You know, I started reading this topic and almost immediately thought of Google Videos. I think it's the perfect solution, especially for those who are tired of using bittorrent when there's no seeding.
Are there any current videos that aren't being seeded by anyone?
I don't like that TASes are posted on Youtube. Even though more people see the runs, but most (I'd say about 95%) don't get the idea of TASing.
But they will be posted on YouTube, anyway. The question is just whether this is done in a controlled manner, with a link back to this site, a short explanation of how it's not a regular speedrun etc. and with banners etc. intact, or... well, without all that.
I think that's a good idea. Maybe have an extra line of black at the top and/or bottom to add important notes. When I see a guy walk through a wall, I want to know what just happened ("Walk-through-wall glitch"). You could put in text into the black area so it doesn't cover the movie, but is close enough to explain confusing parts. (Use the top or the bottom depending on which is closer to the action. Or maybe just use one side, simpler)
Here's an idea: why not publish the subtitles separately, as SRT (I think that's the format, isn't it?) files? That way, everyone could decide for themselves whether to use them or not, something that otherwise would only be possible if there was more than one AVI file for each movie (eww). And it'd also mean that the subtitles could be changed/expanded separately from the main movie, without the need to reencode it in case someone finds a typo or so...
Was that sarcasm? I really can't tell. :) Seriously, though... I don't mind them too much, and I can see why they're being added, but they still are distracting. :P
Except that bosses are often defeated so fast that an hp counter would be pretty much useless. That and I still don't like watermarks/subtitles/whatever beyond what we have now, even if it means they are more open to abuse than other solutions...
I'll second that. I want to enjoy the videos, not constantly be distracted by subtitles, watermarks, and so on. The occasional "this video is tool-assisted" message that some videos have (not the one at the beginning, but the one in the middle of the video) is annoying enough already...
Since Tub is often already registered or too short for a username, I have a second nick. I grabbed a klingon dictionary from a friend, just picked a random word and took that. I think it was written Ha'Qchor. Too bad I couldn't get rid of the trekkies, so I reversed it to be safe. rohcQaH. Means sugar or something.
When you say that it is generally accepted that there is nothing outside of the universe, do you mean the visible universe? I recently saw some kind of television show about the possibility that the universe is much larger than the visible universe, and the rest of the universe is so far away that its light hasn't reached us yet. We aren't able to observe anything for the universe to "eat", but that doesn't mean that there isn't a lot more stuff out there. Just be patient and some cosmic creature may drop the universe a bone in a few billion years.
Science only concerns itself with phenomena which can, at least in theory, be falsified, though. Postulating the existence of stuff that is utterly inaccessible (and thus cannot interact with us or our (observable) universe in any way) doesn't lead anywhere; of course it might be true, but it just as well might not, and we'll never be able to find out.
In other words: I postulate that outside of the universe (for a suitable definition of "outside"), everything is actually run by a herd of invisible pink unicorns.
If you want a different bitrate or higher quality, you need to re-encode the movies, not download the existing AVIs.
If I misread this as your goal, I apologize.
YOU EXPECT ME TO DO THAT! woah, that is too much work. That's even more work then expected.
Whine whine whine...
Seriously, I can't decide whether you're more annoying or amusing. :) But your constant expectation that people will do all the work for you and your getting upset when they don't grovel at your feet and thank you for being allowed to serve you is probably more funny in the end.
If you want DVDs, roll up your sleeves and produce them yourself. Or ask people nicely, and don't get all pissy when they have better things to do than to fulfill your every wish; you may find that that actually works better, too. If I had had any intentions to maybe encode DVDs myself (which I didn't, mostly since I don't know how to do that), I certainly wouldn't be inclined to do it anymore now.
And if something's too much work for you, why isn't it too much work for others, too?