Setting bit rate for iShowU, and compressing .mov files

[qveda]

I've captured some video using iShowU for my own personal use. I can tolerate a quality level that is less than the original capture.

I end up with iShowU files that are 700x400, apple animation, AAC.

I noticed that some files are surprisingly large ( 30min = 980mb, 21min = 900mb, but then there is a 7min = that is 971mb ).

Looking at the GetInfo, I see that the bit rates vary a lot. The 7min capture ended up with a bit rate of 16,898 ! vs 4200 for the 30min capture.

Questions:
1) I assume higher bit rate is causing the file size to be bigger than it needs to be. But I did not change any settings in iShowU. How can I specify a lower bit rate before recording?

2) Is there a good way to compress these large .mov files further so they don't take up so much space ?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

I've captured some video using iShowU for my own personal use. I can tolerate a quality level that is less than the original capture.

I end up with iShowU files that are 700x400, apple animation, AAC.

I noticed that some files are surprisingly large ( 30min = 980mb, 21min = 900mb, but then there is a 7min = that is 971mb ).

Looking at the GetInfo, I see that the bit rates vary a lot. The 7min capture ended up with a bit rate of 16,898 ! vs 4200 for the 30min capture.

Questions:
1) I assume higher bit rate is causing the file size to be bigger than it needs to be. But I did not change any settings in iShowU. How can I specify a lower bit rate before recording?

2) Is there a good way to compress these large .mov files further so they don't take up so much space ?

You can use HandBrake or MPEG Streamclip to create an .mp4 file (or a .mov in MPEG Streamclip), which uses H.264 as codec, which would compress your videos to less than 100MB, as the codec you used "Animation" is a lossless codec.

 

[qveda]

if Apple Animation is lossless, which would be a better codec to use for personal re-watching a video that doesn't have to be high quality? I just tried lowering the fps from 29 to 8. I think that will help make the file smaller, and good enough .

 

[simsaladimbamba]

if Apple Animation is lossless, which would be a better codec to use for personal re-watching a video that doesn't have to be high quality? I just tried lowering the fps from 29 to 8. I think that will help make the file smaller, and good enough .

You can use HandBrake to make an .mp4 file using the H.264 codec via the Apple TV preset, you don't even have to lower the resolution.
Or you can use MPEG Streamclip to make a .mov file using the H.264 codec.

As mentioned before, you can get files smaller than 100MB via that way, in HandBrake you can even set the target file size.

 

[qveda]

You can use HandBrake to make an .mp4 file using the H.264 codec via the Apple TV preset, you don't even have to lower the resolution.
Or you can use MPEG Streamclip to make a .mov file using the H.264 codec.

As mentioned before, you can get files smaller than 100MB via that way, in HandBrake you can even set the target file size.

sorry, new to this.. do you mean that I would use handbrake After I make an iShowU video, with iShowU preset to AppleTV preset? or, use MPEG Streamclip to make a .mov file from an H.264 file that iShow creates??

 

[simsaladimbamba]

sorry, new to this.. do you mean that I would use handbrake After I make an iShowU video, with iShowU preset to AppleTV preset? or, use MPEG Streamclip to make a .mov file from an H.264 file that iShow creates??

I don't know iShowU, but if you get a .mov file using the Animation codec out of it, you can use HandBrake to open that .mov file and use the Apple TV preset in HandBrake and create a new .mp4 file.
The same applies to MPEG Streamclip, but as it has no presets, you have to manually set some parameters, thus HandBrake might be the better option for you.

PS: I just tried iShowU and you can select H.264 as "Compression".

 

[qveda]

thanks so much, this is very helpful ! so for capturing web tutorials via iShowU, where quality doesn't have to be perfect, H.264 would make more sense than Apple Animation, and would result in much smaller files - correct?

and I'd be able to watch the H.264 videos on my mac without further processing - correct?

if I wanted to edit the video using FCPexpress to clip out some lessons I don't need out of the middle of the capture, I would need to convert the H.264 file to some other format - correct?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

thanks so much, this is very helpful ! so for capturing web tutorials via iShowU, where quality doesn't have to be perfect, H.264 would make more sense than Apple Animation, and would result in much smaller files - correct?

Yes.

and I'd be able to watch the H.264 videos on my mac without further processing - correct?

Yes, via QuickTime Player.

if I wanted to edit the video using FCPexpress to clip out some lessons I don't need out of the middle of the capture, I would need to convert the H.264 file to some other format - correct?

While FCE (Final Cut Express) can read .mov files using the H.264 codec, it is better to use the Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC) codec for such (where MPEG Streamclip* comes in handy).

*

 

[qveda]

Thanks ! I'll give these tips a try. and perhaps asks a bit more if needed.
really appreciate what you've shared

 

[qveda]

One more question... I'd like to transfer some of these tutorial videos to an iphone or ipad. I suppose I can figure out how to use Dropbox to transfer them.

What format should the video be so that I can watch it on a iphone or ipad?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

One more question... I'd like to transfer some of these tutorial videos to an iphone or ipad. I suppose I can figure out how to use Dropbox to transfer them.

What format should the video be so that I can watch it on a iphone or ipad?

Here is where HandBrake comes in handy:

Click the graphic to see, what settings you have to use.

Btw, you can use iTunes to add media to the iPad, maybe have a look at the iPad User Guide (p. 24 Syncing with iTunes): http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/ipad_2_user_guide.pdf