Google Video

[Adam]

Check it out: http://video.google.com

Adam Kapilik

[Eagle]

hey, pretty cool...video quality varies a bit.. Google is getting mega Huge.

[Corey]

I just can't get behind Flash video. The quality is usually sub-par from what I've seen and the lack of a fullscreen toggle makes all video content unwatchable for me in a practical sense. Nothing will make your eyes hurt more than watching a full length, slightly pixelated video at 320 X 240 or whatever... :)

[yosik]

I differ, Corey, sorry.
Besides the fact that future development in this direction would allow for open video content search, the quality, while not at all in the league of broadcast is "not bad". As to the size, it depends how it was encoded. AFAIK, you get online what was sent to Google.

Yossi

[Corey]

It's not just Google video. I find the videos at Macromedia.com practically unwatchable as well. I don't know of anyone who watches full length videos at 320 X 240. It's just not done as far as I know. Every video player on the market (other than Flash) has a fullscreen toggle option. Even Vivo had a fullscreen toggle. :D

Did I mention that I've been investing all my money into Vivo for the past few months? I'm anticipating a big comeback! :yes

[rhosk]

As for the video, I just can't get behind Flash video. The quality is usually sub-par from what I've seen and the lack of a fullscreen toggle makes all video content unwatchable for me in a practical sense. Nothing will make your eyes hurt more than watching a full length, slightly pixelated video at 320 X 240 or whatever... :)

Sorry everyone, but I agree. This newfangled Flash video does nothing for me either. I think window movie video (wmv) is far superior in terms of quality vs. file size vs. quality. I'm hooked on it. And it streams in just as nice.

[Corey]

I'm fond of .wmv, it's currently my favorite choice for viewing web videos... :yes

[stickck]

i agree with Corey too. I never use Google. I use Search.com for all my web searching. It uses several different search engines (to include Google).

[yosik]

FWIW, I was surprised that Google decided to use Flash as their video format. Prior to launching video.google as a viewing site, they asked for the video segments to be uploaded in wmv. Interesting why they made that choice. I am sure that between wmv, H-264 and flv, it is going to be interesting....

As to wmv itself, I for one TOTALLY agrre that it is a codec with very wide range of usage. In my college we use wmv as THE codec for all of our video archiving and streaming.

Yossi

[Corey]

It's all about business relationships. Those decisions have almost nothing to do with the underlying technologies anymore... :)

[MWMTex]

Corey,
Please tell me more about VIVO. Web site the works!
Thanks :)

It's not just Google video. I find the videos at Macromedia.com practically unwatchable as well. I don't know of anyone who watches full length videos at 320 X 240. It's just not done as far as I know. Every video player on the market (other than Flash) has a fullscreen toggle option. Even Vivo had a fullscreen toggle. :D

Did I mention that I've been investing all my money into Vivo for the past few months? I'm anticipating a big comeback! :yes

[Corey]

Hee. :) :yes

[Intrigued]

http://homepage.mac.com/pockyrevolution/Personal26.html

Note: 2nd video has an adult word. So skip that with kids around.

To funny and/or painful to watch at times.

:p

[Corey]

That bike jump video always makes me shake my head.

[Intrigued]

Ya, that was two stories up, he has to be in pain, or is there a net or something.

Ouch!

[Corey]

He doesn't strike me as a terribly cautious chap. From the looks of it there is no net. I wouldn't be surprised if he walked away with only a few bruises though, adrenalin can work wonders. On the other hand it was a double impact with the building and the ground so it can't have been fun no matter what. On the other other hand, he wanted fame and he got it, that guy has been downloaded like 18 cornzillion times. :yes

One time as a kid I did a belly flop off a first story balcony onto some ice. A 10 foot drop right onto my ribcage. It was zero fun. But I shook it off after a few minutes of shrill bawling and dramatic rib clutching. I've seen a couple people fall 2 stories also, they were OK. So I think it all depends on how you fall, what kind of shape you're in, and whether or not you were mentally ready for the fall. He had a helmet on so that's a definite plus. Hopefully there was no camera gear down there.

I remember when I was a kid they had a guy on "That's Incredible" who's parachute failed, and he lived. He landed flat on his back on some freshly watered sod. Looks like the bike guy fell flat on his back too so, as long as his bike didn't hit him, he might have fared OK. I hope so.

[Intrigued]

The video that, for some reason, really got me laughing was the one with the elderly gal and the Mercedes. Priceless! (starts out with some skateborders)