There are a lot of possible contenders in terms of quality cinematography, pacing, and overall production quality. 118 comes to mind especially. I'll let the rest of the thread figure out which is the best on those terms.
But if you want to know the reveal video that was the "best" in my book in terms of impact upon release, nothing will top
148's 2010 video. The robot and video are both still excellent by today's standards, but to really appreciate the strength and impact of this video, you have to understand the context it was released in. 2010 was an absolutely brutal build season. The on-field obstacle, game piece, and end game were all in some ways different from anything FIRST had previously done. Being able to control a soccer ball alone drove teams, and myself, absolutely insane. When this video came out, it was unclear if my team would be able to do any of those tasks.
I remember waking up at 6 or 7 am, up early to study for a test, and taking just one look at Chief Delphi. Turns out 148 had released their video the previous night. I hit play and was in absolute shock. Their drivetrain was the first of its kind. A unique solution to omnidirectional motion that allowed for impressive mobility, better responses to defense (no T-bone vulnerability), and mechanically straight tracking for autonomous mode. And all of this went over the bump without a second thought. Their hanger was so devastatingly simple - it just clicked into place and they were up before you knew it. But what really blew the minds of many in FRC was the ball magnet. Suddenly after weeks of seemingly no one figuring out how to actively control a ball in any situation, out comes the Robowranglers with a beautiful solution that was effortless to use and operate. I, and many others in the FIRST world, were absolutely floored. I just couldn't believe how they'd mastered this game so well, and in such a cool way. It was simultaneously the most inspiring robot I had ever seen at the time and the most discouraging video I had ever watched.
Of course, little did I know at the time that 469 was quietly preparing to unveil the most dominant robot of this current decade... But they didn't make a video
Remember to ALWAYS use physics in engineering discussions. There is really no room for "feelings" in this sort of thing. - JVN [more] 
25-07-2013, 16:22
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