[QLab] Favoured video formats

[luckydave]

I'm partial to the Quick Time Animation codec, as it requires the least
processor work for playback. Of course, I haven't experimented all that
much with QLab and h.264. I know Animation works better with Livid
Union, a VJ program I use on occasion.

Since QLab works with Quartz Extreme and Core Image and Core Video, it
might behave better with h.264, as that's used from the system level in
OSX 10.4.x. (Chris, any thoughts here?) Even if QLab doesn't mind it as
much, there's still a lot of processor power involved in decoding the
encoded video that you get with any MPEG codec. On my MacBook Pro C2D
2.33 with 2gb of RAM, I see lots of hiccupping any time I try to
crossfade highly compressed files. Since QT Animation doesn't compress,
the processor can execute those fades and run more clips simultaneously
with less work, therefore more efficiently and more reliably.

I'd love to hear what kind of luck you have with h.264, though. If it's
working smoothly with several cues running, and x-fades happening, then
I think you're golden. It's a much smaller file size, native in OSX
Tiger, and ready for plenty of other uses, such as web streaming.

fwiw,
luckydave

--- Rory Dale <rorydale at mac.com> wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> I'm putting together a show with quite a lot of video in it and  
> trying to decide what video format to have Qlab playback.
> 
> I was just wondering what are you all using and having most success  
> with?
> 
> I've been experimenting with h.264 and right now DV. Some footage I  
> am creating from scratch so it can be rendered to whatever would be  
> best. Other footage is being ripped from a DVD provided to me. It is 
> 
> this footage I'm struggling with most as it is being played back on a
>  
> 50" plasmas, and I want the quality to be as high as possible.
> 
> FYI, the playback computer is a 17" iMac C2D, and the show will be  
> relatively simple with some video cross fading, but probably no more 
> 
> than two or three files playing at the same time.
> 
> Thanks in anticipation,
> 
> Rory
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