Video Codec Shootout Article

[Brett]

I ran across this article today:

Video Codec Shootout


I know it is an often discussed topic here so maybe it'll help someone.

[Corey]

Product shootouts are neato.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[eric_darling]

Product shootouts are neato.

When they're done well!

This review fails on several accounts, but most of all in that they don't discuss the settings used in all the encoders. Also, using MPEG-2 as a source is problematic since it is so highly compressed already. The review seems hardly scientific to me.

While I realize that their target was "home" users, and people looking to use "free or very cheap" tools to handle the encoding jobs, they could have been more empirical without too much additional effort.

To rephrase my thoughts: Just because I'm using a free or cheap software title does not mean I should base my decisions on flawed research.

[Corey]

I agree, but Eric I implore you to re-consider based solely on the coolness of the word, "Shootout". C'mon, say it out loud, point your finger like Dick Tracy, see? Credible as heck I say in light of that, especially if you hold the first syllable like, "Shhhhhhootout". I'm prepared to debate the efficacy of that with anyone, any place, any time, i.e. Barbara Streisand in a white water canoe, 2AM.

All seriousness aside, it would be one dewzy of a task to prepare an adequate shootout of this kind. I'd hate to be the guy who has to say, "Guitar A" is "better" than, "Guitar B", couldn't do it. Codecs are like kids, some of them are more pleasant to be around than others but you have to love them all for their respective redeeming traits anyhow, even the stragglers. Very hard to make a definitive assessment which would stand up to the scrutiny of someone with your breadth of knowledge on the topic, perhaps impossible.

I think where that shootout succeeds, and indeed this may be *the very best* any shootout can hope to do, is that it gives people who are like-minded to that reviewer a better scope of the issue.

That's my rapidly deflating 2 cents.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[eric_darling]

Hey Corey...

Do you mind if I borrow that "codecs are like kids" line?

[Corey]

Only if you promise to include the word "nurture" also.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software