best general distribution compression

vicmilt wrote on 2/18/2004, 3:51 AM
I'm finishing a "general release CD" for an industrial client.

What do you feel is the best compression format to use to assure no complaints? I've used QT Sorensen in the past, but it requires a download of Quicktime. I'd like to have a large screen playback, at least 640x480 and need to have audio sync.
The video itself (produced in Vegas, of course) is only 5 minutes long.
Suggestions?
(No DVD, by the way. The client feels that there isn't the pentration of DVD players around in corporate circles.)

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 2/18/2004, 4:36 AM
VHS! What office doesn't have a VHS player lying around somewhere?

I still say that MPEG-1 is the way to go. Your video is only 4 minutes long so you can encode at a pretty high bitrate and not have to worry about space. MPEG-1 at 656x480 at 6Mbps VBR is pretty amazing. The version of the MainConcept encoder that Vegas users doesn't seem to suffer any sync problems at all.

I think the only other thing i might do is include a few different renderings on the disc. You'll have plenty of room for them all. If someone should stick your CD in a DVD player than handles raw MPEG files, there's a chance that it can skip if the file is over 3.5Mbps. So, you might want to include a "DVD-friendly" version encoded at 3.5Mbps. Also, include QuickTime and WMV at 3Mbps too, just for good measure. That way the savvy viewers can pick their choice.
PeterWright wrote on 2/18/2004, 4:48 AM
Yes, I still produce CD roms using MPEG1 - I've created my own template of 496 x 400 : 25 fps (PAL land), as this still plays quite fluently from CD on fairly old PCs, and it looks pretty damn good ....

WMV is certainly worth considering though - I did some WMV9 clips for a client's Power Point presentation ( from Hard Drive) at 720 x 576 and it looked even more impressive.
TheHappyFriar wrote on 2/18/2004, 5:30 AM
Why not just include the necessary codec on the cd (like QT or WMV, etc). You have the space. But then someone would say they have a mac/linux, right? Well, tell them you want to know what OS's there will be. Then you could even make a specific highquality file for each os! :)
Former user wrote on 2/18/2004, 6:39 AM
Including the codec assumes that the person receiving the disk knows how to install it. Better to use a Standard codec if you have no control over who the files are being played by and what computer they are on.

Dave T2
Spot|DSE wrote on 2/18/2004, 8:10 AM
You can install the Windows Media 9 player/package on the SVCD disk with an autoinstaler in the event that the host system doesn't have a player...for Mac or PC.
Jsnkc wrote on 2/18/2004, 9:11 AM
What I normally try to do is put at least 2 formats on the disc, usually a MPEG and a Quicktime, and if space allows a Real as well. I also try to have links to download each of the players in case the user needs to download them.
vicmilt wrote on 2/20/2004, 2:05 PM
Thanks for all the (truly helpful) advice -
I'm dealing with the general public - a lot of whom woulndn't know a codec from a banana - thus my query.
A couple 'o years ago, I did a lot of this kind of stuff and included an automatic Quicktime installer - and I guess I'll do that again - plus use Spot's suggestion, as well. That should cover the bases.

What I was hoping for, of course, was, "Definitely use the "schmendrick codec" - it's on every machine made, and definitely works all the time. Yeah - right.

Well, it ain't easy being a pioneer and anyone that tells you (That's All of You), - that you don't Qualify as true pioneers - well, they just don't get it. When those WWII Victory as Sea films were made they were shot with an Arri and edited on a Moviola. Today there are still some shops using that same equipment in it's same basic configuration -

On the other hand, I caught a recent thread complaining that one year is ENOUGH - and we Need New Versions - with more esoteric instructions - and "better" formats - and to hell with the fact that I can't even show some of my earlynon-linear work, without totally upgrading - and that early work is only 5 to 8 years old.

Anyhow, don't take any of this as a complaint, I love the new tech (including, of course VEGAS) - I've only been a professional director/editor for thirty years - so you'd think I KNOW the answers... not so. The sand shifts quickly and if you're a pro, you are either learning or working (impossible to do both).

Think of it - 60 year old medium - equipment - techniques - basically unchanged - a WWII editor could step right into a film studio and start working tomorrow. Buy a good camera, and keep it and use it for your entire career!

New tech - 4 years - totally out of date - 8 years - unreadable...

Oh - and a special unsolicited plug for Spot's book- VEGAS 4 EDITING WORKSHOP - I Love It - and let me be clear - with over 100 national prizes, including a Clio - I'm totally qualified to judge an instuctional manual. It's a great start for a beginner (forget using those help menus to LEARN... and even though I'm welded to a computer, I still enjoyed a lot of the knowledge, and of course, learned a bunch of great stuff - definitely worth buying if you spend any time at all in Vegas, either in sound or video.

Kudo's Spot, and I hope I get the opportunity to meet you someday.