What YouTube clip has best quality?

[Gustav]

Please choose High Quality and full screen.

This (1) YouTube - hdddddddddddddddd

or this? (2) YouTube - hdhdhd.WMV

(3) YouTube - High Definition: (add A&fmt=22) Mercedes CLK63 AMG vs BMW M5 Touring Supersprint

Thank you.

[Diny]

#1 is definitely sharper as long as you click the "watch in HD" option.

[Gustav]

1 is sharper than 2? Both cna be watched in HD BTW

[Envisage0]

No real difference to me G..

[Diny]

Originally Posted by Gustav

1 is sharper than 2? Both cna be watched in HD BTW

If you watch the first one in HD and the second one in high quality, the first one is still sharper. Not by a mile, but it is. Just pause both at the beginning (with the m6 on the side) and compare the mirror of the camera car and the grooves on the asphalt.

[scoopz]

Originally Posted by Diny

If you watch the first one in HD and the second one in high quality

I can see the option to watch them both in higher quality but can't see an option to watch in HD (or by HD do you mean the higher quality version?)

Gustav,

They both look about the same to me, it might be usefull if you can put some text on the #1 to see how pixelated that appears, there's a brief show of text on #2 but none on #1.

BTW, if you want to link directly to the higher quality version simply copy the main video url and then add "&fmt=18" to the end of the URL, so

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt-yXrSyAQg

would become

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt-yXrSyAQg&fmt=18

Link to #1 in normal quality
Link to #1 in higher quality

But note the above method does not work when you are embedding videos on the forum using the YOUTUBE tags or embedded youtube html, you have to add other bits and bobs for that.

[Gustav]

Thanks. Il ltry the 1st with one new clip, upcoming.

[scoopz]

I did just type out long message detailing how to embed the higher quality versions in the forum posts but the forum then appeared to crash for a few minutes when I hit "preview" and the post was lost. IN summary there there now appear to be 3 options on *some* youtube videos (normal, high, hd 720p), read more about it here:
How to Embed and Play 720p HD (High Definition) YouTube Videos (&fmt=22 Code Hack) My Digital Life

[Diny]

It's a shame that I can't post a side-by-side comparison of the 2 here, because it's pretty obvious once you look at both so close.

And yea, on the 1st one, i get a "watch in HD" option and the other one has the standard "watch in high quality" choice.

The first one took longer to load, which is a hint that it's a bigger file (and thus better quality).

[scoopz]

Originally Posted by Diny

on the 1st one, i get a "watch in HD" option and the other one has the standard "watch in high quality" choice.

I only get a watch in high quality on both, I wander if its country specific at present or perhaps hardware/gpu specific?

I tried on work box which is XP Pro SP3 and IE7. I'll try on the Apple when I get home.

UPDATE - Just pulled out my Macbook Air (using Safari)and it doesn't give a HD option but then again it's not the most powerful machine.