Formats...

[Charles Martin]

> From: Matthew Guemple <mo.og at verizon.net>
>
> So I've got this little movie thing. I'd like to be able to give to
> folks to see my work. It's not a DVD though, since so many folks don't
> have DVD players in their computers. I'd like to just burn something to
> a CD. The question is what should it be? Currently it's a little QT
> movie with no compression...
>
> Is there such a thing as a universally acceptable movie format for
> computers?

There are basically two choices I think.

1. Quicktime ".mov" or .avi file with Cinepack compression. Cinepack 
has been around since Quicktime 2.0 (IIRC) and looks terrible, but for 
small screen sizes and ubiquitousness it can't be beat. Almost every PC 
since Win95 has Quicktime on board.

2. MPEG-1. This is probably the best thing to go with these days. You 
can get up to VHS quality with it, and any modern computer can play it 
(even if they don't have QT installed!).

_Chas_

"That the PC world would doggedly stick to a dull, unimaginative, 
clinical term like 'IEEE 1394' (notice how it just rolls off the tongue 
- NOT) for the sole purpose of *saving a few pennies* over using an 
imaginative, exciting, visually-stimulating term like 'FireWire' tells 
you EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW about the PC world and that whole 
industry-wide mindset." - Me, March 2003