Are there automated server tools/programs to compress videos

[tomld]

Does anyone know if there are any server based tools or programs that can automatically compress a video file? For example it would be used to take user uploaded video files and compress them down to a specified size? Like Windows Movie Maker allows you to take a large video file, specify the export size and it compresses it to that size while still maintaining the best possible size/rate/etc. Is there anything like that, that can work automated on a server?

One senerio would be if I wanted to accept user submitted video files but limit the size to 10mb. Rather than denying videos larger than 10mb, it would take larger videos, once uploaded it would compress them down to 10mb similar to how Windows Movie Maker does. Is there anything currently out there that can do this or is it even possible?

Thanks
Tom

[Baldrick]

No such tool.

You maybe can make some kind of script/bat file that runs when uploading files, checks the file size with some tools, reencode with some other tool...but I have no idea how...

[gadgetguy]

Personally, If I were going to upload to your site, I would not want you to do that. Compressing the file would only degrade the video and would become a poor example of my work. Just post the limits and make uploaders adhere to it. That way they can decide what to edit/compress and maintain what they consider acceptable quality.

[tomld]

The benefit I see, would be for users who don't have a clue about video compression, nor quality. Lets say they create a home vid and its 30mb and they have no idea how to make it 10mb, they wouldnt be able to upload. With an automated compression tool, it would allow them to still participate.

I think it would be a pretty cool option, if possible.

So, to the best of your knowledge the only way to do this would be manually?

If not possible, I guess the alternative would be compression tutorials. I agree, the experienced video editor wouldnt need this, but all the first timers, this could be a big help.

Do you think a reputable programming firm could take this idea and turn it into a working script that functions similar to how well Windows Movie Maker compresses to a specified size?

[Cornucopia]

You can set up Cleaner and Procoder, IIRC, to use "watch folders". Whenever a file is copied to that folder, the (always running) program sees it and does its "specified" action on it. You just have to tell it to use a particular setting for a particular folder. Some may have multiple folder capability.

This would be burdensome on the Internet, but is used quite often on production house and/or corporate intranets.

Scott

[tomld]

Thats brings up my other question. If a script like this existed or could be made, would it require a lot of resources. Lets say compressing a typical video file takes 10 minutes and there were hundreds of uploads per day (hence hundreds of daily comrpessions) would it even be feasible by a single server?

[sammie]

There are picture gallery softwares that do this for individual pictures (Coppermine for example) but as noted video resizing, compression whatever takes a huge amount of resources and time compared to shrinking a typical .JPG image.

Theoretically, you would have to write something like a PHP script. The script would have to make decisions on frame size, frame rate, bit rate and so on. It would then pass the original filename and encoding parameters on to your favorite flavor of command line encoder. An executeable version of that encoder has to be availble to the server to call. Actually all that wouldn't be too hard to do. The difficulty lies in that virtually no one will (or should want) to have a script manipulate files on their own computer. So you have to upload the whole, unshurnk video to the server (One of the things I assume you are trying to avoid) Then you have to deal with what could be gigabytes of files and a process thread that may take close to 100% of your typical processors available capacity for hours. The how to isn't too hard, the resources required are essentially unatainable.

[jimmalenko]

I've just worked out how to use Windows Media Encoder in Batch mode. I haven't got all the scripting commands down just yet, but the help file really is quite extensive to the point where I'm hopeful that with a bit of playing around, I can make it hit a target size, or use the "High Quality (Large)" and "High Quality (Small)" templates. At the moment it just keeps the same size and uses a "constant quality"-type algorithm on my files.

I reckon I could code an app in VB to check a folder every minute, looking for new files, and then run any scripts as I desire. So I'd say it's most likely doable, but you'd need a little bit of knowhow in terms of scripting. Google is your friend here

[tomld]

It might even be better for myself and my users if it was just a simple to use program like WMM, that they run on their desktop. WMM would do the job, except I dont like the fact that its bundled with SP2. So I suppose if there was a 500kb program who's sole purpose was to import and compress a video file using the same process as WMM (RC-1 as I was told) it would be more cost effective for me and time saving for my users.

Does anyone know if such a simple compression program exists? Or can the RC-1 compression method be licensed/purchased for use in an application?

[jimmalenko]

WMM would do the job, except I dont like the fact that its bundled with SP2.

That's not exactly true ... WMM V1 comes with XP "out of the box". V1 is significantly different to V2 though ...

[tomld]

WMM would do the job, except I dont like the fact that its bundled with SP2.

That's not exactly true ... WMM V1 comes with XP "out of the box". V1 is significantly different to V2 though ...

Oh really? WMM is a good program but it has a lot of functionality beyond just compressing. Is there a tool that ONLY compresses video?