mpeg-1 in MX -- sluggish performance?

[media mongrel webforumsuser@macromedia.com]

I usually use sorenson compression for most of my projects but thought I would try mpeg-1 this time thinking that I could eliminate the need for users to install Quicktime.

The problem I am seeing is that the mpegs are experiencing a long load time when the projector is being played from CD (I've tested it on a range of CD drives and even the fastest ones show no improvement). The projector plays them fine from my hard drive. I have never experienced this when using Quicktime or avi. The movie size is 400 x 304.


I just upgraded to MX. One of my hopes was that it would address mpeg issues. I installed the QT6 extra that came with MX. Are there other things that can be done? Should I avoid using mpegs?

Any advice or insights would be great.


Thanks,
Eric

[Doug Golenski]

What are you using to play back the MPEG 1 files? You either need a third
party Xtra like MPEG Advance Xtra, or QT. Also check your compression
settings for the MPEG files.

hth,
Doug
"media mongrel" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:bup48d$afr$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> I usually use sorenson compression for most of my projects but thought I

would try mpeg-1 this time thinking that I could eliminate the need for
users to install Quicktime.

>
> The problem I am seeing is that the mpegs are experiencing a long load

time when the projector is being played from CD (I've tested it on a range
of CD drives and even the fastest ones show no improvement). The projector
plays them fine from my hard drive. I have never experienced this when using
Quicktime or avi. The movie size is 400 x 304.

>
>
> I just upgraded to MX. One of my hopes was that it would address mpeg

issues. I installed the QT6 extra that came with MX. Are there other things
that can be done? Should I avoid using mpegs?

>
> Any advice or insights would be great.
>
>
> Thanks,
> Eric
>
>
>

[media mongrel webforumsuser@macromedia.com]

All I am using so far is th QT6 asset that came with Director MX. Is this enough or wil I need to get a 3rd party xtra?

If I need to have the user install quicktime I may as well go with the Sorenson compression. I'm running QT6 on my computer and it doesn't seem to make any difference -- although I always wonder if Quicktime and Windows Media Player are pitching battle against each other in a quest of who controls playback of what formats.

Thanks.

[Doug Golenski]

Yes, QT is QT whether playing back .mov or .mpg files the user will still
need to have QT installed. If you don't want to use QT than you would need
another third party Xtra; MPEG Advance Xtra seems to be the most popular.
You can find it at xtras.tabuleiro.com

hth,
Doug
"media mongrel" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:bup8i6$gh3$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> All I am using so far is th QT6 asset that came with Director MX. Is this

enough or wil I need to get a 3rd party xtra?

>
> If I need to have the user install quicktime I may as well go with the

Sorenson compression. I'm running QT6 on my computer and it doesn't seem to
make any difference -- although I always wonder if Quicktime and Windows
Media Player are pitching battle against each other in a quest of who
controls playback of what formats.

>
> Thanks.
>
>

[James]

Have to just point out that you don't "need" QT or a third party xtra to
play mpeg1, I tried one a few years ago, and found that it just wasn't as
stable as the old (and ehm) discontinued mci commands. Although the xtras
are a lot easier to use, I have a video object that allows me to jump back
and forth through the video, have a video progress bar etc, and it's the
most stable method I've come across. The draw back obviously is that mci
commands are discontinued by microsoft, so I'm guessing at some point
they're not gonna work and I'll be forced down the xtra way of doing things.
Anyway just wanted to let you know that there is an alternative if you
wanted.
Also in answer to your actual question, have you tried encoding the video
using the whitebook standard for Mpeg1 (ie, what V-CD's are supposed to use)
this is the safest of all presets for mpeg1, and if it works should give you
a basis for starting to tweak to get the quality and size you want.

Jim


"Doug Golenski" <doug@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:bup96k$hc6$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> Yes, QT is QT whether playing back .mov or .mpg files the user will still
> need to have QT installed. If you don't want to use QT than you would

need

> another third party Xtra; MPEG Advance Xtra seems to be the most popular.
> You can find it at xtras.tabuleiro.com
>
> hth,
> Doug
> "media mongrel" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
> news:bup8i6$gh3$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> > All I am using so far is th QT6 asset that came with Director MX. Is

this

> enough or wil I need to get a 3rd party xtra?

> >
> > If I need to have the user install quicktime I may as well go with the

> Sorenson compression. I'm running QT6 on my computer and it doesn't seem

to

> make any difference -- although I always wonder if Quicktime and Windows
> Media Player are pitching battle against each other in a quest of who
> controls playback of what formats.

> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> >

>
>