Got a few questions about flash videos.
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Are videos converted into Flash supposed to be smaller in file size or just save on bandwidth because it streams?
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What are normal or standard sizes for Flash videos on tube sites? IE width and height? Are there any set standards at all? I just noticed Youtube gone wide screen.
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Do you often get videos that does not cover the entire screen after converting them to flash? Is that because you convert them to a certain size or because they are filmed in a set size which might not match what you convert it too for your site…
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Do you loose quality when you convert movies to flash? Or does that entirely depend on the settings on your converter script / program?
Re: Flash videos, size, ratios etc…
It’s very confusing, but the same output options you get for converting WMV’s and other files are those same choices to make in most FLV converters too. If you start with the highest quality file to begin with, it is easier to output in various sizes and qualities to work with your needs.
Re: Flash videos, size, ratios etc…
[QUOTE=gaydemon;36312]Got a few questions about flash videos.
- Are videos converted into Flash supposed to be smaller in file size or just save on bandwidth because it streams?
[/QUOTE]
Not necessarily, there are lot of parameters you can tweak, but apples to apples, I don’t think they are significantly smaller. Some formats like H264 offer better compression, but I believe they need more processing power on the client.
- What are normal or standard sizes for Flash videos on tube sites? IE width and height? Are there any set standards at all? I just noticed Youtube gone wide screen.
Regualar 4:3 / Widesscreen 16:9 (width to height ratio)
Pick up one side, then calculate the other. The standard sizes are 320x240 and 640x480, which is too small or a bit too big. Of course size will get bigger over time as resolutions get finer with newer technology. You can pick 480x360 or something in the middle.
- Do you often get videos that does not cover the entire screen after converting them to flash? Is that because you convert them to a certain size or because they are filmed in a set size which might not match what you convert it too for your site…
Regardless of the size of the video, you can force it to any size you want in your “container”. Of course, if the video is encoded in a small size, then displaying it in a larger area will cause “pixelizing”.
- Do you loose quality when you convert movies to flash? Or does that entirely depend on the settings on your converter script / program?
You can control the quality with parameters. You just have to keep playing with them till you find an optimal size and quality. Of course you cannot get better quality than the original most of the time because “information” is already lost in the original compression.
Re: Flash videos, size, ratios etc…
interesting to hear that flash should be smaller since 95% of the flash videos i see in paysites are significantly lower in quality than their other formats in the same sites. guess they’re not using h.264 
Re: Flash videos, size, ratios etc…
[QUOTE=gaydemon;36312]Got a few questions about flash videos.
- Are videos converted into Flash supposed to be smaller in file size or just save on bandwidth because it streams?
[/QUOTE]
Keep in my mind that flash videos by default don’t stream. If you use a streaming server like Wowza that integrates good with your tube script, then you will get true streaming that will save on bandwith.
RE: Encoding - A lot really depends on the encoding engine that you have on the server. Some tube scripts have a really bad encoding engine.
Re: Flash videos, size, ratios etc…
A lot has to do with the actual codec, and the settings within the codec. There are several codecs commonly used for Flash. The h.264 one is the best bang for the bandwidth, but is processor intensive for the viewer. The On2 codec is the next best, and Sorenson Spark is the oldest (and poorest quality)
Then also, like any video, the quality will vary depending on how much movement there is in the scene; a naked model on a solid white background will look MUCH sharper than a model wearing a herringbone pattern shirt moving around in a forest, because there’s a ton of movement and detail and it won’t compress as well, so more artifacting will be visible.
If you encode the video and end up with a black box around it or letterboxiing, then you didn’t set the aspect ratio of the Flash encoder to the same size as the source material. I’ve made this mistake several times and it looks like crap. 
Re: Flash videos, size, ratios etc…
Thank you, thats really helpful.
So is there a way to calculate the ratio between height and width. Say you want a video or video player 500px wide. What width woudl that be? Or there is no correlation between height and width?
Is that what aspect ratio is?
[quote=Tube4Gay;36348]Not necessarily, there are lot of parameters you can tweak, but apples to apples, I don’t think they are significantly smaller. Some formats like H264 offer better compression, but I believe they need more processing power on the client.
Regualar 4:3 / Widesscreen 16:9 (width to height ratio)
Pick up one side, then calculate the other. The standard sizes are 320x240 and 640x480, which is too small or a bit too big. Of course size will get bigger over time as resolutions get finer with newer technology. You can pick 480x360 or something in the middle.
Regardless of the size of the video, you can force it to any size you want in your “container”. Of course, if the video is encoded in a small size, then displaying it in a larger area will cause “pixelizing”.
You can control the quality with parameters. You just have to keep playing with them till you find an optimal size and quality. Of course you cannot get better quality than the original most of the time because “information” is already lost in the original compression.[/quote]
Re: Flash videos, size, ratios etc…
[QUOTE=gaydemon;36403]Thank you, thats really helpful.
So is there a way to calculate the ratio between height and width. Say you want a video or video player 500px wide. What width woudl that be? Or there is no correlation between height and width?
Is that what aspect ratio is?[/QUOTE]
Ah, “Aspect Ratio” was the magic term that had slipped my mind. 4:3, 16:9 are nothing but aspect ratios, in other words a video 640x480 has an aspect ratio 4:3.
So if you want to display that in a player 500px wide, the width you would like to have would be 375 or 288px for aspect ratios 4:3 or 16:9 respectively. (It might be more practical to start with the height and adjust the width of the player like what youtube did).
Example: - this uses javascript but the same applies to an “embed code” with the same parameters. If the aspect ratio of video.flv was 16:9, the width you would want to use in order to preserve the aspect ratio would be 533px (533.33) keeping the height at 300px.
<script type=‘text/javascript’ src=‘swfobject.js’></script>
<script type=‘text/javascript’>
var s1 = new SWFObject(‘player.swf’,‘player’,‘400’,‘300’,‘9’);
s1.addParam(‘allowfullscreen’,‘true’);
s1.addParam(‘allowscriptaccess’,‘always’);
s1.addParam(‘flashvars’,‘file=video.flv’);
s1.write(‘preview’);
</script>
I am not an expert on this - just learning as I go, so others feel free to comment.
Re: Flash videos, size, ratios etc…
No thats great, thank you! 
I think thats actually what I wanted to know.
Re: Flash videos, size, ratios etc…
Actually… one more.
So, what would be the most common aspect ratio? 4:3?
Re: Flash videos, size, ratios etc…
[QUOTE=gaydemon;36411]Actually… one more.
So, what would be the most common aspect ratio? 4:3?[/QUOTE]
Most common is 4:3, but with Youtube going widescreen, I think we will see more 16:9.
Re: Flash videos, size, ratios etc…
I just noticed that the other day. I’ve never liked widesceen myself for some reason, it just looks flat to me.
Re: Flash videos, size, ratios etc…
Most producers are now shooting in HD with a 16:9 aspect ratio. I don’t think you can even buy a TV here in the UK now which is 4:3!
Re: Flash videos, size, ratios etc…
So, what would be the most common aspect ratio? 4:3?
Like Adam said. 16:9 is the most common for hi-def/wide screen videos. 4:3 is the most common if you are dealing with older content. There is also a way to make older content shot at 4:3 look decent at 16:9 (we’ve figured out how to do it), but of course it will look a bit stretched like when you watch normal TV on widescreen TV’s.
Re: Flash videos, size, ratios etc…
[QUOTE=gaybucks_chip;36401]A lot has to do with the actual codec, and the settings within the codec. There are several codecs commonly used for Flash. The h.264 one is the best bang for the bandwidth, but is processor intensive for the viewer. The On2 codec is the next best, and Sorenson Spark is the oldest (and poorest quality)
Then also, like any video, the quality will vary depending on how much movement there is in the scene; a naked model on a solid white background will look MUCH sharper than a model wearing a herringbone pattern shirt moving around in a forest, because there’s a ton of movement and detail and it won’t compress as well, so more artifacting will be visible.
If you encode the video and end up with a black box around it or letterboxiing, then you didn’t set the aspect ratio of the Flash encoder to the same size as the source material. I’ve made this mistake several times and it looks like crap. :)[/QUOTE]
I would just like to follow up on what is being said on codecs if i may.
First off sorenson spark codec is not the greatest true but if you are using it you are not using the best of sorenson try the sprenson spark pro it is far more responsive to high quality second just for your info before you go out and buy the pro you may want to hold off as flash is going thru a change as they came out with player 10 “ASTRO” the may no longer use the sorenson codec you see sorenson codec is the codec used by flash and so is very compatible.
raunchpup
Re: Flash videos, size, ratios etc…
Here is another take on what you are asking. File size is depending upon the quality. Also with sorenson squeeze pro you will notice many places to tweak among them is the encoding passes, the audio quality and such and as you change each it will give you an idea of bit rate so it should be watched carefully.
Next part of this is scrubber response how touchy you want your scrubber bar to be? The ratios the others have mentioned are right on the mark. Many of us converting files to flash do not use the adobe encoder it just is not up to snuff.
well thats about all i can come up with on the fly for now but if you like feel free to email
oops and almost forgot if you are not on a flash streaming host then what you have is what is called a progressive download.
raunchpup
Re: Flash videos, size, ratios etc…
[QUOTE=raunchpup;36464] if you are not on a flash streaming host then what you have is what is called a progressive download.
raunchpup[/QUOTE]
Totally correct. And if you add CDN to the mix “Oh Happy Day!”
We are working toward moving our entire members area over to flash for the best full screen viewing. For those with slow connections,slower processors and low end video cards, we are going to offer a drm free WMV download in a much much smaller size. If surfers want to own the entire content library for the cost of a one month rental they sure aren’t going to get 600mg 1920X1080 vids. But for others it will be a killer view. After carefully checking our stats, our users, by and large can handle it.
Oh and Bjorn, 16:9 looks very flat if it is not carefully shot. It is far more difficult to make the screen look ‘active’. No point and shoot for 16:9. You have to really compose the shots. When it is done well, it is great. A horizontal model can go head to knees rather than nipples to cock and still look terrific.