It takes ages for me to do HD!

I don't have a very wide internet pipe at home. Adequate at the best of times... I can't actually watch YouTube videos in the HD option myself because it takes like 1/2 hr just to load up a 10 min video before I can start watching it. Also, even when it is loaded up, I get dropped frames in HD because I guess my PC's CPU is getting a bit long in the tooth (after just 2 and a 1/2 yrs?)

So to share with you a trick I use to watch better than "normal" but not as time consuming nor as good as "HD"

Just add &fmt=18 to the end of the URL of the video you want to watch. A lot of the time it works and you get to see the "high quality" video.

The "hq" video file is smaller so on a good day, I can "just" about watch something streaming in real time, as it buffers quicker than the file playback.

"hq" is the happy middle ground for my own PC's limited horse power / bandwidth and perhaps it will work for your setup too if you are struggling with HD too!

Well this will do to keep me from forking out for a new PC sooner than I'd want.
Rest assured, I will keep uploading in HD, with a mind that everyone will sooner or later have replacement PC's with beefier CPU's / GPU's and cheap and plentiful broadband internet for all in future.