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This week I have a news round-up of all things YouTube.
YouTube team is always sharing-up interesting stories. This month they reach all the way back to 2007 and interview the Brookins family who built their own home using DIY videos from YouTube. Read the interview with Brookins family about their home in Bryant Arkansas (all on the official YouTube blog).
I also talk about YouTube TestTube a landing page to learn about their latest experiments currently featuring 4k video playlists and 4k videos with 60 frames per second (FPS). Playing one of these streams is a real test of your network and device(s). Once you load one of these playlists make sure you click on the “gear” icon to select the video playback quality setting from the sub-menu. The gear will display a small HD logo if you have a HD capable network.
- View the 4k video playlist
- View the 4k 60 FPS playlist
YouTube called 4k 60 FPS video ‘Device Melting’
Selecting HD playback options on YouTube
When YouTube’s system noticed my device/network was struggling with 4k 60 FPS video it put up a blue banner to help me learn more about my network, and how video streaming works.
When I clicked on this “blue interruption banner” I was brought to a Google site for testing video stream quality, which also displayed a history of my YouTube ‘streams’ and some links to educational information about how video streaming works.

Image from https://www.google.com/get/videoqualityreport/ showing my daily video consumption chart
Finally I talk about the Super Chat API which allows live stream hosts to monetize enhanced chat features during the stream. Aimed at Gamers, but available for everyone, this could be an interesting way to raise money for charities and other projects. Imagine engaging live streams with micro and macro influencers targeting micro and macro fandoms and communities. There is more to learned about the Super Chat API at the following (currently dead) link: https://youtube.googleblog.com/2017/01/can-we-chat-bye-bye-fan-funding-hello.html
The Super Chat API joins other tools allowing live streaming hosts to “enhance their streams by adding chatbots, overlays, polls and more.”
YouTube’s logo for 4k and 60 FPS video..
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