Best Video file presentation?

[joco]

Hi, looking for for advice on presenting video on a site.

I've tried linking directly to a .mov and embedding Flash using Flash and Dreamweaver 8's new automated skin business but the site owner isn't comfortable yet. His friends couldn't make use of the .mov and he's afraid people won't have Flash 7 player or won't want to get it. I think we'd like to keep the Flash player but also add a download option. From what I've read, I think I want to make an MPEG. Is that the best extension option for catering to Mac and Windows alike? I have a (really big) AVI file. Can I crank an mpeg out of an AVI? Site owner claims iVideo won't let him make an mpeg and I can't seem to do it with Adobe Premiere (not that I claim to be proficient therein).

I read the following from Croc Hunter. Is this a likely option?

I have a heap of DVD tools but to quickly rip DVD to MPG, MPEG4, WMV, VCD etc. I mostly use InterVideo DVDCopy Gold. It's user frendly quick and simple. The trial version is a fully functional product with a time limitation.

Also, any other general movie-including tips would be highly appreciated . . . still learning Flash and have never had a movie file to work with before.

Source is here: http://delphifilmfoundation.com/v2/gallery.html

THANKS

[suttonbaymedia]

Hi Joco,

First, I have just put a 5 minute mpeg VCD (from Premier Pro and that is MPEG 1) on a demo website www.suttonbaymediavideo.com . I hoped I could get away with the size of it, because the quality is good, but people with good connections say it's sticking and buffering. So I have a WMV in reserve (but for some reason I can't get it to work in my html) and I am going to change to that.

So if you have a video that's longer than 5 minutes I don't advise MPEG. To make an AVI into an MPEG or a WMV is the same process on Premier Pro. I am not at my editing computer but I will try to get it close. I think in the file menu, you want to go to Export and select Adobe Media Encoder. There are way too many selections there, but chose MPEG1 VCD (which makes a beautiful Video CD) or Windows Media 9 either 524 or 1020something (can't remember that number!). Then I transfer it to the CD outside of Premier Pro with whatever autorun software I have. I just find it on the drive, ask it to copy, put the CD in and it works.

If you have more questions I'll look more carefully at my system settings and try to answer them. I do 7 minute nonprofit videos of medium difficulty, and I sometimes have trouble with the DVD recording ( I also sometimes have my drives too full!). I ALWAYS render my sequence down to an AVI before I transfer it out to anything. My system doesn't like dumping all those layers and titles and such. Premier says it should work but it doesn't and I always have an easier time with the AVI. I just finished a very simple, no layers family reunion that turned out to be 45 minutes long, and it actually dumped it to a DVD with no trouble.

Oh, you can do me a favor. I can't get my video clip to fill the WMedia player. I have question posted and someone is helping but so far no luck, so any ideas would be appreciated! I got my WM html on a website that I don't have access to right now. If you need that I'll repost. It was really nice because you could select settings before it gave you the html.

[joco]

Thanks . . . I'll look into the Adobe Media Encoder. I wish it was all as easy as "extension 1, 2, or 3."

Basically, my problem is that I have one file, the AVI, and need to figure out how to present it so that Macs and Windows of all kinds can just walk up and see it. I thought Flash was the answer! How to make an mpeg!? :eek:

As for helping you out, all I know to look for is that you have autostart = true :D . . . which you do.

[suttonbaymedia]

Yes, Flash is the answer and I have that on my main site which I didn't build. www.suttonbaymedia.com. There are 4 videos there and that player works wonderfully. I have come across a few people who couldn't see it.

[Croc Hunter]

WMV is Pc and Mac friendly and it's a much smaller filesize. For free and if you have Xp goto Start> Programs> Accessories> Entertainment> Windows Movie Maker. Import your AVI then save in a size to suit your audience. If you stick to Flash older handlers like 6, 5 even 4 will still play a 7 encoded movie.

MPG is the most common format on the web. There are free apps to convert AVI to MPG but for the best result yeah InterVideo or similar is the go. It's a good idea to offer several sizes and formats then your visitors can use what's best for them.

[joco]

Thanks, Croc Hunter!

[joco]

Yeah, so does can anybody name some legit free apps that convert avi to mpeg and all that? I can only find crap converter apps and I can't find a trial version of the InterVideo movie maker.

THANKS

UPDATE! Sorry, here it is for all to see . . . http://www.intervideo.com/jsp/Downloads.jsp

THANKS