-
Avi
I have a client who wants me to provide AVIs. Everyone tells me that’s almost impossible as AVI is a wrapper and their are a zillion Codecs. But why is possible for me to download AVIs off the web and never have a problem playing them? Can someone help? If I could just find a way to give him AVIs is would be great. I’m on Mac and he’s on PC. I’m on OS 10.4.11 on a power PC using FCP 6.0.6. I generally exprt out a a .mov from FCP and do conversions like mpeg4 using Mpeg Stream Clip.
-
10 Replies
-
Usually an AVI is either uncompressed, hardware based or most likely DivX.
Whatever, AVI is best avoided.
__________________________________________________________________
Sent from my iPad Nano. -
But wait! Get MPEG Streamclip and find out if your PC guy has Quicktime loaded on their PC. Using MPEG Streamclip export an AVI with the DV NTSC codec and also try one with the PhotoJPEG at 75% quality setting as well. I use these all the time to go to my PC with QT installed.
Works and looks great.
Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media Inc.
Video Production and Post
Owner/President/Editor/Designer/Animator
https://www.tiltmedia.com -
But wait, if the PC guy has Quicktime installed, why bother with AVI!!??? FFS!!!
__________________________________________________________________
Sent from my iPad Nano. -
Sometimes corporate clients are all PC based and their IT department won’t allow Quicktime to be installed. Sounds crazy I know, but we’ve seen it on numerous occasions. They may also have an application they’re using (like digital signage systems) that require AVIs. We have a client that has digital signage at all their locations and the software requires a certain size AVI. That’s all that will work with it.
There could be many other reasons. Of course, they could also just have the acronym “avi” stuck in their head when any type of digital file that’s playable on their computer could work.
Chris Blair
Magnetic Image, Inc.
Evansville, IN
http://www.videomi.com -
Hi, thanks very much. I will try the photo Jpeg option. I’m in South Africa, he’s in Holland, so maybe DV PAL will work too. I don’t know why he’s so stuck on it – he can read my Quicktimes without a problem, but he basically made me sign a contract saying I’d provide AVI’s, which I really thought weren’t going to be a problem. He then needs to make copies that’ll go out on many PCs, so he wants what is compatible and best quality. Last time, after researching it and realising I had these dud AVIs out of Mepg Streamclip, I gave him MPEG2 which I got a post facility to make for me, and they worked fine, but this whole issue of promising AVIs I can’t deliver is going to keep coming back.
-
Windows Media files would be more compatible for Windows PC users than AVIs. However, I thought Quicktime Pro exported to AVI files? Or is that just the Quicktime for Windows version??
Worth looking at on your Mac though. Also, doesn’t Final Cut come with an encoding app that can export to AVI? Just wondering.
Chris Blair
Magnetic Image, Inc.
Evansville, IN
http://www.videomi.com -
Hi Chris – the problem is which Codec to use out of all of them and I can’t make WMV on my Mac. Well, not with anything I’ve got
-
But if MPEG Streamclip can output an AVI file, I’m not sure I understand the problem. If you’re outputting a Divx AVI, I believe your client would need to download and install the freebie Divx player to play the AVI file. If you’re outputting an H264 file in an AVI wrapper, your client would need to have Quicktime installed I believe.
But on the Windows version you can also select “output to other formats” and select AVI and output in either Cinepak or DV formats as well. The problem with AVI is that those codecs are really old, which means your client would also need to have them installed on their system to play the file. Most Windows users would have them, but not all, and the DV formats are limited to 720×480 pixel sizes.
The other solution is to invest in a dedicated encoding program like Telestream Episode. It’s only $499 or so and worth it.
Chris Blair
Magnetic Image, Inc.
Evansville, IN
http://www.videomi.com -
Here’s why you would use AVI with either DV or PhotoJPEG going to a PC. Windows Media Encoder will NOT read from a standard QT movie, even though the computer can read a QT just fine. BUT, and AVI movie with either DV NTSC or PhotoJPEG can be read and encoded with WME. Not sure exactly why, but just making it an AVI seems to fool WME to accept the format.
That way the file you send can be fully utilized by the person on the PC.
Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media Inc.
Video Production and Post
Owner/President/Editor/Designer/Animator
https://www.tiltmedia.com -
Great – thanks very much
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up