How to export and upload to YouTube in immaculate quality?
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brett8883
Well-Known Member
This is “my way” transcoded to ProRes 422 and compressed with handbrake to YouTube 4K before uploading
brett8883
Well-Known Member
brett8883
Well-Known Member
Hi,
I get what you say earlier in the thread about keeping the bitrate to some low value so Youtube doesn't re-encode and lose quality, but are you sure about 10Mbps? From Youtube's own website linked below, it recommends 53-68Mbps bitrate for 4k:
Recommended upload encoding settings - YouTube Help
PS I've often wondered about Youtube optimal encode settings and remember from an old version of GoPro Studio I used a few years ago, it did just that ie it kept the bitrate lowish for Youtube uploads, with good results after uploading. The results certainly looked better than encoding at high bitrate for a given file and uploading to Youtube.
brett8883
Well-Known Member
I didn't mean to say you should upload at 10 mbps generally I meant for that specific person because he had slow internet speed sorry about the confusion. I don't think the bit rate that you upload matters even a little bit. The test files I uploaded confirm this.
I uploaded this video as an 8 GB 512mbps ProRes 422 file
I uploaded this file as a 5 mbps file to youtube and I personally can't tell any difference at all.
The thing that all these test videos have in common is that they were transcoded to ProRes(DNxHR works just as well) and then compressed. The direct up loaded ProRes file would have been compressed by YouTube but unless you want to upload that large of file just use a YouTube 4k setting on your compressor of choice.
There's very little if any difference in those two uploads after youtube has done its stuff, you can download and check the bitrates etc if you like.
If you have premiere or similar capable software, you don't need to spend hours using various other programs or converting to massive files - everything is there to create proxies for slower computers if required, and to export with whatever bitrate and compression you chose.
The best option to export for youtube is the included youtube presets for 1080p or 4K.
You might boost the bitrate up a bit from the presets but any change in final result is minimal.
Most people are watching at 1080p even on large smart TVs, I find best results on youtube at 1080p come from uploading a file at rendered at 1440p with a bitrate about 30, worth a try.
If you have premiere or similar capable software, you don't need to spend hours using various other programs or converting to massive files - everything is there to create proxies for slower computers if required, and to export with whatever bitrate and compression you chose.
The best option to export for youtube is the included youtube presets for 1080p or 4K.
You might boost the bitrate up a bit from the presets but any change in final result is minimal.
Most people are watching at 1080p even on large smart TVs, I find best results on youtube at 1080p come from uploading a file at rendered at 1440p with a bitrate about 30, worth a try.
brett8883
Well-Known Member
Because it's an effective way to work with youtube algorithm and have a video which displays better at 1080p - which is how most are watching especially on mobile devices (at least 50% of views)
Derlisz
Well-Known Member
I'm going to start by saying that I'm not an expert in this field. Merely an amateur. I have pondered on this very issue for a long time and while I have not completely cracked the issues I have made some progress.
1. No matter how you compress your video or what format and container it is sent to YouTube in it will be re encoded to a multitude of formats and resolutions device dependant. WEBM up to highest resolution for chrome browser and other compatible devices sporting YouTube App like TV's etc
Mp4 up to 1080p for browsers not supporting WEBM and iOS devices. Mind that regardless of resolution of your iPad or iPhone you can only watch YouTube in up to 1080p for this reason. It used to go up to 1440p up until a year back. Old videos still have that option.
2. As YouTube WILL ALWAYS RE ENCODE your video it is marginally important what codec, container or bitrate will be used. Definitely don't use any lower bitrate then they reccomend.
3. It's very important what the subject is and how it is filmed. Someone had mentioned using +1 sharpness on most DJI drones. This is crucial. Otherwise built in noise reduction kicks in and leaves your footage without fighting chance. The more fine detail in the shot the more YT will make a mess of it.
Annoyingly the quite uniform areas in the shoot will get even more slaughtered and you may have big blocks appear over uniform areas like grass or water.
The more dynamic the use of the camera the worse it will fare when it comes to YT compression. Simple movements are a king when it comes to pure visual quality. So no sideways flight or moving camera to the side or if you do, do it slowly. I film very dynamically and have to pay the price.
3. Use extra steps to improve your footage. The one thing I will really reccomend is to put your project through a good noise reduction. Use something like DaVinci Resolve Studio or Neat Plugin for best results. You will be amazed. You can add a bit of sharpness as well before applying the Noise Reduction. If you are worried about jittery footage a small dose of motion blur could help as well.
4. I'm going to go back on what I have said before about little difference in what codec you will use. My mate who is very advanced in the technical aspects of video production suggested that exporting video in h.265 otherwise know as HEVC can get you better results when uploading to YouTube. It will produce file with same quality as mp4 but about 1/4 of the size. I have used it with some good results but sometimes I've had a feeling that while picture quality was improved somehow there was more noticable jitter. If you don't film as adventurously as I do this might not be a case for you. So do try it out.
5. YouTube sometimes messes up the compression. I've had instances where the algorithm was creating some awful artifacting and or the video playback would get stuck at some points and part of video would have had to be skipped to continue watching. Re-uploading usually helps with both.
Lastly I will attach a video where you can see some amazing artifacts produced by YT that for the life of me u could not get rid off regardless of what technique, codec, container or magic spell I've tried.
Look at water at 2.00 and 2.08 and and grass at top right at 2.13
Thanks for your patience if you've managed to read my essay and hit me up if you need any clarification
1. No matter how you compress your video or what format and container it is sent to YouTube in it will be re encoded to a multitude of formats and resolutions device dependant. WEBM up to highest resolution for chrome browser and other compatible devices sporting YouTube App like TV's etc
Mp4 up to 1080p for browsers not supporting WEBM and iOS devices. Mind that regardless of resolution of your iPad or iPhone you can only watch YouTube in up to 1080p for this reason. It used to go up to 1440p up until a year back. Old videos still have that option.
2. As YouTube WILL ALWAYS RE ENCODE your video it is marginally important what codec, container or bitrate will be used. Definitely don't use any lower bitrate then they reccomend.
3. It's very important what the subject is and how it is filmed. Someone had mentioned using +1 sharpness on most DJI drones. This is crucial. Otherwise built in noise reduction kicks in and leaves your footage without fighting chance. The more fine detail in the shot the more YT will make a mess of it.
Annoyingly the quite uniform areas in the shoot will get even more slaughtered and you may have big blocks appear over uniform areas like grass or water.
The more dynamic the use of the camera the worse it will fare when it comes to YT compression. Simple movements are a king when it comes to pure visual quality. So no sideways flight or moving camera to the side or if you do, do it slowly. I film very dynamically and have to pay the price.
3. Use extra steps to improve your footage. The one thing I will really reccomend is to put your project through a good noise reduction. Use something like DaVinci Resolve Studio or Neat Plugin for best results. You will be amazed. You can add a bit of sharpness as well before applying the Noise Reduction. If you are worried about jittery footage a small dose of motion blur could help as well.
4. I'm going to go back on what I have said before about little difference in what codec you will use. My mate who is very advanced in the technical aspects of video production suggested that exporting video in h.265 otherwise know as HEVC can get you better results when uploading to YouTube. It will produce file with same quality as mp4 but about 1/4 of the size. I have used it with some good results but sometimes I've had a feeling that while picture quality was improved somehow there was more noticable jitter. If you don't film as adventurously as I do this might not be a case for you. So do try it out.
5. YouTube sometimes messes up the compression. I've had instances where the algorithm was creating some awful artifacting and or the video playback would get stuck at some points and part of video would have had to be skipped to continue watching. Re-uploading usually helps with both.
Lastly I will attach a video where you can see some amazing artifacts produced by YT that for the life of me u could not get rid off regardless of what technique, codec, container or magic spell I've tried.
Look at water at 2.00 and 2.08 and and grass at top right at 2.13
Thanks for your patience if you've managed to read my essay and hit me up if you need any clarification
brett8883
Well-Known Member
I'm going to start by saying that I'm not an expert in this field. Merely an amateur. I have pondered on this very issue for a long time and while I have not completely cracked the issues I have made some progress.
1. No matter how you compress your video or what format and container it is sent to YouTube in it will be re encoded to a multitude of formats and resolutions device dependant. WEBM up to highest resolution for chrome browser and other compatible devices sporting YouTube App like TV's etc
Mp4 up to 1080p for browsers not supporting WEBM and iOS devices. Mind that regardless of resolution of your iPad or iPhone you can only watch YouTube in up to 1080p for this reason. It used to go up to 1440p up until a year back. Old videos still have that option.
2. As YouTube WILL ALWAYS RE ENCODE your video it is marginally important what codec, container or bitrate will be used. Definitely don't use any lower bitrate then they reccomend.
3. It's very important what the subject is and how it is filmed. Someone had mentioned using +1 sharpness on most DJI drones. This is crucial. Otherwise built in noise reduction kicks in and leaves your footage without fighting chance. The more fine detail in the shot the more YT will make a mess of it.
Annoyingly the quite uniform areas in the shoot will get even more slaughtered and you may have big blocks appear over uniform areas like grass or water.
The more dynamic the use of the camera the worse it will fare when it comes to YT compression. Simple movements are a king when it comes to pure visual quality. So no sideways flight or moving camera to the side or if you do, do it slowly. I film very dynamically and have to pay the price.
3. Use extra steps to improve your footage. The one thing I will really reccomend is to put your project through a good noise reduction. Use something like DaVinci Resolve Studio or Neat Plugin for best results. You will be amazed. You can add a bit of sharpness as well before applying the Noise Reduction. If you are worried about jittery footage a small dose of motion blur could help as well.
4. I'm going to go back on what I have said before about little difference in what codec you will use. My mate who is very advanced in the technical aspects of video production suggested that exporting video in h.265 otherwise know as HEVC can get you better results when uploading to YouTube. It will produce file with same quality as mp4 but about 1/4 of the size. I have used it with some good results but sometimes I've had a feeling that while picture quality was improved somehow there was more noticable jitter. If you don't film as adventurously as I do this might not be a case for you. So do try it out.
5. YouTube sometimes messes up the compression. I've had instances where the algorithm was creating some awful artifacting and or the video playback would get stuck at some points and part of video would have had to be skipped to continue watching. Re-uploading usually helps with both.
Lastly I will attach a video where you can see some amazing artifacts produced by YT that for the life of me u could not get rid off regardless of what technique, codec, container or magic spell I've tried.
Look at water at 2.00 and 2.08 and and grass at top right at 2.13
Thanks for your patience if you've managed to read my essay and hit me up if you need any clarification
I didn’t think about the different codecs for different devices.
So have you tried encoding your video to VP9 (webm) and then uploading it? Because YouTube shouldn’t have to compress it again. It may have to encode it to H.264 for Apple devices but that would decompress it since VP9 is smaller.
Great post btw
brett8883
Well-Known Member
This would have the same effect as HVEC on quality because VP9 and HVEC are so similar but maybe your jitter is the result of transcoding from a highly compressed codec to another highly compressed codec.
Derlisz
Well-Known Member
Thanks a lot.
My assumption is what due to many many different codecs, containers and bitrares not to mention resolutions they wouldn't have built in a checker that would determine that the file isn't going to need transcending. I bet that if you where to rip a video straight from YT and re upload it you will get a different file as a result. I may do that later as an experiment to satisfy my curiosity. Every video is encoded as a whole bunch of files in every resolution. So assuming that they wouldn't want to encode it again in original resolution they would still have to make the .3gp files from 320p to 720p, mp4 from 320p to 1080p and so on. I find it unlikely. Also if that was an option I'm sure it would be a popular solution amongst youtubers. I round no evidence of this. Interesting thought though!
Derlisz
Well-Known Member
It may well be. The inner workings of compression algorithms are black magic to me so I won't pretend to know why that is
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