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| jfreiden |
| Posted: Sep 16 2002, 11:48 PM |
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Unregistered
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Where can I find statistics (rough or accurate) on how many users have the various AVI codecs?
I've tested the various compression methods in VirtualDub, so I have a good idea of the quality they each provide, but the other (almost more important) part of the equation is how many users will be able to view the movie clips I create.
User bases I expect to serve:
- people using office computers with new Windows / MS systems
- family, relatives, and friends with older computers, mostly still PCs
- tech savvy friends
- designer and multimedia folks who use Macs
I have a vague idea of what these groups have -- the corporate folks probably have the latest Indeo and MS codecs; the friends and family probably have older Indeo and MS codecs; the tech savvy people have DIVX (or can get it); and Mac users probably prefer Quicktime or RealVideo. But I'd like more specific knowledge.
So, anyone know where I can find some hard statistics on AVI codec user bases?
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| John Cline |
| Posted: Sep 17 2002, 02:39 PM |
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Just by the sheer number of machines with Windows Media Player, it is reasonable to assume that Windows Media v7 or v8 is the most universally compatible format with which to create your videos. Fortunately, Windows Media looks quite good, particularly if you use the free command-line encoder from Microsoft which is capable of true two-pass encoding. The 4% of the market that are using MACs can easily download the Windows Media Player.
John
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| fccHandler |
| Posted: Sep 17 2002, 04:13 PM |
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Administrator n00b
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For my 2 cents, I think that MPEG-1 is the most universally compatible format.
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May the FOURCC be with you... |
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| bobsobol |
| Posted: Sep 17 2002, 08:29 PM |
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I agree, I encourage anyone and everyone to aviod installing Windows Media 7/8, unless it comes with your OS.
I dearn't go to XP, and this is one reason. I hope that the authors of IEradicator and Windows 98 Lite will have a Media Player Eradicator for XPoo by the time I am forced to upgread, so I can go back to MP6, the last of the "No frills, All you need" media players.
Quick Time is a excelent alternative, even if you can't un-skin it. And most of my friends and family don't have the hardware to go beyond 98/NT though with a little upgread the could probably handel 2K. They won't be makeing any expendature of that nature for a good coupe of years or so however. And why should they, when my folks can't even manage a mouse, and uninstall any Windows program that dosn't give them sufficient control from the keyboard to operate it...?
I'll keep sending MPEG-1 files to these ppl, as even a half-way decent AGA Amiga can use these files, let alone a Modern Mac.  And for all that, it's pretty good quality IMHO. Not hugely small but pretty good.  |
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| Sarreq Teryx |
| Posted: Sep 18 2002, 02:31 AM |
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VirtualdubMod Alpha tester
Group: Vdubmod Alpha Testing Team
Posts: 175
Member No.: 41
Joined: 16-July 02
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WMP6 is still there, you just have to change the associations for video (and maybe audio, unless you use something else) to mplayer2.exe in the same folder as WMP7/8/9
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And as I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, Lord, thy balls and shaft, they comfort me, you annoint my head with oil, some salt, a dash of pepper, a sprigg of parsley......Lord?............Lord??? What dost thou intend to do with that fork??? |
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| jfreiden |
| Posted: Sep 18 2002, 07:05 AM |
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I want to create video files that will support a least-common-denominator Windows Media Player user base. Let's assume Windows Media Player 6.4. Which of the following codecs should I choose for compression using VirtualDub? Is one of these the MPEG-1 codec?
Cinepak Codec by Radius
DivX ;-) MPEG-4 Fast-Motion
DivX ;-) MPEG-4 Low-Motion
DivX 5.0.2 Codec
Indeo video 5.10
Intel Indeo® Video R3.2
Microcrap MPEG-4 Video Codec V3
Microsoft Video 1
XviD MPEG-4 Codec
Or should I just use Windows Media Encoder (and if so, which version)?
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsme...oad/default.asp |
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| fccHandler |
| Posted: Sep 18 2002, 03:17 PM |
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Administrator n00b
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Sorry, MPEG-1 is a completely other format and VirtualDub is not capable of producing MPEG-1 content. For that you would need TMPGEnc. However, MPEG-1 is an international standard and the files are playable on just about any system.
Given the AVI codecs you have listed, Cinepak comes with Windows 95 up, so anybody running Windows already has this codec. All of your DivX and MPEG-4 variations require the end-user to download the codec. Indeo R3.2 also comes with Windows, but Cinepak is better. Indeo 5.10 is better than Cinepak, but I'm not sure if it's supported on Macintosh. (Comments from Mac people needed...) Avoid Microsoft Video 1 like the plague.
So for maximum compatibility the winner is Cinepak, which ain't sayin much. I still say you should get into producing MPEG-1 video. You can still use VirtualDub's filter chain and frameserve the output to TMPGEnc for encoding. It isn't complicated to do, and there are all kinds of step-by-step tutorials on the Web.
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May the FOURCC be with you... |
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| Neo Neko |
| Posted: Sep 18 2002, 07:15 PM |
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VirtualdubMod Alpha tester
Group: Vdubmod Alpha Testing Team
Posts: 474
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Joined: 11-July 02
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Playing to the lowest common denominator will only do one thing for you. And that is make you go insane. People out there still use Windows 3.11/95, Netscape 2.x, and IE 3.x. All this fud about not wanting them to have to download or install anything is useless as well. They have a computer. They are now computer users. They should learn how to save files and click on the installer to install them. Phew that was hard! Took all of 3 clicks. Now as for having them do any CLI mumbo jumbo or regedit, and possibly even a simple file copy is probably out of the question. But they could double click an installer and let it do it's work.
The lowest common denominator is useless. Go for the most reasonable common denominator. Say people with 98 or better and reasonably up to date software and the ability to install more if necessary. |
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| ChristianHJW |
| Posted: Sep 18 2002, 08:37 PM |
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Advanced Member
Group: Moderators
Posts: 1768
Member No.: 2
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Here is what i would do :
Encode with DivX3.11 / nandub 2 Pass ( still excellent quality, absolutley comparable to DivX 5 ) and then change the FourCC from 'div3' / 'div4' to 'mp43' , as all users with standard WMP 7 will be able to play the material ...
Ooops !! I havent said that !! I forgot DivX3.11 is illegal and not allowed to be discussed here 
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Visit the unofficial Virtualdub support forum on http://forums.virtualdub.org - help to reduce the big number of emails Avery Lee is getting every day !!
Support matroska as container and Gstreamer as the only truely open, x-platform multimedia platform .... |
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| fccHandler |
| Posted: Sep 18 2002, 08:46 PM |
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Administrator n00b
Group: Moderators
Posts: 3961
Member No.: 280
Joined: 13-September 02
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 ChristianHJW didn't say that. You are all asleep in bed and dreaming this right now!
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May the FOURCC be with you... |
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| bobsobol |
| Posted: Sep 18 2002, 10:31 PM |
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I didn't hear what Christian said and my eyes went a bit blurry over the codec he mentioned, but I wouldn't do as he suggests simply because of the fact that M$ don't acknowlege what we all know.... That mpg43 is acceptable for AVI files.... and some versions of WMP freak at it freezing for almost a second and then rapidly dashing up to the frame it should be on etc.
I also disagree with the Cinepak vs. Indeo though it dose depend on wither your video is computer generated, animated (cartoon) and stop motion, or, wether it is live action with possible jitter in the background, dust, smoke, leaves etc which is hard for such simple codecs to cope with.
TMPGani for me, or Indeo if you must produce AVI only, Ligos is the current produced and copywright holder of Indeo and they are (IMS, thier Web Site is being as slow a goat with no leggs tonight) very willing to support Macs as Mac ppl have been supporting video nuts like them and all of us for far longer and harder than PC ppl. I'm dern sure I have Indeo codecs for QuickTime. QuickTime 5 always worked for me on Win95 though CinePak, MS Video 1 or Indeo 3 was all I could manage on Win 3.11 or Amiga.
Heres even another idea!:-
Have you looked at RAD Tools Bink & Smacker? The former is very good and can be build into Executable files (no codec download, install, player etc) for either PC or Mac and binaries are available in x86, 68k & PPC processors. Page Link |
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