Best codec/format for video project? (still images with transitions)
dead dog 9
time is a factor and I know there are experts out there that can make this
project better, and help me avoid major mistakes.
Project: A stream of still images (scanned from photos) with transitions
between images. An audio track of pre-recorded music accompanying it.
Equipment for production: P2 400, 128mg ram, 11gig data drive, DC30,
Premiere 4.2
Output: I will burn a CDR for playback on a laptop with a sustained 8X
CDROM
Both systems are running Win98 so only the CODECs available would be used.
The images were recorded at 150dpi from 4x6 originals. I believe the 1.5mg
TIFs exceed 640x480.
I quickly tried the default setup. Using Make Movie, outputting to AVI at
320x240x15fps. The small test file was huge (8meg for 20 seconds). Since I
am not using video sources I figure there must be a more efficient
inter-frame compression codec. Only the sections with the transitions
contain changes within the series of frames.
So, please help me chose the correct codec and format. As well, since I
have not begun the project, I can set the resolution and fps to get the best
quality output and still be able to play back from a CD.
Tony Hursh
> Project: A stream of still images (scanned from photos) with transitions
> between images. An audio track of pre-recorded music accompanying it.
>
> Both systems are running Win98 so only the CODECs available would be used.
> The images were recorded at 150dpi from 4x6 originals. I believe the 1.5mg
> TIFs exceed 640x480.
>
> I quickly tried the default setup. Using Make Movie, outputting to AVI at
> 320x240x15fps. The small test file was huge (8meg for 20 seconds).
> So, please help me chose the correct codec and format.
15 fps may be overkill for your project. That means that every picture
is being saved on your drive 15 times for every second of real time.
The main reason you need a high frame rate is to avoid flickering in
full-motion videos (and 15 fps is pretty marginal for that...24-30 is
much better). If you're just showing a sequence of stills (i.e., no
motion) you can probably get by with a *much* lower frame rate. Try
lowering the frame rate until your project just starts to look bad,
then raise it a little bit. I'd try 5 or even 1 fps.
Another option would be to use an MPEG codec. MPEG does interframe
compression so it should cut down the size considerably. I'm not sure
if one comes with Win98, though (I make it a practice to avoid installing
new Microsoft software until it's been out for at least a year; being
Bill's unpaid beta tester doesn't really appeal to me).
A third option would be to abandon the AVI format altogether and
use a program with explicit support for showing still image
sequences, maybe Macromedia Director.
--
Tony Hursh
List of Java Plug-in Compatible Applets: http://www.hursh.net/PluginList.html
James Schell
Are you certain that you want to use a video format for this project? A
slide show program, Lviewpro for example, would give you a similar result
and use much less storage, if you are willing to sacrifice the
transitions. If the transitions are "a must," then MPEG1 is probably the
best option (10 mBytes/min). Alternatively, Intel's Indeo 5.0 will get
close to this level of compression, if you set the parameters
effectively. Macromedia's Director is also a good option...and a good
value...but not cheap. Hope this helps.
Jim
jsc...@mail.coin.missouri.edu
In a previous article, dea...@banet.net ("dead dog 9") says:
>I have a small personal project to complete which should be pretty easy, but
>time is a factor and I know there are experts out there that can make this
>project better, and help me avoid major mistakes.
>
>Project: A stream of still images (scanned from photos) with transitions
>between images. An audio track of pre-recorded music accompanying it.
>
>Equipment for production: P2 400, 128mg ram, 11gig data drive, DC30,
>Premiere 4.2
>
>Output: I will burn a CDR for playback on a laptop with a sustained 8X
>CDROM
>
>Both systems are running Win98 so only the CODECs available would be used.
>The images were recorded at 150dpi from 4x6 originals. I believe the 1.5mg
>TIFs exceed 640x480.
>
>I quickly tried the default setup. Using Make Movie, outputting to AVI at
Damir Ujčić
dead dog 9 wrote in message <360bb...@news1.ibm.net>...
>Project: A stream of still images (scanned from photos) with transitions
>between images. An audio track of pre-recorded music accompanying it.
>Equipment for production: P2 400, 128mg ram, 11gig data drive, DC30,
>Premiere 4.2
>Output: I will burn a CDR for playback on a laptop with a sustained 8X
>CDROM
>Both systems are running Win98 so only the CODECs available would be used.
MPEG. You only need some software encoder.
Or AVI with Optimize Stills in Premiere.
Damir
Jim Leonard
>dead dog 9 wrote:
>
>> Project: A stream of still images (scanned from photos) with transitions
>> between images. An audio track of pre-recorded music accompanying it.
>
>>
>> TIFs exceed 640x480.
>>
>> I quickly tried the default setup. Using Make Movie, outputting to AVI at
>> 320x240x15fps. The small test file was huge (8meg for 20 seconds).
>
>is being saved on your drive 15 times for every second of real time.
You are probably forgetting that Premiere (and some other software) has
a checkbox for "optimize stills", which means that if a frame is going
to be shown repeatedly, it is only stored once and empty frames are
stored after it to greatly reduce the size of the .avi file. I would
render his projects at 15 or even 24 fps and make sure that Optimize
Stills is checked--the still frames will only be stored once, and the
transitions will look like butter.
>Another option would be to use an MPEG codec. MPEG does interframe
>compression so it should cut down the size considerably. I'm not sure
MPEG resets on every I-frame boundary, so every gain you would make
with a P and/or B frame would be completely lost as soon as an I frame
came by. Also, MPEG's lowest framerate is 23.97, so this isn't really
appropriate.
--
Jim Leonard; UNIX SysAdmin at PLATINUM technology; jim.l...@platinum.com