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YouTube in High-resolution

Written by on March 1, 2008

YouTube has long been the place to watch low-quality videos. While most other video sites allow you to see videos in high-quality, YouTube has stubbornly stuck with its abysmal 320x240. But there is actually a way to boost the quality.

All you need to do is to add "&fmt=6" to the end of the URL.

Here is an example:

While this is a neat trick - only a few of the videos also come in a high-res version. In my test only about 10% of the videos could be viewed in higher quality (I think they are testing it).

But, if the higher quality version setting doesn't work, you can always get the iPod version by adding "&fmt=18" to the URL. This will force YouTube to get the MP4 instead of the low-quality FLV version.

The difference is rather dramatic:

Update: Khaos points out (see comment below) that YouTube has added a option to the interface to boost the quality. Check this video and see the link below the video that says "Watch this video in higher quality".

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Thomas Baekdal

Thomas Baekdal

Founder of Baekdal, author, writer, strategic consultant, and new media advocate.

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