YouTube is finally ready to roll out a major update to its mobile website. This brand new update will bring in support for videos shot in all sorts of formats and orientations. Indeed, YouTube even as a blog post on the topic that is rather aptly titled: Who cares if they’re vertical or horizontal? Shot on a mobile phone or DSLR? Square, 4:3 or 16:9?
The basic premise here is that the software should not focus on stuffing the video into a particular area in order to conform it to you. Instead, the software will attempt to ensure that the video actually conforms to standards and is easy on the eyes with no distortions.
So here is the thing: We have shifted to mobile, believe it or not. And a lot of content is now user generated who bring it forth by recording stuff on their mobiles or smartphones, content that may be either vertically or horizontally positioned. Which is why online platforms have started to focus on formats other than horizontal.
Facebook for instance, has stopped cropping vertical videos and turning them forcibly horizontal. This is again something in which it emulates Snapchat. And now, YouTube has joined the bandwagon as well, with speial attention to the kind of videos it produces.
YouTube also said that a brand new sharing feature will become available in Latin America within two weeks or so. Interestingly, the company is using Latin America as testing grounds before it rolls it out to the United States. The feature has already been available in Canada, so there is no surprises there.
