Hasta La Gadget!

It looks like YouTube is wanting to attract more content producers to its platform, as well as make a couple extra bucks on the side, because according to AdAge, the video-streaming site is planning to offer paid subscriptions for individual channels to its users starting sometime in the spring.

YouTube is said to have contacted a “small group” of content producers on YouTube, asking them to create paid channels that will cost anywhere between $1 and $5 a month, which isn’t too expensive at all, when you consider that this is just for one YouTube channel, the cost can add up, resulting in spending up to $20 per month for just four channels.

In addition to charging for content via channels, YouTube is also considering charging for content libraries and access to live events — their own version of pay-per-view in a way. Other than that, though, nobody’s sure what channels YouTube is making deals with, but AdAge says that they’ve been contacting highly-popular channels about the new system.

YouTube knows that its users probably won’t enjoy the fact that they’ll have to start paying for the content that they’ve been watching for free, but it’s said that YouTube is recommending the channels to take in consideration of how their audience reacts to the new system. Then again, since more and more people are cutting cable, paying for a few subscriptions on YouTube will still end up being cheaper in the long run.

[via AdAge]

YouTube rumored to launch paid content this spring is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Today’s H.264 video codec might be all well and good for the most part, but there’s a new codec in town that looks to take over in order improve video quality and bitrates even more. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) announced today that they’ve agreed upon the successor to the current H.264 standard, and it’s called H.265, or High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC).

The new video format brings one huge benefit, which is the ability to stream high-quality video at half the bitrate that’s normally required with H.264. While H.264 has become extremely popular during the past recent years, the ICU says that H.265 will be relevant for at least the next decade, and it could made 4K streaming less of a burden on bandwidth.

The hope is that H.265 will enable services to stream full 1080p HD video using half as many bits as required normally, which should make streaming HD video much easier, especially on data connections using smartphones and tablets. As far as 4K goes, it’s said that 4K streaming could be easily possible with a 20 Mbps internet connection using H.265. Those kinds of speeds aren’t readily available for everyone yet, but in a few years it may very well be possible.

The new codec will definitely take a bit of time to reach the popularity that H.264 is at now, though, but once it hits, it’s expected to be the de facto format for quite some time. The ITU says that companies like Mitsubishi and Qualcomm have already demonstrated implementations of the new format, so it shouldn’t be too long before we see it in action out in the wild.

New H.265 video format approved: high-quality video at lower bitrates is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Google launched the YouTube Capture last month, and it provided an easy and quick method for avid YouTubers to record video and upload it to their channel in a timely manner. However, it didn’t come with a wealth of awesome features that a lot of power users would like, but the app updated today with some improvements, namely 1080p recording capabilities, as well as improved features for sharing.

The update to the video recording app was pushed to the App Store today, and it now allows users to upload at full resolution with their iPhone or iPod Touch (sorry, Android users — no support just yet). Google also added some improved sharing features to the new app. YouTube Capture now lets you share any clip you’ve uploaded to any of your social networks. Previously, once you uploaded a video, you couldn’t share it to services like Facebook Google+, or Twitter.

Other than that, the updated app also now includes improved audio sync and improved upload speeds, so now you’ll be able to get those videos up on your YouTube channel even faster. The app already offers some cool editing features that allow for color correction, image stabilization, trimming, and even background music.

The update also comes with the usual bug fixes and stability improvements, and although the option to record and upload in 1080p is now available, you can still choose either 360p or 720p in the settings in case you’re strapped for data, or need to upload something quickly. YouTube Capture is a free download and the update is available now in the iTunes App Store.

YouTube Capture updated with 1080p support is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Chevrolet has now unveiled its seventh generation of Corvettes. The 2014 Corvette Stingray was revealed this week at the Detroit Auto Show. While retaining iconic Corvette spirit and style, the 2014 Corvette Stingray also incorporates advanced technological features in a complete redesign, the seventh such change in the brand’s 60 year history. Read on to learn what’s new.

Hajime Sakamoto dreams of one day building himself a towering 13 feet tall Gundam-esque mobile robot suit. But since it’s such a daunting task, he’s approaching the problem one step at a time—literally—starting with a set of self-balancing legs that he’s able to pilot around his workshop. More »