What is the best way to convert a video to WMV?

[Alwyn]

Essentially, the video size was dependent on the frame size although that should NOT be the case - size = length * frame-rate although the frame rate did change according to the frame size so then the equation is true.

"frame-rate"... don't you mean bitrate?

In my tests, file size does change with frame size using the WMV encoder in Magix: 640x480 Quality 90 was 2.998MB, 1920x1080 Quality 90 was 8.506MB (as you would expect, using a "quality"-based encoding setting, as opposed to an "average" or "constant" bitrate setting).

@video.wmv, I wouldn't be too hung-up on frame rates; the video isn't of people or actual live motion. For screen capture-type videos, as yours is, lower frame rates can be quite acceptable.

[DB83]

@Alwyn


Gracias por la conversión correcta de velocidad de cuadros a velocidad de bits.

[El Heggunte]

Amazing that so far "everybody" in this thread recommended the obsolete Windows Media Encoder and ignored the much-better / less-sucky Expression Encoder 3.

@ the OP: if you choose the .AVI route, then use the Xvid codec. It's freeware and does support Full-HD resolutions. I myself prefer the ancient DivX , but DivX became abandonware and difficult-to-find.

[video.wmv]

Hello all

I will try to answer each question separately. This coming week I will return to class (we are ending the winter break) so I can test videos on clients' PC.

I used 15 fps to reduce the bitrate requirement. That particular video was mostly still images so it doesn't really need 30 fps.

Maybe you are right. But the point is, reducing 50% of the fps (30 fps -> 15 fps) can really reduce the file size significantly? I am asking seriously, I am not an expert, sorry for the question.

I also want to point out that sometimes I add images with transitions in some of the screen capture videos. It is not a universal formula. Sometimes I want to illustrate something I am saying with high quality images, and so the video can lag within those 3-4 seconds of images.

But the main point of this test was to see if you could stream an mp4 file with h.264 video and aac audio to your client computers. Was it possible?

The software and the OS are too old that mp4 files cannot be reproduced using "Show a video" tool. I am not able to modify this because it does not depend on me.

Tools that report bitrate are often wrong. That's what DB83 was pointing out.

From your answers I learn it. What I was saying is that it amazes me that the software tool that @DB83 used also reported a low bitrate. So that software is wrong, too? That was my question.

[video.wmv]

And as you found out, if the frame size is too small you can not read the text on the screen. In this program, not all frame sizes are covered so the smallest that gave acceptable results was 1280*720 which resulted in a video of 72mb. I guess that is too large for the reasons you have already stated.

I don't think 72 mb is a bad result. I am looking for results that are less than 100 mb maybe.

Which software did you use? Which config?

But you should try Jagabo's sample. It is possible that the software requires upgrade to the latest version and then you may even be able to use your original file.

I wish that can be real, but as I said in the last message, that does not depend on me. I need to export with these unused formats, sorry.

[video.wmv]

@video.wmv, I wouldn't be too hung-up on frame rates; the video isn't of people or actual live motion. For screen capture-type videos, as yours is, lower frame rates can be quite acceptable.

I think this does not matter at all. Does 30 fps or 24 fps make any difference at all?

As said previously, my videos are all not the same. Some videos are only screen capture-type videos, some others are animated, some others combine screen capture with high quality images, etc.

To solve this, all the videos must have the same general config: exported with Camtasia @ 30 fps, 720p in some cases, 480p in other cases. That's mostly all. If I change to 15 fps, the videos that have transitions will not look great.

But if you found that 20 fps videos have a significant less size than 30 fps videos, then I will change it, no problem.

[DB83]

^^ A lot of wine has washed thro this skull since I wrote

If memory serves I used Windows Media Encoder (as rec) + 1280*720 + low quality. Like I said, MS no longer offer this for download so you have to get it from elsewhere and I still have an antiquated Win7 system. But if you can get this to work do your own tests since I might have missed something along the way. And there were several tests I did before this result.

[jagabo]

reducing 50% of the fps (30 fps -> 15 fps) can really reduce the file size significantly?

Yes it can. Look at the size of the file I uploaded compared to the original you uploaded. It's 40 percent smaller and still readable (except the greyed out text). Considering 25 percent of the original file is audio, and the exact same audio was copied to my new file, the video stream is reduced by more than 50 percent.

I also want to point out that sometimes I add images with transitions in some of the screen capture videos. It is not a universal formula.

At the time I thought the original video was typical of what you were dealing with so that's why I took that route. Real world full motion video will not be smooth and will flicker at 15 fps. And you will not be able to get real world full motion video (like in your later post) with any quality with bitrates that low with older codecs, even at 15 fps.

The software and the OS are too old that mp4 files cannot be reproduced using "Show a video" tool. I am not able to modify this because it does not depend on me.

They claim to support "mp4" but it's not clear what they mean by that. Maybe it doesn't support the mp4 container. And it looks like it doesn't work with h.264 video (at least without downloading and installing an h.264 decoder). They may mean the MPEG 4 Part 2 codec, examples of which are Microsoft MPEG4, Divx, and Xvid. But none of those will be able to compress as well as newer codecs like h.264 (AVC), h.265 (HEVC), VP9, VC-1, or AV1.

[lordsmurf]

See, I am a teacher
software installed on Teacher's PC to monitorize the students PCs.

Irony.

[buzz1891]

I don't think 72 mb is a bad result. I am looking for results that are less than 100 mb maybe.

Assuming you can use .avi + mpeg-4 asp [2010 era] codecs, here is the quality you can get:

[video.wmv]

I don't think 72 mb is a bad result. I am looking for results that are less than 100 mb maybe.

Assuming you can use .avi + mpeg-4 asp [2010 era] codecs, here is the quality you can get:

Thanks for the help. I just took a screenshot of the 2nd video and here is what it says:


[Attachment 81141 - Click to enlarge]

[buzz1891]

Try to rename the problem file to something simpler, like latin/digits only

[El Heggunte]

Try to rename the problem file to something simpler, like latin/digits only

You meant "ASCII characters only". Lousy software like that reminds me of the ancient .DOC viewer from Microsoft itself, the suckware didn't like filenames and folder names with spaces.

[video.wmv]

Try to rename the problem file to something simpler, like latin/digits only

Yes it works! Sound good, video is good.

The only thing is that my impression when I was passing the video to the students' PC, it takes nearly 1 minute in total. And the size is 50 MB. The WMV-converted-video has larger size but it took ~30 seconds. Why is that?

After all, I like your proposal. Could you share how you end up with those videos?

[buzz1891]

Could you share how you end up with those videos?

I used standalone AviDemux app, it's freeware and avail here on this site.
After installation just copy attached preset files into the Plugins\autoScripts folder.
So y just open video to process -> go menu Auto -> pick preset -> press Ctrl+S (SaveVideo) -> select destination -> Done
Encoding time somewhat depends on clip complexity, but should be around its duration.

For convenience preset name include ~bitrate per minute, so you can easy predict output size
Lower bitrate ones intended for presentation style videos - a lot of blank space, some texts, not much details or movement.
Higher bitrate is for real life footage, with a lot of details or movement.

[video.wmv]

Could you share how you end up with those videos?

I used standalone AviDemux app, it's freeware and avail here on this site.
After installation just copy attached preset files into the Plugins\autoScripts folder.

Hello sir, I downloaded the appimage on a Ubuntu virtual machine. I granted "Allowing executing file as program" permission, double-clicked and opened the Avidemux program, but I am not able to find any Plugins\autoScripts folder. I am a Linux newbie, so how can I find it? Or how to extract the files and open the Avidemux program?

Thank you

[buzz1891]

I downloaded the appimage on a Ubuntu virtual machine.

I'm confused .. you are running quest Windows system on a Ubuntu host system? Or other way around (why at all if so)?

[video.wmv]

I downloaded the appimage on a Ubuntu virtual machine.

I'm confused .. you are running quest Windows system on a Ubuntu host system? Or other way around (why at all if so)?

Sorry for the confusion. I'm on Windows but I use a VM to run Ubuntu. I downloaded the AppImage Avidemux for the Ubuntu OS. But I don't know how to extract/create the desired folder so that I can run one of the .py scripts you have attached and produce a video.

[buzz1891]

You don't need Linux to run Avidemux presets (I'm on Windows myself)

[video.wmv]

Could you share how you end up with those videos?

I used standalone AviDemux app, it's freeware and avail here on this site.
After installation just copy attached preset files into the Plugins\autoScripts folder.
So y just open video to process -> go menu Auto -> pick preset -> press Ctrl+S (SaveVideo) -> select destination -> Done
Encoding time somewhat depends on clip complexity, but should be around its duration.

For convenience preset name include ~bitrate per minute, so you can easy predict output size
Lower bitrate ones intended for presentation style videos - a lot of blank space, some texts, not much details or movement.
Higher bitrate is for real life footage, with a lot of details or movement.

I finally decided to install Avidemux on Windows and I am 'exporting' the videos myself, I will test some videos tomorrow, thank you again!!

I have a question. Why did you decide the following configuration:

1) 1280x720 - (8 MBpm)
2) 1360x768 - (3,7MBpm)
3) 1440x816 - (4,5MBpm)

but not something like?:

1') 1280x720 - (8 MBpm)
2') 1280x720 - (3,7MBpm)
3') 1280x720 - (4,5MBpm)

I mean, from my understanding a higher resolution (like 1440x816 has more pixels than 1280x720) implies a bigger file size, but this is not the case since I compared 1) and 3) and 3) has smaller file size than 1). Why did you mix the resolution and the bitrate?

[buzz1891]

Low bitrate presets are intended for presentation style videos (with a lot of blank space, texts, but not much movement). Such videos don't need much bitrate to maintain quality. OTH too low resolution makes it soft after stretching to bigger screen, like 1920*1080. But if your student screens are 1280*720, then yes, I'd use 1280* resolution for all presets.

[video.wmv]

Low bitrate presets are intended for presentation style videos (with a lot of blank space, texts, but not much movement). Such videos don't need much bitrate to maintain quality. OTH too low resolution makes it soft after stretching to bigger screen, like 1920*1080. But if your student screens are 1280*720, then yes, I'd use 1280* resolution for all presets.

Hello @buzz1891, thank you for your kind help!! That makes sense.

I tried to export a video using Avidemux with one of your presets and used the NetSupport School's Show Video tool, but after a few minutes, some of the students' computers began to hang and while the video was playing I had to move them to other computers that continued playing the video without freezing. It had never happened to me, it's the first time. After another like 5 minutes half of the computers froze. Do you know what it could be?

[buzz1891]

@video.wmv
I can only guess that *Show video tool* relies in internal, vastly outdated decoder. Can you confirm that 1360 & any other of 2 presets fail too? (1360* uses slightly different video encoder). Another option is to go *configure* for audio and try CBR mode instead of ABR.

[video.wmv]

I can only guess that *Show video tool* relies in internal, vastly outdated decoder. Can you confirm that 1360 & any other of 2 presets fail too? (1360* uses slightly different video encoder).

I used 1440x816 preset to export the videos, but I can try to show using one of the other 2 presets, yeah why not.

Let me test and comment the results.

I showed two of those videos in the same class and both froze some computers. These computers have Win 7 and some of them are 32-bit, even Google Chrome installed on them has some lag issues, I asked to install Firefox and it runs faster. As you can see, the computers are outdated in most of the cases.

Another option is to go *configure* for audio and try CBR mode instead of ABR.

Test CBR instead of ABR for every preset? That are a lot of tests lol

Thank you

[buzz1891]

That are a lot of tests

For me It's kinda hard to believe that student computer is so bad performance wise that it can't run these files.. That's why I assume there probably some software incompatibility, so the suggestion to try slightly other codec options.
But it still possible that it's just performance issue of the students PCs, for that case I'd monitor task manager for CPU load figures.