Settings to playback better in WMP?

J_Mac wrote on 6/7/2005, 5:57 AM
Each year I film the games and do a highlight DVD for the high school JV and Varsity soccer team. After the banquet is over, I contact each players family, and sell them the players individual clips out of my DV AVI database. For these discs, I navigate through "My Computer" to the drive and folder containing the clips, and use the Windows XP Professional function 'Copy To CD", listed on the left side XP display. The program converts to MPG1 and prints to a CD-R TDK 700MB discs in 10-15 minutes per disc. Some players get 1 disc, some get 15 depending on the number of clips for that player.

This method provides these benefits to me;

1. The file names are retained on the CD-R and display in Windows Media Player playlist
2. I get the discs back from the families in the future, and compile college recruitment tapes from the clip collections. MPG1 is slightly more editible than MPG2.
3. The families store the data and I don't need to.
4. More PC's have CD players than DVD players, and can play MPG1 on their PC's, although this trend is changing.
5. Nearly all PC's have Windows Media Player installed, and it will playback MPG1.

This year I received a number of complaints about playback problems. I know specific PC configurations will cause this, but I need help troubleshooting their settings.

Does MPG1 seem to you to be the best code to use?
Should I convert to WMV? Will WMV playback better?
What settings in WMP will increase playability of MPG1 files? WMV? Are these settings different for each version?
I am currently on version 10. Has SP2 effected this function?
Retaining the file names is critical for speed of compiling the college tapes, as I label the files with a letter to indicate the 'best' clip of a group. So I don't want to recode and lose the file names.

With this model I get $25 for the highlight video, $25 for the collection of individual clips, and $75 for the recruitment tapes for $275 over 4 years from each of 60 families, or ideally, $4125 per year with 100% hit rate. I average about 40% hit rate overall, for about $10/hr.
What do you think of this business model? What do you use?
Thanks for any help or suggestions? I am looking forward to your responses. John

Comments

B_JM wrote on 6/7/2005, 6:10 AM
I would make them a DVD instead - specially if they need to send it out ....

mpeg1 plays back slightly better than wmv , but wmv has better quality for the same file size ..

mpeg1 and mpeg2 are the same in terms of editing - but mpeg2 retains higher quality (in that it is usually higher bit rate) , mpeg1 is also always progressive, so somewhere along the line you are loosing quality ...

you can also store (in addition to the playable dvd) the source files on the dvd for later use - compress them to some form of mpeg4 at 2-3meg/s bit rate and the quality will very good ..


making a dvd such as this is very fast - I could prob. whip out 10-12 a day per machines (with 2 machines - about 20 a day) from scratch easy, including custom text on the video and set up a template with the same borders and effects - just plug in the players name - select the shots - and go .... burn the dvd , adding the source files to the disk in their own directory ... make two copys and keep one for backup (use two burners at once) , use a inkjet disk printer and print them up (hint - stick on a post it note on each disk until you can do all the printing)



Michael L wrote on 6/7/2005, 6:53 AM
I would also suggest that files be kept on those not requesting the personal videos. The nonordering families may decide that the video should be ordered and a premium could be charged for a historical perspective.

I video band concerts and had a few parents ask for prior years disks this year. Easy to get a 50% premium with marginal work.
J_Mac wrote on 6/7/2005, 8:08 AM
'I would make them a DVD instead - specially if they need to send it out ....'

I do for their college video.

'making a dvd such as this is very fast - I could prob. whip out 10-12 a day per machines (with 2 machines - about 20 a day) from scratch easy, including custom text on the video and set up a template with the same borders and effects - just plug in the players name - select the shots - and go .... burn the dvd , adding the source files to the disk in their own directory ... make two copys and keep one for backup (use two burners at once) , use a inkjet disk printer and print them up (hint - stick on a post it note on each disk until you can do all the printing)'

I do for the college video, with the shots they select from each years clip database disc.


For the clip database;

What about settings for WMP for improved playback?
Are you saying I should skip the MPG1 process and go to MPG2? How can I retain the individual file names for future editing? Thanks for your help, John.


J_Mac wrote on 6/7/2005, 8:12 AM
'I would also suggest that files be kept on those not requesting the personal videos.'

I save the game Mini DV tapes, also a hard drive with the clips and all my work. I use a drawer to slide them in and out, as future requests arise.

Thanks, any thoughts on Windows Media Player settings? John.
B_JM wrote on 6/7/2005, 8:16 AM
windows media player is junk really ...

if your users need to view the clip database - mpeg2 is going to be an issue ...

It looks like you are just giving them a disk with the clips on it -- which means you are losing control of the source (since you dont keep it) ..

why not keep the source files (on tape and/or disk and/or compressed to some good compressed format (xvid, mpeg4 , Qt absolute quality is not the issue here) and give them only a watermarked preview clip at 320 res.? using mpeg1 (which anything plays) or windows media ... otherwise (a lot of clever kids out there) , they are just going to make their own tapes or disks ....


(edit) -- i read your later post below, where you DO say you keep the original tapes - sorry ..
B_JM wrote on 6/7/2005, 8:21 AM
Windows Media Player has no settings that can be easy to set for mpeg1 ... they just play ... But a lot of peoples systems (i'm really surprised what is out there) will not be able to play mpeg1 (or much of anything else) directly from the disk without stuttering , etc ... not a whole lot you can do about it - unless you want to tell them their system is crap and go and tune up everyones computer...

how about including a better player on the disk ?

J_Mac wrote on 6/7/2005, 9:36 AM
'how about including a better player on the disk ? '

Now that sounds like a good idea. Any suggestions? Thanks again, John.


B_JM wrote on 6/7/2005, 10:58 AM
media player classic - or if you do go with mpeg1, you have some further options