But they've made that kind of promise before. In November 2007, YouTube promised to start offering HD content, but it was more than a year later before the company finally got the program off the ground.
That said, in December 2008, YouTube started giving users the option to upload and display HD content in 720p, which is one step below 1080p in the high-def hierarchy.
Videos already uploaded in 1080p to YouTube will be re-encoded to match the higher resolution.
"As resolution of consumer cameras increases, we want to make sure YouTube is the best home on the web to showcase your content," YouTube representatives said. "For viewers with big monitors and a fast computer, try switching to 1080p to get the most out of the fullscreen experience."
As attractive as that sounds for adult producers, YouTube remains a risky proposition. The site's terms of service prohibit any nudity or otherwise explicit content, and in addition, YouTube recently rattled its saber in the direction of adult by promising to more harshly police any content that it deems unacceptable.
But YouTube has yet to follow through on those threats. Dozens of adult performers maintain popular YouTube pages, though the marketing tactics they employ on these pages are far more indirect than the usual titillating tactics associated with adult.
Many performers post funny clips of themselves in public, while others keep detailed online diaries. Trina Michaels, Dana DeArmond and Nikki Benz all have presences on YouTube, while Joanna Angel promotes her wares through an official channel for Burning Angel Entertainment.
