Google improves video service, adds Mac support
updated 08:20 am EDT, Tue September 27, 2005
Google Video service
Google has improved its by eliminating the need for users to download software to play back videos, bringing support for both Linux and Mac users. The site now enables users to playback videos directly within a web browser without the need for additional software, according a company announcement on its seventh birthday. "There's no viewer to download, and the bigger video window (which expands automatically to your browser size) is now compatible with Mac and Linux as well as Windows. You can skip around in the video and start watching it instantly, even beyond what's been buffered. And you can watch a 10-second snippet of playable videos right on the results page - making it easier to decide whether you want to commit to the whole thing." In addition, Google is offering the series premiere of the UPN television network's "Everybody Hates Chris" show.
It's flash!
09/27, 09:39am reply
Google is using Flash.
Mark my words: Flash video has come of age with Flash 8. It's going to be Quicktime for editing and high-end dist, and Flash for the web.
Windows media will just have to thrash it out with MPEG1 for the online p*** market.
nitram_again
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2001
not high quality
09/27, 11:14am reply
Yes I saw they used Flash too and the video definitely suffered frm it too. For people who want the highest quality video, Quicktime or MP4 is still the only way to go.
bhuot
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2003
p***?
09/27, 12:36pm reply
Did somebody say p***...thats my specialty.
J Treehorn
jackie treehorn
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2005
Isn't that what i said?
09/27, 07:45pm reply
"For people who want the highest quality video, Quicktime or MP4 is still the only way to go."
That's what I said dopey: 'it's going to be Quicktime for editing and high-end dist, and Flash for the web'. High end on the web, sure QT will be great but the web is about UBIQUITY. Flash IS everywhere. And Google isn't creating the video, they are providing a channel for displaying it with a link back to the original. Plus if the original is crappy, then Google's won't get any better. Plus plus the Google video is displayed at a size relative to your browser window, and very few web videos would be made at +1024 x 768, so of course it's going to look pixelated.
Stop being such a fanboy and go for practicality.
nitram_again
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2001
lame..
09/28, 02:20am reply
The video quality is terrible! How is this gonna take any market? Ubiquity smiquity! No, I ain't talking about pixelated! Nobody is gonna like video that isn't synced with the audio, and runs at piss poor frame rates (like 8fps on a fast G4, GForce2 and a 1.5 Mbps broadband link with no other tasks running)... Inexcusably bad!
Xapplimatic@Ade
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Feb 2004
Regarding codecs
09/28, 09:41am reply
Flash 8 is rather new. Havenīt yet seen a Flash 8 video Flash Video through Spark Pro (Best flash video option until version 8) is ok looking but scales poorly and are rather processor heavy. MPEG 4 is about equal in quality to Sorenson Video Pro 3 on mac and better looking on Windows. MPEG 4 part 10 better known as H.264 is conciderbly more effeciently than the Above but not yet very used Windows Media 9 is as effeciently as MPEG 4 (not part 10) but the standard with the widest reach.
I personally prefer to encode in Quicktime 5 with Sorenson pro and Quicktime 7 H.264 for the Mac and a few lucky win users and Windows Media 9 for the windows users.
blidd
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Sep 2003
Quicktime Codec
09/29, 01:27pm reply
Doesn't Flash use Quicktime as its CODEC? Maybe not anymore? It's been a while since I've authored in Flash.
d_oob
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2003