Digital Workshop

Hi

As a novice trying to create a 2-3 minute video demo, I wonder if anyone can suggest a solution. I need to keep file size relatively small, as the demo will be added to a 6 MB publication delivered from a website downloadable setup program. So far, the video creator in Opus produces great looking videos (record publication with sound, mouse and keyboard input) but with enormous file sizes (40-60 MB, even with reduced frame rates, 15). Too big for download.

Codecs may be a big part of this. I have a few older ones available like CinePak, none with super compression. Newer ones like DivX require commercial licensing for any (even if ever so modest) commercial distribution (I've written to DivX to find out costs involved).

My very limited understanding of codecs is that whatever codec is used to create the video, the end-user will have to have this codec installed on their computer if they are to view it. So, this also would limit choice to widely installed codecs.

I am hoping Opus users more experienced with video may have some suggestions.

Kind Regards,
Stephen
4.5 XE, 5 XE, XP Home Edition

Hi Stephen

You might like to try Flix from Wildform (www.wildform.com). I think there's a Lite version which is fairly inexpensive. This will convert your video to swf format, which you can import into Opus using DocView. This will get round any codecs problem - but I believe it WILL require your viewer to have QuickTime installed.

Regards

Thanks, Roger.

I'll look into it.

Stephen

If you want to go down the flash route why not simple publish to flash format directly from Opus.


Regards

Brenden Knifton

Hi

Thanks for your help! The Flash route in Opus, as far as I can tell, won't retain the mouse and keyboard recordings, which are essential to this demo.

But, I may be able to use another demo creation program, TurboDemo, to output the Flash demo. So far, it can do this, but I'm losing sound. I'm working on this.

Again, I appreciate your help.

Stephen