>I've been asked to create a small presentation application for a client. The
>original one was in PowerPoint but they were convinced that Flash is a
>better substitute for there needs. The piece will be distributed as a cross
>platform CDROM.
>
>Unfortunately, I've since found out that they have a couple of 30-second
>video segments that need to be imbedded within the piece and Flash doesn't
>handle this well.
>
>The piece is uncomplicated (remember, in it's last incarnation it was in
>PowerPoint). But it needs to be cross platform and it must work.
>
>Has anyone absolutely created a standalone cross platform app that
>incorporates QT? I'm sort of asking since ... a) it needs to work (this is a
>client after all, not just me, a former HC developer, messing around), and
>b) the guys will be digitizing the video for me within a few days and they
>need to know what format to save it in soon.
>
>Also, I'm assuming the QT is a better cross platform choice as opposed to
>AVI and MPEG (both of which are also supported, no?)?
>
>Thanks to all in advance! Email me off list if necessary.
>
>David
I've used both MetaCard and Revolution to produce cross-platform
products with QuickTime videos.
In a MetaCard development, I used QuickTime with embedded Flash
animations together with an added voice-over sound track and an added
text caption track. Using MetaCard I was able to offer silent
playback with captions, animation with voice-over, and animation with
voice-over and captions. This is easily controlled from within
MetaCard/revolution. I used QuickTime Pro to add the voice-over
track (recorded separately) and the text caption track. All of this
MetaCard development could have been done in the current version of
Revolution (it just predated the release of Revolution).
In a current development using Revolution, I am providing a small
number of video clips in QuickTime for a CD-ROM course to do with
cartooning. The video clips were developed either as camera
recordings (both analog and digital) or as playback sequences from
Painter 6.1. I edited these using Premiere 5.1 to include video
effects, titles and summary points and saved them as QuickTime
cross-platform video clips using the Sorenson 3 CODEC (video
compression scheme). I shall be adding voice-over sound tracks using
QuickTime Pro. All video playback is controlled by my Revolution
CD-ROM based application. This all works completely from CD-ROM and
cross-platform.
The key issue when using any video playback system, especially
cross-platform, is the CODECs (COder-DECoder) available on your
end-users systems. There are a whole range of them - some good for
graphics but poor for "ordinary video". If you install the free
QuickTime 5 viewer on both Mac & PC you should check to see what
CODECs come as standard. With QT5 you can rely upon Sorenson 2 and
Sorenson 3, also Cinepaq. I'm particularly keen on Sorenson (v3 with
QT 5, or v2 with QT 4). Other CODECs include Indeo 3, 4 and 5
(originally from Intel) and various Apple and Windows specific ones
that are not cross-platform. I'd definitely go for Sorenson if
including traditional recorded video material. If working from
Flash, then simply export directly to QuickTime! The following link
has a useful,intro to various CODECs and further links elsewhere:
http://www.adobe.com/support/techguides/premiere/prmr_codecs/page4.html
In my early days with MetaCard I tried avoiding QuickTime and relying
on AVI. I soon learnt the error of my ways! QT offers better
quality, reliable cross-platform and is much more fully supported by
MetaCard and Revolution!
Cheers
Peter
--
Peter Reid
Reid-IT Limited, Loughborough, Leics., UK
Tel: +44 (0)1509 268843 Fax: +44 (0)870 052 7576
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Web: http://www.reidit.co.uk
