How to create streaming video from an AVI file?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Someone asked me create a bunch of streaming videos for his website so
that they can be viewable with Windows Media Player, RealPlayer and QuickTime.
It will be used by people with different connection speeds: 56K and Cable/DSL.

Suppose I have an AVI file 704x480 NTSC. How can I create those streaming
videos. What resolution, what bit rate, what format, what tools, etc? I know
how to create DVD compliant MPEG-2 with TMPGenc and how to then author them,
but I have never dealt with streaming videos. Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks.

--Leonid

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

> Someone asked me create a bunch of streaming videos for his website so
> that they can be viewable with Windows Media Player, RealPlayer and
QuickTime.
> It will be used by people with different connection speeds: 56K and
Cable/DSL.
>
> Suppose I have an AVI file 704x480 NTSC. How can I create those
streaming
> videos. What resolution, what bit rate, what format, what tools, etc?
I know
> how to create DVD compliant MPEG-2 with TMPGenc and how to then author
them,
> but I have never dealt with streaming videos. Any help will be
appreciated.


I don't have time to open it up and get all the specific specs but if
you can get a hold of Canopus' ProCoder, it takes about four or five
clicks.

 

[martin]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

"Leonid Makarovsky" <venom@cs.bu.edu> wrote in message
news:c69mbe$rg7$1@news3.bu.edu...
> Someone asked me create a bunch of streaming videos for his website so
> that they can be viewable with Windows Media Player, RealPlayer and
QuickTime.
> It will be used by people with different connection speeds: 56K and
Cable/DSL.
>
> Suppose I have an AVI file 704x480 NTSC. How can I create those streaming
> videos. What resolution, what bit rate, what format, what tools, etc? I
know
> how to create DVD compliant MPEG-2 with TMPGenc and how to then author
them,
> but I have never dealt with streaming videos. Any help will be
appreciated.
>
> Thanks.
>
> --Leonid

You can convert most formats to Windows Media type with Microsoft's Windows
Media Encoder.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/encoder/default.aspx

Real's Real Producer will convert to Real Media - the free Producer is
functional but feature limited and you'd have to pay for the full version.
http://www.realnetworks.com/products/producer/

QuickTime - i'm not sure if there's an official QT tool but no doubt a
search on QT's website will tell.

HTH.

Martin.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Leonid Makarovsky <venom@cs.bu.edu> wrote in message news:<c69mbe$rg7$1@news3.bu.edu>...
> Someone asked me create a bunch of streaming videos for his website so
> that they can be viewable with Windows Media Player, RealPlayer and QuickTime.
> It will be used by people with different connection speeds: 56K and Cable/DSL.
>
> Suppose I have an AVI file 704x480 NTSC. How can I create those streaming
> videos. What resolution, what bit rate, what format, what tools, etc? I know
> how to create DVD compliant MPEG-2 with TMPGenc and how to then author them,
> but I have never dealt with streaming videos. Any help will be appreciated.
>
> Thanks.
>
> --Leonid

Easiest and free way I found was to type in exactly what your after in
an engine like google. Something like this:

AVI to wmv freeware

You will get a bunch of listings and choose which one is appropriate.

Mpeg will play in all of those but file size is too big so the best
way (if your friend has server space) is to offer options.
ie. files for Windows Media Player, RealPlayer and QuickTime

if you have flash you can convert the avi's to .swf format and the
users browser will open and stream the video whether they are mac or
pc users

As for technical specs, if you want one file to cover all connection
speed they u need to go with a data rate of around 40kb, window size
of 160 x 120 and a frame rate of 5 to 6 frames per second.

hope that helps
Mark
To improve your video taking technique in ten minutes or less visit:
http://www.kmsvideo.com
To learn all aspects of video production from equipment to web video,
camcorders to video business visit:
http://video-production-mastery.com

Ps. type avi to swf into google an see what you get... i was going to
but too tired now so going to bed.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

>QuickTime - i'm not sure if there's an official QT tool but no doubt a
>search on QT's website will tell.
>

I've done some streaming quicktime stuff, but does anyone know how the big
studios get that super-high quality stuff online so small?

I mean, I did a relatively small(about 400X300 pixels) 50 second clip and it
was HUGE. But I've seen some really nice studio trailers that were only like 40
megs, and they're over 2 minutes long.

Any idea what kind of compression or tricks are used for this?

 

[Daniel]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

"Mitch Farger" <mitchfarger@aol.comremoveme> wrote in message
news:20040423042641.23183.00000148@mb-m24.aol.com...
> >QuickTime - i'm not sure if there's an official QT tool but no doubt a
> >search on QT's website will tell.
> >
>
> I've done some streaming quicktime stuff, but does anyone know how the big
> studios get that super-high quality stuff online so small?
>
> I mean, I did a relatively small(about 400X300 pixels) 50 second clip and
it
> was HUGE. But I've seen some really nice studio trailers that were only
like 40
> megs, and they're over 2 minutes long.
>
> Any idea what kind of compression or tricks are used for this?

http://home.comcast.net/~prototracer/Streaming/VoteForMe.wmv

Shot with Sony TRC-730 saved as Streaming Mpeg with Pinnacle S-8

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Mitch Farger wrote:

>>QuickTime - i'm not sure if there's an official QT tool but no doubt a
>>search on QT's website will tell.
>>
>
>
> I've done some streaming quicktime stuff, but does anyone know how the big
> studios get that super-high quality stuff online so small?

For the Video - Sorenson 3 Pro version, which is different than the
basic version, which might be what your using. The Pro version lets you
do Multipass encoding, at a VBR, so it optimizes the maximum. Plus, a
slightly lower frame rate sometimes. Data rates are about 90 to as much
as 170 Kb/s.

For the Audio - Qmusic Pro version, which also is different than the
standard version. It's sort of like mp3, but works well with Quicktime.
Most trailers use about 44kHz/16 bits stereo or mono.

> I mean, I did a relatively small(about 400X300 pixels) 50 second clip and it
> was HUGE. But I've seen some really nice studio trailers that were only like 40
> megs, and they're over 2 minutes long.
>
> Any idea what kind of compression or tricks are used for this?

Frame size a little to do with file size. Just because you make it
smaller, it doesn't mean that the file is going to get smaller. Instead
concentrate on data rates. Try about 90kb/s, and compare quality with
size, and see if you can't come to something that's a nice middle ground.

Although I haven't tried it, I hear Cleaner is a good program for making
Quicktime files, but I personally use Quicktime Pro, as it's about 20
bucks, and worth every penny.

Hope this helps.

-Richard

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Daniel wrote:

> "Mitch Farger" <mitchfarger@aol.comremoveme> wrote in message
> news:20040423042641.23183.00000148@mb-m24.aol.com...
>
>>>QuickTime - i'm not sure if there's an official QT tool but no doubt a
>>>search on QT's website will tell.
>>>
>>
>>I've done some streaming quicktime stuff, but does anyone know how the big
>>studios get that super-high quality stuff online so small?
>>
>>I mean, I did a relatively small(about 400X300 pixels) 50 second clip and
>
> it
>
>>was HUGE. But I've seen some really nice studio trailers that were only
>
> like 40
>
>>megs, and they're over 2 minutes long.
>>
>>Any idea what kind of compression or tricks are used for this?
>
>
> http://home.comcast.net/~prototracer/Streaming/VoteForMe.wmv
>
> Shot with Sony TRC-730 saved as Streaming Mpeg with Pinnacle S-8

That's not MPEG. It's windows Media V8, which is NOT mpeg1, or mpeg2,
or even mpeg4..

A couple of notes here. This is an extremely low motion video. A very
low ratio of pixels actually move on the scene, which makes for an easy
job for the encoder. Difficult to compare this to a movie trailer
because constant motion in movie trailers. The type of clips used in a
movie trailer are specifically chosen by a trailer house to generate
interest in the movie. Lots of motion in scenes, gets the viewer
excited about movie, combined with lots of quick cuts. Which makes for a
much higher amount of key frames than a still frame video. There's a
whole science involved in making trailers, and it's completely off topic
for this thread. so...

Lots of motion in a trailer = high bit rate for the codec to process,
thus larger sizes, even if you choose a VBR technique.

I am a fan of the Windows Media 9 CODEC, I think Microsoft did a really
good job in their latest incarnation of video though.

-Richard

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Thanks to everyone who responded. I got .wmv and .rm files outta AVI. Thanks.

--Leonid

Leonid Makarovsky <venom@cs.bu.edu> wrote:
: Someone asked me create a bunch of streaming videos for his website so
: that they can be viewable with Windows Media Player, RealPlayer and QuickTime.
: It will be used by people with different connection speeds: 56K and Cable/DSL.

: Suppose I have an AVI file 704x480 NTSC. How can I create those streaming
: videos. What resolution, what bit rate, what format, what tools, etc? I know
: how to create DVD compliant MPEG-2 with TMPGenc and how to then author them,
: but I have never dealt with streaming videos. Any help will be appreciated.

: Thanks.

: --Leonid