wm9 has the best combo of xlnt picture quality with very good player penetration.

you can link the wmv video file with a simple http command, or you can link it with a simple http command to a proxy filename, if you don't want people to download it to save on their local computers... you can get info on that on the microsoft website.

you can also stream it from a dedicated web server that is running video server software, but that can cost big $$$, and it's usually limited to only cbr-encoded video.

i put video on the 'net in the zip format, because if it's in the native wmv format, the bandwidth costs would kill me... so it depends in part on how compelling your content is.

scdragracing,

How much compression are you seeing from wmv format to zip?

I would have thought "zip" (as in "0"), because MS worked pretty hard on compressing the data as much as possible already.

Coursedesign: i usually see about 3 to 10% compression when zipping compressed video files. It hardly seems worth the effort. About the only compelling reason to do this is if you want to force people to download the video rather than stream it.

As far as using a proxy file to hide the real location of the video file, it's generally pretty easy to view the contents of the proxy file and thereby find the url of the video file. It doesn't hide it very well.

Coursedesign:

When I try to render QT at the 512 template, it defauts the video format to sorenson 3, when I click configure, it is not editable. It shows that the automatic key frames are set to 50?

Do I need a pro version of sorenson to edit this?

I zipped a 22meg wmv file just yesterday, tried RAR as well as ZIP, both instances: actual file size 22meg even zip/rar size 21.7meg was NOT worth the effort

yes, about the only reason you'd want to zip an internet video file is to cut way down on the bandwidth... which is why i do it... once you post compelling content on the web, you'll understand what i mean... i'm already 8 gigs over the 100 gig bandwidth limit for my website this month, time to get a new host with better rates.

i'd agree that most proxy files can be compromised, and in fact, you can also use web video recording software that'll save the entire web clip as it's played... so drm is the only way to fly.

i'm going the opposite way right now... let 'em have a lower-res copy, and let 'em download it from each other, via a bit torrent... i want to put peer-to-peer marketing to work for me... the problem is keeping the torrent seeded.

"When I try to render QT at the 512 template, it defauts the video format to sorenson 3, when I click configure, it is not editable. It shows that the automatic key frames are set to 50? Do I need a pro version of sorenson to edit this?"

I just tried it with QT 512, keyframes could be changed, no problem. Anybody else having problems with this?

"yes, about the only reason you'd want to zip an internet video file is to cut way down on the bandwidth... which is why i do it.."

So you are getting a substantial decrease in file size when compressing a WMV file? Or fewer clicks? Or something else? I'm just trying to understand.

Coursedesign:

I was looking in the wrong place, I was looking in the video format field, under sorenson there is an uneditable keyframe setting. I now see the "Keyframe every" at the bottom of the QT template video tab.

I have QT 6.5.2. However, In vegas, the QT about box says quicktime 6 installed but references vegas plug-ins folder with qt5plug.dll. I still wonder if vegas is using the current QT?

jeff