Wired is reporting that YouTube now has a 720p-ish (reports vary on what resolution it truely is, but it’s sure good) video playback support. Even more important, the audio is stereo instead of mono (you can really hear the improved quality).

YouTube’s default video resolution is utter crap (not sure what the resolution is) and the existing higher quality video was 480×360. This new video resolution is 2-3 times as good as the previous “high quality” resolution.

To prove it, here’s some sample videos. The difference is more apparent if you click the fullscreen button, especially if you have a large monitor. Make sure to also have your speakers or headphones on to notice the improved audio quality.

YouTube Default (Low Quality)

YouTube’s Previous High Quality

YouTube’s New HD Quality

I have added support to my Video Quicktags plugin but note that if a video does not have the HD quality version available (99% or more don’t), it will drop back to the lowest quality format. As a result, I don’t recommend making the HD format your default on your blog. Instead, set the quality to 22 like this:

[youtube width="630" height="380" quality="22"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY[/youtube]

Ken Block is one of the top drivers in the Rally America Championship if you hadn’t heard of him.

Check out this really badass clock called the Corpus Clock:

[Via: Slashdot]

(This is also a test of my nearly done recode of my video plugin.)

First, watch the original version (or at least the first 15 seconds or so to get the idea of the video):

Now, watch this hilarious “translated” version:

Additional bonus content!

Check out this hilarious music video by The Chemical Brothers:

Man, Seth Green is f’ing hilarious. lol

(If you have no clue what he’s talking about / spoofing, check out the original.)

A couple videos I found on YouTube that are worth watching.

Amateur by Lasse Gjertsen

This guy can’t play the drums or the piano. Ah the wonders of video editing.

Don LaFontaine, the movie trailer guy

Some of you may have seen him in that Geico commercial, but here’s a much better video (an interview) from Good Morning America. Man is it funny.

Here’s the intro video for Battlefield 2142. It’s made up entirely of ingame footage.

A soldier in Iraq has his HP printer break on him. After calling them up, HP tells him he needs to pay to have HP tell him how to fix printer. So, here’s what he did:

Via: The Utube Blog