Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Hi to all again!

Thanks for all the previous responses, but I didn't get too far,
possibly because I am asking the wrong question, perhaps to the wrong
newsgroup even. Or perhaps my expectations are too high.

I have a digicam that takes .avi videos, with sound, but the file size
appear to be too large to me. Thus far I have tried AVIedit, WindMPG,
TMPG, and am using the DivX codec, whatever that is, and I just can't
get anything to work! I either get error messages, or files much the
same size.

One that I have been working with is 320 x 240 res., 26 seconds long,
with sound, and it clocks in at 4.1 Mb. Is there any way I can reduce
this without losing too much quality?

Thanks all!
---
DFM

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Hi,

It depends on the video's content and the codec. If your video has solid
and few colors, it will reduce very well when encoded.

I recommend using TMPGEnc for mpegs, without the wizard it has.
- Close the wizard, press CTRL+N
- Hit "Browse" next to "Source video", choose your video
- Hit settings, on the "Video" tab, adjust bitrate and examine
with different settings with a few renders.
- Hit settings, on the "Audio" tab, adjust "Sampling frequency",
"Channel mode" and especially "Bitrate" with different settings
with a few renders.
- You're done.

For Avi's, use VirtualDub
- I recommend using XVID codec.
- Find a tutorial about VirtualDub here:
http://shanebrinkmandavis.com/home [...] bTutorial/
Although it tells DivX stuff, XVID settings are similar. Of course you
can use DivX if you prefer.

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 16:50:54 GMT, wrote:

> Hi to all again!
>
> Thanks for all the previous responses, but I didn't get too far,
> possibly because I am asking the wrong question, perhaps to the wrong
> newsgroup even. Or perhaps my expectations are too high.
>
> I have a digicam that takes .avi videos, with sound, but the file size
> appear to be too large to me. Thus far I have tried AVIedit, WindMPG,
> TMPG, and am using the DivX codec, whatever that is, and I just can't
> get anything to work! I either get error messages, or files much the
> same size.
>
> One that I have been working with is 320 x 240 res., 26 seconds long,
> with sound, and it clocks in at 4.1 Mb. Is there any way I can reduce
> this without losing too much quality?
>
> Thanks all!
> ---
> DFM



--
Boke Yuzgen

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

"Deep Frayed Morgues" wrote ...
> Thanks for all the previous responses, but I didn't get too
> far, possibly because I am asking the wrong question, perhaps
> to the wrong newsgroup even. Or perhaps my expectations are
> too high.

Might be easier if you explained from the beginning what you
are trying to do and what you expectations actually are.

> I have a digicam that takes .avi videos, with sound,

No cameras "take .avi videos". You may have a DV camera
but we don't know since you didn't mention what camera it is.
You can connect a DV camera to a comptuer via Firewire/
1394 and transfer the data to an AVI or MOV file (and perhaps
even other file types).

> but the file size appear to be too large to me.

DV video is slightly over 13GB per hour. There is nothing
you can do about that, it is just the way it is.

> Thus far I have tried AVIedit, WindMPG, TMPG, and am
> using the DivX codec, whatever that is, and I just can't
> get anything to work! I either get error messages, or files
> much the same size.

But you haven't explained what you are trying to do? Why
do you want to reduce the file size? Are you making DVD
discs? Are you trying to put a video clip on your web page?

> One that I have been working with is 320 x 240 res., 26
> seconds long, with sound, and it clocks in at 4.1 Mb. Is
> there any way I can reduce this without losing too much
> quality?

Unless you explain what you are trying to do, you are unlikely
to get any useful answers. Video is too complex to have
generic answers to generic questions like yours.

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 09:13:02 -0800, "Richard Crowley"
<rcrowley7@xprt.net> wrote:

>"Deep Frayed Morgues" wrote ...
>> Thanks for all the previous responses, but I didn't get too
>> far, possibly because I am asking the wrong question, perhaps
>> to the wrong newsgroup even. Or perhaps my expectations are
>> too high.
>
>Might be easier if you explained from the beginning what you
>are trying to do and what you expectations actually are.

Will try!

>> I have a digicam that takes .avi videos, with sound,
>
>No cameras "take .avi videos". You may have a DV camera
>but we don't know since you didn't mention what camera it is.
>You can connect a DV camera to a comptuer via Firewire/
>1394 and transfer the data to an AVI or MOV file (and perhaps
>even other file types).

I have a Pentax Optio S4i camera, which is tiny and great. It allows
you to record video and sound. I have these on my computer, transfer
via the USB port, and there have the .avi extension, and play in Media
Player just fine.

>> but the file size appear to be too large to me.
>
>DV video is slightly over 13GB per hour. There is nothing
>you can do about that, it is just the way it is.
>
>> Thus far I have tried AVIedit, WindMPG, TMPG, and am
>> using the DivX codec, whatever that is, and I just can't
>> get anything to work! I either get error messages, or files
>> much the same size.
>
>But you haven't explained what you are trying to do? Why
>do you want to reduce the file size? Are you making DVD
>discs? Are you trying to put a video clip on your web page?

I want to put them on my web page. It's all travel related stuff, and
I have some neat videos between 1 and 3 minutes, to show some of the
bizarre things I have seen.

>> One that I have been working with is 320 x 240 res., 26
>> seconds long, with sound, and it clocks in at 4.1 Mb. Is
>> there any way I can reduce this without losing too much
>> quality?
>
>Unless you explain what you are trying to do, you are unlikely
>to get any useful answers. Video is too complex to have
>generic answers to generic questions like yours.

Yes, I realise it is complex, and thus was not sure just what
questions to ask. I hope what I have provided helps more.

Cheers, and thanks!
---
DFM

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

>
> >> One that I have been working with is 320 x 240 res., 26

4.1 MB isn't really a big file, how small are you trying to get these?
--
_________________________
Chris Phillipo - Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
http://www.ramsays-online.com

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

"Deep Frayed Morgues" wrote ...
> I want to put them on my web page. It's all travel related
> stuff, and I have some neat videos between 1 and 3 minutes,
> to show some of the bizarre things I have seen.

The Microsoft Windows Media Encoder is free from MS.
I use the plug-in version and encode directly out of the
timeline from Adobe Premiere. You have a very wide
range of file size (vs. quality) to select when you encode
the file into WMV. Media Player is available for most
computers (Mac, etc.) so people visiting your web site
will be able to play it.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads [...] laylang=en

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Deep Frayed Morgues <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote
in news:kds5q0dkqgqsa816773do8tkbh824caceb@4ax.com:

<SNIP>

>
> I have a Pentax Optio S4i camera, which is tiny and great. It
> allows you to record video and sound. I have these on my computer,
> transfer via the USB port, and there have the .avi extension, and
> play in Media Player just fine.
>

It seems worth pointing out (as I did in earlier thread from the OP,
Deep Fried Mores (just kidding)) that the camera in question is a STILL
camera, not a DV camcorder.

Is its output at all compatible with the usual DV editing programs?

<SNIP>

> Yes, I realise it is complex, and thus was not sure just what
> questions to ask. I hope what I have provided helps more.
>
> Cheers, and thanks!
> ---
> DFM

HTH,
Gino

--
Gene E. Bloch (Gino) phone 650.966.8481
Call me letters find me at domain blochg whose dot is com

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 09:39:34 -0800, "Richard Crowley"
<rcrowley7@xprt.net> wrote:

>"Deep Frayed Morgues" wrote ...
>> I want to put them on my web page. It's all travel related
>> stuff, and I have some neat videos between 1 and 3 minutes,
>> to show some of the bizarre things I have seen.
>
>The Microsoft Windows Media Encoder is free from MS.
>I use the plug-in version and encode directly out of the
>timeline from Adobe Premiere. You have a very wide
>range of file size (vs. quality) to select when you encode
>the file into WMV. Media Player is available for most
>computers (Mac, etc.) so people visiting your web site
>will be able to play it.
>
>http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5691ba02-e496-465a-bba9-b2f1182cdf24&displaylang=en

Thanks a lot Richard, this is more or less what I was after, even if
it is a bit bloated with 'features'.

Managed to reduce the 4.1 Mb file to about 650kb, without too much
reduction in quality. Finally, success!
---
DFM

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 22:27:40 GMT, "Gene E. Bloch"
<hamburger@NOT_SPAM.invalid> wrote:

>Deep Frayed Morgues <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote
>in news:kds5q0dkqgqsa816773do8tkbh824caceb@4ax.com:
>
><SNIP>
>
>>
>> I have a Pentax Optio S4i camera, which is tiny and great. It
>> allows you to record video and sound. I have these on my computer,
>> transfer via the USB port, and there have the .avi extension, and
>> play in Media Player just fine.
>>
>
>It seems worth pointing out (as I did in earlier thread from the OP,
>Deep Fried Mores (just kidding))

Don't you know how hard it is going through life with this name? ;o)

>that the camera in question is a STILL
>camera, not a DV camcorder.

Yes, that was me, and I appreciate your efforts! The field of video
editing (or whatever the correct term is) is new to me, and very
large, so I didn't know where to start. This ng seemed to be the right
place. You know what it's like to start afresh in an area as big as
this!

>
>Is its output at all compatible with the usual DV editing programs?

I don't know! All I knew is that nothing seemed to work. Windows Media
Encoder seems to do the job ok though.

Thanks again!
---
DFM

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 17:26:12 GMT, Chris Phillipo
<cphillipo@ramsays-online.com> wrote:

>>
>> >> One that I have been working with is 320 x 240 res., 26
>
>4.1 MB isn't really a big file, how small are you trying to get these?

Well, I managed to get them remarkably smaller in size. The quality is
not critical for me.

If anyone is interested in what I have just done, these are a couple
of short snippets from The Hill of Crosses in Lithuania. They are a
bit shaky, but convey the place quite well.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

http://www.deepfriedmars.com/Video/HillOfCrosses1.wmv
http://www.deepfriedmars.com/Video/HillOfCrosses2.wmv
---
DFM

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Deep Frayed Morgues <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote
in news:sck7q0dnv8j870niun845b6htq22ai4elg@4ax.com:

> On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 22:27:40 GMT, "Gene E. Bloch"
> <hamburger@NOT_SPAM.invalid> wrote:
>
>>Deep Frayed Morgues <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu>
>>wrote in news:kds5q0dkqgqsa816773do8tkbh824caceb@4ax.com:
>>
>><SNIP>
>>
>>>
>>> I have a Pentax Optio S4i camera, which is tiny and great. It
>>> allows you to record video and sound. I have these on my
>>> computer, transfer via the USB port, and there have the .avi
>>> extension, and play in Media Player just fine.
>>>
>>
>>It seems worth pointing out (as I did in earlier thread from the
>>OP, Deep Fried Mores (just kidding))
>
> Don't you know how hard it is going through life with this name?
> ;o)

Well, I assumed you were having fun with us, and I hoped that you
wouldn't mind a bit of playing in return...

>
>>that the camera in question is a STILL
>>camera, not a DV camcorder.
>
> Yes, that was me, and I appreciate your efforts! The field of
> video editing (or whatever the correct term is) is new to me, and
> very large, so I didn't know where to start. This ng seemed to be
> the right place. You know what it's like to start afresh in an
> area as big as this!
>

Remember that I once started fresh here too. I have an advantage
over some posters, though. I don't mind posting advice when I don't
know anything :-)

In the case of your problem, I am definitely guessing when I suggest
that the programs don't handle still camera movie clips right, but I
do think it's a reasonable guess.

I have both video editing software and a digital camera that can
take short movie clips, but I was too lazy to try editing such stuff
as an experiment to help you. OTOH, I guess I should have spent a
few minutes looking around for others' advice on the subject.

>>
>>Is its output at all compatible with the usual DV editing
>>programs?
>
> I don't know! All I knew is that nothing seemed to work. Windows
> Media Encoder seems to do the job ok though.
>
> Thanks again!
> ---
> DFM
>

Ultimately, you'll be the one helping others edit clips from still
cameras! Keep learning...

Gino

--
Gene E. Bloch (Gino) phone 650.966.8481
Call me letters find me at domain blochg whose dot is com