[videoblogging] Re: Making the most of h.264
Oh yes I forgot about fast start/progressive downliading issues. It looks like someone made an adobe air app that will fix non-fast-start mp4s so that they do fast start, anybody tried it? Its called QTIndexSwapper and there is a link to it on this page: http://renaun.com/blog/2008/02/25/250/ Cheers Steve Elbows --- In videoblogging@yahoogroups.com, "Heath" wrote: >the > trouble with that option though, is that it will not fast start, so > for the web it's useless.
[videoblogging] Re: Making the most of h.264
In Vegas you can render in h.264 - it's one of the options offered - although you should check with support to get the exact codec you want. They have been upgrading their rendering options like crazy so I know it's there. You should also check with the "What happens in Vegas.." thread on http://dvinfo.net Those guys seem to know everything and are very friendly. Milt Lee
[videoblogging] Re: Making the most of h.264
Ok, that was not much of a tutoralalso he was using the pro version and the version you have you can not mess with the presets for the mainconcept.mp4. Although with the version you do have, you can create the mainconcept.mp4 version and have it also be 640x480. When you select "make movie", for your project, select the "advanced render" tab and from there you can select the mainconcept.mp4 Like I said it does make an Ipod friendly version with that, it just won't fast start on the webemail me and I can make you some screenshots, probably after Christmas thoughbut I can help you... but if you use the settings from my previous email, that should make a pretty nice looking .264 video out of Quicktime pro Heath http://heathparks.com --- In videoblogging@yahoogroups.com, "RatbagMedia" wrote: > > > Steve Watkins writes: > > What format do you encode to presently? > > > Thanks Steve..I experimented with *Sony AVC* and created a template to > engineer that. But I'm experimenting where I can. > > So I got myself Quicktime Pro and started to work that into my > protocols and then this issue came up in regard to export/import settings. > > Heath writes: > >Like I said, I have been using Vegas, since I started, 3 years ago. I > >use the pro version now, so I do have quite a bit of knowledge on > >this.makes me realize, I should do a screencast on Vegas > >compression settings > > Yes you should as there are many confusions available on the web in > regard to Vegas settings. > > One on compression for Vegas is here: > http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl_BM67VuRw&eurl > Rendering AVC/H.264 Within Sony Vegas > > My son is needing of video compression too and we've started to have > these debates about what protocols to use. So we swap notes and the > note pile is getting higher everyday. > > dave riley >
[videoblogging] Re: Making the most of h.264
Steve Watkins writes: > What format do you encode to presently? Thanks Steve..I experimented with *Sony AVC* and created a template to engineer that. But I'm experimenting where I can. So I got myself Quicktime Pro and started to work that into my protocols and then this issue came up in regard to export/import settings. Heath writes: >Like I said, I have been using Vegas, since I started, 3 years ago. I >use the pro version now, so I do have quite a bit of knowledge on >this.makes me realize, I should do a screencast on Vegas >compression settings Yes you should as there are many confusions available on the web in regard to Vegas settings. One on compression for Vegas is here: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl_BM67VuRw&eurl Rendering AVC/H.264 Within Sony Vegas My son is needing of video compression too and we've started to have these debates about what protocols to use. So we swap notes and the note pile is getting higher everyday. dave riley
[videoblogging] Re: Making the most of h.264
I use Sony Vegas, have since I started vlogging, there are a couple of versions of Vegas that will allow you to create an Ipod friendly format straight from Vegas...Platinum is one of them, I believethe trouble with that option though, is that it will not fast start, so for the web it's useless. And I am not sure if it will work on the iphone, but it will play in an Ipod, etc. Another option is this...(assuming you really want an .264 video file) Export out to an avi file, but make it custom, go under "Advanced Render", select the .avi file, select the "NTSC DV" and then select "Custom", when that comes up, select the video tab and change the field order to "none progessive scan", then in the template tab at the top, rename the "NTSC DV" to something like "New NTSC DV", then hit the save button and then hit ok. Then you can render out to that formatit's still compressing it, but it will not be noticable, (usually, I will get back to that later). as an fyi the reason why you want to select progressive scan is that for video on the web or for that matter for LCD's etc, it will look better once you convert it again. Ok, once you have created the .avi file with the above specs, if you have Quicktime pro, you can then select movie to ipod and you will be good to gothere are still some issues with that, like you can do any presets, etc, but you can create an mp4 file and customize it. Freevlog can explain that pretty well. (www.freevlog.com) look for the tuturials If any of this is a bit confusing, feel free to email me. heathparks[at]msn[dot]com Like I said, I have been using Vegas, since I started, 3 years ago. I use the pro version now, so I do have quite a bit of knowledge on this.makes me realize, I should do a screencast on Vegas compression settings Heath http://heathparks.com --- In videoblogging@yahoogroups.com, "Michael Verdi" wrote: > > You don't want to render your file twice if possible. When you edit in > Sony Vegas you want to edit in the codec you shot, i.e. DV. Then > export it from Vegas in that same codec (effectively making an exact > copy) and then compress it using H.264. > > If you are working with HD footage you probably have to transcode it > before editing. I use a Mac and shoot in HDV. I hate editing HDV so I > transcode it on the fly to the Apple Intermediate Codec when I capture > it in FCP. I haven't tried editing AVCHD but from my understanding > it's not great for editing either. I don't know what the options are > in Vegas but transcoding in FCP is done at such a high bit rate with a > great codec that it's essentially lossless (it's not actually lossless > but the differences must be minuscule). Either way, when I'm done > editing, I export in the codec that I used for editing (I archive > those files on my hard drive and then later DVDs - I have 4 spindles > of discs laying around) before compressing with H.264. > > You don't have to have QuickTime Pro to compress with H.264 but I > don't the options for Windows users. Maybe some of them will jump in > here. > > - Verdi > > On Sun, Dec 21, 2008 at 7:45 AM, RatbagMedia wrote: > > I own up to a lot of confusion. > > > > When you follow the dictates of various videoblogging expertise the > > h.264 codec is a standard recommendation. Not h.263 or just MPEG.4 but > > it has to be the Real McCoy. > > > > Assuming that's correct I have a couple of questions: > > > > (1) Can a file only be rendered to h.264 by using QuickTime Pro? > > > > (2) Since I edit in Sony Vegas (Platinum 9.0)I have to render my video > > file in SV first BEFORE processing it in QuickTime. So what is the > > best format to render the file in Sony Vegas (or some other video > > editor) before importing it into Quicktime for exporting as .mov? > > > > (3) Mac snobbery aside, since I render a file twice, this seems a lot > > of extra effort and lot more time for the sake of image quality and > > iTunes download options. > > > > dave riley > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > http://michaelverdi.com >
[videoblogging] Re: Making the most of h.264
Its not so much to do with mac snobbery, but mostly about a good balance between quality and filesize, although itunes and ipod compatibility are a factor too. Mac snobbery is part of the reason that wmv format is unloved, though windows users have others reasons not be care for wmv much too. Apple did push h.264 quite early on, and as their software & devices support it, whilst microsoft prefers too push its own formats, some users, espeially windows ones, are given the impression that this mp4 and h264 stuff is all about quicktime. In reality there are many other ways to encode and play h264 on Windows and other OS's. But they may sometimes fly under the radar, and may occasionally cause some issues if you want your h264 to work right with ipods, iphones or whatever. Actually thats quite a big issue if you look to closely at the detail, because there is not just one sort of h264 file that is universally compatible with everything, different profiles and resolutions wor with different devices. This is probably a bit better now than a few years back, most prtobably dont worry about it, and just offer their video in 1 or 2 h264 versions at most. Also bear in mind that flash can now play h264 files, so its becoming more normal for this to be the format that is played in peoples browsers (with quicktime nowhere in sight). You can put h264 fiels inside a mov but its better for overall compatibility to make .mp4 files instead. Quicktime can do either, most other apps probably just do .mp4. Apple confuse things further by using the extension .m4v but this is really the same as .mp4, and can be renamed manually for greater compatibility. I had a quick look at the spec for Vegas 9. It supports several different types of h264 export. But being Sony they might refer to h264 as AVC instead, its the same thing really. Just another bit of unnecessary confusion to top things off! Anyway its nowhere near as complicated as my post might suggest, as long as you dont get caught up trying to make it compatible with everything. Hopefully Vegas's own export will work OK for your needs, because having to render to an intermediate format is certainly a pain in terms of lost time & quality. What format do you encode to presently? Although h264 is the norm and has some advantages, its not absolutely essential just yet. Older mpeg4 is still ok. A lot of these issues have been hidden behind flash's dominance of browser video in recent years, people didnt need to care unless they were offering podcast-like downloadable versions of their videos through itunes etc, although now the flash-based video hosts are upping their quality, it becomes an issue again as its probably best to upload h264 to such hosts for best quality results. Cheers Steve Elbows --- In videoblogging@yahoogroups.com, "RatbagMedia" wrote: > > I own up to a lot of confusion. > > When you follow the dictates of various videoblogging expertise the > h.264 codec is a standard recommendation. Not h.263 or just MPEG.4 but > it has to be the Real McCoy. > > Assuming that's correct I have a couple of questions: > > (1) Can a file only be rendered to h.264 by using QuickTime Pro? > > (2) Since I edit in Sony Vegas (Platinum 9.0)I have to render my video > file in SV first BEFORE processing it in QuickTime. So what is the > best format to render the file in Sony Vegas (or some other video > editor) before importing it into Quicktime for exporting as .mov? > > (3) Mac snobbery aside, since I render a file twice, this seems a lot > of extra effort and lot more time for the sake of image quality and > iTunes download options. > > dave riley >
