YouTube

YouTube is an online video streaming service where anyone with access to the internet can view or provide videos. It was first created in February 2005 and is now hugely popular with over 100 million video views a day and ranking as on of the most visited websites after Google. It was initially created by three paypal employees who then made a tidy fortune when they sold the site to Google in November 2006.


==Watching Videos==
...this is generally pretty good. YouTube also now offers some of its videos in HD format. Audio quality is also generally good although this depends on the initial file type and quality.

The options when viewing a video are fairly intuitive - the bar along the bottom allows you to drag the bar forwards and backwards to go to different points in the video clip. The volume control also works in a similar way. There is a play button which ... more

YouTube is an online video streaming service where anyone with access to the internet can view or provide videos. It was first created in February 2005 and is now hugely popular with over 100 million video views a day and ranking as on of the most visited websites after Google. It was initially created by three paypal employees who then made a tidy fortune when they sold the site to Google in November 2006.

Watching Videos

The most used feature of YouTube is the watching of videos. The search feature is easy to use and enables the user to search for any topic, artist, etc. The intuitive search lists suggestions as you begin to type into the search box. This is particularly helpful if you aren't sure on how to phrase your search or are unclear on the spelling of something. Searching gives a list of results very similar to the Google search results page (well after all - it is Google owned!!!) As you select a video from your search results it begins to play automatically. The window showing the video is fairly large on your screen but there is also an option to make the video full screen - the quality on this is generally pretty good. YouTube also now offers some of its videos in HD format. Audio quality is also generally good although this depends on the initial file type and quality.

The options when viewing a video are fairly intuitive - the bar along the bottom allows you to drag the bar forwards and backwards to go to different points in the video clip. The volume control also works in a similar way. There is a play button which doubles up as a pause button yet no specific fast forward or rewind buttons. This isn't really a problem as it keeps the user interface simple and uncluttered. Some videos include the option to watch them in high quality although this doesn't seem to make much difference - even in full screen mode other than possibly slowing down the video.

When you open a video - if you have a good broadband connection the video will generally be able to play straight through without having to wait for buffering. Although if your internet is having a slow day then the video can take quite a while to load which is very irritating, although compared to all other video playback sites that I have used, YouTube is by far the fastest.

The range of videos available is vast and I have never had an occasion where I haven't been able to find what I am looking for. The only slight disadvantage is that video clips are limited to 10 minutes therefore you are not going to find a whole comedy sketch or programme on there.

Layout & Navigation

The layout of the site closely resembles google, with plenty of white space and limited colour. This seems to keep it clean and simple and uses boxes to keep everything separated. The homepage does have a great deal on it but the layout is good enough that it does not seem to cluttered and therefore it is generally easy to find what you are looking for. Navigation is easy as the user interface is very intuitive with buttons and links clear and where you would expect them to be. There is no advertising on the site pages other than Googles own which makes it stress free and pleasing on the eye! This lack of flashing adverts and animations means that you can happily watch a video clip without things irritating you in the corner of your eye! Although simplistic in terms of colour and style, the layout is successful and the navigation is clear making it suitable for internet newbies!

YouTube for Teaching

The majority of my personal experience regarding YouTube is within my teaching. YouTube videos are fantastic to use as a stimulus material or to show a certain clip as they are easy to access and display very well on the large interactive whiteboards that are in most classrooms these days. One particularly useful thing in this context is that you only have to show the clip you want. I have previously tried to show a small clip from a DVD such as Shrek, only to be met with whinging and moaning from the class saying "please miss, just let us watch another 5 minutes". With the YouTube clips, the maximum length is only ever going to be 10 minutes making them perfect to use in lessons!

Generally YouTube is pretty good for removing inappropriate content so an innocent search is not going to result in any dodgy results being displayed for all the class to see on the whiteboard! However, saying that - a few weeks ago I observed a lesson where the teacher had quickly looked for video clips at the start of the lesson relating to the topic the children were doing. They found one on Pandas which the first minute or so showed it to be a lovely little video. With no time to view it completely, the video was then only played the whole way through as the class watched. Unfortunately the video then went into VERY graphic details of how Pandas mate!! The class loved it, the poor teacher didn't know what to do and at the end of the lesson there were 30 leaflets created by the class on how Pandas mate!!

But on the whole it is a brilliant teaching resource - I have used clips on pollutions and animal rights as well as clips showing how things work and scientific processes. The accessibility of the site means that you can use them in lessons so easily with just the computer and interactive board or projector.

Although it is not possible to save the video without specialist software, you can embed a YouTube video into Microsoft Powerpoint which can be really useful if you are doing a presentation where you want to include a YouTube clip but don't want to have to flick between the presentation and the YouTube site. This can be done by going to "view" then "toolbars" and "control" in Powerpoint. Then select the hammer icon and scroll down to "shockwave flash object". Click and drag on your powerpoint slide to make the screen where you will want the video to be displayed and then right click in that box. Go to properties, then "movie" and paste the address of the YouTube clip you want to use. In the clip address where it says "watch?" remove the question mark and replace it with a forward slash. Then remove the equals sign after "v" and replace that with a forward slash too. This process will allow you to play your YouTube video through the screen you have created in Powerpoint and can be an exceptionally useful tool.

User Account.

Like with most sites you can set up an account on YouTube. This is essential if you want to upload videos and use some of the more advanced features of the site. The process of setting up an account is very simple and easy to do. Once you have your account you have access to your inbox where you can send and receive mails and you also have the ability to comment on videos. From your account mainpage you can add friends, add favourite videos, create playlists and even create a video log!

The concept of user accounts is also used by YouTube to provide some security regarding adult content. If a video contains content regarded as "over 18" then only members with accounts stating that they are over that age can view those videos. This is a good effort although there is noting to stop a 12 year old setting up an account with a fake date of birth.

YouTube for Research

YouTube also serves as a pretty good research tool. You can search for almost any topic imaginable and you are bound to find various results. Obviously this can mean you might have to sift through a few videos to find what you are looking for but you are likely to get there in the end. I have found it useful for when I am due to teach a topic that I am not totally clear on. I can research the topic using YouTube as video is a nice easy media to learn from and educate myself before I have to go and educate the little blighters on something I previously knew nothing about!

YouTube for Music

YouTube is brilliant for watching music videos and it tends to lend itself to this seeing as the maximum video length can only be 10 minutes. It is a lovely way to play a music track and then to have the option of watching the music video too. I use YouTube for this now and again although it doesn't have the capability to set up a playlist unless you are logged into your user account and have set up one which means that once you have listened to a track you would then need to manually find another one. Another problem is that the moment you try searching for a new music video it will cancel the one that you are currently listening to. So in this sense it is great for watching the odd music video but as it stands at the moment isn't a suitable replacement for software such as Itunes or Media Player. However, the range of music videos available is vast and I have never failed to find what I am looking for, even when looking for slightly more obscure music.

Sharing Videos

The whole idea behind YouTube is that people share their own videos which will possibly be of interest to others. As with watching them - uploading videos is free, however to upload videos you need to have created a YouTube account. You can upload videos that are up to 1GB in size or up to 10 minutes long. These can be in almost any file format including; .WMV, .AVI, .MOV, MPEG, .MP4, DivX, .FLV, .OGG. and 3GP. This means that there is no need to convert your files first and you can even upload them straight from your phone if you want.

If your file is particularly large then the more it will be compressed to fit into YouTubes 1GB or 10 Minute restriction and it is important to remember that this can have an effect on the quality. Also, YouTube does not have a feature to do this for you so you will need to compress them yourself. YouTube does give you the option to upload multiple files at once which can be particulary useful, however it means that you will need to download their software to your computer.

One of the features that I think is particularly good is that when you upload your video you can choose whether that video is for all the public to see or whether you want it to remain private. If you choose to set your video as private then you can specify the contacts who you wish to be able to see that particular video. From my experience, uploading a video to YouTube is fairly quick and only takes a couple of minutes, but they do say that it can take up to an hour.

Channels

Once you have a user account you can set up your own channel where the general public can see your profile alongside your uploaded videos, your favourite videos etc. This seems to be a feature similar to that of social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace where the user can share things with other members. You can decorate your channel and personalise it in any number of ways although personally I find this feature of the site uninteresting and not something I can be bothered to get involved in! Navigation and design in this section is easy enough but it usefulness is fairly limited as I cannot see how sharing your personal information with the whole of the world is particularly beneficial to you! (saying that, I still am a Facebook addict so maybe one day I will be converted).

Community

The community aspect is again similar to that of Facebook and Myspace. You can communicate with others on the site, form or join groups as well as enter contests and sign up for events. The groups have their own discussion forums and this can be fun to take a look at if you are keen on a particular band or musician and want to discuss them with fellow fans. Then there is the general community help forum where you can pitch questions regarding the site, report problems, give feedback and view announcements. This is all clearly laid out and easy to use although I wouldn't say it has been particularly useful to me as the main reason for using this website it to view and upload videos.

Publicity.

YouTube can be a good way of getting publicity, particularly if you have some musical talent. My Uncle is in a band and uses YouTube to broadcast his music. He has found it particularly useful when trying to recruit new band members as he can give any potential candidates a link to his videos without having to send them via hardcopy or email. He has also used it to show potential venues their style of music and act which has also been quite successful. In my own experience I have in the past come across artists on YouTube who are not particularly well known yet I have enjoyed their music and ended up buying their albums. Therefore, in this sense the site can be a great publicity tool if you choose to make the most of it.

The Good Points

• Quick access to videos which are quick to load.
• Vast range of content ranging from music videos to news bulletins.
• Great to use for research.
• A brilliant teaching tool as the videos play well on interactive whiteboards and are short clips.
• Generally good quality sound and video.
• Built in community functions
• Good help resources
• intuitive search facility
• Nice layout with minimal advertising.
• Easy to navigate
• Good video display options
• Can give you some good publicity if you use it in the right way.
• Easy enough to upload videos with capability to upload multiple videos at the same time.
• Its all free!

The Issues

• Copyright is an issue as although you have to agree that your video does not breach copyright when uploading it, the majority of content on the site, particularly tv clips and music videos do breach copyright.
• Privacy - unless you specifically lock down your details and content then it is there for the whole world and its wife to see and do what they please with.
• Inappropriate content - you will occasionally stumble across things which are not what they claim to be!
• Videos cant be downloaded to your own computer.
• Maximum video length is 1GB or 10 mins in length.

Overall

Ok, so there are still a few issues with the site but given the scale of it and the rate that it has developed, it really isn't bad! It is such a useful site which can be used for entertainment purposes as well as more practical ones. As I said above, one of the main uses I have found for YouTube is as part of my teaching and I cant imagine not having it as a resource to fall back on! There is everything you could possibly imagine on there and it is all highly accessible. I get a great deal of entertainment out of YouTube as some of the funnier video clips are brilliant and I love being able to go and watch a clip of something that has happened either on television or in the news etc. So definitely a thumbs up from me with a hearty 5 stars as it is a brilliant site. 

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