Is There Really a 140-Year-Long YouTube Video? The Truth Behind the 1,234,567-Hour Footage by @shinywr
A viral video by YouTube channel @shinywr claims an impossible 140-year runtime (1,234,567 hours), but it's actually a metadata glitch. While the display shows a century of footage, the actual content is just 12 hours of silence and a black screen. It is believed that the "cryptic" upload exploits platform bugs rather than being a record-breaking video.
Mumbai, January 12: A mysterious YouTube video claiming a 140-year runtime has sparked widespread curiosity and speculation online since its upload on January 5, 2026. Posted by the channel @shinywr, the video features a blank black screen with no audio, but its displayed duration - 1,234,567 hours and 30 minutes - equates to over 140 years. Accompanied by a cryptic Arabic description translating to "Come, meet me in hell," it has garnered nearly 2 million views and fueled theories ranging from platform glitches to elaborate pranks.
Is It Really 140-Year-Long?
The video, titled simply with a question mark, appears on the @shinywr channel, which has about 72,500 subscribers and only a handful of uploads. Multiple news reports such as NDTV, UNILAD Tech and Dexerto report that while the metadata shows an impossibly long runtime, playback reveals it to be just 12 hours of silence and a static black screen.
Mysterious 140-Year YouTube Video Sparks Online Curiosity
Calculations verify the runtime claim: 1,234,567 hours divided by 24 hours per day and 365 days per year yields approximately 141 years. However, YouTube's system does not support such lengths; experts on platforms like Reddit attribute this to metadata manipulation, a known vulnerability rather than a true extended upload. The actual playable content aligns with the 12-hour blank screen.
The channel also includes other anomalous content, such as videos listed at 294 and 300 hours, and a YouTube Short purportedly lasting 150 to 300 hours, all exploiting similar display glitches. YouTube has not issued an official statement, leaving the channel active as of January 12, 2026.
Theories and Context
Speculation abounds, with some suggesting the channel is an internal YouTube test account or part of an alternate reality game (ARG).a2f148 Others view it as performance art or a bid for viral fame through exploiting platform bugs.af3cf9 A rumor linking it to North Korea appears in some reports but lacks evidence and is dismissed as unverified speculation.
Conclusion
The 140-year video claim holds up as a metadata glitch rather than a literal reality, with the content verified as a short, blank upload. All examined sources align on the facts, debunking exaggerated notions of endless playback or hidden threats. While intriguing, it appears to be a harmless - if eerie - exploit of platform mechanics.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 12, 2026 10:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).