Which Codecs?

DrDale wrote on 10/23/2008, 9:46 AM
I just bought Platinum Pro. I make a few home movie DVDs but my main use is converting big 1270x720 avi files from another program to 1270x720 MOV or WMV for web distribution and for use by a local TV station. (I capture weather time-lapses)
In Studio9 I am presented with many possible codecs for Quicktime MOV. Such as Sorenson, Sorenson3, MP4, etc.
From reading other threads here am I correct that these codecs are not included wth Sony Studio9 but rather are on my PC because I have Quicktime installed?
I want to make my MOV's with a codec that most people will already have? Which is the most common? Which codecs are shipped with and installed by Studio9 ? How can I tell?
And a side question.. of the MOV codecs which one is usually preferred. Best combination of compression and still high quality? I don't know what the differences between the Sorenson's and MP4 etc are.
Dale
direland@drdale.com

Comments

Eugenia wrote on 10/23/2008, 3:22 PM
The MOV usage on Vegas is sub-par because it mostly focuses on the intermediate codecs (that produce unnecessarily huge files), and not let's say, on h.264. I suggest you export in WMV or Sony AVC:
http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2007/11/09/exporting-with-vegas-for-vimeo-hd/

DrDale wrote on 10/24/2008, 8:49 AM
Thanks for the reply but I make the videos for 2 local TV stations and their graphic workstations are apparently MAC as they want mov or mp4. I have been using Pinnacle Studio but it didn't even allow me to save as mov but only as mp4 (even though I could then save the mp4 as mov in Quicktime which apparently just changes a couple bits in the file). Examples of my weather time-lapse files are
http://www.drdale.com/lapse/moonset.mp4
http://www.drdale.com/lapse/moonset.wmv
Using Vegas Studi9 I am presented with many more options to make quicktime movies, mp4, Sorenson, Sorenson3, etc and I was wondering what is the difference, which is best, which is most universal, and are these part of Studio9 or codecs installed by quicktime or another program?
Files sizes are the same but mp4 mov's seems to have a little better color while sorenson runs smoother on my slower pc's. I renedered the same avi with wmv, mp4, and sorenson and the results are

http://www.drdale.com/lapse/lapse081022.wmv (pinnacle)
http://www.drdale.com/lapse/mp4.mov (studio9)
http://www.drdale.com/lapse/sorenson.mov (studio9)

Dale
Eugenia wrote on 10/24/2008, 2:20 PM
If you want these for a TV, then you should be using mpeg2, not .mov. If your artists ask for Mac files, the QT uncompressed is fine (burn data DVDs to bring them to work).