Video Links on WPCentral need to be HD

[unstoppablekem]

When there is a video, I click it and it asks if I want SD or HD. I press HD. I know it opens the YouTube "app", but it would be nice if it could play real HD. Could you guys/Jay partner with MetroTube so videos can be real HD?? Comment or like my post if you agree!!

 

[unstoppablekem]

C'mon guys...

 

[James Falconer]

We're always looking to improve the quality of our content. Thanks for the suggestion here, I'm going to pass it along!

 

[unstoppablekem]

we're always looking to improve the quality of our content. Thanks for the suggestion here, i'm going to pass it along!

Yay!! The two best app developers can team up!!

 

[Daniel Rubino]

When there is a video, I click it and it asks if I want SD or HD. I press HD. I know it opens the YouTube "app", but it would be nice if it could play real HD. Could you guys/Jay partner with MetroTube so videos can be real HD?? Comment or like my post if you agree!!

It's really not that simple. Both our app and MetroTube are "hack" solution to YouTube. As is, it's not sanctioned. MetroTube has more ability since it's a dedicated app for YouTube as opposed to ours.

Partnering up with MetroTube makes no sense, since our app can't "hand off" to MetroTube...so I'm not sure what this is suppose to mean?

We're always trying to improve our app and this "breaking the rules of YouTube" that we are doing to bring HD is just that. If we can do more, we will, but this is more about Google than us at the moment.

 

[unstoppablekem]

It's really not that simple. Both our app and MetroTube are "hack" solution to YouTube. As is, it's not sanctioned. MetroTube has more ability since it's a dedicated app for YouTube as opposed to ours.

Partnering up with MetroTube makes no sense, since our app can't "hand off" to MetroTube...so I'm not sure what this is suppose to mean?

We're always trying to improve our app and this "breaking the rules of YouTube" that we are doing to bring HD is just that. If we can do more, we will, but this is more about Google than us at the moment.

Sorry, didn't know it was really difficult. I meant that metrotube can give you the code that plays real HD videos.

 

[Jay Bennett]

Kem, Daniel has addressed most of the issues here, I just thought I'd explain a little more how the app currently works.

When you tap the "HD" button the app runs through the little workaround we have in place to try and retrieve a high definition file form YouTube. It's quite a crude workaround to be honest as Dan has mentioned YouTube don't want us to be able to do this.

So, we do a call to the servers and the app tries to parse their response to dig out a playable file directly in Windows Phone's media player. If at any point this fails then the app will default back to the safer, old method; which is to call a web link that the Microsoft YouTube app understands thus playing through that app. As you no doubt no the quality when playing through that app depends on whether or not you are connected to a mobile network or WiFi.

We have labelled the HD video as experimental in the app for this exact reason, we just can't ever guarantee it will work.

Dan is also correct that in the past we have not been able to hand off YouTube playing responsibilities to other apps like MetroTube. However, this is something which may now be possible if I can get in touch with the MetroTube guys and ask them to implement a protocol for me to call. This will be looked at in the app v4 release provided all comes together correctly, and if possible will be a setting in the app.