The Codec of Choice?

[davision]

I'm trying to archive animations in high quality (for reuse later) but without breaking the filesize budget (no lossless). What are you people using for high quality codecs (hopefully ones that are free)?


Personally, I find Sorenson 3 to be quite decent although it isn't optimum on file size shrinkage.

Any thoughts?

[Dynedain]

If its for later reuse (rather than just portfolio display) I'd render out to a sequence of targas and then throw it into a zip file.

Not sure how small that will get it though compared to video codecs.

The WMP 9 mpeg4 codec does a great job for size/quality. Downside is that its pretty much stuck and not reusable.

BTW, you can get much better filesize/compression rates with Sorensen3 when using either the full sorensen codec (around $300 I think) and/or Cleaner.

[davision]

When I say reuse -- I mean portfolio display. It doesn't need to be absolutely perfect quality.

And what do you mean by the WMP9 codec is stuck and not resuable?

[Dynedain]

I mean if you use the free wmv maker from microsoft (which like I said does a great job) its pretty much impossible to do anything other than play it. Good luck putting it into an editing program to mix it with other stuff.

[davision]

Oh, I see. But you can push it out through AfterEffects in WMV9 -- and it looks pretty nice. And those load back into AFX no problem.

[tammo]

WMV

best codec.
no install required for client playback if they have recent windows.

[Da_elf]

ive always gone with tmpgenc. OS universal and no fussing with codecs.

[Dynedain]

WMV

best codec.
no install required for client playback if they have recent windows.

Except most people not on windows won't be able to see it.

A lot of my clients are on Mac

:/

[archcanvas]

Canopus.

[RErender]

Another vote for WMV, it's hard to beat