Before getting into details, here's...
I joined a new
Flatburger
online venture last month, this one about software. My first
efforts were to do some software reviews about audio editing
utilities. They are now starting to appear online... here's a link to the
main page of...
VoxBuy...
... browse the Multimedia & Design category or use these links to go
directly to the reviews: GoldWave, FX Audio Editor, and Acoustica 4.
The site is under active alpha phase development, so don't be surprised if
a link doesn't work.
With today's world so steeped in marketing and salesmanship, the guidance for
the reviews was refreshing 'it's your review... write what you want... tell us
the positives and negatives about the software...'. That aligns with my style.
I picked audio editing software to write about first. Having said for
years the sounds of a movie are at least half of the viewing experience, a good
audio editing utility is a natural for your software toolbox. We know
that with Movie Maker and Photo Story have minimal to no audio
editing features,
Goldwave and Acoustica can rip the sound track directly from a DV-AVI,
WMV movie, or WMV story file directly. Fix problems or embellish it, and
then save the audio track and it'll work well in your movie or story
project. Of the 3 reviewed, Goldwave is my favorite.
One of these days I'll slow down my eagerness to roll a video out long enough
to enhance the audio track. Until then, my audio editing is clip by clip
and only when sorely needed.
6 'Free' Online Video
Hosts
I'll run down them, note file size limits
for uploading, and check the downloaded files to see how they compare with what
was uploaded.
As a test file, I'll upload the 10 minute Civil War
reenactment video I finished after last week's newsletter.
I first saved the movie as a DV-AVI file... weighting in at 10
minutes and 2.1+ GB in file size.
I then used it as the source file for the wmv file, selecting my
usual Video for LAN (768 Kbps) quality choice.
The properties of the wmv file are shown at the left in Movie
Maker...
- 58 MB in file size
- 856 x 480 pixels... widescreen
- audio - 64 kb/s stereo
- video - 704 kbps
- 29.97 fps
I uploaded it to each of the services, viewed them, and
studied the files that came back down. Each of them converted the wmv file to
Flash.
For YouTube, I'll make and upload an extra file, a wmv file made
with my custom YouTube profile.
Checking the Properties of Flash
Files
When I did the newsletter on this topic last April, I had
to jump through hoops to see the properties of a Flash file.
Today in a split second it's open in GSpot, with more than
enough info. I'll revisit GSpot in next week's newsletter. My last issue about
it was #68, almost 2 years ago.
Six 'Free' Online Video Host
Services
YouTube... the one in the
limelight today.
Files are limited to 10 minutes or 100 MB. It and the other
services converts uploaded files to Flash format. I use it's
10 minute constraint as my rule of thumb when making videos for online viewing.
Here's the link to the Civil War video.
As I view the video, I search my hard drive for files
named get_video, copy the one I'm interested
in, add a FLV extension, play it with the Riva Flash player, and open
it with GSpot to study its properties.
Here's a typical location and file name on my XP laptop:
c:\Documents and Settings\PapaJohn\Local Settings\Temporary
Internet Files\Content.IE5\(folder with a name such as
7PWEZTYN)\get_video(2)
As YouTube is special and I have custom profiles to use when
heading to it, this newsletter is a good time to do a calibration check. I
rendered a second wmv file from the DV-AVI, this one with my custom
widescreen profile for YouTube.
Here's a chart comparing the four files, the two uploaded wmv
files and the two Flash files that came back down.
|
|
|
YouTube |
YouTube |
| profile |
Video
for LAN (768 kbps) |
Custom
Profile |
from
768 kbps |
from
Custom |
| file size |
58
MB wmv |
27
MB wmv |
24
MB flash |
24
MB flash |
| dimensions |
856x480 |
428x240 |
320x240 |
320x240 |
| audio |
stereo |
stereo |
mono |
mono |
|
64
kbps |
63
kbps |
58
kbps |
59
kbps |
| video |
704
kbps |
288
kbps |
241
kbps |
238
kbps |
| frame rate |
30 |
24 |
30 |
24 |
This validates the use of the custom profile. If you upload
a higher quality file to YouTube, you get the same thing back and save some
uploading time. YouTube throttles the quality such that it's about 300 kbps
total, adding the audio and video bitrates.
Significant is the fact that YouTube maintains the frame rate of
the uploaded wmv file.... without lowering the bitrate. Using 24
fps results in 25% more bitrate or quality available for
each frame. You might have to ponder that for a bit.
Google Video
Google owns YouTube but still maintains Google Video separate
from it.
The link to the Civil War file is...
Google Video converts uploadeds files to Flash. In addition
to the main viewer, it provides chapters with thumbnails... a nice touch.
The Flash file downloads as you view
it... a typical location and file name on my XP laptop, similar to all
the services, is:
c:\Documents and Settings\PapaJohn\Local Settings\Temporary
Internet Files\Content.IE5\(folder with a name such as
4J61BQKY)\23a0b07f494509df.wmv[2].flv
The Flash file had properties of
- 27 MB in file size
- 320 x 240 pixels
- audio - 64 kb/s mono
- video - 291 kbps
- 30 fps
You can copy the Flash file and convert it to get it into Movie
Maker, but Google Video provides a higher quality download option, a GVI
(Google Video) file.
If a video is available for
download, a "Download" button will appear on the right side of the playback
page. However, in some cases, content providers may opt not to enable their
videos for download. Users located in the US may also have the option to
purchase videos for download.
It's a bit confusing when you opt for a Download...
another browser window opens and the file plays in it again as it downloads a
.gvp file, a small file that is a link to the video itself.
Clicking on the .gvp file opens my
Google Video
Player and plays the associated GVI file... saved to the
folder you select in the Google Video Player Preferences. The figure shows
me using the default location.
GSpot can open a GVI file. It showed the properties of
the Civil War file as:
The quality of the GVI file is significantly
higher than the Flash file viewed on Google Video.
Getting a GVI file to Movie
Maker
Movie Maker wouldn't accept it directly. GSpot said it's
a Divx encoded AVI file, so I tried simply renaming the extension to
.avi, but that didn't work.
I was able to easily convert it to a DV-AVI file
using VirtualDub, adding a resize filter to align it with
a DV-AVI file size of 720x480, and selecting the Panasonic
DV codec for compression. The new file worked fine in Movie Maker.
Putfile
The link to the Civil War file is...
I hadn't logged into this service since my first newsletter
about it. It made me update my profile by uploading a picture of
myself before I could upload another video, and swear the picture
wasn't of me nude or pornographic. As just a facial shot, I had to think a
minute about it being nude or not. I used one with glasses on.
In newsletter #101 I had said it Putfile delivers back
the same file that is uploaded one. I found it today converting the
wmv to Flash. The location and file name is something like:
c:\Documents and Settings\PapaJohn\Local Settings\Temporary
Internet Files\Content.IE5\(folder with a name such as
7PWEZTYN)\file(1).flv
You can upload files as large as 200 MB and there isn't
a duration limit.
Putfile is the clear winner in this group for the quality of the
Flash file. It's obvious when viewing, and the properties confirm
it.
- 41 MB in file size
- 864 x 480 pixels
- audio - 64 kbps stereo
- video - 514 kbps
- 30 fps
I'll show you a chart later that compares the different
files.
I found VideoEgg... cracked on my XP
laptop system
It advertises impressive stats... 554+ million videos
uploaded last week, 155,000 videos uploaded last week, 22 million unique
viewers each month.
It's amazing that with those stats,
its uploading user interface (the 'classic' beta or the
current beta) crash my IE7 after I select the video and click
'upload'. As I didn't have any issues with the other services, I didn't
need to spend time trying to figure out why.
I'll leave Humpty Dumpty for this round and move on to
AddictingClips.com... after watching the two videos I uploaded to it on April
25, 2006. They're still there and play well.
AddictingClips.com... has moved in with
AtomFilms... I won't disturb them
My two uploaded files are still there, but to log in and upload
another, it said I also had to sign up for an AtomFilms account.
While 3 flirting babes invited me in from the banner
ad at the top of the page, I pondered opening another account,
but left them disappointed as I decided to not stop, and move on
to Soapbox.
Soapbox on msn
The link to the Civil War file is...
The FAQ says you can upload AVI, ASF, WMV, MOV, MPEG
½/4, 3GPP, QT, Xvid, or DV files. The limit is 100 MB... I don't see a 10
minute limit.
It's a clean sweep... each of the four services convert the
uploaded files to Flash format, even this Microsoft one.
The downloaded file goes into a folder such as...
c:\Documents and Settings\PapaJohn\Local Settings\Temporary
Internet Files\Content.IE5\(folder with a name such as
CJYUQ8WC\93257ca9-4e1c-4e54-ba64-16eb87e2b937[1].flv
The file has properties of:
- 58 MB in file size
- 432 x 320 pixels
- audio - 96 kbps stereo
- video - 575 kbps
- 30 fps
Other Differences
Digging deeper into file properties using GSpot shows other
differences. The YouTube and GoogleVideo Flash files use the FLV1
video codec and can play in Flash 6+ capable players. PutFile and
Soapbox files use FLV4/VP62 and require Fash 8+ players. YouTube and
GoogleVideo Flash files encode the audio track to MPEG-2 Layer 3, and
PutFile and Soapbox files use MPEG-1 Layer 3.
Conclusion and
Closing... and What's Next?
For the
playing quality of the Flash files, PutFile and MSN Soapbox win this round
over YouTube and GoogleVideo. VideoEgg and AddictingClips dropped
out.
Here's a
chart showing the tally, comparing selected properties against the uploaded wmv
file.
GoogleVideo's GVI file would be the
clear winner if I was to count it. Use it if you need a file for movie-making
purposes. With the extra steps needed to get it, it's not for the
casual viewer.
But there are other, perhaps
overriding factors. When I mention putting a video online, people are
interested. But if I mention putting it on YouTube, they are all
smiles. I have over 100 on YouTube and just a few on the others. Why if not for
quality.
For me the playlist feature
YouTube provides is a compelling feature. My answer to those who
ask about the quality of videos on YouTube is '.... try my custom
profile... if that isn't enough for you, then consider using other
services....'.
Here's a good exercise if you're
interested in comparing the quality of downloaded files from other services. Go
to this website with embedded players or links to 51 services, find
the downloaded files, and check their qualities.
Have a great week and enjoy your summer fun
and video work...
PapaJohn
15 months ago, newsletter #101 was about 5 online 'free'
video hosting services
