YouTube re-encoding videos for iPhone?

YouTube has been quietly re-encoding some of its videos, users have found. Where possible, they have increased the videos’ resolution from 320×240 to 480×360. They have also made improvements to the sound, including AAC audio instead of the mono sound on previous encodings. These up-conversions are happening mainly to newly uploaded videos, but they are also selecting older videos, such as the skateboarding dog video, to re-encode.

YouTube, though the biggest and most prevalent of video sharing sites, is falling behind in features, and this re-encoding might be an attempt to catch up with other video sharing sites that have begun offing 720p HD video options. It might also be influenced by Apple, who was behind the conversion to H.264, allowing for iPhone playback without Flash.

Via [Electronista]