Feedback Needed: Video Formats

[WAVE]

WAVE is in the process of putting some of our movies online for download, but we need to know what most people consider more important: a smaller file size or a larger file size with better quality.

Another question is whether to offer the clip in .wmv format or DVIX format. And there's always the Quicktime format, but right now the first 2 are what we would start with.

Thanks for your help.

Gary

[kevin67]

Hi Gary.

I just wanted to let you know that I have always been a fan of WAVE pictures , and I am delighted to see you are releasing some of your past videos as downloads. I hope you will offer some of your new upcoming videos as well.

Now to the question, I would prefer wmv, because I feel it is simpler to download. As far as file size, I prefer the larger file size with better quality, but i am not sure that others wouldn't prefer the smaller file size.

I am interested in knowing if Tina Krause will be doing any new shooting material with you.

Sincerely Kevin 67

[WAVE]

Thanks for your feedback. As for Tina, I don't know if she'll be doing any new stuff for WAVE or not. But the recently relased fanny Starr 4 features two death scenes by Tina that are all new, but from a few years back.

Gary

[Rue Morgue]

Hi Gary,

Hank here, from RueMorgue (formerly Club-Dead).

About 2 years ago we went to WMV with the full screen (DVD Quality) codec. That has proven to be very satisfactory. Customers like it and, as Kevin states, it's very easy to download. Interestingly enough, the file sizes are only about 10% larger than MPEG 1 and the quality is quantum leaps ahead.

Happy trails on the re-runs.

[ultraman]

Both from a legal point of view and from a technical point of view I have some problems with WMV. The format is the digital equivalence of a gang rape. There is no (legal) way to convert back from the WMV format - your data is (legally) trapped within a "wrapper" owned solely by Microsoft. If the WMV format is good it is only because of the codecs.
There is a new generation of mpeg-4 codecs out these days using the brand H.264 standard. WMV is AVI wrapped inside a container. Nothing more. Nothing less. The superior image is only produced by a couple of good codecs.
With that said - I am not a customer and as such my input should be viewed in that light. I just cannot bear to see such high praise of WMV without at least a word of caution.

- BM out

[John Matrix]

I tried transcoding DV avi files with various codecs and went back to the tried and true MPEG1 using LSX Encoder. I preserve the DV standard frame size of 720 X 480 30fps and use 16 bit stereo audio (PCM). LSX comes standard with Ulead Media Studio Pro and Premiere (or it used to).

Without getting into my qualifications, I've been transcoding video for online use for 11 years.

[Rue Morgue]

There is no (legal) way to convert back from the WMV format - your data is (legally) trapped within a "wrapper" owned solely by Microsoft. If the WMV format is good it is only because of the codecs.

All the "Formats" are codecs. I'm not a MS lover, however this is an easy to use, easy to download format. It only "sips" bandwith.

I am uncertain as to why there would be a need to "convert back from the WMV format". I don't think anybody destroys the original format of what they have produced. If using a PC, the output of most of the editing programs is AVI. If using the Apple OS, the format is MOV (which is Apple's version of AVI). The process of encoding to one of the compressed formats does not destroy the original. So, why the issue of back converting?

The following table is from Apple's site: RE: H.264 (MPEG 4)

Use Scenario Resolution & Frame Rate Example Data Rates
Mobile Content 176x144, 10-15 fps 50-60 Kbps
Standard Definition 640x480, 24 fps 1-2 Mbps
High Definition 1280x720, 24p 5-6 Mbps
Full High Definition 1920x1080, 24p 7-8 Mbps

Most customers do not have bandwidth backbone sufficient to download HD and Full HD bitrates. WMV is ubiquitous in PC's, so people don't have to have a special player to view material in wmv format.

[ultraman]

"Formats" aren't necessarily codecs. Formats use codecs to decode a binary stream that has been encoded with the same algorithm. Formats contain a lot of metadata; bitrates, framerate and keyframes. Some formats contains additional data. DRM information, clip titles et cetera.

It's been a while since I last encoded clips, but if I recall correctly AVI is a mux'ed stream, where the audio and video frames alternate. Unlike a MPEG-1 file an AVI needs the entire binary chunk otherwise the header cannot initiate the stream.

WMV is an AVI format. It uses proprietary codecs and a proprietary DRM shell to ensure the file DATA is property of Microsoft. If you encode your file to WMV Microsoft owns the rights to play or alter the contents. Microsoft also owns any right to make players for said format; I guess that is why the variety in movie players on the Windows platform is so low.

I don't know if that explains what I was trying to say. Hope it does.