Hi Mitch,
Maybe I can give you some general guides and from there you can dig
deeper.
When converting from a PC to TV display always make certain the conversion
is to an interlaced image meeting NTSC standards. Most edit/burning
software does this automatically but you want to make certain that if it's
optional you have it on.
PhotoStory wants images in a 4:3 ratio, but it need not be. If the image
is not 4:3 PhotoStory will prompt you to remove the black bars from the
image, do NOT do it. PhotoStory does the removal by cropping the image
and/or then blowing it up to fill the frame. (Poor Quality.) Instead do
any needed cropping externally or create a letterbox video.
Also understand that PhotoStory creates a strange form of a wmv file and
it's not exactly a video. You may already know but, Windows Media Player
can run scripts, in fact it can call directly on the DirectX APIs to do
all sorts of things. (Visualizations is an example.) In PhotoStory the
images are embedded and then they are handed to DirectX and DirectX is
told what to do with them via the script. The transitions available in
PhotoStory are all available from DirectX I believe. Anyhow, the long and
short of it is that many editing/burning apps have issues with using the
file.
You can use the Windows Media Encoder to perform a more accurate
conversion to a standard WMV file, but it is another layer in the process
and may be more of a pain than anything else. It's user interface leaves
a bit to be desired.
FYI: Be prepared for a MUCH larger file when
converted to a true video or when burned to a VCD/SVCD/DVD.
Mpeg-1 & VCD
Resolution: 352 x 240 (NTSC) (NTSC = Current non-digital US
Television)
Frames per Sec: 30 (29.97)
Data Rate: 1.5 meg per sec (You can drop to 1.3 meg if the vid has no
sound. No lost vid quality.)
Quality level: About the same as a home recorded VCR tape.
Sound: Converted to the MP3 format. (224Kb bits a sec.)
NOTE: Mpeg-1 meeting the above should produce a very good VCD, assuming of
course "quality in".
You stated before the images were cropped on the TV screen. Using the
above for a VCD should have NO cropping effect at all. If there is, it's
in your editing/burning package. (This *should* provide a perfect fit.)
Mpeg-2 & DVD
Resolution: 720 x 480 (4:3 ratio) or 1920 x 1080 (16:9 ratio)
Frames per Sec: 24 (Can be higher)
Data Rate: 6 meg per sec minimum, 15 meg per sec maximum.
Quality Level: DVD or better. (Mpeg-2 is used exclusively for broadcast
distribution, satellite, cable head ends, etc.)
Sound: Normally MP3 with variable data and sound formats; mono, stereo,
Dolby, 5:1, etc.
Again, files burnt to DVD meeting these specifications should result in a
perfect fit with no cropping of the image on a standard (NTSC) television.
(16:9 ratio will appear as letterbox.)
SVCD
Resolution: 480 x 480
Frames per sec. 25 or 30 (User determined.)
Data Rate: No standard, user determined. (I would suggest a minimum of 2
meg per sec.)
Quality Level: Dependent on data rate set by user and quality of source
material.
Sound: Can be either Mpg-1 or Mpeg-2 compliant. (Also selectable data
rate.)
I caution users to be very careful using this format for a number of
reasons. First, there are too dang many choices in what sort of file will
be created. As noted, the data rates can really be played with and you
may find DVD players that have a problem playing the SVCD properly.
Skips, hangs for a sec., sound drops, etc. The second reason is the
resolution. Very, very few sources are at this resolution and when your
application edits/burns it one of two things happen. It decides where to
crop the image, (if it is cropping) or it squishes the image to fit the
frame. Usually makes for very tall, thin people.
Mpg-4
Not on Windows really. Apple went with Mpeg-4 (sort of) and Microsoft
went with WMV.
WMV
Resolution: Any old thing you want, but it's Windows Media Player
centric.
Frames per Sec: Ditto
Data Rate: Ditto again
Quality level: Another Ditto
Sound: Ok, last Ditto (Whew)
Umm, as you can see WMV formatting is pretty much a grab bag and is
intended for digital playback on more devices than a standard TV. With
the variable data rates, frames, etc. it's ideal for delivery over
anything from dial up to HD TV. (and beyond) Many of the DVD manufactures
(all of them I think) have licensed the WMV format from Microsoft so in
the not so distant future plan on seeing the players on the shelves.
Also note there are several codecs that may be used when creating/editing
video files with the WMV format(s).
AVI
I won't even bother with a list. An AVI can be anything, any size, any
codec, any resolution, any data rate, or none of the above. The FIRST
thing I do with an AVI is convert it to a WMV format.
Another note if I might. When working with video I reduce the color depth
to the point just above loss of color/quality. Assuming you create a
slide using say a dozen colors, there just isn't any reason to have 64
million colors in the image or video. 24-bit color is as high as I would
ever go, (say I had a detailed photo with many colors on the slide)
because no standard TV can display the difference between 24 bit and 32
bit color levels. In fact, in many cases 16 bit color is more than
acceptable. Not only is the file smaller, but decoding it is much easier
for older hardware.
Well, there you have about $.02 worth, use as desired.
Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team
Provider of PFCMedia
http://www.pfcmedia.com
Mitch Gallant said:
See a few comments inline below (including link to SVCD web site info),
but also:
I am looking for an up-to-date book (hey .. i like paper tons!) on
details of all this disk disk-format stuff, multimedia (including
emerging standards for DVD audio and competitors), what is proprietary
formats, what is really standards based. Something along the lines of
TechtTV's book "Secrets of Digital Studio: Insider's Guide To Desktop
Recording" which is very nice in that it provides very useful links to
the leading companies (in Audio area).
Something like that title, but for general multimedia and digital video
stuff.
Reading a generic DVD player specs section on supported formats is
confusing at best! And I imagine things will only get more confusing as
we enter the HD era.
Thanks for great comments.
Funny how asking a few questions branches out into so many other
sub-topics of interest (at least for me!)
- Mitch Gallant Ph.D. Physics
MVP Security
JavaScience Consulting
www.jensign.com
Echo S said:
Not sure if this is generally known, but it is possible to store (if
there is sufficient space) on a standard VCD/SVCD both the video AND a
folder containing whatever you wish. Geat place to store your original
PPT presentation (space allowing) so you can use one disk to either
present PPT or play on your cheap consumer DVD player on TV.
I know CDs allow you to do what's called a "mixed mode" or "CD Extra"
CD, which is essentially an audio CD and a data CD. If you stick it into
your stereo in your car, it will play the audio CD. If you stick it in
your computer, I think you get the Windows dialog asking how you want to
play it. Or it just opens it as a data CD. (Been awhile since I messed
with mixed mode CDs.)
So I assume the video CD works the same way? (I guess I didn't realize a
DVD player will play video CDs, though.)
Does DVD format also support such extra digital data folders?
Not a clue off the top of my head, but you may want to look for "mixed
mode" or "extra" labels in the DVD burning software. When I look at Nero
(v6.6), I see these:
Make Data CD
Make Data DVD
Make Audio and Data CD
Make bootable CD
Make bootable DVD
and also
Make Video CD
Make Super Video CD
Burn DVD-Video Files
So I'm wondering if DVD doesn't allow this "hybrid" kind of
configuration. This might be a question for the Nero guys, but I'm
really hoping someone will pop in here with specific knowledge!
Also, for slide-show VCDs some authoring tools support putting the
actual raw images in a separate folder too! Very handy.
Question: Does VCD/SVCD support a linkable startup menu config (like
autostart.inf file). so when I pop it into my computer CD/DVD rom it
can offer me the option to EITHER play the VCD or open the PPT file?
while if I pop it into my home DVD player the VCD will play
automatically ??
I don't know this, either. I'd love to have a better understanding of
VCD!
<MIAG> I find this site useful:
http://www.videohelp.com/svcd
