How to: Tweak YouTube embeds for HD playback
Several readers have e-mailed me and asked for instructions on how to take their HD YouTube videos and embed them elsewhere. As I mentioned before, this isn't an officially sanctioned feature, and as such, the embed code you get on these video pages will still yield the lower-quality, non-widescreen clip.
Needless to say, this is completely unacceptable.
The good news is that you only need to make a few changes to the stock embed code get the job done. Here's what to do:
Step 1: Copy this code and paste it to wherever you intend to embed the video:
Step 2: Grab the direct link to your video. In case you've never done this before, it can be found to the right of the video player on YouTube or from your browser's address bar.
Step 3: Tweak the embed code. The finishing touch involves making a simple change to embed's URL source code to direct it to the HD version. To do this, you simply need to copy the alphanumeric gobbledygook at the end of the link you grabbed in step 2 and paste it into the part between /v/ and the & symbol in the embed code. For simplicity's sake I've labeled this "YOURVIDEOCODEHERE" in the embed code.
That's it--you're done, and all you had to do was use copy and paste twice! The end result is this:
Josh Lowensohn is an associate editor for Webware.com, CNET's blog about cool and otherwise useful Web applications and services. If you've found a site you'd like profiled, shoot him an e-mail. E-mail Josh.
- Topics:
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Audio and video
- Tags:
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YouTube,
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HD,
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video sharing,
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high definition,
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hacks
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So, what's with all the hubbub about HD Video? If you look closely in the embed code, the YouTube video dimensions are only 630 x 380. Since when is 630 x 380 HD Video? HD Video typically has dimensions of 1280 x 720, and 1920 x 1080. In fact, the YouTube HD Video has less pixels than even Standard Definiton Video at 640 x 480.
The video looks nice, but it's still not even Standard Def.
Best,
Andrew
I agree, making this stupid cnet account sucked.
now, the "HD"
I have found you must upload a 1280x720 video for the "view in HD" link to appear when you view a video. Sure, embedded its only 360p, but, you can biggy size it and it looks ok. Also, compare a video that has an HD option with the normal quality option, significant difference. Big step for youtube, i still like vimeo better.