I’ve had my issues with YouTube in the past, but they’ve definitely bumped-up their quality of encoding recently. Not quite Vimeo, but pretty damn good.

I started re-encoding some of TokyDV’s ‘classics’ in 16×9, high definition (well, online HD). But with original 4×3 aspect ratio content, I’m always left with two ‘black bars’ on both sides of the video. This annoys me. I’ve squeezed 4×3 clips into 16×9 before, but it stretches and distorts the content.

To omit of the black bars, I shifted the video content to one side and used the remaining area for something I call an ‘add panel’, or ‘advidisement’. But this space doesn’t only have to be for adds (although, that’s probably what it’ll become); see what I’ve done with the World Trade Center Tribute, or collaboration videos with Tokyo Reporter. There are a number of uses. Although, depending on what’s in the space, it could be just annoying.

TokyoDV Tube! – Check out channel TokyoDV on Vimeo and DailyMotion!