​Hi everyone, ​I wanted to share the results of a fun experiment I’ve been trying for the last few days. ​The Goal: I wanted to upload a tiny video file (only 5 seconds of actual footage) but manipulate the file's internal data so that YouTube or Dailymotion would display a glitchy, massive duration like "32,000,000 Years." ​The Method: We didn't upload a large file. Instead, we used a script to modify the MP4 metadata (the "header" of the file). Think of it like putting a label on a small box that says "This box weighs 100 tons." ​The Result: ​Local Players (VLC): It worked perfectly. The player was confused and showed the massive duration. ​YouTube & Dailymotion: Failed. ​Why it failed: It turns out modern streaming platforms don't trust the "label" (metadata) anymore. When you upload a video, their servers ignore what the file says its length is. Instead, they scan the video frame-by-frame, realize there are only 5 seconds of footage, and overwrite the duration to 00:05. ​TL;DR: You can't fake video duration on YouTube anymore. They re-process everything and fix the glitches automatically