What's the best compression settings for high definition video on youtube?

Question

I'm using a Canon HV20 and Imovie HD. The raw video is high defintion. What's the best compression settings? I want to upload the best video I can to youtube (as good as youtube can support).

Answer 1

Try these...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8Kgmn1bz...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr82Rl_CT...

You will not get "high definition" uploaded - the compression YouTube applies will not allow.

What I have found easy to do is a multi-step process, but it is easy:

From iMovie, with the project you want to upload as the active project, launch iDVD. Burn as a DVD image file - this takes the project to standard definition format. Launch HandBrake, reduce the window size of the video to 544x304 in Picture Settings and save as an MPE4 to fit in 100 meg or less.

It may be easier to go straight from iMovie to an uploadable file, but I have not found a good combination using just the iMovie export/share process - I came up with the iDVD - HandBrake work around after lots of experimentation.