Rendering video for podcasting/ipods

[dstatler]

Hi!
Currently, I'm encoding the video of our services using Windows Media Encoder to create a WMV file. I've setup a RSS feed so that people can subscribe to know when new sermons are available.

The pastor asked about creating the sermon videos that can be natively used on the video ipods. The NLE I use (NewTek's VT[5]) is capable of rendering out an iPod video file (mp4), but the file size is pretty large (I was finally able to get it down to 150 Megs for a 45 min sermon).

I also tried a free shareware product called Videora (videora.com) for the conversion to mp4, but it also created a large file.

What do you use if you do this sort of thing? I know Quicktime Pro will do this, but will I still get a large file from that? If so, I will just use my NLE's rendered file. I've also heard that if you buy Quicktime Pro, and then they come out with an update to Quicktime, it will render your Pro version unusable and you have to re-purchase it. Is that true also?

Thanks for any help!!
David

[sempei13]

A full version of QuickTime does that. You don't have to worry about going from QT7to 7.5, but from 7 to 8 you do.

BTW, iTunes lets you convert video for the iPod, too and it's free. Try that.

Paul

[dstatler]

Cool, didn't think to try iTunes...

After trying it though, it seems to work fine if the file is already a .mov, .mp4, etc. type file. But it doesn't seem to want to import a WMV or AVI file. It would be really handy if it accepted AVI files so I wouldn't have to render it to a mp4 file first...

Thanks again!
David

[prochlea]

Get quicktime Pro... I don't know how small you're trying to get them, but our 45min. sermon video ends up being about 225MB when i make it into an m4v for the ipod.

[dstatler]

prochlea, Wow, so I guess what I'm coming up with using my NLE is about in the ballpark then. If that's so, then I could skip getting QT Pro and save the $30... I just thought 200Megs was a tad big, but maybe not...

When encoding using WME, my wmv files were coming out around 100-120 Megs...

Thanks,
David

[WORDpictures]

Originally Posted by dstatler

I've also heard that if you buy Quicktime Pro, and then they come out with an update to Quicktime, it will render your Pro version unusable and you have to re-purchase it. Is that true also?

Not true (at least I had no problems within about a 3-year span with regular updates). I did have to repurchase when I installed all my aps on a new computer however.

[prochlea]

Maybe someone else could chime in here... I'd love to have smaller files, but it took alot of time to get them down from 400MB, so i thought it was a victory.

[Smob]

I don't know what controls you have over your WMV video encoder, but if you have a quality or a bit rate control, you might set get bit rate or quality as low as you can get it and see whether or not the image is reasonable. The rendering system that I use has such controls and I have set the bit rate to match what I need for my application.

The same should apply to other encoders (MP4, MOV, etc.)

[cjlowe]

Doesn't the iPod support H.264? Maybe you can get some smaller files with that.

I don't actually know what it IS. Pretty though.

[camthecameraman]

I always find these conversation all revolve around perspective.

What do you consider "acceptable" and what do others think. I would suggest for 45mins of video 200mb ish is alright. Frame size makes a big difference, maybe the wmv's are a slightly small (even by a few pixels each way) smaller. I find wmv's scale pretty well and that maybe what you are seeing.

Check the frame size and make sure its apples with apples