No more Webcam Capture, no more Adobe Flash
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Technology has moved past it, so there will be no more direct uploads on YouTube from your webcam through the YouTube Webcam Capture. The low quality, in part, and the supported software will no longer be considered viable for the world’s most popular video sharing website.
The times, they are a changin’.
YouTube first introduced the feature almost a decade ago, back in 2006. It allowed users to record a video on their webcam, and then directly upload it on to their platform. However, if you don’t remember this feature, nobody will blame you. Few YouTubers still opt for this process with the advancement of technology and easy access to better quality cameras.
With the exception of dashboard cams and other unmentionable corners of the internet that will not be mentioned, the low quality of such cameras is shunned. This is especially true for YouTube, where users now have at least a 720p quality on most of their videos. However, for those not ready to jump to HD, the Google-owned platform will still allow you to upload webcam recordings. Just not directly.
Users will only need to make a few additional steps in order to bring their videos to the platform. Record, download, and then upload on YouTube. So, everything will still be possible, just not directly supported by the website. According to the video-sharing titan, this change will start being implemented in January, 2016. The feature will meet its end after 10 years.
In a brief update offered by YouTube, they stated that their decision to remove the YouTube Webcam Capture feature was rooted in its outdated technology. It’s not only the quality, but the fact that it’s build on software no longer supported, aka Adobe Flash. Like many others, the Google-owned company renounced Flash and moved on to HTML5, which proved itself more stable and less prone to glitches.
The initial transfer from one code to another was conducted in January, 2015. So, it was only a matter of time before all features that required Flash support would be weeded out as well. The update is more of a notice that the formerly popular and buggy software is being nudged out of most corners of the internet. Numerous browsers have cut ties already.
For YouTubers, this might not mean much, considering most of them have already upgraded their software to better-performing and high-quality cameras. It seems only natural considering it has become a profession. Uploading videos on YouTube is starting to be seen as a desirable career for many young adults, and not just them. There is potential there for popularity, influence, or even becoming a millionaire.
So, an investment in a better camera could be worth it.
Image source: marketingland.com
Joe Hennessey
