I agree with you mostly, and even if the codec issue was sorted there are always isues like resolution and different framerates, issues that wont get any simpler as HD stuff becomes more common with video from TV, DVD and internet.
On the other hand I remain optimistic about mpeg4's chances of sucess. Already a large number of the formats we talk about are mpeg4. There are annoying differences and complications, issues caused by history, by technological barriers, or by the interests of companies already in this field. wmv is a sort of mpeg4 in most respects. 3ivx, divx, xvid are mpeg4. Many movs are mpeg4. h264 is a newer kind of mpeg4. Sony PSP plays mpeg4, ipod plays mpeg4. Next generation of DVD is mpeg4-based. There are multiple ways to encode and play mpeg4. Its just not in many companies interests to aim for total convergence, they will only take advantage of these things being standards when it suits them, at other timess they will break the standard to give their products the advantage or some reason to exist. Im pretty confident mpeg4/h264 is going to win in the hardware player market. Im pretty confident that mpeg4 & h264 will become normal fetures of video players, editing & encoding applications. Watching video in the browser is a little less assured. It depends how many people stick to using .mov containers rather than .mp4, and on more browser plugins that handle playing mpeg4, being installed on more peoples computers. What microsoft do about the emergence of mp4 hardware driving demand for mp4 video rather than wmv will be important. What divx do about the same sort of issue will be important. Whether Apple sort their act out (eg with QT7 on the PC reliability/performance) will make a difference, though can be bypassed if other mp4 player browser software starts to dominate. Whether Sony make the PSPs mpeg4 compatibility better will mean something. Im hearing that the dam is about to burst open on Hollywood & TV content being done over the net. 2006 is supposed to be the year so the current thinking goes, its press release and rumour city these days. And the next-generation of games consoles are likely to come into the mix as playback devices. DRM stuff and a desire to closely track viewing figures will likely be an enemy to my optimism on these issues, but never mind, I will keep banging the mp4 drum, its easier to bang since the PSP and ipod came out thats for sure. Steve of Elbows --- In [email protected], "anonperson1969" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > The biggest problem with ANY video is that there is no consistancy. > There are multiple file formats (wmv, avi, mpg, mov, etc) and multiple > CODECS within each of those file formats (mp4, 3ivx, xvid, divx, > etc)... and NONE of them have become common. > > Audio is pretty firmly entrenched in MP3s, and that won't be changing > anytime soon... no matter what anyone thinks about the quality or > whatever. Video hasn't reached that point... and I don't really think > it ever will. > > No matter which way you choose to encode your files, there's going to > be someone who can't see it. That's just the sad truth. So you're > choice becomes: 1) stick with ONE format and force your viewers to > download the appropriate player 2) encode your video in as many > formats, with as many codecs as possible... and hope it covers enough > people. > > People say that FLASH is very prevalent on most computers (have I seen > the 95% or something)... but I get about 5 calls a day from people who > don't have Flash on their computers, and since they're on company > workstations, they don't have permissions to install it. > > If the goal is purely "reaching as many people as possible"... I'd > encode one video as a 3ivx .MOV, one as a .WMV, and one as a > Flash .FLV. If someone can't see at least one of those, they need to > upgrade. > > -Terry > http://boycottsociety.blogspot.com > > --- In [email protected], "BevSykes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > I have studied all of Josh's excellent training videos and tried > everything and nothing works consistently. > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 1.2 million kids a year are victims of human trafficking. Stop slavery. http://us.click.yahoo.com/WpTY2A/izNLAA/yQLSAA/lBLqlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/videoblogging/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
