You're listening to Roundtable, I'm Yuhang Lin, joined by Steve and Yuxuan.
Coming up, remember when HD meant razor -sharp images that made you feel like you could count every pore?
Well, fast -forward to today, and that same label feels a bit blurry.
Platforms promise 4K but what we often get feels more like just okay.
So what's going on?
Let's unravel the mystery of disappearing video clarity and find out if we are getting conned by pixels.
Also, another topic of today's Roundtable is like, why do we use the word like all the time?
It drives some people crazy, but is it really just a filler or something more?
But before that, we live in a time when technology advances faster than ever, but why does it feel like the quality of those videos we stream all the time isn't keeping pace?
Is it just nostalgia clouding our judgement or our platforms secretly sacrificing clarity for speed and also profit?
A viral video complaining that high -definition videos now have become less clear than that 4 years ago is getting people's attention.
And what exactly does the short video talking about video said?
Actually, this video is a lawn video too.
But in simple terms, they discovered that videos with the same resolution have different quality when uploaded to video sharing sites compared to their original recordings.
Also, they noted that the same videos have become blurrier compared to a few years ago that is indicating that these platforms may be subtly compressing the videos or lowering their clarity.
And the complaints are from both these content creators and audiences.
So, first of all, as video creators, they feel very frustrated because they invest in high -quality equipment to capture what they believe are the best visuals and aiming to provide the best experience for their audience, yet the results don't match their expectations.
I'm curious about this and I have questions, but I want to ask Steve first.
Do you feel that the ultra high -definition videos are not that ultra high -definition?
I have no idea. I really don't.
Me neither. That's why I was asking.
And I searched it on the internet, can the human eye discern between a 4K video and a 1080p video?
And here's the answer that comes from FilmmakerMode .com.
It actually depends on the size of the screen and where you're sitting.
From a distance, it is virtually impossible for someone to tell the difference in quality between a 1080p and 4K screen.
However, if you are in a smaller room, then the difference is immediately recognizable.
So I guess the answer is yes, it is discernible because we are usually in a smaller room watching a larger screen.
But I have questions about exactly what's going on here.
So content creators are shooting videos that are shot in 4K.
And to shoot in, and correct me at any point here, if I'm wrong, they're shooting in 4K.
And to shoot in 4K, that requires expensive equipment that's capable of shooting in 4K.
So content creators have put a lot of money and time into their project, their video.
They upload it onto a platform.
And when they see that video on the platform, content creators are saying, hey, wait a minute.
This video quality is not the 4K video quality that I shot, that I made.
The quality on your platform isn't as good.
Is that the complaint here?
Yes, it is. And when they are comparing these videos, they compare the size of their files to the one that they downloaded from these websites.
And they are seeing that they have different sizes because the original recording was larger, of course.
And also, the resolution, they compare two pictures of their videos.
One is their original one.
One is the one that they can see on the website.
And it is clear that the website one is unclear.
So this is not an allegation.
This is not a conspiracy theory.
This is actually happening.
At least happening for those content creator who did the research or did the comparison.
And my question here is, why is the platforms or why are the platforms doing such thing?
Why are they making the super high definition videos a little bit unclear when they, especially when they stream them?
The first of all, when we are thinking about, you are watching a video on this platform, one thing is that you are using data, right?
You are using data downloading these videos.
But on the other side, it is also these platforms, they need to store these videos and they need to have a stream or have a data to let you download that is called bandwidth.
So when you are watching a video, these platforms are using their bandwidth to let you watch it and also they need to store these videos.
That means they need a huge server, let's say, yeah, a server to store these videos.
And these are all the things that they need to pay for.
So the idea is that when we are watching videos using stream kind of way of watching videos, instead of downloading it, we also do not want the videos to freeze and buffer blah, blah, blah, and then for two seconds and then continue to watch.
We also want it to be smooth and to be continued.
And that requires a fast speed of our internet.
And also the fast speed of our end is for us to kind of like buffer it or cache it onto our onto our computers or our iPad, our devices.
And on the other hand, the content should also must also be uploaded from the server to the internet.
And that part is paid by these platforms.
OK, so the platforms, if they're using the original full 4K video, that means that it's going to be more expensive for the platform because it's going to be using more of their data that they have already paid for.
OK, so that therefore that makes sense to me why the platforms would reduce the quality of the videos because it's save it's saving them money.
Yes, essentially. Because when we're saying compress the video, you know, the compression here refers to lowering the videos bit rate, actually, because we're saying, OK, they're not offering me 4K videos.
Of course, that's not what they're doing, because when you're clicking that 4K button, they are.
You're watching a video, but they have different bit rate.
And what is bit rate?
Bit rate refers to the amount of data transmitted or processed over a unit of time, usually, you know, measured in bits per second, which is BPS.
So a higher bit rate means that more of the original video information is retained here.
And this original video refers to native footage that you recorded by your device.
So videos with higher bit rates can store more texture details and color depth, resulting a better viewing experience, which is high quality.
So when I go onto a streaming platform and I watch a 4K video that, let's say, Yushin has uploaded.
He shot a 4K video.
He uploaded it to this platform.
Now I'm watching this video.
It's still a 4K video.
It's just that the platform has compressed it.
So the bit rate is lower.
So I'm not getting, as a viewer, I'm not getting the same quality video in terms of how it looks, not in terms of speed, in terms of buffering.
I don't mean that, but just in terms of the details and how it looks.
I'm not getting the same thing that you shot.
And when we say that, it's not exactly that they're making all of it, all of the details and textures a bit blurry.
It's also, you know, with the help of technology, they're utilizing, for example, artificial intelligence to identify the main point, the main element that you want to watch.
Let's say Yushin is doing a monologue in the video.
Yushin's face is the most important element I am watching as a viewer.
I care about Yushin's facial expressions.
I care about whether or not he raised his eyebrow a little bit to show his emotion.
And he is standing in a very beautiful outside area in a garden, for example, and the large part or at least let's say 30 percent of the image is a beautiful blue sky.
Do I need to see the texture of the blue sky or just one cloud on the sky?
Not necessarily. So what some of the quote unquote smarter video platforms are doing is to compress the quote unquote quality of the blue sky and make sure I can still see every pore on Yushin's face even though Yushin's face is, you know, poreless of course, like porcelain, good skin condition.
What I'm saying here is I can still see the details and texture of the main part of that video.
So that actually I feel that is kind of fair and reasonable.
It also helps me to have a smoother experience watching the video without compromising my experience too much.
Yeah. So back to your question, you know, about should we care?
Do we do we as the viewer really see that much of a difference?
Probably not. We probably don't see that much of a difference if if anything at all because we don't really know what to look for, I guess, or at least I wouldn't really know.
So for me personally, it wouldn't take away from my viewing experience.
But if I'm a content creator and I'm investing this money in this equipment, I'm shooting in 4K and then I'm uploading it to a platform that's show still showing it in 4K, but yet it's not it's it's not what I shot, then I'm going to be I'm going to be upset about this.
And I would be thinking, well, number one, should I still be uploading and uploading in 4K?
Is there any big benefit for me to be doing that?
And number two, do I need this equipment?
Why not just upload at a at a smaller scale, maybe 1080, because then I'm going to save myself money because essentially they're just going to change it to a different version of what I shot anyway.
I think that is a very important point because this is happening around the world, not just China.
Actually, according to a 2023 report on the website, streaming media blog, actually some OTT services were starting to optimize their encoding bit rate by reducing some of their top rocks in their bit rate ladders, utilizing better HEVC compression and other tactics in an effort to save money and to
ensure a better speed.
And many streaming services have cut by 25 to 30 percent of the total number of bits they were previously delivering.
And for example, Disney recently published a blog, Disney itself talked about how Disney Plus Hotstar has actually expedited 4K transcoding by two to four times.
So these situations would cut computing costs by 10 to 15 percent and can reduce their network storage by 80 percent.
So this is happening around the world.
Now, I we get to see every party's party state when it comes to this issue as viewers, we do not maybe care that much as content creators.
We do not like the situation.
And as the platforms definitely they want to at one point make sure the speed and experience of viewers, but at the other point also want to make profit and cut costs.
So the question here is that whether or not this kind of practices would benefit all parties or in long term, will it hurt the industry?
When we are talking about this, I was thinking, you know, this phenomenon is not new, right?
And as you said, global platforms are all kind of using these kind of technique, but why are most people unaware of this issue?
You know, people assume that videos uploaded to sharing sites will maybe inevitably be compressed because I was thinking the same way.
Maybe we just don't have that kind of idea that I am watching something that I uploaded because you need to.
We're not aware of our rights.
Um, it's that way. No, because I in my mind, I have the idea of I am doing the process of uploading and again, I'm doing the process of downloading in this process.
Of course, there are going to be some data to lost.
And then I will have that kind of mind that, you know, constrained by upload and download factors should naturally be less clear than what I have stored locally.
When you go to a restaurant and you look at the picture of the food and then when the food comes out, doesn't look exactly the same.
Maybe that's what I was thinking.
You know what you're getting, but you know your cheeseburger is not going to be shiny, right?
Like it is in the picture.
We just we just accept it.
We just accept it for what it is.
Is that the point that you're trying to make?
And also another point is, um, we've been talking about people's sensitivity to, um, video clarity is highly subjective.
Also, you know, nowadays, many people mainly watch videos on their phones on such, you know, tiny small screens.
It's really hard to discern which version is, you know, clearer.
And back to your question, it is about the industry.
Um, to be honest, you could call me indifferent or whatever, but my first reaction to this was shock, but not anger.
Um, this might be because as a user, we, um, who doesn't typically pay much on these platforms, I don't have many opportunities to watch 4k videos, but, um, it doesn't affect me that much.
That means, but also on platforms where I can watch in 4k, I've noticed that it doesn't seem that clear, but it only impacts my viewing experience by around maybe 10%.
So, but that doesn't mean it's right as users who pay for this service should receive a correspondingly good or even the best experience.
But it is the thing that they, um, when you are using the good service, of course, the platforms are also, um, paying more on this.
But, um, the thing is the industry is something that we need to consider when you are paying something.
You're not getting exactly what you're paying for.
Yes, it's a problem.
If it's a problem, then it needs to be solved.
And if you do not see that as the problem, then maybe, well, time would be the answer because I believe in the future, the platforms need to.
They do need to find a balance between the bandwidth costs, user experience, and profitability.
And I personally think technology may be the ultimate solution.
You're listening to Roundtable coming up next.
Like I was listening to the podcast the other day and like they were talking about how we all say like so much.
And I was like, wow, I totally do that too.
Sound familiar? You have probably noticed it in your own conversations, but have you ever wondered what's the deal with like and why do we use it too much?
Don't go away. We'll be back after the short break.
Looking for passion?
How about fiery debate?
Want to hear about current events in China from different perspectives?
Then tune in to Roundtable.
Where East meets West and understanding is the goal.
It's Roundtable with myself, Neil Honglin, Steve Hatherly and Yu Shen.
In order to totally demonstrate the situation, we have prepared a little play between Yu Shen and Steve.
Yes. I have asked Yu Shen to please do the following scenario in your best, maybe California 22 year old Valley voice.
So you will be character A and I will be character B.
So excited. So what we've been over this before the show.
There's no more explanation.
Just start. Ready? No, I have to explain.
Ladies and gentlemen, you can clearly hear that I didn't do it intentionally.
I was forced to do so.
Okay, go ahead, do it.
Action. So, um, yesterday was like, um, the best day of my life.
Um, I got home from work around like five 30 and I was like, so hungry.
So I went to the fridge to make a sandwich.
And when I opened the door, it was like the whole pizza inside.
I was like, I died when I saw it.
Bro, dude, that is like, so awesome, bro.
Uh, yeah. And the best part is like, hurry up.
Six minutes left. When I told my girlfriend, she was like, well, it's your gift for always being a great partner.
And the Oscar goes to do it anymore.
So I think you caught the word that we're talking about, right?
Like when you see this conversation that we just had written down, this is a tragedy for writing.
However, when native English speakers or speakers of English, uh, speak, you'll hear this word used in that way, a whole, whole lot.
The origin of the word, like maybe not the whole origin, but it's a super old word in the English language.
And as time has gone by through centuries through decades, it's changed its meaning.
It comes from the old English word, gelic, which means with the body of, which is essentially a way of saying similar to.
For example, something that is similar to a giraffe would be with the body of a giraffe, like a small tree or something like that.
And then over time, gelic got shortened to lick and then eventually it turned into like, and that's the word that we know today.
Um, this is kind of interesting too.
So like was used as an add on for a long time.
Here's what that means.
So if someone was speaking slowly, people wouldn't say you're speaking slowly, they would say you're speaking slow, like, or your behavior is strange.
Why are you acting all strange?
Like, oh, you seem angry.
Why are you acting angry?
Like, that's how people used to use it.
And there are still people that use it today, although it sounds a little outdated in, uh, in English.
Now, instead we say slowly, angrily, strangely, and that's what replaced that style of the word.
But now we move on to why it's annoying.
It is annoying because in my head, it's always just like a filler.
If I'm using it the way, um, it's demonstrated in the conversation that both of you have played really good parts in, then it is used as a filler.
It's a way to steal some money off and steal some time in the conversation because I cannot think straight.
I cannot, I do not want to pause.
And instead I try to put a meaningless word or a functionalist word in the conversation.
That is one of the functions of the word like, but it's not the only function of the word like, you know, the word itself is one of the most complex and versatile words in the English language.
It can be a noun, a verb, a preposition, an adjective, a conjunction, an adverb, a hedge, an intensifier, a quotative, and finally a filler.
As you mentioned, I need to take notes from now.
These are all the functions of the word like, but as I mentioned, let's move on to why it's annoying for people to hear when we hear it repeatedly.
For example, it gets used by a hedge.
And what that means is that it's used to lessen the impact of the information that comes next, especially when delivering bad news.
I'll give you a sentence example.
You should invite me to dinner tonight.
Do you want to go have dinner tonight?
Okay. I'll give you two examples of an answer.
No, I'm tired. Or, Oh man, I'm just like so tired.
Now, which one feels less rude to you?
The second one feels less rude.
So like when used as a hedge, limits the impact of the negative message.
The negative message is no, I can't go to dinner or no, I don't want to go to dinner.
But when we use like in front of your answer, it softens the blow.
Here's another one.
What did you say in our conversation?
You like almost died when you saw the pizza in the fridge.
Like is used as an emphasizes or an intensifier, they call it.
So when you said there was like three pizzas in the fridge, putting like in front of three pizzas in the fridge shows how excited you are that there were three pizzas in the fridge.
So it can be used to intensify your emotions as well.
Like can also be used to show that the information that comes next is not actually true.
You said yesterday was like the best day of my life.
Well, if you say yesterday was the best day of my life as a listener, I think you won the lottery or you got married or your first baby was born or something like that.
But when you say yesterday was like the best day of my life as a listener, I know that it wasn't, you're just emphasizing it.
I thought you were going to defend like so hard, but I didn't like think it was like this hard.
So here's my point.
People think when people depend on the word like all the time, like yesterday was like the best day of my life.
And I like looked in the fridge and there was like three pizzas in there.
And I was like, people think, oh, you're stupid.
Right. That's the that's the feeling that people get from it.
Oh, you're not very intelligent because you're saying this all the time.
I'm here to defend the word like and say that it does serve many, many different functions in the English language and people who use it as a crutch word, maybe they're overusing it, but it does not mean that they are stupid.
Yeah. You know, because to me, with all of these examples, it sounds like it's not something that you are using unnecessarily, but they're doing something in your sentence.
And also, I think it is being a character or being a role in your sentence to make you skip a lot of grammatical techniques because you can use maybe a long sentence, but instead, you can just use like I was like, you know what I'm saying.
And that's all. And actually, the other one can get what you're saying, but you don't need to finish all the whole sentence that you want to say.
But still, if you want to sound a bit more sophisticated, a bit eloquent and smarter, articulate, this is what you do.
Identify the filler that you use very often for me, it might be actually or in fact, I use those words way too often and I tell myself, I'm using it way too often.
So I would intentionally reduce the using of these fillers and do not worry about pausing a little bit in your conversations.
Actually, like Steve has just told me pausing a little bit, it can be very effective and it can be very powerful.
And if you intentionally clean up your language, clean up your speech, you will reach a better status when it comes to public speaking or convincing people or interacting.
I like totally agree.
And by the way, we didn't even get to all the functions.
Those were just some of them.
And that brings us to the end of today's roundtable.
We'd love to hear your thoughts on today's topics.
Leave us a comment or send us an email to roundtablepodcastatqq .com.
I'm Neil Holen with Steve and Yu Shen.
Thanks for listening.
Bye bye, everybody.
