Is YouTube's 1440p processing down lately?

[Frag Maniac]

I usually don't have a problem with YouTube finishing processing my 1440p uploads to actual 1440p. Lately though, the last 3 I uploaded stopped at 1080p. Two of them I left the upload page open where I got final confirmation of "Processing Done", yet still only a 1080p viewing option on the uploaded video.

I even tried uploading a very condensed 30 sec clip of the last upload, and though it processed a lot quicker of course, after some time, still no 1440p viewing option of the upload. So I have to wonder if something is wrong with their 1440p processing, and if anyone else is having this problem the last couple days?

Can someone here try uploading a brief 1440p clip to see if you get it processed to a 1440p viewing option? You don't actually need a 1440p or 4K display to do this, many video editing tools have a resize feature. I'd appreciate any help or feedback on this. My 1440p vids were processing fine a few days ago.

 

[Zloth]

I posted a 37m video at 1440p about an hour ago and it hasn't even started processing yet. 0% on SD.

 

[Frag Maniac]

I posted a 37m video at 1440p about an hour ago and it hasn't even started processing yet. 0% on SD.

But is that much slower processing than you're used to seeing on YouTube? Plus I have no way of knowing if it's been an hour since you started uploading it, or an hour since it finished uploading and was supposed to start processing. I also have no idea what your ISP speed is upload wise.

 

[Zloth]

It can take YouTube a while to get through an entire video but I'm used to it starting to process videos within about 5 minutes, if not immediately. I eventually gave up waiting on this one. But it did get done overnight....

...and maxes out at 1080p instead of 1440, just as you said.

I poked around on the Internet and it seems 2K and 4K versions can actually take days to show up! I never noticed it before but maybe it just needs a few more days?

 

[Frag Maniac]

I poked around on the Internet and it seems 2K and 4K versions can actually take days to show up! I never noticed it before but maybe it just needs a few more days?

Actually. I've posted this same thread on several forums and I'm getting comments coming in on a couple of them that others have had this same exact problem just lately in the last few days. So I'm pretty sure some of their VP9 processing servers went down. When you think about it, it makes sense. Since COVID with so many people staying at home, they have a LOT more time to make and upload videos. Plus Google's been busy trying to get Stadia going, and it could be some of the processing server maintenance got delayed. Kind of a perfect storm for something like this to happen.

Hopefully they'll get it sorted soon. I doubt they can afford to let it remain like this for long because there are no doubt a TON of YouTube channels that have 1440p and 4K uploads which are also pretty profitable ad space for Google. YouTube is one of those free services that many take for granted, until something like this happens. Then you realize it's worth in ad revenue alone. When you think about it, YouTube is to Google pretty much what Steam is to Valve. It's a service that sells itself and has the potential to keep those whom developed it smothered in the cash that rolls in.

 

[Frag Maniac]

It looks like they sorted this out now, at least for me (and I'm sure many if not most others). All the videos I uploaded that were stuck at 1080p are now playing in 1440p.

 

[Zloth]

Yeah, mine got there yesterday.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Seems like it's slow again, my measly 8 min video is still only 1080p after more than a day.

 

[Zloth]

I'm guessing LOTS of Christmas videos getting posted these past few days.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Yeah it finally processed to 1440p, so it was likely just bogged down vs broken.