Vine videos go HD in latest app update

By David Nield March 28, 2015

vine cofounder wants to create follow up app — Twin Design/Shutterstock.com Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Vines you see looping on the Web and your mobile devices are about to start looking a lot better: The app has begun rolling out support for 720p high-definition video. It means clearer and crisper clips for users, and should make the service more appealing to companies, brands, and other organizations that use it in a professional capacity.

A bit of low-grade blur might not matter when you’re sharing your breakfast with a small circle of friends, but if you’re Coca-Cola or the New York Yankees, then you want your official clips looking as sharp and eye-catching as possible. High-quality source material — like action camera footage — won’t have to be downgraded as much in the future.

“We’ve been working on technical upgrades that support Vines in higher quality,” explains engineer Mike Kaplinskiy in a blog post on Vine’s site. “When you watch Vines on our iOS and Android apps, you’ll see these quality improvements — they are rolling out over the coming days. You’ll also see higher-quality Vines embedded in sites across the Web.” Click through to the post to see some examples of the new 720p Vines.

Kaplinsky says higher-quality uploads should be available on iPhones now and will be rolling out to Android devices soon.

The Twitter-owned service launched in late 2012 and says there are now 1.5 billion looped Vines played across its network every day, covering everything from comedy routines to breaking news coverage. Vine users will be pleased to hear that Twitter hasn’t forgotten about its oldest video tool, even after adding native video uploads and acquiring streaming outfit Periscope.

[Header image: Twin Design/Shutterstock.com]

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Dave is a freelance journalist from Manchester in the north-west of England. He's been writing about technology since the…

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