30) testing...testing...YouTube begins trial of new live streaming platform

From U2 to the Indian Premier League to the White House to E3, we've worked closely with our partners to give you a front row seat to a wide array of live events. Today and tomorrow, tune in as we open a new chapter of YouTube live streaming. Starting at 8:00 a.m. PT, we will begin a limited trial of a new live streaming platform in conjunction with four of our partners: Howcast, Next New Networks, Rocketboom and Young Hollywood. This new platform integrates live streaming directly into YouTube channels; all broadcasters need is a webcam or external USB/FireWire camera. Included in the test is a “Live Comments” module which lets you engage with the broadcaster and the broader YouTube community. For the purpose of the trial, this offering will only be available today and tomorrow. Based on the results of this initial test, we’ll evaluate rolling out the platform more broadly to our partners worldwide. Check out all the live broadcasts via the interactive schedule above, and feel free to share this schedule across the web via the embed functionality. Bear with us as we test this new platform as there may be some bumps along the way.

14) YouTube Increases Video Upload Length to 15 Minutes

Those of you who always wanted to upload videos longer than 10 minutes on YouTube are in luck. YouTube announced yesterday that it has increased the maximum length of uploaded videos from 10 minutes to 15 minutes for all users. 15 minutes will allow amateur filmmakers to post their videos on YouTube without worrying about the time limit. It may seem like a small change, but YouTube is perhaps testing the waters before dropping this video length limitation, altogether. Who knows? “Without question, the number one requested feature by our creators is to upload videos longer than 10 minutes. We’ve heard you, and today we’re pleased to announce that we’ve increased the upload limit to 15 minutes,” informs YouTube’s blog. The main reason why YouTube added a 10 minutes limitation back in 2006 was that a lot of users uploaded full-length movies and TV shows. Now that YouTube uses a content identification software and Viacom lost the case against YouTube, Google’s video site can safely remove this arbitrary limitation. YouTube is cautious, so it will release incremental improvements. This new ability to upload longer (yet safer) videos has been “without question, the number one requested feature” from users, Joshua Siegel, product manager for upload and video management at YouTube, wrote in a blog post. To celebrate the increased upload limit YouTube is inviting users to make a video of your ‘15 minutes of fame‘. If you have a video ready, upload the video and tag it with “yt15minutes“. The deadline is August 4, 2010. The selected videos will be featured on the YouTube homepage in a future spotlight. If you’re uploading a video on YouTube that was previously rejected for being too long, you’ll have to go into “My Videos” and delete it before attempting to upload it again. Thanks and happy uploading!