YouTube adds High Definition feature to its website

In keeping up with the competition, YouTube has made some significant changes to its website. Visitors now have the capability of viewing videos in a 16:9 HD video format if it can be accommodated. In addition to this new feature, YouTube will be making it easier for users to search for HD content. So far, visitors have been very pleased with the quality of the HD videos and it's a welcome step forward in the online video revolution. One thing that should be interesting to follow is to see if YouTube and its parent company Google can augment its revenue by the introduction of these new features.

RED to announce "Big Change" soon

RED's Digital Still and Motion Camera (DSMC) system looks like it will be announced sometime soon. The Camera promises to be an interesting hybrid which offers HD video and high megapixel still image capture.

Pinnacle Announce Availability Of Studio MovieBox Ultimate V12

Pinnacle Studio MovieBox Ultimate is a movie-making solution which combines a USB 2.0 high-speed capture device with the professional tools of Pinnacle Studio Ultimate. Their USB 2.0 based device captures SD and HD video from any analogue or digital source using a variety of input options. The solution also offers Native HD support which keeps HD quality from original source all the way to final output. Studio MovieBox Ultimate offers provide complete control of your production via its pro-level tools. Capture Options include: Capture from DV, HDV and Digital8 camcorders or VCRs (requires a FireWire® port) Capture from analog camcorders, 8 mm, HI 8, VHS, SVHS, VHS-C, SVHS-C, or VCRs (NTSC/PAL/SECAM). Requires DirectShow® compatible graphic board or TV tuner board with analog (Composite or S-Vide) inputs Import from AVCHD* camcorders (requires USB 2.0 and a UDF driver) Output Options include: Output to DV, HDV or Digital8 tape (requires camcorder with FireWire Input port and a PC with a DV/FireWire port) Output to analog videotape (requires DirectShow compatible videdevice or videcard with TV-output) Output to Apple® iPod® and Sony® PSP™ formats* Import Formats supported include: Video: AVCHD*, DV, HDV, AVI, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, DivX®*, MPEG-4*, 3GP(MPEG-4)*, WMV, Non-encrypted DVD titles* Audio: MP3, MPA, WAV, AC3* Graphic: BMP, GIF, JPG, PCX, PSD, TGA, TIF, WMF Export Formats: VideCD (VCD) or S-VCD with optional CD burner (CD-R or CD-RW) AVCHD*, Blu-ray BD*, HD-DVD*, DVD* disc with optional disc burner (incl. dual layer) Apple iPod and Sony PSP compatible (MPEG-4) formats* DV, HDV, AVI, DivX*, RealVideo® 8, WMV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4*, Flash, 3GP*, WAV, MP3* files Dolby® Digital 2 channel* and 5.1 channel audi* Hardware Specifications Inputs & Outputs: Composite video input (RCA connector) NTSC S-Video input (mini-DIN connector) NTSC Stereo audio input (2 x RCA connectors) IEEE 1394 In/Out connector (6-pin type) Analog Video Capture to Computer Analog PAL & SECAM/NTSC input HDV/DV (IEEE 1394) camcorder capture. Full camera control support Compression: MPEG-2, MPEG-1, DV, MJPEG (User selectable. Available real-time capture formats depend on CPU speed.) Video Playback from Computer HDV/DV (IEEE 1394) output to camcorder. Full camera/device control support As you can see this device offers a full range of options to make any small production studio stop and look at what it has to offer. For more info visit the Studio MovieBox Ultimate product page.

PluggedIn Beta May Be A Waste Of Time For UK Users

Ars Technica have covered a new music video site called PluggedIn which offers HD and High Quality Music Videos. I was intrigued by this so I joined ... I found it a nice looking site, except for the fact that it is a complete waste of time for anyone in the UK as far as I can tell, because every video I click on tells me "oops, The content is not licensed for distribution outside the US and Canada." There might be content which works, but so far I haven't found it. What kind of nonsense is that? Oh yeah, I forgot it probably has something to do territorial distribution rights or licensing agreements, I guess. I clicked on Amy Winehouse, (who is a British artist by the way), and was told the same thing. The problem is that sites like this should be smart enough to filter out content by territory and only show that which is available in the territory from which the visitor comes. Not hard to do when they ask you to enter most of the relevant details in the membership page. Companies like PluggedIn should be a lot smarter in their implementation of their concepts and also start thinking in a truly global fashion rather than territorially. Get with the times folks ... stop wasting my time with ill conceived and poorly implemented websites.