what is the most compatible video container to convert my files to?

[WuxiIxuw]

Hello,
Please what is the most compatible video container to convert my files to?
Shall I convert or encode to .mp4 or to .flv ?

[aedipuss]

what is the intended purpose of the converted files?

[hello_hello]

MP4 is fairly universally supported, however MKV is far more versatile and MKV support is fairly common now, outside Apple devices. Personally I use nothing but MKV. I couldn't imagine using FLV.

[jman98]

FLV is for sure the LEAST compatible of those 2 choices, but as aedipuss asked we do need to know what your purpose is to better advise you.

[WuxiIxuw]

It is for my website, so I do not want visitor to install any codecs to play the video in my website, and also in the same time to make it viewable with no issues using any other devices like mobile or tablets ...etc so my point is to use a container that is mostly universal with any thing without any need to any extra 3rd party codecs 1st.
I am using WinAVI-All-In-One-Converter.

[ricardouk]

here's all you need:

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/304460-How-to-convert-to-high-quality-MP4-and-displ...h-on-your-site

you wont be able to cover all possible devices unless you convert to baseline profile level 1, even old symbian phones wont play it.

my suggestion would be mp4 like the guide explains.

if you have the time and patience you can convert to several formats (mp4, webm or theora) and use something like the video.js player on your site, it detects which device the visitor is using and displays the most suitable format, but its not perfect and doesnt cover older devices that only play 3gp.

http://videojs.com

in short:

easy way: upload to youtube, use the embeded code on your site

simple way (DIY): convert to mp4 and use flash player (jw player, flowplayer etc)

long, stressfull, time consuming way: convert to several formats and use video.js player

hope it helps

[WuxiIxuw]

here's all you need:

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/304460-How-to-convert-to-high-quality-MP4-and-displ...h-on-your-site

thread is really useful but i am asking about other thing which is:
the most compatible video container to convert my files to? .mp4 or to .flv ?
unless there is something i did not follow.

[ricardouk]

read my answer again, i've added more info...btw mp4 (h264+aac)

....so my point is to use a container that is mostly universal with any thing without any need to any extra 3rd party codecs 1st.

can't be done

[WuxiIxuw]

read my answer again, i've added more info...btw mp4 (h264+aac)

Thanks for the reply.
Ok, it is .mp4 then
Yes I am converting to .mp4 using h.264 with 480*270 (16:9)
and using 300k bit rate for video and 64 for audio.
This is the low quality copy to be watched online on the website but there is another copy with the same frame size but using the default bit rate by winavi which 512k for video and 96k for audio.
Please advise if there is anything still needs to be adjusted.

[ricardouk]

it really depends... what kind of source videos are you using ("fast"?, static ?), on a personal note...dont use winavi, use handbrake or vidcoder. i dont think winavi produces a "ready to stream" mp4.

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/video/articles/mp4_movie_atom.html

(i know lots to read)

[WuxiIxuw]

it really depends... what kind of source videos are you using ("fast"?, static ?), on a personal note...dont use winavi, use handbrake or vidcoder. i dont think winavi produces a "ready to stream" mp4.

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/video/articles/mp4_movie_atom.html

(i know lots to read)

If you are talking about video data or atom that is being in the first or the end of the video that is ok because winavi doing it when encoding to .mp4 using the baseline and h.264 and I test it with no issues.
But what other factors to be taken into consideration beside the atom ?

I've downloaded the 2 tools mentioned and will test and feed you back.

[WuxiIxuw]

But a quick question regarding atom, do these tools you mentioned above do it ok?

[WuxiIxuw]

to let you advise me better, my source files are .TS and it is a recorded stream from the satellite PCI card using DVBViewer.
So I am using mpg2cut to do the edit and cut out un wanted parts, then save parts I need.
Then use winavi to encode.
So you think these two tools can do a better job?

[WuxiIxuw]

Handbrake seems more functional but I am found its interface a bit hard compared to winavi.

[WuxiIxuw]

Please how you can make a preset for crop and bitrate encoding?

[ricardouk]

Hi, it was a bit late yesterday (different time zones), from personal experience (years ago) i dont use or recommend winavi, didnt like its quality specially for a commercial program. I use several tools, most of the time i use scripts (x264+nero aac encoder or just ffmpeg) i do all resizing and cropping with avisynth and use the avisynth file as a video source...but lets not complicate.

If you're starting the best way is to use handbrake (gui), vidcoder, avanti, any video converter (free version), theres loads more all of them "faststart" (moov atom) mp4 files.

ive setup 3 quick 240p, 360p and 480p video streaming examples.
here's the link:
http://www.ricardouk.com/videohelp

[ricardouk]

i can only test so much but the first video (baseline profile) works on all browsers (here) as long as you have the flash player plugin, works on my android phone (2.3.5 gingerbread native browser) without flash plugin so it should probably work on older iphones, ipad etc.

the 2nd video (main profile works on my desktopbrowsers, wont play on android phone (weak cpu) from what i read online it should work on newer iphones (older ones probably wont play it) and the ipad.

hope it helps

[WuxiIxuw]

We are a small business media production company.
We have small short terms contracts with local TV Channels locally, and these contracts consists of two parts:
1- Recording all streaming for all Shows for the TV Channels and then upload two copies of each show, one to the TV Channel server website and the other copy to its associated Youtube channel.
2- Our lab has about 20 computer dedicated only for recording, all computers are just one model which is Dell; OptiPlex GX 620; desktop; Pentium D; 2.8 GHz; 3 GB Ram ddr2; 2TB HDD; and finally a PCI Satellite card to do the capture.
3- We do not have a monitor and keyboard and mouse for each computer of these 20 ones but instead we install the Windows 7 ultimate 32x image and then access them all using windows desktop remotely or team viewer to check each machine for what is going on and what is being recorded like if there is a TV SHOW is being broadcasted now or not otherwise to give computers some few hours for rest. The mean reason for accessing them remotely is to save a place in our lab and of course to reduce number of people needed to follow up with everything.
4- beside these 20 dell computers we have another set of computers but they are monster hardware with latest i7 and 16 gb ram .....etc to do the video encoding and editing.
5- So far what we do is the following:-
a) recording the streaming in .ts or .mpeg-2 using the dvbviewer pro.
b) set up ftp filezilla server on each of the dell computers and then a filezilla ftp client on the i7 computers and setup a small local network using gigabit switch and cat6 cables to transfer the .ts/.mpeg-2 files from the dell computers to the i7 computers to do the video editing and encoding.
c) using mpg2cut to do the cut of each show from the big .ts/.mpeg-2 files to cut unwanted parts and commercials.
d) finally using WinAVI to do the encoding and we use 16:09 frame size (640x360-480x270-360x202).
6- The most important thing in our work is that it is a time sensitive and time factor is everything because each extra time in editing and encoding the videos means that we lose some contracts but each fast way mean saving more time and gain more contracts.
7- so please advise for a better work flow if you have any!?
Also if you have any better ideas or suggestion to do the whole job better please do so go ahead.

Regards,
WI

[ricardouk]

well i wasnt expecting that, when you said your website i thought you were doing the streaming as a hobby with all the time/hardware/software limitations it has.

I only do this as a hobby and to keep up with the advances in streaming etc.

I would use mpg2cut, it works perfectly i used it in the past, about the cropping/resizing/conversion...if you really want to save time i think you should use handbrake(GUI) or vidcoder as they are "rock solid" tools, you can crop and resize (automatically or manually).

so the steps would be:

record,
cut/edit, (mpg2cut)
crop/resize/convert/ (handbrake, vidcoder)
upload

seems like a good setup (in theory).

Lets wait and hear what the pro's have to say

[WuxiIxuw]

well i wasnt expecting that, when you said your website i thought you were doing the streaming as a hobby with all the time/hardware/software limitations it has.

This is the reason I give you and other the exact full details.
Sorry if I did not tell the exact details in the 1st post but I mean the same principle which is posting a video container in a website.

I only do this as a hobby and to keep up with the advances in streaming etc.

Yes, we started as a hobby in the early beginning but later on we start to make some money of it so we make in a legal way according to law.

I would use mpg2cut, it works perfectly i used it in the past

Ok, we will keep working with it.

about the cropping/resizing/conversion...if you really want to save time i think you should use handbrake(GUI) or vidcoder as they are "rock solid" tools, you can crop and resize (automatically or manually).

Honestly I was not able to achieve what I want to do when I used them ? I mean the cropping and video or audio bitrate. So please if you can help more on that or can give extra details that would be awesome.

so the steps would be:
record,
cut/edit, (mpg2cut)
crop/resize/convert/ (handbrake, vidcoder)
upload

seems like a good setup (in theory).

Lets wait and hear what the pro's have to say

My only problem here exist in the steps of "crop/resize/convert/ (handbrake, vidcoder)"
But please may you recommend a one of them over the other? As I can not make up my mind.

[ricardouk]

i'm making a quick screencast, hope it helps, will post the link later as soon as it finishs uploading

[WuxiIxuw]

Thanks a lot for your help.

i'm making a quick screencast, hope it helps, will post the link later as soon as it finishs uploading

[ricardouk]

here's the link, scrool down to the bottom of the page, last video:
http://www.ricardouk.com/videohelp

its a "quick and dirty" screencast as its nearly 2.30am over here, i think you'll get an idea on how to create presets, afterwards all you'll have to do is to select video, select preset, check crop values and convert.

[WuxiIxuw]

here's the link, scrool down to the bottom of the page, last video:
http://www.ricardouk.com/videohelp

its a "quick and dirty" screencast as its nearly 2.30am over here, i think you'll get an idea on how to create presets, afterwards all you'll have to do is to select video, select preset, check crop values and convert.

Thanks a lot really clear and helped me a lot.
But you are using vidcoder instead of handbrake, does this mean that you are recommending it over the other one?
Also another issue, regarding the preset, does this include the crop, bitrate for audio and video ...etc?
If it is so I think I can make a preset for each channel as channels are vary from one to another regarding the crop size while almost all will be the same regarding the video and audio bitrate.
Also I just would like to confirm that using preset will make it all applied to all files in the queue and not an only one video?

[ricardouk]

both programs use handbrake "under the hood" i just use vidcoder because of the program layout.

if all programs in channel A need the same crop values that would be perfect as you could create presets for channel A, B etc, about the batch mode ... i think as long the X preset is selected the values apply to all the videos in the queue. not sure on that though, try it with short videos

[WuxiIxuw]

I do not know why each time I do a convert I found it failed!

[ricardouk]

can you send me a PM with a sample? a 2 min sample...use mediafire

[ricardouk]

i just used vidcoder with mpg1,mpg2 videos and no issues over here,

tried it with ts video samples from here:
http://www.dododge.net/roku/ts-samples.html

and no issues.

are you using windows 7 32 or 64? you said 32 in previous comment just wondering if its really windows 7 32 as there are 2 vidcoder versions one for 32 and another for 64 systems.

http://vidcoder.codeplex.com/releases/view/91831

[WuxiIxuw]

The dell computers used for recording are all using windows 7 ultimate 32x while the other monster computer used for encoding and editing all are 64x because I used 16 gb ram with each one.
I will download the 64x and retest and feed you back.
Regards,
WI

[WuxiIxuw]

finally after a lot of trials and errors i did it and can do the convert.
but please it is a far slow compared to winavi but the positive thing about the vidcoder compared to winavi that when i use winavi to encode and set bitrate for audio to 96 and video to 512 and encode the same file with vidcoder and set audio to 32 and video to 300 .. I end up with a better quality using vidcoder far better then winavi.

1) Does there is any way to make it encode faster?

2) Also how can I set the encoded file to be with the same name of the original source file instead of using the alternate title the vidcoder suggest?