TM-Tube :: Frequently asked Questions

Overview




Q: How can I upload my videos in Full HD (and publish it in the Hall of Fame)?
A: Since the last update (2.1), all videos will be converted to Full HD MP4, so it's not possible/necessary anymore to write a PM to X2X to get them converted to HD. If you want to see a video in the Hall of Fame, write a PM to X2X (http://www.tm-tube.com/compose.php?to_user=X2X) and send him a link to the video. If it is well-edited, it may be added to the Hall of Fame in the future. Please note, that we won't add common from-behind-replay-videos or other videos with not much video-editing in it.

Q: How can I get the best quality for my videos on TM-Tube?
A: The best quality can be achieved by using the H264 or the WMV9 codec. Use a resolution of 1280x720 and a framerate of 30 fps. The bitrate for encoding should be between 5 and 17.5 Mbps depending on the complexity of the video. For best audio quality use AAC/MP3/WMA with a sampling frequency of 44 KHz and a bitrate of 256-320 Kbps. Read more..

Q: I want my video to be featured on the frontpage of TM-Tube. What do I have to do?
A: We will pick out the best videos on our own and put them in a voting every week, so the community can decide, which video will be featured next. If you want to ensure, that we won't miss a great video, send the link via PM to X2X (http://www.tm-tube.com/compose.php?to_user=X2X).

Q: How can I translate TM-Tube to my language and what do I need to do that?
A: Of couse you'll need to understand English language, because you will translate the language files of TM-Tube from English to your language. To translate the files, you just need the standard Notepad of Microsoft Windows or a similar linux text editor (like vi). But we would recommend you to use the free Notepad++ which is more comfortable. You'll also need a compressing software, which can handle rar files (like WinRAR), because we'll deliver you the language files in rar archives. When you are ready, send a PM to X2X (http://www.tm-tube.com/compose.php?to_user=X2X) and he'll send you the language files.

Q: Someone uploaded a video, which was made by me, under his account. Can I transfer the video to my account?
A: Send a PM to X2X (http://www.tm-tube.com/compose.php?to_user=X2X) with the link of the video. He will inform the current video "owner" about the transfer. If the current video "owner" accepts the tranfer, the video will be transferred to your account (with all comments, ratings, etc...). If the current video "owner" doesn't reply to the transfer PM within one month, the video will be transferred to your account automatically.

Q: I want my website to be listed in the Community Links section. How can I do that?
A: Send a PM to X2X (http://www.tm-tube.com/compose.php?to_user=X2X) with a link to your website and a Mini-Banner sized 90x33 px. Your website should be a open community page with TrackMania-only-content. Clan-/Teampages are not allowed!

Q: I've waited more than one hour and my video is still in the conversion status. What's up?
A: Maybe there is a conversion error or the source file is broken. You should reupload the video in another format. If it doesn't work again, contact X2X via PM (http://www.tm-tube.com/compose.php?to_user=X2X) and tell him the source format (including used codecs) and the Media-ID. He can give you detailed informations on the problem.

Q: How can I reach the technical support?
A: Use the Live-Support, if it is currently available. Otherwise send a PM to X2X (http://www.tm-tube.com/compose.php?to_user=X2X) or if TM-Tube is currently not available a mail to support [at] tm-tube.com

Q: How often do you change the Featured Video?
A: Normally a new Featured Video vote will be added every 1.5 weeks. Sometimes it may take a few days longer, if the admins are busy ;)

Q: How can I make my own videos with TrackMania?
A: You can find a nice tutorial on TM-Creative.org.

Q: How can I download the videos and images on TM-Tube?
A: You can find a download link for every video/image on the right side at the media details. Please note, that videos will be saved as FLV or MP4 files. To play FLV files, you need to install the K-Lite Codec Pack to play them in Windows Media Player or the free FLV Player.

Q: My video has a very bad quality when I upload it as a WMV file. Why?
A: WMV (Windows Media Video) files have a variable framerate. Our media encoder converts the videos to MP4 with a fixed framerate, that's the reason why there may be some quality loss in fast scenes. Convert your video to MP4 (for example) on your own before uploading it on TM-Tube (see above).

Q: I uploaded my video as a FLV file, but there is no thumbnail.
A: This has been fixed with the last update (2.1).

Q: I don't get mails from TM-Tube!
A: Watch your spam filter. If there aren't any mails, contact your mail provider and ask him why he doesn't accept e-mails from support [at] tm-tube.com. If you don't receive your activation mail, send a mail from the registered mail adress with your account name to support [at] tm-tube.com and we will manually activate your account.

Q: How can I upload my own thumbnails for my videos?
A: Click on "Edit this medium" under "Review your uploads". There you can upload your own thumbnail (recommended size: 1280x720px).

Q: Why do all videos have a start rating of 3 medals?
A: The average rating of the videos will be calculated by the medals sum, divided through the ratings sum. To prevent new videos to be shown on position 1 in the Video Top 3 with only one 5-medal-rating, there is a standard 3-star-rating.

Q: Some videos aren't shown in 640x480/1024x768/1280x720, but in 480x360.
A: Those videos are old ones, uploaded before we set the uploaded video size to 640x480/1024x768/1280x720.

Q: I can't watch the FLV videos in Windows Media Player.
A: You have to install FLV support for Windows Media Player. Download the free K-Lite Codec Pack and install it with installation profile 7.

Q: Why can't I login on TM-Forum with my TM-Tube login data?
A: Our database has nothing to do with the TM-Forum database, so you have to create a new account on TM-Forum to write posts there.

Q: Why do some videos have a very long loading time?
A: Some videos were uploaded as FLV files before we've switched to MP4. Those files can be very big, as the user can decide on his own which bitrate the video has. Those videos can have a size of max 500 MB. There are also HD videos on our page, those videos were uploaded by an admin with a high resolution and a very high bitrate.

Q: Sometimes the pages of TM-Tube or parts of it (especially the Flash Player) are loading very slow.
A: This depends on how many users are currently accessing TM-Tube. Unlike other video portals, TM-Tube is running on a single root server, which has to handle all requests simultaneously.

Q: What is the best video editing software?
A: This depends on what you want to do with it. For simple replay videos, you can use the free Windows Movie Maker, for professional videos you could use Sony Vegas or Adobe Premiere (+ Adobe After Effects), but those tools are really expensive. A low-cost alternative might be Corel Video Studio.

Q: How can I apply for a job as a moderator on TM-Tube?
A: If we need more staff, we will announce that on the startpage in the News.

Q: Where can I find all uploaded videos of a user?
A: Visit the profile of the user and click the Media link under the TM-Tube logo.

Q: The notification mails aren't sent in my language.
A: This has been fixed with the last update (2.1).

Q: w0000t zololololomfg my video has been deleted!!!11
A: Then you've uploaded a video with no TrackMania related content or which is already available on TM-Tube. Some moderators don't send you a notification PM after deleting your media, because they weren't told to do that (maybe I should do this >_> hmm... later..).

Q: I want to visit tm-tube.com/porn to get access to the hidden erotic section of TM-Tube, but I get a Not Found error, why?
A: Our porn section is only available for TM-Tube staff. As well as our whiskey bar. And our private jet.

Q: If I want to visit my profile, I get the error "Config-Var _thumb is not defined" or "An error occured".
A: This problem is caused by broken guestbook entries. Send a PM to X2X (http://www.tm-tube.com/compose.php?to_user=X2X), he will delete the guestbook entries, then your profile should be reaccessible.

Q: How can I remove my media?
A: You can find a removal link at the "Review your media" section.

Q: I want to upload a video, but the upload crashes. What can I do?
A: Try another browser, like Mozilla Firefox.

Q: I can't see the TM-Tube Flash Player, I only get the message "Note: Either you do not have Adobe Flash Player installed on your computer or your Flash Version is outdated. You need Flash Player in order to view this item."
A: First check if you have the latest Flash Player version installed. You can download it here. If it still doesn't work, check if JavaScript is activated in your browser. If it is activated and it still doesn't work, try another browser.

Q: I want to watch a video but the loading process crashes (the loading bar shows complete but the video stops after the first seconds).
A: Just reload the page (sometimes you have to do this 2-3 times), then the video should load normally.