Video Recommendaion

[rickgood]

Ok, I know there are several experts on video in this forum.
I'm looking to get away from using Ipix virtual tours (within html object) and integrating digital video into my projects with AMS. What's the best format (taking into consideration user equipment) for me to use in the media player object that will give me the best quality reproduction, while also making sure the most users possible can see it? Any response will be appreciated.

Thanks

[eric_darling]

I've said it before, I'll say it again: It's still MPEG-1.

[rickgood]

Thanks Eric,

I am just learning video editing and photography, but in the limited efforts I've made (using Adobe Premier) it seems like when I bring in MPEG that the audio track is not separated like with avi clips. Is that true or maybe just with the few I've looked at. Also, what about file size? One project I'm looking at doing now could have as many as 100 video clips (I hope) on a CD-ROM. Also, after posting a wmv file to the web, I switched to dialup to look at it as was mortified to find that it took nearly 3 minutes to load (so of course, nobody would ever see it - I wouldn't wait that long for anything). So given that I may also want to use the videos on the web as well, does that change your suggestion?

Thanks

[rickgood]

Thanks Eric,

Great info for me to digest - not that my learning curve
was not already steep enough...

[CelticDragon]

I am pondering similar questions, and that is exactly the answer I was looking for! One side question though, would it be possible to include the newest codec version for wmv files on the cd to automatically install? (I won't be streaming video over the net, just running it straight off the cd!)

[eric_darling]

Yes, you can do that, and developers often do. On rare occasions, this may cause grief, but I have not experienced much. As for the reg keys you'll need to look for, that's a question for someone else, as that's not my specialty! [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[CelticDragon]

Reg Keys? I have no idea what you are talking about I'm afriad, I'm still wet behind the ears when it comes to this stuff! Trying to learn though.... Thanks for the info!

[eric_darling]

Yeah, you gotta do some light coding to sniff out if a computer has a certain codec installed. Unfortunately, it's over my head too. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

[yosik]

Although, if you are distributing a CD, the bandwidth is a bit less of a problem.
I agree with you as far as Mpeg1 is concerned, but for some projects, wmv could be the solution.
For example, have a "off-line" file playing from the CD while the on-line wmv file buffers, then switch to the wmv file.

Yossi

[RobertB]

YIKES....stay away from IPIX....check out www.virtualtours.com or...I just got this really good link here....http://www.kaidan.com/realviz/index.html

[RobertB]

oops...sorry, just re-read your post...I see you are GOING AWAY from IPIX...understandably....my bad...

[Corey]

If VR is the thing then Flash is the answer. There's a few tutes out there on the web if you search Google. They're a bit basic but you can extrapolate the concepts and adapt them to bigger and better things.

I made a killer lesson on multi-tiered Flash VRs for the new powertips CD and now that I have my new system up and running (just this week) I can get it done and up.

Trust me on this one, Flash is the ultimate answer for this. Shockwave is very, very nifty too because it offers true 3D but it's also one whopper of a learning curve whereas Flash is much easier to learn. If you're motivated you could easily go from knowing nothing at all about Flash to creating your first simple VR movie in a single weekend. And Flash knowledge is worthwhile knowledge because it's a platform which is here to stay.

The cool thing about Flash and AMS together is that you can extend your Flash into being full-on windows software in very little time...

Also it's important to note that when you create VR using Flash that your VR itself can contain any blend of elements such as video, flash animation, photos, text, actions, etc. whereas you can't do that in Quicktime. So for example let's say you are creating an Flash VR tour of a home which includes the *living room* and in that living room there is a big TV set. Using Flash to make your VR it would be a very simple task to set it up so that a video clip of your choice is playing on that TV as they move by, i.e. an ad for you or even a dymamic selection from a folder full of random videos, etc... The sky's the limit with flash. The video itself can even be interactive, i.e. a navigation button, or an email link, etc... Like I say with Flash the sky's the limit...

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software