Help with WMV 8 for multimedia

stormstereo wrote on 3/20/2004, 7:08 AM

Hello my all knowing bunch of people. I'd like you to comment on the following:

I'm making a multimedia CD. An AVI-file would be too big so I'm going with WMV since it will only be used on PC's. I'm choosing WMV 8 because of compability issues; all machines out there are not updated. Is this a good way to go in your opinion?

Also, when I choose to render to WMV 8 I select the 3 Mbps Video template and then custom it to my liking. In the audio-tab there's the pre-choice of "Windows Media Audio 9". If I use this, will there be trouble playing it back on a computer which only have WM8 installed? The other option "ACELP.net" is too poor quality.

And, does anyone know if it's possible to use a menu to jump back and forth and pause/continue WMV 8-files in Macromedia Director? Multimedia Builder? For example; If I click this button then jump to 02:04:00. If I click this other button then jump to 01:23:00. If I click this third button then pause, if i click it again then continue.

Best/Tommy

Comments

riredale wrote on 3/20/2004, 8:25 AM

Windows media 9 is an improved version of 8. From what I've found, audio encoded in WMA9 can be played by WMA8 audio decoders on players as old as 6.4. For video, however, WMV9 requires a new video decoder, which supposedly downloads automatically if the user's PC is connected to the Net.

Take a look here to see how this all is supposed to work. Love 'em or hate 'em, you have to admit that Microsoft has done a spectacular job of developing and promoting their technologies.

stormstereo wrote on 3/20/2004, 8:35 AM

Thanks for that info. I bookmarked the page. I'll have to go with WMV 8 anyway because most 'puters will probably not be connected to Internet. (This is Thailand you know, the land of slow modem connections.)

Ok, one question down, two to go.
Best/Tommy

stormstereo wrote on 3/21/2004, 6:13 AM

...bump...

logiquem wrote on 3/22/2004, 6:20 AM

Hi Tommy,

Check first what OS/computers generations you must support in your project., and make sure this is pretty clear for your client to avoid any further problems.

Director is probably the best tool for interactive,video enabled, multimedia app. You can build a pretty elaborated video player/ controller with it, but it certainely involve some scripting abilities .

thrillcat wrote on 3/22/2004, 6:24 AM

If you're positive that all computers will be Windows, just download the setup file from www.windowsmedia.com and include it on the disc itself for people to upgrade without connecting to the internet.

johnmeyer wrote on 3/22/2004, 8:57 AM

FWIW, I cannot get WMV 8 files to play on an older computer that doesn't have the later media players installed (6.4 is just a player shell; it still has to access the "guts" of the newer decoder somehow). It tries to locate and install a newer codec, but says it cannot find the proper files, and then just plays the audio from the WMV 9 video file.