Getting Started Questions

[peterj1967]

For a work project I need to do some small scale video digitizing to prepare some short clips for distribution on the web.

I haven't dealt with digital video since about 1995. Best we could do then was 3 minute clips in a 160x120 size, as I recall compressing the little bits of video using cinepack on a Quadra 800 took a good deal of time.

Anyhow, I have FC Express, a Canopus ADVC110, and a Power Mac DP 1.67 G4.

So a little better then the Premier Quadra 800 combination years back.

Anyhow, here's the question. I recognize I am looking for a simple answer for a complex question, but I am hoping I can get some starting points or good references to read.

I have about a 5 minute talking head interview on video. I want to get the file in a format to do cross platform distribution on the web. I am planning for the primary audience to have a DSL or Cable modem, but will need to make an option for dial up users. I'd like to 320x240 or if I can get good compression 640x480.

What codec would you recommend and and tweaks you'd recommend? If you have some web resources to start with I'd appreciate that too. I don't have much time, about a week or two, so any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[LethalWolfe]

I would suggest using Quicktime Pro. I'm not sure if QT Pro comes w/FCE or not, but if it doesn't it's only $30. I don't use QT Pro so I can't recommend specific settings, but I would just try out some of the default settings and go from there.


Lethal

 

[macvac]

Codec

This link will give you comparisons between different formats. Look around the entire site for even more info.

Good luck

http://www.danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/qt_plugins/3010.shtml

 

[peterj1967]

Thanks..

 

[mduser63]

My own recommendation would be to go with QuickTime. It's going to be the easiest to deal with on a Mac, the cheapest to create, and in my opinion is the best of the three major web video formats (WMV, Real and QT). You can do the actual encoding with QuickTime Pro, which is available for $30 from apple.com. I think FCE probably comes with QT Pro, so you probably won't even have to buy it. If you don't have it installed, look through the paperwork that came with FCE, and see if there's a QuickTime Pro serial number in there somewhere.

 

[Heb1228]

I think the 3ivx MPEG-4 codec is the best one to use in Quicktime. you can see a video I encoded with it here, its a 17 MB file for a 5-minute clip, including 128kb/s AAC stereo audio, so I'd guess the video track is probably using about 12-13 MB.

http://homepage.mac.com/heb1228/family/iMovieTheater46.html

BTW, you can download the 3ivx codec for free here: http://www.3ivx.com/