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Audio & video engineering: videos Hacker News recommends
Audio and video technology: analog and digital audio, speakers, amplifiers, microphones, television standards, frame rates, codecs, streaming formats, display technology. Below: every video in this topic that at least three HN users linked with real commentary, in at least three different months (26 explainers, 21 demos, 10 tutorials), best-scored first, with the comments on each video page.
- 15 HN recommenders 13 months 2017–2026F FL Studio · explainerHN calls it the gold-standard debunking of audiophile myths and the stair-step misconception, and recommends it as a primer on digital audio.
- 8 HN recommenders 7 months 2019–2024HN recommends it as a clear, from-scratch look at how video hardware works, understandable with just basic logic knowledge.
- 4 HN recommenders 6 months 2019–2026C CIRMMT · lectureHN recommends it as a crash course on audio reproduction science, especially the finding that listeners reliably prefer more accurate speakers in blind tests.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2019–2023The standard recommendation for MiniDisc history, especially as a non-American counterpoint to the failed-format story.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2016–2025HN commenters cite it whenever cassette quality comes up, as proof that cassettes sound good with decent gear, metal tape and Dolby noise reduction.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2016–2025Go-to explanation whenever the strange 29.97 frame rate comes up, praised for its clarity and presenter.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2018–2021Whenever e-ink refresh speed or driving waveforms come up, HN points to this as the clearest hands-on explanation of how these displays work and how to hack them.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2026R Retro Game Mechanics Explained · explainerRecommended whenever Atari vector games come up as an excellent, deep technical explanation of how they worked.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2021Commenters recommend it as a dense but entertaining primer on color theory and color in video systems.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2013–2024L LovelyVirus · demoIt is the classic demo HN people point to for showing positional 3D audio working on ordinary headphones.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2023–2026P Posy · explainerRecommended as a meditative, geeky tour of alternative display designs.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2012–2018C crysknife007 · music videoHN people use it as background noise for coding and focus, and share it as a personal favorite.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2016–2018HN fans use it as the gateway to the Techmoan channel and praise it as one of the most fascinating obscure audio formats.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2014M Michael Interbartolo · demoHN recommends it for its raw, mostly natural audio and for conveying the speeds and violence of a shuttle launch and booster descent.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2023–2024HN points to it in Atmos and spatial audio threads as a knowledgeable critique of why the format rarely delivers.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2025HN commenters point to it as a build guide for cheap DIY speakers that sound as good as expensive ones.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2025–2026N Noodle · explainerHN recommends it as an entertaining deep dive on CRT versus LCD rendering of retro games and the case for CRT shaders.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2013–2018Treated as the definitive explanation of Android's audio latency problem, showing it spans the entire stack.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2024HN people use it as the accessible go-to explainer for the superhet trick whenever radios or signal processing come up.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2024Used as the clearest short demonstration of why noisy, high-motion content is hard for video compression.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2022J Jellybean Fenderson · tutorialHN finds it mesmerizing and uses it to build intuition for waveforms and oscilloscope XY drawing.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020HN recommends it as a thorough real-world account of using an e-ink tablet as a computer monitor.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2024HN uses it as a reasonably detailed overview of Looking Glass tech, including a segment showing the pixel mapping behind the 3D effect.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2009–2025M Matt Mayfield Music · explainerHN keeps linking it as the shortest clear explanation of over-compression and brickwalled mastering.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2016–2023K K7AGE · documentaryRecommended as the definitive visual walkthrough of the WLW 500 kW transmitter, with detailed equipment views and lots of history.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2022HN people recommend it as an affordable, good-quality way to digitize analog video.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2024S ShortCircuit · demoCited as a demo of GPU-powered noise suppression that works remarkably well, in threads on mic muting and speech enhancement.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2024–2026J Jim Lill · demoRecommended as a systematic, surprising experiment, often cited in audio and gear-obsession threads.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2026HN commenters recommend it as an especially good explanation of analog TV and CRT shadow masks.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2025–2026HN fans point to it as a fun, nerdy crossover of bird song acoustics and technology, and the story itself got its own thread.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2023–2024HN commenters cite it as a realistic demonstration of E-Ink monitor refresh rates and how such displays feel in use.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2026T The Slow Mo Guys · explainerFrequently linked as visual proof of how a CRT's raster scan and phosphor decay work.
- 1 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2022M Metalfan7577 · demoHN uses it as the go-to demonstration of the loudness war and what over-compressed mastering does to music.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2026HN recommends it as a detailed, accurate explanation of why Betamax lost, and cites it in debates over whether VHS was actually the worse format.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2013–2022D Dalesnale - Noise Ambient · music videoHN users use it as a concentration, sleep and tinnitus aid, preferring steady noise over music.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2020HN points to it as a concise, technically grounded rebuttal to moon-hoax claims.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2020Recommended as an accessible, educational build that anyone with basic logic knowledge can follow.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2023HN links it as the standard answer to why phone hold music sounds poor.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2023Pointed to by hobbyists interested in building flat-panel DIY speakers from cheap materials.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2023F FabFilter · tutorialRecommended as a clear explainer on Nyquist, aliasing and sample rate conversion artifacts.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2025HN praises the depth of research and uses the CED story as a case study of a mismanaged, badly timed product.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2022H HDTVTest · videoCited both as a well-crafted monitor review and as evidence for the XDR's shortcomings versus reference displays, though some dispute its fairness.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2024M Modos · demoPointed to as evidence that open e-ink controllers can reach usable latency for real computer use.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2025HN shares it as a fun explanation of analog floppy-disk cameras.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2013–2017HN commenters bring it up as a look at a promising display technology that has stayed outside the mainstream.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2011–2022B Bookeen · demoHN cites it as proof that eInk panels can refresh fast and that slow e-readers are mainly a display-controller problem.
- 2 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2023HN links it whenever someone equates CRT phosphors with pixels, as the clear explanation of why they are not.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2011–2025M Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) · demoHN cites it as the original and still-wow reference whenever newer ultra-high-speed light imaging comes up.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2026D Dave2D · commentaryCited as support for the common claim that MacBook speakers are far ahead of other laptops.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2009–2023M Matt Rece · demoUsed as the go-to example of genuine one-million-fps footage and of bullet impact physics.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2026J Jon Sneyers · demoHN uses it as visual evidence that JPEG XL decodes progressively while AVIF shows nothing until fully loaded.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2023HN cites it as evidence that DisplayPort cable labeling is unreliable and that even major brands can fail, and for its explanation of version differences.
- The cheapest capture card money can buy.. is actually WORTH buying? (BlueAVS/Goodan USB 2.0 CamLink)1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2023E EposVox · demoCommenters cite it as evidence that a roughly $12-20 HDMI-to-USB capture device is good enough for many uses, such as digitizing video or using a camera as a webcam.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2022Y Youtube Pedant · videoPointed to as striking proof of how good 1990s HD video could look, and as a window into early-90s New York.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2026HN points to it as a clear explainer of how analog TV and CRTs actually work, and as the entry point to the author's wider TV series.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2023G GoldenSound · explainerCited in audio-streaming threads as a critical breakdown showing MQA is neither lossless nor transparent.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2010–2019D datamosher · tutorialCited in glitch-art threads as the non-programmatic way to datamosh by deleting keyframes.
- 2 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2026A asapmobVEVO · music videoCited as a standout example of datamoshing and codec-corruption aesthetics in threads on video compression and glitch art.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2025HN links it as a neat breakdown of an unusual CRT/LCD color technology.
- cited 3× 0 months 2019–2025J Jacob + Katie Schwarz · videoHN doesn't recommend it for its content but uses it as a handy example of file size and bitrate for high-resolution video.
- cited 4× 0 months 2012–2022B Bookeen · demoHN cites it as proof that e-ink screens can reach video frame rates, in threads about fast e-ink refresh and displays.
- cited 3× 0 months 2020–2021E eInk eReader Lovers · demoUsed as evidence that large e-ink monitors can handle video and scrolling, and as a pointer to Dasung as the main e-ink monitor maker.
- cited 3× 0 months 2020–2023HN cites it as the go-to video on the little-known MD Data format, mostly in MiniDisc and obsolete-media threads.
- cited 3× 0 months 2021–2025Cited as a DIY speaker reference when commenters discuss building their own audio gear.
- cited 4× 0 months 2019–2023J Jacob + Katie Schwarz · videoUsed as a convenient high-resolution, high-framerate test clip for video decoders, YouTube format handling and power benchmarks.
- cited 3× 0 months 2017–2024B Brian Roemmele · demoHN cites it as a historic demonstration of early speech synthesis, including discussions about whether the demo was genuine.
- cited 3× 0 months 2022–2025R RetroDakota · videoCommenters cite it as a concrete example of distributing data over TV broadcasts in discussions of unusual data channels.
- cited 4× 0 months 2022–2025W Wenting Channel · demoHN cites it as the demonstration that e-ink can do low-latency, video-rate refresh with an open hardware controller.
- cited 4× 0 months 2022–2026Cited as evidence that Betamax was not meaningfully better than VHS.
- cited 6× 0 months 2019–2025Cited as the source for claims that PVC records outgas harmful compounds, usually in vinyl revival threads.
- cited 3× 0 months 2017–2025B bialasiczek · explainerShared in dial-up nostalgia threads as a way to both hear and understand the handshake.
- cited 5× 0 months 2018–2023O ontologist · videoCited as a vivid demonstration of generation loss from repeated lossy re-encoding.
- cited 6× 0 months 2019–2024P Passion of the Nerd · commentaryUsed as the main example of bad HD restorations and aspect-ratio recropping of older TV shows.
- cited 4× 0 months 2024–2025Cited in subtitle threads for its explanation of why subtitles are condensed and adapted rather than literal.
- cited 4× 0 months 2016–2025A adminofthissite · videoUsed as a quick hearing-range test and as a tone source for tinnitus experiments.
- cited 7× 0 months 2020–2021C Charbax · interviewCited by e-ink enthusiasts as the main look at CLEARink, a hoped-for next-generation reflective display startup.
Questions
What is the most recommended audio & video engineering video on Hacker News?
D/A and A/D | Digital Show and Tell (Monty Montgomery @ xiph.org) by FL Studio: HN calls it the gold-standard debunking of audiophile myths and the stair-step misconception, and recommends it as a primer on digital audio.
How is this audio & video engineering list ranked?
By HackerTube's score: the number of distinct months in which an HN comment recommended the video, plus half a point for every month with a strong recommendation. One viral thread counts less than steady recommendations over years.
Where do the videos come from?
From every Hacker News comment between 2007 and 2026 that linked a YouTube video, labeled by an AI model as a recommendation, a citation, a joke or a criticism. The list is published by HackerTube under ODC-By 1.0; this edition adds indexable pages and the comment context.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.