I'll need to use cue points or equivalent time-watching Lingo scripts. My video window sizes are around 320x240 or 352x240 or 352x189. It's for CD-ROM or DVD-ROM delivery, both platforms.
For QT and MPEG-1 encoding I used Vegas 5 and Sorenson Squeeze. I also used Sorenson Squeeze for Flash encoding (flw files).
QT requires an install of QuickTime in Windows. MPEG-1 requires no installation on either platform. FLW, when played in a Director projector, also requires no installation of any additional components. MPEG-1 is entirely hassle-free, including cue points, when you use the MPEG Advance Xtra from Tabuleiro, which I've used in other projects, very successfully. Flash is supposed to provide better quality images than MPEG-1. VBR Sorenson-3 in QT is supposed to look even better. Those were the starting points that I needed to (dis)prove and to weigh against each other.
At the moment I lean towards MPEG-1, but I may still change my mind. The MPEG-1 images are softer than QT of Flash, and some people may see that as lack of definition and contrast. On the other hand, motion is smoother in MPEG-1. My Flash tests look sharper but also a bit harsh, and not as smooth in motion as MPEG-1 or QT. With talking heads, Flash tends to show blotches on people's cheeks, and in action scenes, Flash shows trailing, which makes movement look worse than MPEG-1 or Sorenson. MPEG-1 scales up (e.g. to a double-size window) almost as well as QT Sorenson. Flash becomes blocky when scaled.
I read somewhere that the FLW video encoded for use in Director isn't supposed to have its audio compressed at all, but I found no way to achieve that. I also don't know if it's still true.
I don't know how to add cue points to FLW files. (They can still be faked by watching the curent time.)
I've heard that the frame rate of FLW video needs to be correlated with Director's frame rate, but I don't understand that and don't know if it's true. I wonder if the current time values of the FLW video may be less accurate if the frame rates don't match.
My MPEG-1 videos are encoded to 29.97 frames/sec, and my QT Sorenson and Flash videos are encoded to 30 frames/sec. I found Flash to be less than smooth at 15 f/s, though Sorenson looks almost as good at 15 f/s as at 30 f/sec, even in action scenes. Still, I stuck with 30 f/s for Sorenson QT.
I'd be curious to hear what formats and parameters other people are using and why. MPEG-4 is a mystery.
Slava
At 09:38 PM 3/24/2005 -0600, you wrote:
A project cropped up that is mainly video... and I'm wondering if I should use Director or Flash. The video area needs to be non-square.
I'm creating the video too, so I have control over that.
Only Windows playback.
Only hard drive playback (no CD, or internet).
Playback machines will be new, standard, store-bought PCs (also meaning they won't have any software that doesn't come with the PC- like QuickTime)
any ideas?
p.s. xposted to Flash group also.
Stephen
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