On exporting videos from Mac to Windows users directly. Compatable and best video formats?
In some instance video presentations are a serious work and means of communication that are not suited or appropriate to just upload for public viewing on utube.
Creating a video presentation on Mac, say using iMovie is one thing. But the challenges comes, as I have found, in sending videos direct to government departments and others using Windows. This has proven problematic. Most times they have not been able to view them at all. Including when sending as .mp4 files. Not quite sure what the source of incompatability has been.
One can use a program like iDVD and send the movie as a DVD, but often I am sending a few movie files along with other documentation, word docs, etc. It is simple and best to be able to put all files, movie presentations and other support docs, on a single data DVD disk, so the Windows person can open and access all material as they please.
Not being a video professional, determining which formats are best to maximise compatability for Windows users is not that self evident. Including retaining the viewing quality at the other end. I figure this is a problem met by other mac users. As part of solving this problem for myself, I thought a thread to gather experience and views on what is best export options for Windows users a worthy exercise.
If there exists a nice summary resource already covering all this, please post a link. (I have not found one.)
My first thought was an .mp4 format as best for Windows users. Windows users do not always have Quicktime on their machines, and some govt department employees do not have the liberty to simply download a Quicktime player re restrictions and security on their work computers. (I have met this a few times). Hence why exporting a Quicktime .mov file is not actually a universal option and solution. With the export of a video in .mp4 format, there are a range of options, re audio formats, frame rates, etc that may affect compatability on a Windows machine. It would seem so from my experience of movies in this format not being readible at the other end.
So what set of export options are most compatable for Windows users, using standard movie players that come with the various Windows OS's - Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 ??? (This covers most Windows users).
In my case I am exporting first from iMovie'08, now iMovie'11 (using the via Quicktime export option). Videos are HD 1280 x 720 size.
Particularly valuable comment is where an export format has been compatable with a Windows OS, and the mac user has been able to confirm the quality is clear on the Windows machine.
I would suggest the following information would help with posts.
Mac program used:
Export format:
Export format settings:
To Windows OS (XP, Vista, 7):
Windows Video players viewed on:
Compatability (yes, no):
Equal viewing quality confirmed (yes, no):
Perhaps with the gathering of comments and experience from other Macusers, a guide doc could be created by someone with more experience than myself??
Hope this initiative meets with approval and a positive response.
In some instance video presentations are a serious work and means of communication that are not suited or appropriate to just upload for public viewing on utube.
Creating a video presentation on Mac, say using iMovie is one thing. But the challenges comes, as I have found, in sending videos direct to government departments and others using Windows. This has proven problematic. Most times they have not been able to view them at all. Including when sending as .mp4 files. Not quite sure what the source of incompatability has been.
One can use a program like iDVD and send the movie as a DVD, but often I am sending a few movie files along with other documentation, word docs, etc. It is simple and best to be able to put all files, movie presentations and other support docs, on a single data DVD disk, so the Windows person can open and access all material as they please.
Not being a video professional, determining which formats are best to maximise compatability for Windows users is not that self evident. Including retaining the viewing quality at the other end. I figure this is a problem met by other mac users. As part of solving this problem for myself, I thought a thread to gather experience and views on what is best export options for Windows users a worthy exercise.
If there exists a nice summary resource already covering all this, please post a link. (I have not found one.)
My first thought was an .mp4 format as best for Windows users. Windows users do not always have Quicktime on their machines, and some govt department employees do not have the liberty to simply download a Quicktime player re restrictions and security on their work computers. (I have met this a few times). Hence why exporting a Quicktime .mov file is not actually a universal option and solution. With the export of a video in .mp4 format, there are a range of options, re audio formats, frame rates, etc that may affect compatability on a Windows machine. It would seem so from my experience of movies in this format not being readible at the other end.
So what set of export options are most compatable for Windows users, using standard movie players that come with the various Windows OS's - Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 ??? (This covers most Windows users).
In my case I am exporting first from iMovie'08, now iMovie'11 (using the via Quicktime export option). Videos are HD 1280 x 720 size.
Particularly valuable comment is where an export format has been compatable with a Windows OS, and the mac user has been able to confirm the quality is clear on the Windows machine.
I would suggest the following information would help with posts.
Mac program used:
Export format:
Export format settings:
To Windows OS (XP, Vista, 7):
Windows Video players viewed on:
Compatability (yes, no):
Equal viewing quality confirmed (yes, no):
Perhaps with the gathering of comments and experience from other Macusers, a guide doc could be created by someone with more experience than myself??
Hope this initiative meets with approval and a positive response.
) Hence with this video player available standard on all the last three major Windows OS's (XP, Vista and Windows 7), this video format should be accessible by most Windows users without them having to download any other video player like Quicktime or VLC. 