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YouTube uploads from iPhone 4 are downsized

Updated 5:50pm: Commenters are right, emailing the video from your iPhone has the same size restriction. The original version of this post had the correct info, but an editing error mixed up the email limitation.

Yesterday when we posted that iMovie for iPhone 4 was available on the App Store, we mentioned an important limitation on the resolution of the videos you can share with the iPhone. An Apple support document specifies that while iMovie can export a full 720p HD video if you send the video via email or import it back to iPhoto, movies uploaded from YouTube, MMS or MobileMe Gallery will be downsized to a maximum resolution of 568x320.

Since then, users like Chris Pirillo have started using the app and have confirmed the restriction. Chris asked us if there are any iPhone-only workarounds that don't require transferring the video off to your Mac or PC. Unfortunately, it looks like the only way you will be able to share a full 720p HD version of iMovie videos is to transfer the file to your computer before uploading it to YouTube or any other sharing service from there.

Ironically, while a second support document mentions this limitation is in place to improve upload performance, you are still restricted to 568x320 even when you're connected to WiFi -- perhaps the very same WiFi connection you will now use to upload the video from your computer.

Chris also mentioned he and other users are reporting issues logging into YouTube with both YouTube and Google credentials on a number of iOS devices. We're not sure why this issue is happening, but a few people on the Mac Rumors forums are suggesting that you make sure your Google credentials are associated with your YouTube login. You may also want to verify that your email address is confirmed in the email options to possibly eliminate the problem.


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Updated 5:50pm: Commenters are right, emailing the video from your iPhone has the same size restriction. The original version of this post...
 

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Khurt

To overcome this limitation I used another app, PixelPipe, to upload the full 720p HD video to YouTube.

http://pixelpipe.com/

July 23 2010 at 9:29 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
onecut

Yep was uploading the changelog too: http://twitpic.com/21bz54

June 30 2010 at 6:10 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Josh

The solution for 720p video uploads directly from iPhone to YouTube* is here, in the form of PixelPipe:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pixelpipe-post-upload-to-facebook/id290648828?mt=8


What's New in Version 2.01
- Full 720p video uploads from the iPhone 4 from the camera roll up to 200MB each video

*and many other sites:
Social Networks:
MySpace, Facebook, hi5, Friendster, Vox, Bebo, Orkut, Xanga, Hyves.net, Skyrock, Sonico

Status/Micro-Blog:
Twitter, TwitVid, FriendFeed, TwitPic, Plurk, identi.ca, twitgoo, Jaiku, yfrog, Google Talk, Tweetphoto, LinkedIn, foursquare, Status.net, Yahoo Meme

Photo/Video:
Flickr, Picasa, Photobucket, Nokia Ovi, MobileMe, Smugmug, ImageShack, Webshots, Zooomr, Fotki, 23hq, ipernity, Shutterfly, Kodak Gallery, Snapfish, Gallery Menalto, DropShots, tinypic, Windows Live Spaces, OurDoings, locr, Realtimefarms, blipfoto.com, Dailybooth,

Video Only:
YouTube, blip.tv, 12seconds.tv, Viddler, Dailymotion, kewego, Metacafe, Motionbox

Blogs:
Blogger, TypePad, WordPress, tumbler, LiveJournal, Atom, MetaWeblog, MovableType, Drupal

Gateways:
Posterous, ping.fm, Mobypicture

Online storage:
box.net, drop.io, Acrobat.com, DropBox

Widget:
Picturtrail, imageloop

Other:
FTP, Email, qipit, Scribd, Evernote, Slideshare, Sendspace

June 30 2010 at 3:10 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Josh's comment
Chris White

Ha, I just finished up a post about this then hit my email to check the comments, looks like you guys were ahead of me. :)

June 30 2010 at 11:15 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ben

Sorta frustrated when I noticed this.
I filmed a video with my iPhone 4 after I left the apple store on Thursday showing the massive line that still remained - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghv9NZKmNYY. I edited the video with the iMovie App, but sadly, the video wasn't uploaded in HD.

June 28 2010 at 10:59 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
tris

Simply amazing. You know I think that Apple is facing all of these issues because they rushed to make the iPhone 4. Android more than likely caused this. However, Steve needs to give an official statement and soon. Until then we can only speculate.

Any how theres this article at http://getyourgadgetsgoing.com/ called "iPhone 4 Is In But The Problems Are Out: Complete Overview"

Check it out for the complete listing of iPhone 4 issues and one that you may yet have heard of but still might be experiencing.  

June 28 2010 at 2:41 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
alexstone0983

Okay, I hope you all find this useful:

The copy & paste email method works, but only with non-HD clips (ones shot with the font-facing camera or on a 3GS)

Pixelpipe pulled their app form the App Store so they could fix some glaring issues they were having without racking up any more negative reviews. A smart move on their part, as a new app ID will mean a fresh slate as far as reviews (which were tanking pretty bad for the last year or so).

The compression seems to be happening automatically before the file is sent to the app to use, which is kind of a bummer.

I'm really hoping they fix this in the upcoming 4.0.1 update this Monday, as this really kind of kills the experience for me and a lot of people.

I don't know about you all, but I love shooting movies when I'm out and cutting them together into little mini recap movies. I'd love to be able to throw that stuff to YouTube during the car ride home or during dinner.

June 28 2010 at 2:41 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to alexstone0983's comment
onecut

Ok thanks for the clarification, so you say that on iPhone 4 the videos are compressed when pixelpipe scan the folder? With the HD one? Because on 3GS pixelpipe upload raw files from the library.

June 28 2010 at 4:43 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
alexstone0983

Yes. The HD videos are compressed. the 3GS didn't compress the files because they weren't in HD, and simply not that large.

My guess is this was Apple's decision to not even give us the option to send the large data files and just compress them. This is extremely frustrating, especially not having the option to upload large files over WIFI. I mean, what's the point of even having all this 802.11n hotness?

June 28 2010 at 1:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
onecut

Bye the way, on the 3GS at least the only was to send full size video is to copy the video then post it on a new email, do not use the "send" feature. The limit are now the 10 or 20mo that the email have.

June 27 2010 at 4:33 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
onecut

Strange, the free app I was talking about is no more available in AppStore, was this one http://m.pixelpipe.com/tools

But i think yesterday or one day before the app was just updated to handle ios4 features, keep an eye on it.

June 27 2010 at 4:23 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
mmorris

VideoUpLink for iPhone will let you FTP video files of any size, to anywhere. It is on the App Store now

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/videouplink/id375489069?mt=8

June 26 2010 at 10:28 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
5 replies to mmorris's comment
mmorris

VideoUpLink for iPhone has FTP for large video files. There is a way to do this!

June 26 2010 at 10:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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