Text-to-Video AI Analysis: This One Hit Us Like A Big Yellow Truck!

Remember watching ‘I, Robot?’ A world swiftly overtaken by non-humans. Or how about ‘Black Mirror,’ where technology often takes center stage? You probably thought it was entertaining but a little far-fetched. How times have changed! Today, virtual reality is a part of our daily lives. ‘Siri’ is our loyal sidekick, and ‘ChatGPT’ has become our new 4 a.m. friend. One command, and voilà—you have the world at your fingertips. With workspaces becoming faster and schedules more hectic, AI has emerged as a valuable ally. While there are concerns about job security, AI is undoubtedly the next big thing and here to stay.?

But how do you separate the fluff from the real deal? With so many AI tools out there, how do you pick the best ones to suit your needs? We get it—it’s overwhelming, much like Ross trying to choose between Rachel and Julie, creating an exhaustive list of pros and cons.

Well, we’re here to make things easier and be your knight in shining armor!

We’re excited to introduce the first edition of our ‘Honest AI Product Reviews’ newsletter!?This newsletter is being made possible by HonestAI - Gen AI, ML & NLP , one of LinkedIn's largest AI groups for sharing open and honest news, products and reviews.

We know what you’re thinking—“Another newsletter? I barely have time to read the ones I already get!” Don’t worry—we promise to keep it brief and get straight to the point. Capiche?

With this newsletter series, we are on a mission to review various AI tools and help you make informed choices. We shall test various AI tools and highlight the shortcomings and strengths of each tool, offering insights to help readers navigate the crowded AI landscape. Our goal is to simplify AI product selection for consumers, cutting through the noise and providing honest, straightforward reviews. In this edition, we give you guys a candid review of four popular text-to-video AI tools:?

1. Runway
2. VidNoz
3. Invideo
4. Hotshot

Before we dive in, let us tell you a bit about our parent companies, HonestAI - Gen AI, ML & NLP and GrayCyan (a leader in AI development). We are trying to declutter the world of AI with our honest and simple approaches. At GrayCyan, we are building custom AI products for our clients and at HonestAI, we are trying to get everyone aboard the AI journey. What sets us apart is our humor, and we hope this first edition of the newsletter showcases that! Why humor? Because let’s face it, the world is tense these days — and AI is one of the culprits.?

Back in the ’90s, people were getting connected through Web 1.0. Fast forward to 2024, and we’ve fully transitioned to Web 3.0 (almost). When ‘ChatGPT’ launched in November 2022, it shook up the entire AI ecosystem. Some of us have ridden the wave, while others are still finding their footing. Everyone wants to jump on the Gen AI bandwagon, eager to avoid FOMO. But with so much information out there, it can be overwhelming, right? That’s where we come in—with a dash of humor and straightforward, honest reviews of AI tools, we aim to make things a little less stressful for you.

Now, let’s get real—Siri is kind of a letdown. We bet many of you are nodding along. If only she were smarter, life would be easier. Like Siri, there are many AI tools that claim to be "lit." But are they, really?

Disclaimer: None of these companies paid us for this review.

The prompt we gave for the popular text-to-video AI tools- ‘Runway,’ ‘VidNoz,’ ‘Invideo,’ and ‘Hotshot’- was this:?

“I need a video on a U-Haul van, transporting a household from one city to another. It is a yellow coloured U-Haul truck, and has two seats in the front and two seats in the back. The two back seats have 2 toddlers sitting in them. In the front are two drivers- Mom and Dad. Mom is driving the truck. Mom is wearing jeans and a crop top. Dad is having a Starbucks coffee (tall). He is wearing shorts and a torn shirt.”

This prompt was for the long-form format for these tools. These are the results:

First up is ‘Runway’

Here’s a snapshot from the video that was generated by ‘Runway.’

• First, we requested a yellow U-Haul van. What we got was a mix of white with a few hints of yellow. Not terrible—at least there was some yellow—but still off from what we asked for. Also, the van doesn’t have ‘U-Haul’ written on it.?
• And where’s the driver? This scene is starting to feel like something out of a horror movie!

Then things get even stranger—the truck begins to deform.

• Notice how the truck stretches and begins to split into different parts? This part really got us trippin!’
• According to the prompt, there should have been a mom in a crop top and jeans driving, with two toddlers in the back and a dad sipping a Starbucks tall in the front. None of those elements made it into the final video.

Overall, a decent effort by ‘Runway,’ but it’s safe to say this AI flight never quite took off the runway!

Next, we discuss the video by ‘Vidnoz.com'

Here’s the first snapshot from the video.?

• Well, we have to give them credit for at least including the words ‘U-Haul’ on the truck, which ‘Runway’ missed entirely.

But then…we get to see this in the next shot.?

• They did a great job with the crop top and jeans, and even got the mom driving the car as per the prompt.?
• However, this is supposed to be the front of the car. So why is the steering wheel in the front, but the rearview mirror at the back? Huh?

And the next shot we see in the video is this:

• Well, there are definitely two toddlers as per the prompt, so that's a plus. But this is supposed to be the back of the car.?
• The prompt clearly states "two seats in the front and two seats in the back." Yet here we have three seats, and honestly, who knows if this is the front or the back? Also, what’s with that random mirror near the window?

As for the Dad…

• Instead of sipping on a Starbucks, he’s actually hanging out at one—and even promoting the brand with his t-shirt! By the end of the video, we’re just as confused as you probably are.
• Also, unlike the running video generated by ‘Runway,’ ‘Vidnoz’ gave us more of a slideshow with a series of images pieced together. Still, ‘Vidnoz’ ranks slightly higher than ‘Runway’ for at least including all four characters (Mom, Dad, and the two toddlers). ‘Runway,’ on the other hand, didn’t show any of the family members.

Moving on to the third video, generated by ‘Invideo.’

Here’s the first snapshot from the video:

• For starters, Invideo took forever to generate the video, unlike ‘Runway,’ and ‘Vidnoz,’ which only took a few minutes. And when we finally got the video, there was no ‘U-Haul’ truck in sight—just what looked like an RV trailer.
• Additionally, instead of the mom wearing jeans and a crop top as specified in the prompt, she’s shown in a jacket. The word "top" that appears in the snapshot is actually from a subtitle, accompanied by a running commentary from a woman describing the mom’s wardrobe.

And where’s the Dad you ask?

• He’s here... just chilling. According to the subtitle, he’s supposed to be sipping on a Starbucks, but there’s no cup in his hand.?
• If Starbucks has launched a new "Invisible Iced Latte," we’d definitely like to try it!

• As for the toddlers—they look quite grown up and definitely don’t need "diaper changes" as the commentary suggests. See for yourself.

• Additionally, the prompt specified two toddlers, and while there are indeed two, one is completely cut off. What’s the deal with the missing toddler, ‘Invideo?’
• Another issue is that, like ‘Vidnoz,’ this video is a disjointed collection of clips.
• ‘Runway’ still leads here, having provided a continuous video. The video alternates between a car and a trailer, leaving it as confused as Gen Z in situationships!?
• The only redeeming factor is that it includes all the family members.

Overall, Invideo was the most disappointing and clearly has a long way to go—let’s hope they can choose the right transport for their journey!

And now we review the last video generated by ‘Hotshot.’?

Here’s the snapshot:?

• Well, ‘Hotshot’ saved itself from being a dirty fellow by giving us a full blown yellow! Clap, clap for that! They also delivered a moving video, similar to ‘Runway.’
• However, the ‘U-Haul’ branding is missing, so ‘Vidnoz’ still takes the win in that department.?
• Additionally, it appears as though the toddlers are driving the car, which, as far as we know, is illegal. And while the dad is completely uninterested in Starbucks, the mom is notably absent from the picture—quite literally!

Overall, ‘Hotshot’ got quite a few points right. But it didn’t fully hit the shot!

Now we move on to the prompt for the short-form format for these tools. The prompt given for all four tools was this:?

“Yellow cat playing baseball smoking cigar walking in circle.”

Here’s the screenshot from the short video generated by Runway.

• It seems like this cat is quite the health enthusiast, with no sign of a cigar in sight! However, there’s definitely a nod to baseball here, so we can thank the cat heavens for that.??
• One key point to mention is that, similar to the long-form video generated by Runway, this was also a continuous video rather than a collection of short images or clips.?

Next up is a screenshot from the video generated by ‘Vidnoz’

• You know how Sheldon from ‘The Big Bang Theory’ never quite understood sarcasm? Well, Vidnoz seems to have a similar issue, but with continuous video!?

Once again, it’s generated a video made up of random cat images with running subtitles, instead of an actual seamless video. Here are some more screenshots:

In this screenshot, instead of the yellow cat described in the prompt, we see a brown one smoking a cigar. Well, extra points to Vidnoz for creativity! However, there's no sign of baseball or anything remotely resembling it. Also...

• …the cat turns into a bat eventually? Inspired by ‘Cat’woman much??
• Overall, this video was a ‘cat’-astrophe!?

Moving on, let's talk about ‘Invideo,’ which, much like the long-form video, took an eternity to generate. Here’s what we got:?

• This feels like the cat version of Family Guy. Unlike the show which was hilarious, this video is hilariously inaccurate! It is merely a collection of caricatured cats pieced together with running commentary and subtitles. Here are a few more screenshots:

• It’s clearly raining cats—and even more cats!?
• Throughout the video, we see a mix of both caricatured and real cats, doing everything except playing baseball or smoking cigars.?
• Sure, cats are known for doing their own thing, but the ones in this video have taken it to a whole new level.?
• ‘Invideo,’ we know you can do better than this.

And as they say, save the best for the last and we did. Here are screenshots from the video generated by ‘Hotshot.’

• This cat’s out of the bag, and she’s ready to play—exactly the right way!?
• From the yellow colour to the baseball field and even the smoking cigar, ‘Hotshot’ knocks it out of the park on the first try. Overall, a solid effort by ‘Hotshot.’?

Here’s a comparison grid to provide you with an overview of our review of both the long prompt and the short prompt.?

Review of long prompt:

Review for short prompt:?

In conclusion, while AI has certainly made leaps in many areas, it seems that text-to-video generation still has some distance to cover. From missing prompts to strange deformities and confusing seat arrangements, these tools still struggle with creating coherent, accurate outputs. Each platform—’Runway,’ ‘VidNoz,’ ‘Invideo,’ and ‘Hotshot’—had its wins, but none managed to deliver the full package. However, with AI rapidly evolving, we’re optimistic that improvements are on the horizon.

So, whether you're still trying to decipher AI-generated chaos or looking for your next perfect tool, stick with us.?

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay informed as we continue to review the latest AI tools! We'll keep things fun, real, and concise—so you can make smarter decisions without the stress. Keep an eye out for our next edition, where we’ll dive into our honest review of a DRIVERLESS CAR. That's right!

Stay tuned!