Compression to WMV

I use FCP 3.0, I don't have compressor. I took a 10 minute sequence, highlighted all clips and tried to compress using the Windows Media codec. No matter if I selected one pass, two pass, variable bit rate, constant bit rate, whatever, the program only saved 30 seconds of the clip as WMV. I could never see more than 30 seconds.

I do not have this problem when using the H.264 or MP4 compression configurations. What am I doing wrong with WMV?

You probably downloaded the free version of Flip4Mac and expected it to do the job. The trial version will never encode your entire project. Gotta pay for the full version.


www.derekmok.com

I'm not sure Flip4Mac is officially compatible with FCP3. I think the oldest FCP version it is compatible with is 4 or 4.5, OS 10.3.9, QT 6.5.2.

I am pretty sure the WMV codec came with FCP3.0 because I know I didn't install it later on. Guess I gotta pay if I wanna play...Which codec would you use on a short video so that the greatest number of computers, old and new, could open it up on a website? WMV? Flash? or H.264?

I can GUARANTEE you that WMV Export did NOT come with FCP. The only two WMV export components for Mac have been Popwire and Flip4Mac. Popwire is now owned by Flip4Mac. Flip4Mac did not exist when FCP3 came out. Flip4Mac is not distributed with ANY APPLE PRODUCT. You (or someone at your computer) MUST have downloaded it.

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Which codec would you use on a short video so that the greatest number of computers, old and new, could open it up on a website?

Have you put thought into this? WHO are you trying to reach? There are news and public service organizations that will use "dial-up" WMV9 (40kbps and it looks HORRID). Windows Media Player 7.1 on Windows can play that which covers 10 year old computer with dial up connections. Outside of that goal, it's not a particularly good target market.

The codec you use has MUCH to do with what product or service you're marketing to who.

Entertainment (music, movies, etc) - I'd use H.264 because Quicktime 7 needed to play it comes with iTunes.

Business - I'd use WMV since many corporate IT people will not allow Quicktime on their servers.

Flash has broad penetration an Flash 8 looks better than Flash 7 and most people have downloaded a version of the player but I don't know the penetration of 8 and up vs 7 and lower.

The bit rate(s) you choose depend on the region and demographic you target. In my area nearly all broadband is now 1.5mbps and up. There is some 768kbps though but these are people usually on a budget or don't regard high quality worth the extra expense. There are some regions where 384kbps is still common.

I've found that people with dial-up don't depend on web video very much for various reasons (except for news and services information and that's becoming less so). In some cases it's a region which has little access to broadband or it may well be economic make-up.

You may need mutliple codecs and multiple data rates depending on your target. Do you really want to subject people with 5000kbps cable modems to 40kbps dial up video?

Thanks!