Recommended reading for a newbie?

[Stoutwoman]

I'm an old lady who is comfortable with computers and likes to manage music and photos, but I get totally lost when the pictures start to move.
I can rip video from YouTube for my iPod, but have great difficulty viewing moving picyures on my new laptop. Can't blame Vista entirely, wasn't doing too much better with XP.
Is there something simple and very basic I can read that outlines the differences among file extensions, explains codecs, and helps me know what to tick when I thrash around in the various viewers?
Simple, simple simple ... too many options

[cmatt]

Slightly off topic....

but if you are looking for a simple application to view video media - try vlc HERE

You will only need to install this application, and no other codec packs

[Stoutwoman]

This is progress! VLC indeed works!
The little videos I made as mp4s for the iPod play somewhat pixellated on VLC. If I were to go back, get them again and this time convert them to another file format, might they play sharper on VLC? Which format should I choose?
Thanks so much.

[tinker]

I do not think you will have much luck. Those pictures are so compressed that when viewing them on anything bigger that 2"x2" screen will be bad.

[jman98]

This is progress! VLC indeed works!
The little videos I made as mp4s for the iPod play somewhat pixellated on VLC. If I were to go back, get them again and this time convert them to another file format, might they play sharper on VLC?

They might, but we can't say with 100% certainty. Without overwhelming you with too much info you won't understand, let me simply say that the best you can hope for with conversion is to get something that looks as good as what you start with. If your source is low quality garbage, you can't convert it and get something that looks crystal clear as an end result.

Which format should I choose?
Thanks so much.

Divx has a good balance of quality and small file size and is not terribly complicated for inexperienced users.

[cmatt]

Glad to be of service! I deployed it in the office that I do all the IT for. You can get codec packs if you want to run the videos in say - windows media player. But VLC provides an all in one solution - and it is free!

But remember that as a general rule:-

Crap in - Crap out....

Your end product will only be as good as your source file.

[Stoutwoman]

Most of the things I am working with are pretty high quality to start. Not so good doesn't seem worth the trouble at all.
Instead of choosing the mP4 format, would I do better with the others Media Convert offers, such as 3G2 3GP AMV ASF AVI DV FLI FLV GIF GVI MKV MOV MP4 MPG NSV OGM RM SWF VOB WMV?

[tinker]

I do not understand what exactly are you trying to do. Is it to make DVD video, video for iPod, or just view different formats on you computer?
If the last is the case, than cmatt gave you VLC, which will play almost anything there is.
If you, however, want to see your iPod conversion on full computer screen, than result will be as you have now (pixelated), same as You Tube, this video (even converted to proper format) is not for viewing on TV screen

[Stoutwoman]

VCL is great, just as simple as promised. I love it!
I don't have a TV, but I would like to be able to look at my ripped videos on the full laptop computer screen. The ones I made as mp4s look very good on the ipod, but blow out on the computer screen.
What I'm wondering is, is there a format other than mp4 which might look better. The answer might be no, but mp4 seems a very limited sort of thing that ought not to try to do anything but iPods.

[tinker]

Mpeg-4 is a good compressing standard. If you ever seen the movie compressed to fit 700 MB CD, you will see the quality is very good.
The problem with small devices is that the file has to be compressed to the point that will not to take up much of the limited memory and using advantage of a small screen you play with resolution and bitrate to get it there.
To see this on a large screen it is the same as looking at the photographic picture with a magnifying glass.

[redwudz]

If you mean DVD video to convert to a Xvid/Divx format for your laptop, try AutoGK. It's freeware. A simpler program is FairUse Wizard. There is a freeware version of it on the toolpage.

And since you asked about recommended reading: Our FAQ is one good place to start: https://www.videohelp.com/faq For specific information, the 'HOW TO' guides to the upper left and the 'WHAT IS's are also recommended for specific formats.

And welcome to our forums.

[thecoalman]

What I'm wondering is, is there a format other than mp4 which might look better. The answer might be no, but mp4 seems a very limited sort of thing that ought not to try to do anything but iPods.

The best it will get is the original, any conversion introduce at least some degradation. If by "ripped" you mean videos pulled off youtube how are you ripping them? The best method would be to simply save the .flv file... http://uneasysilence.com/archive/2005/12/4843/

[Stoutwoman]

AHA! And the VLC would play .flv without any further monkey business? This I will try, thank you.
I'd love to know what these extensions actually mean and what each one does best.
A small child taught me how to rip You Tube films by teasing out the essential part of the embed code. I am building a Decemberists short film collection that will be the envy of my grandchildren.

[thecoalman]

I'd love to know what these extensions actually mean and what each one does best.

.flv is Flash video commonly used in flash players embedded in web pages. It's very compressed and because the flash plug-in is cross browser/cross platform friendly its very suitable for the web, generally thats all it's going to be used for.

.avi isn't a format but a container file and can contain many types of video, commnly it contains DV-AVI which is the type of video used on mini-dV cams. Another one is divx which is highly compressed format like .flv

.mpg is a format but there is different types, mpeg2 is the type of video found on standard DVD's.

Did that help or are you now more confused?

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To keep things simple as I mentioned the best format is whatever it is now, you only want to convert if you have too. From ther which format to pick is dependent on what you want to do with it.

[Stoutwoman]

It's a start ... more than I knew yesterday!