[thelist] video format choices

Shawn K. Quinn skquinn at xevious.kicks-ass.net
Fri Mar 12 19:10:50 CST 2004


On Wednesday 2004 March 10 20:12, Hassan Schroeder wrote:
> I have a customer who wants to offer a video clip online (from a
> news segment, delivered by default in MPEG1 format).
>
> Other formats are available from the provider, at extra cost.
>
> What would provide the widest (cross-platform, commonly deployed)
> coverage -- MPEG1 + [ Windows Media | Real | Quicktime | ? ]

MPEG1 is probably the best choice. Just about every OS has a tool to 
play it, and I don't think you have to buy a license (patent or 
software) to use it.

I would stay away from any vendor-specific format, *especially* Windows 
Media, as this may make it difficult to convert the video later 
(converting *to* Windows Media formats is easy, but converting *from* 
them legally is very difficult if not impossible).

-- 
Shawn K. Quinn


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