I don't really have a way for us to post videos on the BCP server, but it's easy to take advantage of free services like YouTube.com, etc. I just discovered another YouTube-like website called vimeo.com that actually focuses more on serving HD content, and I find it to be much better.

Check out the difference between the YouTube and the Vimeo versions I've embedded on this page.

YouTube.com:
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0Q2-GxhIMr4"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0Q2-GxhIMr4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

Vimeo.com:
<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="600" height="451" data="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=348288&server=vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00ADEF"> <param name="quality" value="best" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> <param name="scale" value="showAll" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=348288&server=vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00ADEF" /></object>

I even scaled the Vimeo version up to 600 pixels wide, and the quality is still excellent. It's made to accomodate HD video, so this stupid video that I uploaded is actually on the lower end of the scale in terms of quality.

Of course, YouTube excels at providing other similar video content once the one you're viewing has finished, but in a head to head quality shootout, Vimeo wins.

Here's some true HD content, notice the widescreen aspect ration and the general crispness of the picture.

<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="700" height="395" data="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=343957&server=vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00ADEF"> <param name="quality" value="best" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> <param name="scale" value="showAll" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=343957&server=vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00ADEF" /></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/343957/l:embed_343957">Mt Ritter in June 2007</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user276483/l:embed_343957">John Duhring</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/l:embed_343957">Vimeo</a>.

I like viewing the videos but I'm on a dialup. Can't get dsl out here in the woods. Before Youtube, I was able to download a wmv that someone would upload so I could play it without the skipping. There's no way to download something from Youtube without a lot of trouble. Can you download the files from this new site and play them from your hard drive?

I don't know why they prevented people from downloading the files anyway. It's not like they're making any money from them other than the advertizing on their site and we see the ads when we download them or watch them so it's no skin off their nose either way. Anyone know the whys and what fors of that?

That is actually a cool thing about Vimeo...in the lower right hand corner of the page, they provide a link to the original file, but I believe you have to be registered and logged in to the site to see it.

1SeventyZ wrote:That is actually a cool thing about Vimeo...in the lower right hand corner of the page, they provide a link to the original file, but I believe you have to be registered and logged in to the site to see it.

Thanks! I just joined and am downloading your recon vid right now. I might as well go and get ready for a wedding that I am attending tonight. The download will take at least that long. Wish we had dsl out here in the sticks.

Where I grew up we didn't even have cable tv as an option, only an antenna in a tree and 1 fuzzy channel. My dad still doesn't have cable or dsl, but it sounds like wide area wi-fi is becoming the solution for the more rural areas. He's still waiting on it.

Another option on those Vimeo videos is to click the Play button, then immediately click Pause again. It will begin to buffer the video into memory on your machine. When the progress bar completes, hit Play again and it should play continuously. It's kind of analogous to downloading the video file, but you don't have to worry about having the Quicktime player or VLC installed.

Z,

Very cool... I have always thought "if only the resolution were better" with YouTube.

No more wishing !

Mark