Preferred format?

aluminumstudios · Post by **aluminumstudios** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 4:17 pm

This has probably been asked a thousand times, but I'm going to ask again -

What tends to be the preferred format for AMVs? Does the majority prefer DivX or MPEG?

I've always used MPEG1 because of it's universal compatiblity and smooth playback, but every time I move my videos to a new location for hosting I always have an urge to re-encode them.

Right now I'm wondering what to do about some of my older videos that were done with VHS captures - their masters are kind of ragged and I'm wondering a.) if re-encoding to divx (specifically divx compatible xvid) will help or not (something I need to decide by experimentation) and b.) if people would prefer a more simple mpeg1 or a slightly better quality divx ...

I'm in the process of uploading all of my videos to the Donut.

Corran · Post by **Corran** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 4:29 pm

I say hand over the high quality goods.

bum · Post by **bum** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 4:29 pm

im now starting to use Xvid1.0 (RC3)(the koepi build, not that other one) as well as ogg for audio (usualy encoded at 160, which is about the equivalent of mp3 at 192) . ive found that it has a bter quality/size ratio than divx, from testing it out myself and from a freind who loves it (he also loves me after i told him about avisynth, errrrr, not in that way, he's just into hardcore video encoding, loves matroska too)

Zarxrax · Post by **Zarxrax** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 4:35 pm

I have always released my videos in divx or xvid for 3 years now. While people have occasionally told me that my videos would play back choppy on their pc, because the videos are too high quality, I have NEVER had anyone request my videos in mpeg or another format.
In regards to them playing choppy, I try to make a low quality version of my best videos available as well. I think 99.9% of people will be able to play your videos if you make a divx or xvid avi.

aluminumstudios · Post by **aluminumstudios** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 4:43 pm

Hmm, yeah ... I think Xvid is good but I wanted to get a good sample of opinions.

I have a little hesitation partially due to my day-to-day experience at work where people's systems are so out of date and their experiences are so limited I frequently have to stick with the lowest common denominator ...

I figured I'd make a post here and see what the majority of opinons were.

Also, part of my quandry is that some of my old masters are so mediocre, that once encoded I don't there there will be much of a perceptable quality difference. My video "Ordinary World" has a nasty grain to the video. I have to run a bunch of filters on it and by the time it's said and done there won't be much difference between and MPEG and a divx ... It's different for my other videos though that had DVD source.

Arigatomina · Post by **Arigatomina** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 5:57 pm

I get emails all the time asking for mpg or wmv versions of vids - mainly for the ones where I used xvid. It never came up when I was doing mpg, and since I switched back to mpg I don't get those requests anymore. But it could be that my viewers aren't in the same class as the ones who automatically have the proper codecs and the good processors to play the perfect encodes. I don't like getting complaints about how choppy an xvid encode plays even after I explain about the necessary codecs. Since the local server is supposed to be permanent, I'd say go with what won't need a second copy. If your preferred viewers are the sort who would have the right codecs and good computers, then put up the best quality version you can. If you have your own host and plan to put accessible copies up beside the high quality vids, go for it. You'll get fewer problems when it comes to playback, and even the casual amv watcher will be able to play your vids.

And if quality is all that matters, who cares if some people can't view the file? They obviously don't know enough to realize quality is a worth buying a faster computer, so don't worry about them. Cater to the 'legitimate' amv crowd and use whatever the newest and brightest codec happens to be. It just depends on who you want to be able to watch the vids - everyone, or the 'real' amv fans. ^_^

the Black Monarch · Post by **the Black Monarch** » Sun Mar 21, 2004 11:09 am

I plan to offer both Mpeg-1 AND Mpeg-4 versions of my videos.

Scintilla · Post by **Scintilla** » Sun Mar 21, 2004 11:50 am

My policy so far has been to offer a DivX-compatible-XviD on the Donut and an MPEG-1 on my own webspace. For my first two videos, the MPEGs were at a lower resolution in order to encourage people to get the locally hosted versions instead; for my third, it was higher because the subtitles would have been hard to read if it was at 352x240. However, my bandwidth's getting blasted because of that.

So the copies I put on the Donut might not be the most compatible with everyone... but they're the good-looking ones, the ones I would want to see permanently archived.

I'd be interested to know what other people {who have {both local copies and copies on their own webspace} of their videos} usually do as far as this is concerned (brackets added for clarity).

Corran · Post by **Corran** » Sun Mar 21, 2004 12:02 pm

Aside from my Simon and Garfunkel video I have MPEG 1 320x240 res verions of my videos also for the same reasons. I should have an MPEG version of that amv soon as well.

pen-pen2002 · Post by **pen-pen2002** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 2:39 am

It seems to me that divX (and Xvid, pretty much the same for compatibility purposes) has been getting more and more popular over the years. As more and more people use it, there are fewer and fewer people without the codec. Pretty soon the only people who won't be able to see your video are ones who just took their brand spankin' new computer out of the box and having never heard of AMV's decided to go download one. (hyperbole, what's that?) Who knows, the codec may even come with new computers someday. Personally I think Xvid is the way to go.