YouTube has unveiled a new and improved video uploader. They’ve been letting random users sample it via a beta version, and now they’re letting everybody use it.

Highlights of the new version include:

- You can enter in your video’s metadata (title, description, tags, etc.) while the upload is processing.

– Upload multiple files at once, without downloading a plugin (separate progress bars will display for each file).

– The file-size limit for uploads has been raised from 100MB to 1GB.

Releasing a new version of the uploader is really a common sense move for YouTube. Frankly, it seems a little strange that these features have not been available until now.

Don Reisinger at TechCrunch notes, "YouTube has been criticized in the past for not offering the experience already being offered on services like Viddler or Vimeo where users can upload large file sizes and input video information while it’s being uploaded." But this new version of YouTube’s uploader should help YouTube compete in that respect.

There is always room for improvement, and YouTube recognizes that fact. They’re calling on users to give feedback so they can make adjustments (the whole point of a beta release). You can let them know your thoughts on the new version with a comment on their announcement post, or in the Community Help Forums.