AVI or MOV ?

[Kevin Camp]

avi and mov are just containers or wrappers, they can actually use the same compression (dv, mpeg, uncompressed, etc) but they format the data structure slightly differently.

so, essentially there is no difference in quality if you are using the same codec (like dv, mpeg, uncmopressed, etc.).

however, from ae, you’ll have more compression options rendering to mov than having to file>export to avi.

Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW

[Cory Petkovsek]

To add to the mix, yes your result will be different if you choose a different codec (not container: avi/mov). They all have different algorithms and as Dave says some are better than others for different applications. You need to look at your needs, then find codecs that meet those. For instance one of mine is a cross platform codec that allows me to work with footage in a couple software programs on both windows and mac. Thus Avid DNxHD or Cineform are the best ones for this. QT Animation, or image sequences are also options, but at a higher data rate. Some codecs natively work in mov, some in avi, some in others. Plan on spending a lot of time studying this, over time.

Cory

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Cory Petkovsek
Corporate Video