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Compression
Settings
Once
you have decided which players
to create files for, you must
choose some compression settings
for your video. Remember that
you can create multiple files
in different formats from your
original uncompressed movie.
Here are some common setting choices:
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Connection
speed
Real and Quicktime formats allow you to optimize your files
for certain connection speeds. Connection choices usually include
28kbps, 56K, TI, LAN, 256K, ISDN. This allows you to create
the highest quality file you think your particular users can
handle without always have to cater to the lowest common denominator.
In fact, Real and Quicktime both allow you to choose more than
one connection speed. The file that gets served to the user
is determined by the connection speed preferences selected by
the user. In Quicktime, this is called creating alternates.
In Real, this is called SureStream.
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Stream
. . or not!
When you prepare your file, you need to decide if the file
will be used on a streaming server so that the files can be
compressed with the appopriate tracks embedded in them. Quicktime
uses the term hinted movie. Real uses the term SureStream.
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Codec
A codec is a formula that is used to compress video. Different
codecs were created for different purposes and some result in
better quality video than others. Quicktime Pro allows you to
choose a variety of codecs. The most popular is the Sorenson
codec because of how much clarity the video generally retains.
Real and Windows Media also use a variety of codecs.
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Frame
rate
The
number of frames per second
displayed during playback.
At 12-15 frames per second
(fps), the human eye can
detect
individual frames. This is
why some web-delivered video
may appear jerky at times.
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