MPEG-1

H.264 Overview H.264 is also known as MEPG-4 AVC. H.264 uses the latest innovations in video compression technology to provide consistently crisp and clear video for the best possible viewing.

Pros H.264 delivers incredible video quality at data rates one-fourth to one-half the size of previous video formats H.264 offers dramatically lower bit rates and better picture quality than MPEG-2, MPEG-4 or H.263+ It is 2X times more efficient than MPEG-4. and file size is 3X times smaller than comparable MPEG-2 Codecs It is easy to integrate and covers wide range of picture format. Hence used in large application segment.

Cons H.264 requires longer encoding time It is certainly not constricted and low-bandwidth friendly More Hardware overhead is also one of the limiting factor Licensing agreements are complicated.

Overview MPEG-1 provides excellent image quality at CD-ROM data rates. One of the most popular uses of MPEG-1 is the VCD, or “white book” video CD. MPEG includes both audio and video compression. The biggest problem with MPEG is that it has high requirements for playback. Either a dedicated MPEG decoder card must be installed, or a high-end CPU is required for software-only playback. Because of this limitation, MPEG-1 has not gained wide acceptance in consumer titles.

Pros Excellent image quality

Cons Very high playback requirements Majority of installed base not capable of viewing MPEG Licensing fees (typically US $0.04 – $0.40 per unit) are required to distribute MPEG-2 video. There may also be fees for MPEG-1; there is some uncertainty regarding this. Not well-suited to WWW video (the upcoming MPEG-4 standard will address this)

MPEG-2 Overview MPEG-2 is a standard for broadcast-quality digitally encoded video. It offers outstanding image quality and resolution. MPEG-2 is the primary video standard for DVD-Video

Pros Excellent image quality

Cons Very few people are currently capable of viewing MPEG-2 Licensing fees (typically US $0.04 – $0.40 per unit) are required to distribute MPEG-2 video.

Adobe Flash Player Pros Browser Penetration: The Flash player is installed on a higher percentage of end user computers than any other video format. Although not all end users have the latest version installed (so they may not support the latest Flash video codec), Flash still enjoys the best overall support. If you want this level of compatibility without Flash, you will need to make at least two versions of your video available (Windows Media, Quicktime and/or Real Media). Consistency & Compatibility: Flash files look the same and work equally well on PCs, Macs, Linux, etc. Flash files are completely consistent, so once you test and implement your Flash video, you can be confident that it will function the same way for all end users (apart from obvious variables such as connection speed). It’s hard to overstate the importance of this for web designers. Advanced Features: Flash provides unparalleled options when it comes to interactive content and other advanced features. Even Quicktime pales in comparison.

Cons Less Maturity: Flash video does not have the same depth of history as the other major formats and it has experienced some “growing pains” in the last few years. Between versions 5 and 8, Flash video went through two major changes which required a lot of upgrade work for producers. We do feel that Flash has now settled down and there should not be any more big changes on the horizon, but Adobe/Macromedia has yet to prove that the format can go for years at a time without requiring producers to play catch-up. Initial Difficulty: Although it’s possible to publish your first Flash video in less than an hour with no previous experience, you can do the same with other formats even faster. For example, you can embed a Windows Media file in a few minutes by copying and pasting some HTML. Even the simplest Flash installation is a little more complex. If your only concern is to get video up and running immediately, and you already have your clips ready in another common format, then you might want to stick with your existing format. Working with FLV Files: FLV is the Flash video file format. There’s nothing wrong with the format itself but because it’s not a common distribution format like Windows Media or Quicktime, you may find that you often have to convert files from other formats to FLV. This takes time and any extra conversions between compressed formats will reduce quality. Another minor annoyance is that FLV files aren’t as easy to preview. If you double-click a Flash FLV file on your local hard drive, there’s a good chance that your operating system won’t know what to do with it until you assign a player application.

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