best option for WMV encoding on a Mac

[Nate Boston]

Bill,

Forget about a dedicated PC, or even partitioning your Mac for that none-sense! You just need to install Flip4Mac! It’s a third party plug-in that will allow you export WMV’s right out of Final Cut Pro – fast, easy, and with good results. It’s also pretty fast. I have squeeze which works alright, but since finding this it’s all I use. It will take you a couple of test files to get it right, but once you have it down it’s great. And you can save your presents!

https://www.flip4mac.com/wmv.htm

The pro version costs like $30, but they have a free version which works just fine for your basic exporting.

Nate

[Ben Waggoner]

Nate,

Note Flip4Mac is a great solution, but it doesn’t have all the latest and greatest modes of our latest Windows codec. But we continue to work with Telestream to continually enhanced the product.

The same underlying codec powers WMV encoding in both Sorenson Squeeze and Episode Pro, so it’s really a question of the right workflow.

Also, the cheap version of Flip4Mac only offers some presets. You need to pay more for more control or HD encoding.

My Book: https://www.benwaggoner.com/books.htm
Squeeze and ProCoder tutorials: https://www.classondemand.net/benwaggoner/
Compression Class at Stanford: https://www.digitalmediaacademy.org/compression.html

[Nate Boston]

Ben,

Does Squeeze or Episode Pro currently have “all the latest and greatest modes of our latest Windows codec”? From your post it sounds as the only way to get the latest and greatest is to encode the files on a PC using the most current version of Windows. Is this correct?

Also, is Flip4Mac using the same “underlying codec” that powers Squeeze and Episode Pro? If this is the case, then Flip4Mac should encode the files the same – except they’ll come directly out of FCP and not from an entirely different program.

As for the presets, the cheap version comes with over 50. As noted in my last post, you can create your own custom presets and save them for future use. There is no (or very very little) loss of control over the export process, and you can export HD without a hitch.

I believe the version you must pay for offers the ability to convert WMV files to QT’s and vice versa. The cheap version just adds the export feature to FCP. In my opinion, for the money, ease of use, and end result, that is the way to go.

Nate

[Ben Waggoner]

All three apps use the same underlying code, which is currently behind the current Windows implmentation (although we’re working with Telestream to close that gap). That said, these are the more esoteric stuff exposed via registry keys – only high-end customers would even notice the difference.

The full list of Flip4Mac products is here:

https://www.flip4mac.com/wmv.htm

My Book: https://www.benwaggoner.com/books.htm
Squeeze and ProCoder tutorials: https://www.classondemand.net/benwaggoner/
Compression Class at Stanford: https://www.digitalmediaacademy.org/compression.html

[Rich Rubasch]

Flip4Mac is great for quick small WMV files but it will not match the precision of the FREE windows media encoder. I export a reference clip from FCP and open it in MPEG Streamclip (again, FREE). In MPEG Streamclip I export an AVI movie and compress the video using Apple’s PhotoJPEG at 75% and keep audio uncompressed. This gives me a great looking AVI I can take over to the PC. I do have a dedicated PC and there are many GREAT reasons to have one (c’mon boys they’re cheap!) in the shop. I still use eDVD to make cross-platform DVD’s with ROM content for example and author PC Powerpoint for clients…much more.

You run the AVI file you created on your mac thru the Windows Media encoder and you can get excellent looking WMV clips that can be FULL SCREEN and look pristine. Excellent if you want to show a full screeen clip on ANY PC.

Again I have both Flip4Mac (small quick encodes for basic approval and of course the Quicktime extension for viewing in QT player) AND a PC for doing those encodes that I want to be the smallest size but the best looking. I have used nothing that does this better than the FREE Microsoft encoder.

So to review…..I use Flip4Mac almost every day to view WMV in QT and to create small low to med quality review clips for clients. I use the FREE MPEGStreamclip to make AVI clips that I take over to the PC (via simple USB jump drive) and make my critical (especially full screen) encodes on the PC.

My clients know that when it really counts I can deliver the best quality clips because of a comprehensive workflow…..I can also save them money by using a quick solution like Flip4Mac for the less critical review clips.

That’s my story…..stickin’ to it.

Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media Inc.

[Bill Crawford]

Hi Ben,

So – as the resident WMV expert – can I get better quality WMV files encoding with Procoder, or the free MS encoder running on a MacPro under windows with either Bootcamp, or Parallels?

I’ve been using the full up versions of Squeeze and Episode for a number of years, but even with careful work, I’m not seeing the quality I’ve seen from others work on Windows PCs.

I recall at one point or another seeing a post of yours mentioning using a Mac and a windows encoder.

Thoughts?

Bill

[Ben Waggoner]

Windows Media Encoder and ProCoder both use the same version of the codec on the system, so you’ll get the same quality out of the codec either way. That said, I think ProCoder has better preprocessing most of the time.

Bootcamp or Parallels won’t make a quality difference. However if you’re on a multicore machine, you’re better off in Bootcamp, since Parallels only allows a single thread to run in Windows.

My Book: https://www.benwaggoner.com/books.htm
Squeeze and ProCoder tutorials: https://www.classondemand.net/benwaggoner/
Compression Class at Stanford: https://www.digitalmediaacademy.org/compression.html

[Nate Boston]

“All three apps use the same underlying code, which is currently behind the current Windows implementation (although we’re working with Telestream to close that gap).”

So all three app’s use the came underlying code – I get that. That same code is also being used on the current Windows implementation (I assume we’re talking about Vista) – I get that as well. However, when you say you are working with Telestream to close that gap – I don’t understand what you mean. If all three apps AND Windows are using the same underlying code, where is there a gap?

“these are the more esoteric stuff exposed via registry keys”

What “stuff” are you referring to? Are you saying that the everyday user won’t notice a quality difference between Squeeze and Flip4Mac? I’m also not sure what you mean when you talk about registry keys. Could you clarify?

Nate

[Bill Crawford]

Hi Ben,

So do I understand you correctly – that running windows and a windows based encoder on a Mac under Bootcamp will allow me to have a better WMV encode than using the Telestream WMV encoder thats the base of Squeeze or Episode?

Bottom line here is that I have several new intel macs, and if I can avoid putting in a dedicated PC for just WMV encoding, that would be great.

But if encoding under windows on a Mac will be no different that using the QT based WMV products – Squeeze and Episode, then I guess I’ll just keep plugging along looking for improvements there.

Thanks,

Bill

[Craig Seeman]

Episode does a very good job creating WMV files but running WME on an Intel Mac (Bootcamp or Parallel) is basically a Windows box (which is why bootcamp works). It would be interesting to see if one could run WME in “Crossover” though.