Video Compression

[geosha]

Firstly, there was a post on the 20th March with a similar title - http://forum.powweb.com/showthread.php?t=82048
However, it does not answer my query, so I'll make this new post

I use my digital still camera to take short family and sport videos, and it does a great job

After downloading from the camera, the files are in "avi" format
I then use either Windows Media Encoder or Roxio Creator to convert them to "wmv"
All that works fine

I then add Windows Media Player to a web page and add the video
Again, no problems and a couple of examples can be seen by clicking here - http://www.ronebergcairns.com/2009onwards/baseballcairns2009_042.html

(yes, I know ... why was a lefthander catching and why wasn't his hand behind his back out of harms way !!)

The two video files on the above page are not too bad because they are only short, but if I take one, say, of a complete at-bat by Brett or my wife wandering around the garden, the files end up sometimes near 15 to 20Mb

My question is this

Is there a program I can purchase that will compress the video down to a size that will download and start to play quickly ??
...... and naturally I do not want to lose any video quality

Thanks for your time
Regards ...... Geoff

[YvetteKuhns]

Convert your wmv files to flv format using free programs mentioned in another thread. Use Flash to play videos.

[geosha]

Hi Yvette, and ......THANK YOU !!!

Did as you suggested and downloaded a converter

Tried it out ... and a 6.90Mb 'wmv' file is now a 1.19Mb 'flv' file !!
... and there appears to be no difference in quality

Exactly what I wanted

Appreciate your help

Geoff

[YvetteKuhns]

Sorry for the brief reply. I was VERY busy. (See form mailer post.)

I have converted video files for Ian Muir, another PowWeb forum member, so I knew it worked fine. Send a private message to me, if you wish to share your online video.

The flv format is used on YouTube and MySpace and plays as the files download. Those large wmv files can take a while to download and not everyone uses Windows Media Player. Glad you got it working!

:)

[Croc Hunter]

When you get a huge reduction in filsize with little image quality loss it's usually because the original audio was very high quality.

[geosha]

Hi again

Yep, my little Sony digital camera does a great job with videos
They are perfect ... sharp and clear
The only draw back is that they are just 320x240 in size, and they lose a bit of sharpness when adjusted to 640x480, which is the size I like to view at
But that doesn't really matter

Now, I have been playing around with videos all morning ... and I have a problem !!

There is a video here - http://www.ronebergcairns.com/2009onwards/general2009_1469.wmv
As you can see, it is in "wmv" format and is 2.21Mb in size

I converted it to "flv" and the address is - http://www.ronebergcairns.com/2009onwards/general2009_1479.flv
The same video, but now it is just 1.05Mb in size

BUT ... when I try to play it, all I get is a page full of "strange black printing" !!

The video plays perfectly on my computer

So I'm wondering if there is something "special" you need to do when uploading this type of video file ??

Thanks again ...... Geoff

[snowmaker]

Add this to your .htaccess AddType video/x-flv .flv

[geosha]

Appreciate your note

From what you wrote, I 'guessed' that I need to open my Control Panel

I did, and then went to the HTACCESS Editor Section

However, I cannot see any section where I could add AddType video/x-flv .flv as you suggested

Could I ask for a bit more assistance ?

Thanks

[snowmaker]

Here is some more explicit info, Setting custom MIME types (http://www.powweb.com/knowledgebase/read_article.bml?kbid=2627), the extension is flv :)

[Croc Hunter]

AddType will not make links to FLV work.

FLV need controller (player) file/s on the web as they don''t just run when clicked like wmv do. Re-convert and re-upload the file AND it's control file/s (typically a html js swf and xml file). Be sure to upload the flv in Binary mode.

[geosha]

SNOWMAKER

Thanks for the link to the MIME Types
I opened up that section and added ".flv" as the extension
Under file type, I used various combinations of what you wrote
Such as AddType video/x-flv .flv and AddType video/x-flv and video/x-flv .flv and video/x-flv and video, etc, etc
After making each change, I tried to play the video ... but continued to just get the "page of weird scribble" !!
I deleted every change I made and the MIME Types is now back to how it was before I started mucking around with it !!
I appreciate you taking the time to offer your solution

CROCHUNTER

It is no good beating around the bush !! ... I got to be honest here !!
I haven't got a clue what you are talking about !!

Here is what is happening
The "wmv" file is listed in My Documents
I open up the converter I bought yesterday ... this is Aimersoft Video Converter and the web address is http://www.aimersoft.com/video-converter.html
The conversion is done, and the "flv" file appears in My Documents
All is good, and it plays perfectly, and as mentioned, it is much smaller in Mb's

However, there is no sign of the control files that you mentioned in your post !!
And I don't know where to go to find or access them !!

I hate turning this into the "saga" it has become, but could I ask for a bit more asssistance so I can work this out

Regards ...... Geoff

[YvetteKuhns]

I use this free video converter (http://www.dvdvideosoft.com/free-dvd-video-software.htm) and a Flash player swf file to play videos in web pages. The Flash player (for web pages) is used with the Flash code to use the Flash player (installed on viewer computers) to play the videos.

See this website (http://www.beckenhamhistory.co.uk/video.html) hosted on PowWeb for an example. Click the video links on the right to view the videos. You can email me for the file and source code. It only works on the web host server, so you can't play it on your local computer. (Some of the Flash music players work this way, too.)


<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=7,0,0,0" width="320" height="240" id="player" align="middle">
<param name="movie" value="player.swf?file=YourVideoName.flv&size=false&aplay=false&autorew=false&title=" />
<param name="menu" value="false" />
<param name="quality" value="high" />
<param name="bgcolor" value="#999999" />
<embed src="player.swf?file=YourVideoName.flv&size=false&aplay=true&autorew=false&title=" menu="false" quality="high" bgcolor="#999999" width="320" height="240" name="player" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" />
</object>



Replace YourVideoName.flv with the name of your video in flv format. Ask me for player.swf which should be in the same directory as the videos you wish to play. I want to make sure you get the current version that was recently updated after Flash player was updated since the previous version stopped working for some people.

[geosha]

YvetteKuhns

Hi, and I have just sent you a 'PM'

Geoff

[YvetteKuhns]

I got your PM. I am sending a reply and an email to you.

[geosha]

Done !!
My "flv" files are now playing perfectly !!

My thanks to YvetteKuhns

I really appreciated your contact, emails, and the very easy to follow instructions you sent

Regards ...... Geoff

[YvetteKuhns]

Your email said "You did it!" but I didn't do it. I just told you how to do it. YOU did it! Nice job!