QT to WMV in Squeeze – Best Options

[Craig Seeman]

[Christopher Travis] “need to convert a XDCAM EX QuickTime movie into a WMV with little or no loss.”
Encoding is lossy.
[Christopher Travis] “The client has asked for high quality so I want it as high as possible. “
Which may be unplayable on many devices. Did you ever see the movie “This is Spinal Tap?” This reminds of the desire to have an amp that goes to 11.

I think you really need to learn some basics about compression especially before offering such services to clients. You need to know the target and then make compromises with bit rate and frame size so it can play on that target. An 8 core desktop might be one thing, Cable Modem another, cell phone yet another, dial-up still another

[Christopher Travis] “I have looked at the WMV codecs in squeeze and they all seem to be for streaming/download except for the 1080i50 codec which seems to export some crazy .vc1 file. “

What’s crazy about .vc1? You can create a custom setting but there’s no “11” setting. You need to know what you’re targeting.

Would you drive down the block to the grocery store at 200mph just because your car can go that fast?

Without a target there’s nothing I can offer.

[Christopher Travis]

Ok, yes I know encoding is lossy but I was hoping there might be a way to re-wrap from quicktime to wmv in a virtually lossless way with squeeze.

I know a fair bit about compression but the client does not. I’m no expert but I have been using Compressor for 3 years and only recently started using Sorenson for outputting flash videos for my companies website. Previously all flash encoding was done by the web developer with whom we have parted ways, so we have taken control of uploading the content.

I am aware that different methods of distribution have different requirements but the client has simply asked for a high quality WMV file. They don’t really know what they want to use it for. The video wasn’t made specifically for them, they haven’t paid for it, it just featured them and they want a copy. A high quality wmv file. What they do with it is not my concern I just want to give them as high a quality file as I can muster so that whatever they do choose to do with it, they wont be limited by the resolution. Then I want to get on with the million and one other things I have to do today.

Thanks very much for the Spinal Tap reference. I felt it was completely relevant, highly illuminating, not at all patronizing. All in all it really brightened up my day.

So am I to assume from this that there is no simple way to re-wrap and XDCAM EX clip from QT to WMV? Or a way of creating a high quality WMV file?

[Craig Seeman]

[Christopher Travis] “I have been using Compressor for 3 years and only recently started using Sorenson for outputting flash videos for my companies website. “

H.264 .mov from Compressor works fine in Flash. It has since December 2007.

[Christopher Travis] “client has simply asked for a high quality WMV file. They don’t really know what they want to use it for.”
It just doesn’t work that way. Of course you could do a 1 pass VBR with Quality set to 100 which is “archival” but when they find they can’t play it on much of anything you should bill them again. Once they find out they can’t play, they’ll probably explain what they need it for . . . or you could ask. If they don’t know than what I just mentioned will pass for the highest quality Windows Media Video archival.

[Christopher Travis] “So am I to assume from this that there is no simple way to re-wrap and XDCAM EX clip from QT to WMV? Or a way of creating a high quality WMV file? “
Not re-wrap. Re-wrap means preserving the essence. That’s what a container is rather than a codec. .mov is a container, MXF is a container, .AVI is a container, WMV is a codec (or some variations on a codec actually).

See above, 1 pass VBR Quality set to 100. It’s the best you can do. The data rate may be ridiculously high. It may not even playback from a hard drive on some systems without dropping frames. It can be used as a source file. Generally I’d recommend using the “essence” in a wrapper (container) instead.

You could just give them the MP4 (in BPAV folder) but MXF might be OK. If they don’t know what they want it for there’s may not be much reason to give them WMV. Giving them the “essence” in a container will give them (or you) much more flexible use in the future.

Keep in mind they/you will likely have to re-encode that “archival” WMV again for future practical use.

Personally (for my business) when a client asks for something that isn’t practical I do ask questions. Clients aren’t technicians and may not know exactly what they need. I consider it my job as a service provider to inquire and fulfill their needs. With an employer I may simply do what the boss says. With a client I enquire as to their needs so they get good service.

[Daniel Low]

Just to back up what Craig has pointed out.

You HAVE to find out what the client wants to do with the WMV file.

Otherwise you are throwing darts at a dartboard with a blindfold on in a very strong breeze from 1000 yards.

__________________________________________________________________
“There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance.”

Steve Ballmer To USA Today: 30 April 2007

“We and Apple are neck and neck and we’re chasing the two
other players,”

Steve Ballmer, referring to Nokia and Research in Motion. October 6th 2009