This is some short sample video footage from the Sony DCR-DVD505 camcorder which currently sells for about $739.95. This footage came from this raw footage at ListVideo.com, so you might want to take a look at the raw footage to compare the quality.
Gohepcat gives his recommendation and review for a good and inexpensive camcorder to use for web video. He uses the Canon ZR500 camcorder, which currently goes for about $249.99 in the US.
If you don’t have access to a beautiful Japanese soccer playing woman, but still want to increase the popularity of your videos, don’t despair. Here are a few simple things you can do to help your videos stand out from the crowd…
1. Pick an attention getting thumbnail for your video.
The video to the left took only one day to get to the most viewed videos on YouTube for that day. I wonder why? Hmm… could it have to do with cleavage? I think so. YouTube currently makes a thumbnail preview for your video using whatever is at the halfway point in your video.
You should try to edit wisely so you can have a thumbnail preview that will make people want to click and watch your video. Or, do like LonelyGirl15 does and put a frame or two in the middle to make your video thumbnail. Other video sharing sites allow you to select a thumbnail, but until YouTube adds this option you will have to use this little “hack”. Otherwise you can end up with a very dull looking thumbnail that nobody will be interested in. Try to make a thumbnail that makes people think… “Hmm…I wonder what this video is about?!”.
Nospam4artsnet gives an excellent demonstration on how you can improve your videos with simple changes in your setup. Only one item is changed for each take during this video.
Elyuma has made an excellent video showing some sample video footage from the Canon HV10 High Definition camcorder. The Canon HV10 is currently retailing for $899 and is Canon’s first consumer HD camcorder. If you would like to see the original, uncompressed footage, you can download it here.
Wallyworld shows you how to build a $25 Steadicam which is basically the same homemade steadicam featured earlier, except he uses plastic instead of steel which I think is a much better way to build it. After building it, he shows some sample footage. For more sample footage, watch his other steadicam videos here, here and here!
Blunty3000 gets asked a lot how to improve the quality and watchability of videos and shares some tips with you. Topics covered include how to make better video responses, controversial videos, editing tips and how an accent can bring you more subscribers. 
I discovered this interesting book last night called “Killer Camera Rigs That You Can Build” by Dan Selakovich. This book looks like a goldmine of information that many YouTubers could use. It has 339 pages ad over 1,300 photographs showing you how to build your own camera cranes, car mounts, stabilizers, dollies and more!
Their web site has sample videos and pages from the book to help you decide if you should buy it or not. I don’t have it yet, but perhaps they’ll send me a review copy I’ll buy one and let you know how it is. To be continued…
This is sample video footage from the Canon Elura 100 camcorder. The Canon Elura 100 has replaced all of the other Elura models as the MiniDV format is starting to fade away. This camcorder retails for $399. Go here for an in depth review of the Canon Elura 100.
I was searching around last night on how to make better quality videos on YouTube and stumbled upon this insanely awesome video site called Stage6 which is basically DivX’s version of YouTube. A word of warning… once you start watching videos on Stage6 it will make your videos on YouTube look like complete garbage! The quality is amazing! I suppose you could call it DVD quality?
The down side is that you do have to install their DivX web video viewer, but I think it is well worth it. I downloaded Dr. DivX and encoded a some videos and the quality is excellent. I uploaded some samples to both Stage6 and YouTube and found the quality on YouTube to be excellent. So maybe uploading videos in DivX format is the key on YouTube?
Here’s a high quality video on Stage6 and that same video on YouTube.
More examples:
Geese in the Morning taken with Panasonic PV-GS300:
Red Flowers taken with a Sony HDR-HC5:
I think in order for Stage6 to take on YouTube they will definitely need to make it as easy as possible for people to watch the videos (i.e. super easy installation) and they need to make video embedding easier. Here is a solution I found for embedding videos, but it is kind of clunky.
Overall, I love Stage6, but wish it had the popularity of YouTube. Maybe one day we will think back to the days of low quality video on YouTube in the way some people look back and laugh about the days of dial-up internet. If you’re on dial-up right now… me so sorry!
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