Hi all.

For the most part I don't have any problem viewing videos online or that I download from the web, so long as I'm using a fast PC.

However, I send videos to others and I never know what quality of PC they have, so I always test for "viewability" by running a video on an older PC (500MHz & 640K RAM running XP Pro) before announcing the link to it.

Now admittedly this is "old iron", but even so XP and most videos run fine on it. However I've noticed that FLV/SWF that I get regularly from one particular source are always completely unusable on the old PC; screen-changes lag way behind audio and the audio itself is so "choppy" and clipped as to be unusable.

I'm only a beginner at online video, and I've been wondering what it is about the videos from this particular source that makes them so unwatchable on anything but a modern fast machine.

Unfortunately I cannot legally share the videos for demonstration, but here's what I know about them: They are all produced on a MacBook Pro (Intel) using the Mac's inbuilt camera, at 30fps and average bitrate 43.9kbps (figures derived by File -> GetInfo in SWF.Max). Also I *think* (not absolutely sure) that they use Sorensen Squeeze. Apart from that I doubt these people would be using any special video software other than what comes with the MacBook Pro.

Is it that 30fps is just too high a frame rate for general distribution? If so, is there any tool I can use to test this by changing the frame rate of an existing FLV/SWF?

If not, any other suggestions?

I want to know what these people are doing wrong so that, as I progress to making my own "camera videos" (as opposed to Camtasias), I don't make the same mistake. I don't want my videos to be limited only to people with the latest/fastest equipment.

Many thanks for any tips.

Are you playing the flv files streaming in a browser or in a flash player?

Mike.

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Edius Pro 4 Broadcast, Edius DVX, ADVC300 -- PremPro 2.0, Matrox RT X100

Hi Mike.

It doesn't make any difference.

I've clicked the web link which calls the controller SWF in Firefox or IE (no performance difference between them).

I've also downloaded the FLV to the PC (got file info from the page source), then played it directly in Aero SWF.Max (tried other players too without any improvement).

BTW, I'm an IT pro, just new to video, so if there's anything you want to suggest I try please fire away.

Is it correct to say that an SWF is a "wrapper" that calls an FLV? That seems to be what's happening in this case.

- Billy

That is my understanding. When a flv or swf is played through a browser a .swf player with player controls is used to embed the vid in the page and display the video.

maybe the flash players require a higher spec.

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Edius Pro 4 Broadcast, Edius DVX, ADVC300 -- PremPro 2.0, Matrox RT X100