[Craig Seeman]

Use Flip4Mac version 2.0.1 in everything but Squeeze which needs 1.0.6. If you get 2.0.1 you can get 1.0.6 also. You usually need to authorize Flip4Mac via the Internet (what I did) but if you contact them they’ll help you do it on a none Internet connected Mac.

[Craig Seeman]

Compression Master is a Stand Alone Compression App. It’s a good one at that but . . .

Flip4Mac is a Quicktime Component. It works in almost any Quicktime application, FCP, FCE, iMovie, and Cleaner, Squeeze, Compressor if you want to use it in a full Compression app. for example. It ranges in price from $49 for a pre set only version (Popwire has something similar in that price range) to a $179 component (Popwire doesn’t have anything in that price range) which can create WMVHD files with Surround Sound.

Basically it’s the Compression Master all in one application vs Flip4Mac which is less money and plugs into whatever you’re comfortable using. Compression Master is a bit faster but Flip4Mac does WMVHD. Flip4Mac also has a player component that allow you to play WMV in Quicktime (that’s free) and can wrap WMV in MOV for editing purposes.

[Craig Seeman]

Well said Ed!

In my own area, Cable Modem tends to range from 10mbps to 30mbps download and DSL tends to be 1.5mbps to 3mbps. There might be a few who are at 768kbps. That’s why knowing one’s region is important.

[Craig Seeman]

People seem to be confused with Progressive Download and Streaming. Progressive Download is from an HTTP server. Streaming comes from a streaming server can can be quite expensive at times. If it’s marketing material why would you want to “protect” it? Progressive Download allows the viewer to watch after a very small buffer period. The whole file does NOT have to be downloaded. The file is “cached,” so one doesn’t necessarily “Download” the file as in downloaded an software update. They can often download it in addition to playing as it’s cached (that’s why it’s called Progressive Download . . . you can play it as it “progresses”). If the user does download the file then you’ve successfully left your marketing material on their computer to be viewed again at their leisure and even show to others. Certain “artist” or other sensitive client material you DON’T WANT TO BE SHARED is the stuff folks might want to “protect.”

The above can get very confusing because people wrongly use the terms interchangeably.
There is Progressive Download (http type)
Streaming (mms, rtsp, etc)
There is DRM (digital rights management) which can be applied to various files if you license it.
Since streaming isn’t actually cached in the way Progressive Download is, it doesn’t stay in the viewer’s cache or computer hard drive.

[Craig Seeman]

Yup, I use Flip4Mac often. It works in Compressor 2, FCP, QTPro, Cleaner just to name a few.

[Craig Seeman]

If your site it http (as opposed to mms or rtsp etc), You’d be posting a “progressive download” file usually VBR encoded. “Streaming” is usually CBR.

With Quicktime
H.264 is good for advanced artists or tech savvy (since they need QT 7 and must know to update) and will give you best quality
Sorenson Pro or MPEG4 for those with older versions of Quicktime.

If you want a broad reach, you might consider WMV9 since many Windows users do not/will not put Quicktime Player on their computers.

Flash is a possibility but that brings up other considerations and complexities.

If you’re showing off your work to get clients, you should consider the 500 – 800kbs range depending on frame size and content. If you have fast action, dissolves, motion graphics, you’ll want the higher data rates. Talking Head interviews can be down to about 300kbps.

Just my opinion.

[Craig Seeman]

There’s question one would ask for a job like this.

Are you or the webmaster going to do the compression?

W Who is the webpage’s target audience (alluded to in another post)?
Will it be video/graphics pros?
Corporate
Selling a product or service (and what might be the base income bracket of the desired customer)?
News
Is the video simply “talking head” or is there significant visual detail?

I find Quicktime is good for media savvy or artist/musicians
Window media Video for Corporate or Product/Service marketing (since they may not allow or want Quicktime Player on their systems)
Broadband data rates for people with some money to spend
Dial up data rates if it’s very basic news to reach people who don’t spend for broadband connections.
Data rate may depend on target region(s). Higher broadband data rates for urban areas. Lower broadband for more rural areas where they may be on very slow DSL or Satellite broadband (and even dial up).

With Quicktime
H.264 is good for advanced artists or tech savvy (since they need QT 7 and must know to update) and will give you best quality
Sorenson Pro or MPEG4 for those with older versions of Quicktime.

Flash is an option but the webmaster needs to know how to integrate.

Sometimes one may offer two (or more) versions for broadest reach.

The above are not rules. Just guidelines and only my personal ones at that.

[Craig Seeman]

Compressor 2 and Flip4Mac work well for the most part. Cropping does not work with Flip4Mac or any other of the “Quicktime Components” though. It seems FTP (directly sends your file to an FTP site) doesn’t work either with Quicktime Components. All the Filters (such as Gamma Correction, Color Correct, etc) work though.

[Craig Seeman]

Current version of Squeeze is 4.3 and it’s a FREE upgrade from 4.1. Make sure your file has a .mov extension. When saving a Quicktime Self Contained Movie from FCP it hides extension. You can drag and drop the movie into Squeeze even if the .mov extension is not visible.

[Craig Seeman]

[debe] “and no rendering, because you will have made it a FCP-friendly QT movie.”

Debe, the odd thing is, in my case, I didn’t need to render the AVI. Not even a dark green bar over the clip. The AVI worked as if it were a proper MOV file.