
However, seeing as though they will be showing MacGyver, Google will only have a paper clip, post-it notes, and 4 bullet casings to complete the objective.
Parent
Re:Still using Flash (Score:4, Informative)
MPEG-4 contains patented technologies that require licensing in countries that acknowledge software patents. Patents covering MPEG-4 are claimed by over two dozen companies. The MPEG Licensing Authority[1] licenses patents required for MPEG-4 Part 2 Visual from a wide range of companies (audio is licensed separately) and lists all of its licensors and licensees on the site. New licenses for MPEG-4 System patents are under development[2] and no new licenses are being offered while holders of its old MPEG-4 Systems license are still covered under the terms of that license for the patents listed (MPEG LA â" Patent List). AT&T is trying to sue companies such as Apple Inc. over alleged MPEG-4 patent infringement.[3] The terms of Apple's Quicktime 7 license for users[4] describes in paragraph 14 the terms under Apple's existing MPEG-4 System Patent Portfolio license from MPEGLA.[1] [wikipedia.org]
No, it's not.
Parent
Re:Still using Flash (Score:5, Informative)
No, but Theora and Dirac are. Theora [theora.org] is from the Xiph open source community (the same people that do cdparanoia, FLAC, Speex, and Vorbis). The FSF has recommended its use along with Vorbis audio for some time now. Dirac [diracvideo.org] is from the BBC.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
As a non-american... (Score:5, Insightful)
...Hulu sucks, since it won't stream outside the USA. No mention in the article as to whether YouTube will add regional restrictions on these full-length shows, but let's hope they can convince the studios otherwise. If not, well, bittorrent works just fine.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Does anyone seriously want to watch full length TV shows in a tiny box in their browser in crumby YouTube quality?!
Re:As a non-american... (Score:4, Informative)
Yes.
Parent
Re:As a non-american... (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Re:As a non-american... (Score:4, Informative)
The videos are still encoded to 480x360 at the most. That's hardly "better than TV".
-uso.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
The videos are still encoded to 480x360 at the most. That's hardly "better than TV".
-uso.
It's at a point where with most shows it really doesn't matter. It's not like TV was the lowest point you could possibly go to make out what's going on.
This conversation is academic anyway. If YouTube is going to compete with Hulu AND with its users, chances are the quality will be higher than what they have right now. You're better off waiting-and-seeing than saying you don't like the numbers and never checking it out.
Re:As a non-american... (Score:5, Insightful)
Youtube offer better-than-TV resolution. Check out their high-quality option, which you can view full screen.
If you say so... I have yet to see a YouTube video encoded anywhere close to 768x576 (SDTV resolution), and resolution aside, they don't come close to broadcast quality from the encoding point of view either.
In an era when people are interested in HDTV (1920x1080), making a big deal about a crappy sub-SDTV streaming service seems a bit nuts.
(Note: I'm not one who believes in bothering with HDTV for most stuff - maybe nature programmes, etc, but certainly not worthwhile for anything with a story - but I do draw the line at watching significant amounts of YouTube quality TV).
Parent
I don't think that's the point here... (Score:3, Interesting)
But that's not the point here : the important thing is that they're streaming full episodes, legally, on youtube. That's a change in policy, it sets a good precedent, and it could even help to make the average consumer think about so-called piracy ("why can't I download it off mininova if I can watc
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Does anyone seriously want to watch full length TV shows in a tiny box in their browser in crumby YouTube quality?!
What else can you do during your boss' lunch time?
Re: (Score:2)
Re:As a non-american... (Score:4, Insightful)
Which is why I watch YouTube on my TV. I installed a GreaseMonkey Script [userscripts.org] that will send the URL of a YouTube video to Xbox Media Center. After a little bit of caching, the movie plays.
So you get to watch it on your TV in crappy YouTube quality instead... great...
Parent
Re:As a non-american... (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Region-locking is an abomination. (Score:5, Insightful)
It's called the WORLD WIDE Web, assholes.
Parent
Re:Region-locking is an abomination. (Score:5, Insightful)
So if they used a medium of delivery beyond HTTP, you'd be happy with it? Or would it just ruin your witty one-liner?
Seriously, just because licensing agreements haven't yet caught up with the global nature of the Internet doesn't mean we should disparage the positive steps being made in the direction of having content available on the Internet AT ALL.
Parent
Re:Region-locking is an abomination. (Score:4, Funny)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Ya know, it's only been three years since ABC first started putting television shows online. And it was only a "limited test" because they were afraid it would hurt their Nielsen Ratings for over-the-air television. They thought the internet might cause financial losses.
We've come a long way since those dark days when networks were afraid of the internet.
Re:Region-locking is an abomination. (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes this is the WWW, except that the American owners don't want non-americans looking at A-Team, McGuyver, et cetera. They want to sell those programs to Japanese stations for reruns, or on DVD directly to European citizens, and thereby maximize profit. If they gave this stuff for free via the web, they'd be killing their non-american market.
Everything makes sense if you just follow the dollar to its source and assume the owner is greedy.
Parent
A closed curve on a sphere has no inherent inside (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:A closed curve on a sphere has no inherent insi (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Well theres plenty of scarcity over here. Theres practically no oil in my backyard at all! With such a rich lack of resources, I'm happy to share the scarcity with you.
You can come around tommorow if you like, bring a big oil tanker. I'll pump the oil out and you can have a whole damn tanker of scarcity! No charge!
Re:As a non-american... (Score:5, Informative)
Hate replying to my myself, but went to find one of these full-length Trek episodes, clicked on it: "This video is not available in your country". So much for that.
Parent
Re: (Score:3)
You lost your bet. I spent days searching for something like that.
There are only some open proxies, and either they are incredibly horribly slow, or they cost money and still are very slow. And all of them require some invasive untrustworthy "client" to be installed for no reason. I bet most of them are just spyware and the modify your packets on-the-fly.
My nearly perfect solution for series is, to create a proper search query trough btjunkie.org, and then add the resulting rss-feed to my mldonkey. Some add
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Your "nearly perfect" solution seems way more complicated than necessary but to each his own.
As for my "bet" maybe you need to practice on google searching, I did a single search and found this
http://www.freeproxy.info/en/free_proxy/cgi-proxy.htm [freeproxy.info]
The few I tried worked right off the bat.
I suppose doing something like TOR might work too.. though you might not get a US proxy I suppose. Maybe their are config options? I've never even downloaded it or seen it in use.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Have you actually tried them? Outside the US?
I doubt that.
You see, I know most of them. They do not work.
Just go on hulu.com and try watching a video. You can't.
That was the point of having a proxy in this discussion. Point lost.
"YOU'RE WINNER ! [wikipedia.org]"
Re: (Score:2)
Let us know when the BBC opens their content to the rest of the world.
Re:As a non-american... (Score:5, Insightful)
If you haven't noticed the BBC isn't ad sponsored, it's UK license fee paid. How are they meant to cover the costs of international streaming? Youtube does streaming of their video internationally paid for by advertising with a well built back-end that can handle it.
Comparing the BBC's iPlayer license fee paid service to the ad-sponsored Youtube is like comparing Apples and Oranges.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
The BBC is funded by British taxpayers. Youtube is funded by the ads on the page.
Anyway, 10 minutes of crappy small-screen video with the occasional buffering pause is about all I can handle. I'll stick to downloading AVI files and burning them to DVD for anything longer.
Hulu vs. The World (Score:5, Insightful)
It might have to done something with the fact that Hulu's "video library can only be streamed within the United States".
Some people go to great lengths to put their feet over an axe, just to see if it hurts or not.
What Next? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:What Next? (Score:5, Funny)
Wait a sec, you're calling MacGyver "garbage" on a nerd website?
Parent
Why no 90210 love? (Score:3, Funny)
But the 90210 characters were so compelling! There was that handsome dude with the sideburns, and that other handsome dude with the slightly pointier sideburns, and that ditsy blond chic, and that other ditsy blond chick.
How could you not love a show with rich, beautiful people whining about how tough their lives are?
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
That's the most concise and accurate review of a television show I've ever read. Well done.
-jcr
Censorship Sucks. (Score:2, Interesting)
About damn time (Score:2)
Several times I've found some interesting TV series and decided to watched a few episodes, only to have to endure the task of finding all the parts, which are never listed in any sort of order in the "Related videos" list for this type of use. And then there is the problem with the "QuickList" not clearing videos that you have removed from it, or occasionally not adding one, or forgetting some next time the page loads, forcing you to try and find the parts again.
Full-length is ok... are they going to add ads ? (Score:2)
Lots of the other sites with full length shows interrupt the action in odd places to add in ads and the resume on the show is breaky and odd.
Also Hulu is not the only competition for this service it seems especially for nostalgia really old shows that there are a couple of services offering this.
I watched Chico and the Man on AOL video for example. I hit Barney Miller on Hulu I believe and aren't there other sites as well?
CBS only? (Score:5, Insightful)
The shows and their original networks:
Star Trek: NBC
MacGyver: ABC
BH 90210: Fox
Y & R: CBS
I guess I don't understand how these things work...
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Star Trek: Paramount
MacGyver: Paramount
DH 90210: Paramount
Y & R: CBS
Paramount is now known as CBS Corporation. The Wiki [wikipedia.org] has more info. Just because a show airs on one station doesn't mean that station owns the rights to that show. Although it does look like Paramount/CBS has had a change of heart: In February 2007, Viacom sent upwards of 100,000 DMCA takedown notices to the video-sharing site YouTube, alleging large-scale copyright infringement. Of the 100,000, approximately 60â"70 non-infringing v
Please no (Score:4, Interesting)
With short clips the YouTube UI is bad enough. For full-length TV shows I want:
- a UI that can be controlled from arbitrary input devices, e.g. an IR remote and rotary controller (Griffin Powermate). Sitting at your computer doesn't cut it, I want control from my comfy chair.
- a full-featured UI with controls for skip forward/reverse (at short/long intervals), aspect ratio, mute, etc.
Basically, I want the VLC UI.
Is this the end of reruns? (Score:3, Insightful)
Seriously. One of the things I hate about watching TV is the fact that you have to depend on a station to carry a show, and play it, all of it. It's fine when it hits the rerun zone, but there is no real assurance they will play it totally and in the intended order. So, much of my 20th century TV watching was watching the repeats waiting for what I didn't see to come around.
The first stuff I started to see was on AOL's in2tv. They screwed up Rocky and Bullwinkle, one of "those" series where order and completeness matters, not so much that they don't carry a season but they broke up their "show" into their various little shows. Now we have Veoh and Hulu, and the quality of both is pretty good.
So it makes me wonder, now that these things exist, sites that carry series that have little to no commercial value, what point is there to 100+ channels? Seriously it's reached the point that I should actually ditch the cable since all of my TV needs save the local news are covered online. Even cartoon network.
Key word missing? (Score:3, Insightful)
US-ONLY! :( (Score:5, Informative)
So, this means I won't have to pirate the videos to watch my favorite shows?
Think again.
"This video is not available in your country."
Oh well, at least I know a site [thepiratebay.org] that DOES let me play the videos in my country - and without ads.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Cartman has taken over slashdot.