Why are my youtube videos blurred at HD when the original video [mp4] was ok?

[mongolteiko]

I have been uploading TF videos and don't know why youtube makes them look crap in HD.
I record using GeForce Experience [as OBS Studio stutters when panning] at resolution 1900x1080@60fps. I use 50mbs bit rate. The video on playback is good. When I upload to youtube, the cab view at speed 30mph+ is bad. Native resolution of monitor and game: 1900X1200. Game settings are all high with anti aliasing at x4, HDR/Reflections on etc.
My computer specs are: CPU: i7-8700K, M/B: ASUS Maximus X Formula, RAM: G.Skill 64GB @ 3600MHz, GPU: EVGA GTX 1080 Ti FTW3, OS: Windows 10 Pro 64bit, TF loaded on M.2 1TB Samsung 960 Pro ssd and video records on to WD 3TB HDD.
I have even rendered using Sony Vegas Pro 15 and using the 24 bit rate for youtube. All results are the same.....blurred video in centre [cab view] when moving. When stationary, perfect picture. Can anyone help? Thanks. [p.s. I have seen some good and similar quality youtube vids to mine.

[General Tso]

If I understand how YouTube works. It automatically reduces image quality if your setup can't download the video fast enough. The parts of your video that were recorded when the train is moving probably require higher bandwidth because the image is changing. Is it possible that you are having a problem with download speed?

If your download speed is OK. Then are you sure you have the YouTube video quality during playback set high enough?

[mongolteiko]

My internet has just been upgraded, Ping is 24, down load speed 75.41mb/s and upload is 18.76mb/s. The upload is double what it used to be. The youtube playback is at 1080pHD.
No changes with the increase in speed noticed.

[General Tso]

I can only think of one other possibility. Sometimes when I first upload a video to YouTube the playback quality is lousy. Then it becomes better a little while later. I'm just guessing but maybe they need to optimize something and it isn't done right away. Could this apply to your situation?

[mongolteiko]

I have about 6 or 7 vids and all the same. Only seems to happen on Transport Fever. I've got two Train Sim vids [involves movement] and they're ok. I agree with the game being poorly optimised. Would have liked to have seen that in the patch. I do have 825+ mods running, could that be it? I have the camera mod installed and the other views are ok. Only the cab view is bad on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zye7ssg9vvo&t=403s
The one uploaded today.

[cszolee79]

Originally posted by mongolteiko:

I do have 825+ mods running, could that be it?

Perish the thought!
Running 825+ mods is perfectly normal and reasonable ^^

Edit: if you have a very high IPC many-core, quad ddr4-3200 or better setup (say 9800X or similar).

[General Tso]

I just thought of something else. What format did you use? YouTube handles a bunch of different formats, but I read somewhere that MP4 is best. I use MP4 and have never experienced your problem.

I'm not sure if there's anything here to help you, but here's a link with some recommendations for YouTube videos.

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1722171?hl=en

[General Tso]

Since your original video looks ok, I don't think the problem is caused by the game.

[KingyBear]

Try uploading a sample video record using GeForce Experience without putting it through Sony Vegas. If that video uploads fine then maybe the issue is Sony Vegas. Could also try uploading 4k

[mongolteiko]

Originally posted by KingyBear:

Try uploading a sample video record using GeForce Experience without putting it through Sony Vegas. If that video uploads fine then maybe the issue is Sony Vegas. Could also try uploading 4k

Hi and thanks for your reply. I only used Sony Vegas this weekend to see if it made a difference, as I have always uploaded after GeForce Experience completed.

Originally posted by General Tso:

I just thought of something else. What format did you use? YouTube handles a bunch of different formats, but I read somewhere that MP4 is best. I use MP4 and have never experienced your problem.


Hi and thanks for all your input @ General Tso. I only use MP4 files. I've tried to render them to youtube's recommendations [using Sony Vegas last weekend]. I uploaded 'test runs' but they where all the same quality no matter what setting. It is definitely youtube that's the problem. All other games are fine on youtube for me, just not this one for some reason. TF does have optimisation problems though, though it is better now than it was! lol

[hamtgerry]

I can both empathize and symphathize with OP, producing YouTube TpF "ride-along" videos myself, though more recent uploads are a mixture of onboard first-person camera and static third-person camera footage. Like OP, most of my earlier episodes look acceptably sharp and detail when the train is stopped at a station or signal, and in my case during third-person static camera segments. However, during the first-person "ride-along" they tend to lose focus, varying in degree depending on train speed and circumstance.

My raw footage is shot at high bit rate, almost always sharp and focused. After editing, I render them for YT upload at a lower bit rate for smaller file size and thus quicker (but still molasses slow) uploads.

Youtube video compression doesn't seem to handle TpF "ride-along" videos well. That said, I too have seen a few such videos uploaded by others that don't suffer from video compression as much as mine did/do. I at first tried upping my upload file bit-rate, which didn't help. For recent episodes I render out upload files at a lower bit-rate, 10kbps. That hasn't solved the issue, but seems to lessens it. Less work for YouTube's compressor, I reckon? Now, static-camera third-person segments aren't as detailed with the lower bit-rate, but they're still good enough and a reasonable compromise. Admittedly, my steam trains move slower than OP's modern electric, which works to my advantage.

Here's my latest TpF 'ride-along' upload, 1080p from a 10kbps render. It begins in third person, with the ride-along segment kicking in a bit later. Not perfect by any means. But all things considered I'm content with it played back at 1080p Full Screen, quality wise. Sometimes excessive shadow shimmering seen at times during the ride have nothing to do with YouTube compression.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtAeFfJ264I

After all this blabbering, my suggestion is to experiment with upload file bit-rate and see if a lower one might improve things.

[KingyBear]

This video has some tips that may be worth trying?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjlEi4QAMGc

[El Presidente]

Originally posted by General Tso:

I just thought of something else. What format did you use? YouTube handles a bunch of different formats, but I read somewhere that MP4 is best. I use MP4 and have never experienced your problem.

He said in the title of the OP that he was using MP4.