Compression that use to work perfectly

[ckeen]

I'm a TOTAL noob.. I was editing a video a long time ago in Windows XP using ADOBE PREMIERE and it was going perfectly. I could import MOV files AVI files everything. compressing was SUPER simple I selected some Codec (don't remember the EXACT name of it) but it was like Windows movie or something with a selection of 'downloadable' or something.

Anyways, I was more than happy. When I compressed the video it looked almost as good as the original. The original was like 2 GB's worth of space and when compressed it was like 48 MB or something.

I recently rebuilt a new computer and the old one is gone. I installed Windows 7 and wanted to get back to work on my video. Except now that CODEC is gona. No matter what I do the quality is always HORRID, take FOREVER to compress (like hours) and when I compress but the resolution and video quality is WORSE than before the compression.

basically I want the effect that I got in Windows XP. I lost almost no quality yet it was compressed into a reasonable SIZE; also it compressed WAY faster. Any ideas on how this was achieved before? I've tried so hard to reproduce

[Baldrick]

Windows movie? Wmv? Then try install the WMV9 VCM.

Or try the xvid codec or divx codec or h264 / x264vfw.

[aedipuss]

2gb to 48mb with the same quality is impossible. filesize = bitrate x time. no exceptions. reducing a video by over 99% leaves you with under 1% of the original quality, you must be hallucinating or were then.

[ckeen]

Windows movie? Wmv? Then try install the WMV9 VCM.

Or try the xvid codec or divx codec or h264 / x264vfw.

I will try these thanks for the suggestion!

[ckeen]

2gb to 48mb with the same quality is impossible. filesize = bitrate x time. no exceptions. reducing a video by over 99% leaves you with under 1% of the original quality, you must be hallucinating or were then.

There's no doubt you're right. I'm giving extremely rough values, I don't remember them exactly. All I know is that the ratio was very surprising given the resulting quality.

[edDV]

What codec is gone?

Probably MPeg2. See if the files play with VLC.

[ckeen]

What codec is gone?

Probably MPeg2. See if the files play with VLC.

I am un-certain what codec is missing, if I knew it would better help to re-upload them. Something tells me it wasn't MPeg2; however naything is worth a shot. When you say 'see if files play with VLC' are you suggesting I take an Mpeg2 file and try playing it in VLC and if it doesn't play then that means the codec is missing?

[edDV]

Download mediainfo. Drag the file to it and cut/paste the text view (under view tab) here.

We also need to know your basic computer info...

CPU, RAM amount, computer or motherboard model number and display card model number.

[ckeen]

Download mediainfo. Drag the file to it and cut/paste the text view (under view tab) here.

We also need to know your basic computer info...

CPU, RAM amount, computer or motherboard model number and display card model number.

Okay the output from Media Info is as follows:

General
Complete name : F:\Video\Made\LynnVideo\LynnAndCurt.wmv
Format : Windows Media
File size : 36.1 MiB
Duration : 3mn 3s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 1 651 Kbps
Maximum Overall bit rate : 3 226 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2011-06-10 22:12:12.781

Video
ID : 2
Format : VC-1
Format profile : MP@ML
Codec ID : WMV3
Codec ID/Info : Windows Media Video 9
Codec ID/Hint : WMV3
Description of the codec : Windows Media Video 9 - Professional
Duration : 3mn 3s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 1 500 Kbps
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 3:2
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Standard : NTSC
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Compression mode : Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.145
Stream size : 32.8 MiB (91%)
NumberOfFrames : 5486

Audio
ID : 1
Format : WMA
Format version : Version 2
Codec ID : 161
Codec ID/Info : Windows Media Audio
Description of the codec : Windows Media Audio 9.2 - 128 kbps, 44 kHz, stereo 2-pass VBR
Duration : 3mn 3s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 128 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 44.1 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Stream size : 2.80 MiB (8%)

[ckeen]

My hardware info is:

Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_gdr.110622-1503)
BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6400 @ 2.40GHz (2 CPUs), ~2.4GHz
Memory: 2048MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 2046MB RAM
Card name: ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series

I don't remember exactly my mother board it is an ASUS P5N-E or something like that. I hope that is sufficient information!?

[edDV]

Your computer is sufficient for semi-pro editing including high definition.

The file information shows a standard definition Microsoft VC-1/WMA version of WMV and should play in Windows 7 Media Player or free players like VLC or MPCHC. The latter two have internal VC-1 decoders. VC-1, MPeg2 and h.264 are the codecs allowed for Blu-Ray.

Describe more what you are trying to accomplish. Also why you are exporting to WMV?

[Baldrick]

So you have no Windows Media(WMV) export options at all in Premiere?
What version of premiere?

Maybe try install Windows Media Encoder or Microsoft Expression Encoder. They might be required.

[Baldrick]

Describe more what you are trying to accomplish.

Export to wmv in Premiere?

[ckeen]

Your computer is sufficient for semi-pro editing including high definition.

The file information shows a standard definition Microsoft VC-1/WMA version of WMV and should play in Windows 7 Media Player or free players like VLC or MPCHC. The latter two have internal VC-1 decoders. VC-1, MPeg2 and h.264 are the codecs allowed for Blu-Ray.

Describe more what you are trying to accomplish. Also why you are exporting to WMV?

THanks for the response. My issue is not playback of video my issue is compression of video. When I got into Adove Premiere and try to Export I get a LOOONG list of of options.

Example:

Under Format it has: Windows Media, Microsoft AVI, Windows BitMap, Uncompressed Microsoft AVI, etc.

Then when I select one of these there are Presets for each Format such as, when I select Windows Media I get:

NTSC Source to High Quality Download
NTSC Source to Download 1024kbps
NTSC Source to Download 512kbp
NTSC etc.
PAL Source to Download 1024kbps
PAL Source to Download 512kbps
etc.

There USE to be an option that I would select where everything would be EXACLTY how I wanted it to be (as stated above) seemed to have minimum quality lost with maximum data compression.

I had no reason to export to WMV at all. The format doesn't matter to me at all, nor do I really even know the difference. The only thing that matters to me is Quality and File Size. I am not sure how to achieve that effect with all the options in Adobe Premiere becuase there are so many to choose and each one I choose seems to give either poor quality or MASSIVE file size.

[ckeen]

So you have no Windows Media(WMV) export options at all in Premiere?
What version of premiere?

Maybe try install Windows Media Encoder or Microsoft Expression Encoder. They might be required.

Yep I have Windows Media option in Adobe Premiere but I must be missing something else because all the presets don't produce the same type of video that it did before =S

[edDV]

What version Premiere are you using?

[ckeen]

What version Premiere are you using?

5.1

[edDV]

What version Premiere are you using?

5.1

You mean Premiere v5.1 (2000), not Premiere Pro CS5 (current)?

If v5.1 that version didn't even support MPeg2 or DVD. It was the first version to support native DV format. WMV encoding called on installed Microsoft codecs.

Is the camera source DV format? If so, export to DV format then use a program like Handbrake to encode to h.264+AC3 or AAC audio. Today, h.264 gets you the the smallest file with reasonable quality. Be sure to select Deinterlace (slow or slowest). Alternate is Windows Media Encoder 9 as suggested above.
https://trac.handbrake.fr/wiki/HandBrakeGuide
http://www.bumpersoft.com/Video-and-Audio/DVD-and-Video/Video-Encoders-and-Converters/...tion-18100.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=6239

Also, the old Premiere 5.1 does not support 64 bit OS so expect problems. Suggest you get something like Sony Media Studio Platinum 11.

[ckeen]

What version Premiere are you using?

5.1

You mean Premiere v5.1 (2000), not Premiere Pro CS5 (current)?

If v5.1 that version didn't even support MPeg2 or DVD. It was the first version to support native DV format. WMV encoding called on installed Microsoft codecs.

Is the camera source DV format? If so, export to DV format then use a program like Handbrake to encode to h.264+AC3 or AAC audio. Today, h.264 gets you the the smallest file with reasonable quality. Be sure to select Deinterlace (slow or slowest). Alternate is Windows Media Encoder 9 as suggested above.
https://trac.handbrake.fr/wiki/HandBrakeGuide
http://www.bumpersoft.com/Video-and-Audio/DVD-and-Video/Video-Encoders-and-Converters/...tion-18100.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=6239

Also, the old Premiere 5.1 does not support 64 bit OS so expect problems. Suggest you get something like Sony Media Studio Platinum 11.

Thanks for the advice. I'm sorry, I meant to say CS5.1 (current). The video sourve is .mov and/or .avi I piece together several movies from different cameras.

I will try as you suggest. But is there no way that you know of to do it all in one step in adobe premiere CS5.1 as I have done before?

[ckeen]

Hey, I managed to figure it all out! Pretty excited to acutally know how Premiere is SUPPOSE to work. So I managed to find all the codecs and make every thing EXACTLY the same. When I use MediaInfo I replicated it exactly however the NEW movie I create looks more blurry than the one I made in the past...

Any tips on how to give the images that sharper look? I increased the bitrate and it really did nothing. Same with image quality...

[edDV]

Can you explain better what the source video is and how it came to be in 720x480 29.97 fps progressive wmv3 format?

Usually that format is used for distribution, not acquisition or editing.

[ckeen]

Yes edDV, the video (with the good quality) was a result of a project I worked on a while back (call it Vid1) I exported it and then in a format the project itself got screwed up. THe project and original movies were .MOV format The media info is as follows for the source:


General
Complete name : F:\Pics\HomePics\alb\2011\June11-LightHouseandCanucks\MVI_3193.MOV
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : QuickTime
Codec ID : qt
File size : 70.7 MiB
Duration : 55s 800ms
Overall bit rate : 10.6 Mbps
Encoded date : UTC 2011-06-10 20:26:37
Tagged date : UTC 2011-06-10 20:26:37

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Baseline@L3.1
Format settings, CABAC : No
Format settings, ReFrames : 1 frame
Format settings, GOP : M=1, N=15
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 55s 800ms
Bit rate : 9 923 Kbps
Width : 640 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 4:3
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 30.000 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 1.077
Stream size : 66.0 MiB (93%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2011-06-10 20:26:37
Tagged date : UTC 2011-06-10 20:26:37
Color primaries : BT.709-5, BT.1361, IEC 61966-2-4, SMPTE RP177
Transfer characteristics : BT.709-5, BT.1361
Matrix coefficients : BT.601-6 525, BT.1358 525, BT.1700 NTSC, SMPTE 170M

Audio
ID : 2
Format : PCM
Format settings, Endianness : Little
Format settings, Sign : Signed
Codec ID : sowt
Duration : 55s 800ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 705.6 Kbps
Channel(s) : 1 channel
Channel positions : Front: C
Sampling rate : 44.1 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Stream size : 4.69 MiB (7%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2011-06-10 20:26:37
Tagged date : UTC 2011-06-10 20:26:37

The resulting video was the one posted way above (where I posted the media info for).

Since I lost the project file I thought I'd start again but import the RESULTING video (vid1) that I had and I would just add .MOV files to this Vid1 (that was output from original project). However no matter what I do the quality is always less when i output project2.

I uploaded Vid1 to you tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixrUpQRUrIw

After I create project two and output to Vid2 the you tube is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROcAldiy0J0

Notice that the quality of Vid1 is much better than Vid2.

I hope this is clear :S

[edDV]

Since I lost the project file I thought I'd start again but import the RESULTING video (vid1) that I had and I would just add .MOV files to this Vid1 (that was output from original project). However no matter what I do the quality is always less when i output project2.

WMV was always intended to be a final distribution format rather than a production format. Any re-encode is highly lossy.

So go find the original source files. Next time save them and back them up to a different location.

When that is not possible, you should save a high quality "edit master" (at least DV format) that can be re-edited later with less loss.

[ckeen]

I posted another thread on this related topic with a new test. No one has answered yet and I'm wondering if you can give me any further direction?

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/345001-Compress-movies-in-Adobe-Premiere-the-same-a...ws-Movie-Maker