Video compression

Scenario - Capture of lengthy video footage required & distributed via CD. 350x280 Res (approx)

Requirements - Best quality compression codec, outputting no more than 5/6 Meg per min file size. Most compatable codec (excluding MAC), probably MS. No audio required.

Currently use old MS Mpeg 4 codec (V2)

Free pint for the best suggested compression codec (doubled if its shareware).:freak:

Mark

No takers for the free drink then????

It must be a harder challenge than I thought!!

I'd like to help but my experience with CD-ROM is out of date. Back in the day, I used QT and Sorenson. I believe you ruled that out.

I suppose what you mean by "most compatible" is that you don't want to install software for it to play. If that's the case, what platform are you targeting? What production software do you already have? Premiere 6.x?

5-6 MB/min is a lot of data when you consider 350x280 res and no audio. My RealVideo files that I provide on my website use half that data rate for twice the resolution and look pretty good most of the time. They also use the older codec so they can be played on linux. I think you can achieve good results within your parameters and could consider higher resolution.

You also have described the nature of your video. Is it safe to assume it is underwater? If so, it's generally OK to cheat on frame rates in favor of higher resolution.

Sorry Craig been out of action past few days. My targeted audience is mainly Local government organisations i.e. public sector so I really need to use compression agents that are MS friendly. Its not uncommon for some authorities to still be using Win 95!!!

My production software is captured using a basic VidCap programme, although I have tried using the Mpeg4 codecs with Pinnacles Studio 7 without much success. The codecs within Studo7 produce fairly large files together with compromising quality.

I package the whole process up with Illuminatus Opus & distribute CD's. Opus creates a standalone .exe file which is pretty universely acceptable, although some authorities do have firewalls preventing execution file usage ( but I am not too concerened over this).

No the video is not related to sub-aqua at all. It is footage of public highways for inventory purposes.

What codecs are you using for your web files?

Mark

I provide QT and Real files. The QT files use Sorenson 3 and the QDesign music codec. The Real files use the Real 8 codec since linux doesn't support the newer ones. I'm dowloading the Opus trial now to poke around in it.

I didn't have any trouble importing quicktime and using it, but real wasn't working. The Sorenson codec isn't free or even inexpensive though. I don't think any of my experience is very applicable.

I'll try to play around with windows media export some. I'm concerned with the age of some of the platforms you want to support. If you use a modern codec, do you understand how it can get installed on a Win95/98 machine?

The trouble with multimedia video is that, no matter how much you know, you have no idea how much you don't know. I've done this some but I still feel completely ignorant. Then, of course, it changes all the time.

If you use a modern codec, do you understand how it can get installed on a Win95/98 machine?

What I have been doing is including the MS dowloadable version of Media Player V6 with the Cd's. I get those clients that have older operating systems to copy this onto their system & it automatically installs the codecs. That gets around the problem.

Mark

Sorenson has a compression suite called "Squeeze 3" that is relatively new and being offered as a free trial download. It's not too expensive.

I've had it a while but haven't played with it much. It's easy to use and supports the major formats painlessly, but I've struggled to achieve the quality that I've gotten elsewhere. It is also limited in its data rate choices. I can't comment on its windows media performance but you may want to check it out.

I've played with Sorenson Squeeze come and find that it works OK and is easy to use. I'm not convinced it always does as good a job as some of my other tools but I don't know why. My greatest disappointment is not having fine enough control over data rates but that shouldn't effect you. It is easy to use and can do the equivalent of batch conversion into lots of formats. Right now it's $150.

You might consider using the DivX 5 codec in combination with VirtualDub. DivX 5 is mpeg4-based but uses an AVI format. I encoded a video that I have using these tools at 360x240 sy 4.5 MB/min and included the soundtrack for grins. Frame rates is 30 fps. You can download it here. Best of all, both tools are free, so if you use it I'll get two beers.

Thanks Craig. I'll give that Squeeze a bash & see. I have used the DivX compression agent but found the end product could only be played through the DivX player that comes with the software/download.

Mark

x2

I can play my DivX file with any AVI player. Perhaps it's because I created it with VirtualDub.

Is there an option then to save a DivX compressed file as an avi file? I must admit I never noticed that, unless I have an older version?

x 3

Mark

VirtualDub uses the DivX codecs but saves as an AVI file. I haven't used the DivX encoder so I don't know what it does.

The link I provided earlier is an AVI file.