's Blogs

GBT DEGRADES VIDEO UPLOADS

Blog Last Activity 8 years ago 1.0K views 27 comments

GBT seems to degrade the quality of videos that are uploaded to the site.  If you download a video, you get a much lower quality version than what was originally uploaded. Some friends and I have only recently noticed this, since we do not usually download our own videos.  Others will not find it, because they do not know the properties of the original file.  I guess the site is telling us that if we really like a video, we should ask the submitter to send his good version rather than just downloading a poor copy. What is the use of having the download function if it is only providing low-quality copies?  I have always thought that most of the videos that appear were rather low quality and that is was just because members were uploading lower quality videos.  Now it seems there might be another explanation.

The table below shows a comparison between the properties of 3 video files that were originally uploaded to the site versus the properties of the same videos when they are then downloaded from the site.  It shows that the values for all these properties are significantly reduced by the site.  I guess the message is that we should not spend too much working on uploading a good quality video since it just get degraded once it arrives.

VIDEO PROPERTY                 VIDEO 1      VIDEO 2        VIDEO 3
Uploaded Frame Rate               30 fps          29 fps           29 fps
Downloaded Frame Rate           20 fps          20 fps           20 fps
Uploaded Data Rate                 3000 kbps    1190 kbps     1489 kbps
Downloaded Data Rate             779 kbps      606 kbps       699 kbps
Uploaded Total Bit Rate            3320 kbps    1318 kbps     1617 kbps
Downloaded Total Bit Rate        907 kbps      734 kbps       827 kbps
Uploaded File Size                   400 mb        529 mb          426 mb
Downloaded File Size               109 mb        295 mb          218 mb

Comments

You must be logged in to post comments, please login or signup (free)
8 years ago

Yes, this is a very old blog. Whenever anyone comments on a blog, no matter how old the blog is, that automatically brings it to the top of the blog section. That is just how the site works. However, I believe the site still handles videos in the manner described. It would be nice to know if there was a reason for it. Sorry for being such a nut on video quality. And yes, ipswitch, every once and awhile the rebel in me comes out...

8 years ago

Yeah, it's an old blog. Ignored! Let it drop down the list.

8 years ago

sheesh old man causing problems 2.5 yrs ago too? hahahahahaha

8 years ago

just noticed this is another VERY old blog

10 years ago

Dude, you need to just relax and enjoy. This is by far the best gay site on the web.

10 years ago

My friends and I are not saying we do not like the site. We do. We just found an issue that is of concern to us and would like to see if that area of the site can be improved. The whole point of this exercise was to get Nick and IT staff to look at it and see why this feature works the way it does and if it can be improved. If there are good technical reasons we are not aware of, then we may have to live with what we have now. Of course, keeping Nick on his toes and prodding him every so often is fun too. I will wear the black hat on this one, Nate88 can throw the flowers (hugs back to Andy), and then everyone will be happy. Just remember this is supposed to be a fun place and the guys should not take things that seriously, I never do.

nate88
nate88
10 years ago

Oh My - I GREATLY appreciate members efforts and Nick for keeping the site running. Life isn't perfect - HUGS, Andy

skoobysnaxx
skoobysnaxx
10 years ago

We should stick to poking each other without sticks :) I think this is an interesting technical discussion and it sounds like the guys who stumbled upon this issue meant no disrespect, which is good to see our 'community' cooperatively working together to identify and solve potential issues. In that vein, I wanted to comment that GBT is my 'go-to' place on the net - for many reasons - and I appreciate everything that Nick (and whoever else is involved) has put into this website over the years!

RomanJohn
RomanJohn
10 years ago

Hi Nick. Seems I kicked a hornets' nest when I mention this to Grangeol. Well, it has certainly stirred things up a bit but poking you with a stick is a bit harsh, I can think of something much better to poke you with but not much softer. Now back to business, As I am a compulsive collector I download anything and everything that interests me perhaps amounting to 2 or 3 videos a week but I do look for top quality and I often download the same video more than once from different uploaders always hoping for a better quality than I already have. So that is why quality means so much to me. Also I would point out that if it were were not for guys like us and sites like yours, some of these videos could be lost forever, especially the Vintage ones. We need therefore to have access to the very best quality copies available. The trouble is that if over a period of years the same video is uploaded and then downloaded and then the downloaded copy is uploaded again it will be downgraded each time. With my own uploads I find the frame rates are reduced somewhat and the file size, data rate and bit rate are almost halved. That is a big drop in quality. When I prepare a file for uploading I seek out the very best original copy I have in my collection and by making my file short in time I am usually able to keep it to a reasonable file size for uploading but maintaining the original quality. Any explanation, comment or advice will be most gratefully received and please take our comments only as constructive criticism. We love you Nick!

10 years ago

Nick, I agree there is no reason to argue over this, it is easy enough to test. If someone else would like to repeat the experiment with a video they recently uploaded, I would like to see the result. If there is a good technical reason for doing what the site does, which you seem unaware of, then it would be nice to know what it is. If it not something that can be fixed, then those of us who would like to get the best quality version of an uploaded video will have to look to other methods to get it. You keep mentioning problems that some may have with streaming, that is not what we are talking about here. We are talking about the download function. Now it may be that the site converts an uploaded video to a lower resolution version for the purposes of assuring everyone can view the video on the player and then only offers that version for download, but that is unclear. The other explanation is that you are just reducing memory requirements for storage. Me and my friends were just surprised that the site converts and degrades uploaded videos, as you apparently were given your statements below. But raising issues like this in this forum seems to be the only for us and the rest of membership to figure out how the site operates and why. Besides it is fun to poke you with a sharp stick from time to time, it is good for you....

RobbietheRobot
RobbietheRobot
10 years ago

Buffering, buffering, buffering; ad nauseam...

JoshPrim
JoshPrim
10 years ago

I download all the time and generally I think the video quality is fine - whether it is degraded from the original or not. I do wonder though why the beginning of every video I download is messed up at the start with a hodgepodge and only becomes a clear image after a few seconds.

Hillsboy1
Hillsboy1
10 years ago

I'm grateful for all uploaded videos and don't download as watching them here and adding as favourites is enough for me ;) Thanks from a always happy Aussie

10 years ago

Nick. Yeah, I got burned out a bit after struggling the problems caused by the upgrades. Video 1 is a video I posted awhile back, but I still have the file used in the upload and the download test was done today. However, Videos 2 and 3 were uploaded by another member within the last week and he is the one who first noticed this. So it does appear you are still doing it now. Yes, this is a conspiracy and I am just the point guy to bring it to your attention. I guess that is what I get for getting more involved again.

10 years ago

It should not be a matter of your computer speed or your internet connection speed. These would not affect the quality of the video, just how long it takes to download it. This is also not a comment on streaming or viewing the videos on the site. It has to do with what you get when you try to download a video file. However, what you see when play a video on the site may be a degraded version too.

10 years ago

Nick, I don't think the numbers lie. I suggest you check with your IT guys and ask them how the site software handles video uploads. The only way to change something like the frame rate is to convert the file into another video file and that could only happen at your end.

gm4yngr
gm4yngr
10 years ago

Well that sucks, no wonder the videos don't look as good when I play them on my big screen :-(

gayporntube.com

Access Advisory – Adults-Only Website

You are about to enter gayporntube, a website that contains explicit material (pornography). Access to this site is strictly restricted to individuals who meet the following requirements:

  • You must be at least 18 years old, or the legal age of majority in your jurisdiction, whichever is greater.
  • By entering, you represent and warrant that you will not allow any minor access to this website or its services.
  • You acknowledge and accept full responsibility for your actions while using this website.

Parental Advisory

If you are a parent or guardian, it is your responsibility to ensure that age-restricted content is not accessible to minors under your care. We strongly encourage the use of parental control tools and other protective measures to block access to this site. gayporntube utilizes the "Restricted To Adults" (RTA) website label, making it compatible with filtering software and parental controls.

Legal Disclaimer

By entering gayporntube, you confirm that you meet the legal requirements for accessing this site. gayporntube disclaims any liability for:

  • Misrepresentation of age by users.
  • Failure to implement parental controls or other protective measures by parents or guardians.

The platform is not responsible for any unauthorised or improper use of its content. Parents and guardians bear full responsibility for ensuring minors do not access this site.