Hey Pros! How do you output your QTs to insure that PC users can easily see them?

[Todd Beabout]

Go with MPEG-1 from compressor. It will play in QuickTime, Windows Media Player, RealPlayer, VLC, you name it. You pretty much can’t go wrong with that.

I found the flip4mac to NOT give me acceptable quality. The wmv’s it creates are terrible IMO. Sorenson Squeeze works well, but I believe we run it off a networked PC. Don’t believe the Mac version does wmv.

But unless they request a wmv, try the .mpg.

-Todd Beabout
Vazda Studios

[Beelaster]

Todd-

Thanks! I’m sending (the client) along a new stack of streams using this method. If all is not well at this point I will assume the client is tech-challenged and offer a personal delivery so I can peep his setup. It’s a gov’t office, so I’m assuming maybe they are on some dinosaur gear*.

As always, I appreciate the help.

Now that I’ve given’r and Compressed an .mp4 file….
Q. A funny Compressor phenomenon: a 10MB file becomes a 37.5MB file. Not the best size 4 the average web person. At the risk of stating another post, how does one manage the end file size, assuming that my original method for doing this (opening an mp4 in QT and exporting as ‘self-contained’ to make it an .mov for the world to see) is problematic for windows (L)users?

Bee

*naturally and of course we are having lighthearted ha-has and are not making global statements about the gov’t workplace. Ahem.

[Todd Beabout]

OK. Try this:

Select your sequence in FCP in your Browser and right-click. Select Export>Using Compressor. Now, in Compressor click the setting button in your “Batch” window. Scroll up to “Web Download (QuickTime 6 compatible) and select “MPEG-1”. This is the file type that I was saying is compatible with many different video programs cross-platform. If you do an .mp4 there are still many who will not be able to view it, especially at a government facility.

Now, up in the “Inspector” tab you should be able to find a slider that controls bitrate. By lowering this you will lower your final file size, at the cost of quality.

If you do this kind of thing a lot you might want to look into a program like Sorenson Squeeze. It gets :30 TV spots down to about 1.5 MB each (@ 15fps 320×240) which is easily e-mailed to clients. Give it a try, or Cleaner by Discreet, although that program is less desirable IMHO.

Good luck!

-Todd Beabout
Vazda Studios

[Beelaster]

Todd

You rule, and, by extension, I rule. Thanks so much for your help.

Bee