Mar
26
2003
ff2003: video in flash mx (part 2)
Current session: Video in Flash MX: Creating, Developing and Deploying, presented by Mike Davidson and Danny Mavriotis of ESPN.com.
The second session started off with a “bakeoff,” comparing Flash video, Windows Media video, and RealPlayer video.
They started out by taking a Quicktime DV file, importing it into Sorenson Squeeze, then exporting it to WMV, RM, and SWF. (Settings: 780 kbps, 480px wide). The SWF was comparable to WMV, but some pixelation was evident in the SWF. Still, in later examples they showed using movie trailers that had been converted to SWF format, the quality was very good.
They added that the type/subject of video makes a huge difference in what encoding settings you’ll need to use (high action sports vs. talking heads).
In the “gee whiz” department, they explained the programming behind the ESPN “axis cam,” where the user can use a slider to change the camera angle of a video in play. (Can’t find an example of it on their site right now, but the example they showed on the screen was very cool.)
Comparing Flash encoding tools:
| Native | Wildform Flix | Sorenson Squeeze | |
| Cost | FREE | $149/$69/$29 | $119 |
| Focus | non | flash | video |
| interface | basic | better | best |
| encode speed | slow | medium | fast |
| encode quality | good | great | great |
| encode options | few | many | many |
| audio sync | no | not sure | yes |
| vector output | no | yes | no |
| auto variables | no | yes | yes |
| batchable | no | yes | yes |
| 2-pass variable bit recording | no | yes | yes |
| preloader | no | yes | no |
| player skins | no | yes | yes |
![[Photo]](http://photos.morethanthis.net/images/2008-09-13/thumbs/IMG_0272.jpg)
