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The
old adage, "garbage in - garbage out" applies very appropriately to the process
of video conversion into digitized format. You should keep in mind that the
conversion process from a digitized AVI file into a streaming video file
involves both compression of the video and audio signals. The end product can be
a file that is compressed by a factor of as much as 500 to 1 from its original
size. This is what keeps the file size small enough to play as streaming video
over the net. As a result, you should expect a degradation in both the audio and
video output. However, if you follow the guidelines we've furnished below, your
video presentation will be very suitable for your web pages.
FILMING: Always use a stationary tripod-mounted camera. This is the single most
important factor in achieving good quality output.
SOUND: Whenever possible, use either a good quality clip-on microphone or
hand-help mic which is just slightly out of camera view.
LIGHTING: Brighter lighting gets coded better. Small changes in lighting that
are picked up by an auto-iris get interpreted as changing colors. Wear light
solid colors instead of any dark color. Avoid prints, stripes, paisleys and
checks as they contain complicated edge details. If necessary, shoot in front of
a uniformly colored paper backdrop.
MOTION: Avoid motion as much as possible, and definitely avoid zooms or pans.
Images that aren't on the screen in a stationary position for more than a second
or two won't have a chance to resolve themselves to clarity.
FOCUS: If you want your video to look as good as possible, avoid shooting from
several feet away. The closer the camera is to the subject, the clearer the
video will be. Head shots make the best videos.
LENGTH: Each 30 seconds of streaming video will equal about 80 Kbytes of file
size for 28.8 Kbps modem speed and 500 Kbps for T-1. As a result, try to keep
your mini-infomercial to no more than a few minutes.
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