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Is it just me, or are some videos choppy at the beginning?

DodgeV83DodgeV83 Registered Users Posts: 379 Major grins
edited September 8, 2005 in SmugMug Support
I've tried a few computers, and a few different browsers, but the first few seconds of any 640x480 video is ALWAYS choppy, then it clears up. My computer runs the video just fine locally, but when I download it the first few seconds afre choppy...

Anyone else experiencing this?

Heres a demo...

http://frelow.smugmug.com/gallery/785118/1/34848561/Large

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    peestandinguppeestandingup Registered Users Posts: 489 Major grins
    edited September 7, 2005
    DodgeV83 wrote:
    I've tried a few computers, and a few different browsers, but the first few seconds of any 640x480 video is ALWAYS choppy, then it clears up. My computer runs the video just fine locally, but when I download it the first few seconds afre choppy...

    Anyone else experiencing this?

    Heres a demo...

    http://frelow.smugmug.com/gallery/785118/1/34848561/Large
    Yeah, unfortunately this is just the way mpeg1 video files behave. If you look up examples all over the net, you will see the same results the first time the file is played. But, if you play it again it will be normal without any stuttering. Its not a problem with Smugmug, its just that mpeg1 is such an old format.

    Now that Apple has came out with the H.264 video codec to go along with mpeg4, you will start seeing a BIG improvement. Just take a look at this video (And Buckle Up!) :-> http://images.apple.com/movies/us/hd_gallery/gl1800/480p/imax-desolation_m480pa.mov Let it download all the way before you play it.
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    DodgeV83DodgeV83 Registered Users Posts: 379 Major grins
    edited September 7, 2005
    Wow your right, I suck. I tried the same video on my home server and the same thing happened :(

    As for the other formats, I am well aware of them, but Smugmug doesn't support them so it doesn't help me here :(
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    peestandinguppeestandingup Registered Users Posts: 489 Major grins
    edited September 7, 2005
    DodgeV83 wrote:
    As for the other formats, I am well aware of them, but Smugmug doesn't support them so it doesn't help me here :(
    Thet dont support mpeg4 yet, but there has been allot of discussion here about supporting it in the near future. Its only a natural progression, as mpeg1 is a dinosaur.

    Good Luck!
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    onethumbonethumb Administrators Posts: 1,269 Major grins
    edited September 8, 2005
    peestandingup wrote:
    Thet dont support mpeg4 yet, but there has been allot of discussion here about supporting it in the near future. Its only a natural progression, as mpeg1 is a dinosaur.

    Good Luck!

    For the record, I'd *love* to ditch mpeg1 and go to mpeg4. It's at the very top of my Christmas wish list from Santa. :)

    However, it turns out that the # of people with players capable of playing mpeg4 content is pitifully small (less than 10%, easy), whereas mpeg1 content is like 99.9% or something insane.

    I can't ask someone's grandma to install some funky media player version just to see their grandkids' first steps, I'm afraid.

    Keep your fingers crossed for a good year for mpeg4. The PSP uses it as it's native format, and both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD do as well, so I'm hoping it becomes a hit during 2006.

    Don
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    peestandinguppeestandingup Registered Users Posts: 489 Major grins
    edited September 8, 2005
    onethumb wrote:
    For the record, I'd *love* to ditch mpeg1 and go to mpeg4. It's at the very top of my Christmas wish list from Santa. :)

    However, it turns out that the # of people with players capable of playing mpeg4 content is pitifully small (less than 10%, easy), whereas mpeg1 content is like 99.9% or something insane.

    I can't ask someone's grandma to install some funky media player version just to see their grandkids' first steps, I'm afraid.

    Keep your fingers crossed for a good year for mpeg4. The PSP uses it as it's native format, and both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD do as well, so I'm hoping it becomes a hit during 2006.

    Don
    Wouldnt it just require people to update to the newest version of Quicktime? How hard could that be? Just put a link somewhere on the page of the video if it doesnt play.

    Yes, even granny could do that. :Dhttp://www.apple.com/quicktime/technologies/mpeg4/
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    DodgeV83DodgeV83 Registered Users Posts: 379 Major grins
    edited September 8, 2005
    peestandingup wrote:
    Wouldnt it just require people to update to the newest version of Quicktime? How hard could that be? Just put a link somewhere on the page of the video if it doesnt play.

    Yes, even granny could do that. :Dhttp://www.apple.com/quicktime/technologies/mpeg4/
    To us, clicking on the "update" button and going through the installation is easy, but for Grandma? (Not mine of course ;)). They'd think its a virus, or they'd be afraid...OR they'd just give up when it didn't work on the first try!

    I agree with Mpeg1...for now. Honestly I think WMV 7 should be the standard...thats what, ALL VERSIONS OF WINDOWS since 95? If 98% of everyone uses Windows and has Windows media player installed...why not let us use WMV 7? The small % that use Linux (nobody's GRANDMA uses Linux! If your using Linux you know how to use it), or Apple can easily watch WMV7 videos, I know I've done it!



    P.S. I hosted a picture/video website for my track team for last year's Indoor and Outdoor Track seasons...Had all of the races for every meet online in WMV 7 format...had 0 problems or complaints about the videos not working
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    peestandinguppeestandingup Registered Users Posts: 489 Major grins
    edited September 8, 2005
    DodgeV83 wrote:
    To us, clicking on the "update" button and going through the installation is easy, but for Grandma? (Not mine of course ;)). They'd think its a virus, or they'd be afraid...OR they'd just give up when it didn't work on the first try!

    I agree with Mpeg1...for now. Honestly I think WMV 7 should be the standard...thats what, ALL VERSIONS OF WINDOWS since 95? If 98% of everyone uses Windows and has Windows media player installed...why not let us use WMV 7? The small % that use Linux (nobody's GRANDMA uses Linux! If your using Linux you know how to use it), or Apple can easily watch WMV7 videos, I know I've done it!



    P.S. I hosted a picture/video website for my track team for last year's Indoor and Outdoor Track seasons...Had all of the races for every meet online in WMV 7 format...had 0 problems or complaints about the videos not working
    Hmm, you have obviously never used Windows Media Player on a Mac because it sucks big time. Microsoft stopped updating it for Mac about 2 years ago, plus MS is pure evil lol, so no Smugmug shouldnt do that. Just because the majority of people uses Windows dont mean its good. MS wants everything out there to be seen & heard using Explorer, Word, Windows Media Player, etc. Ever wonder why MS have been sued soo many times for trying to create a monopoly?

    Mpeg4 can be played on both Quicktime & WMP, so that is the format they should go with. Not a format that can be played by only one player (wmv).
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    DodgeV83DodgeV83 Registered Users Posts: 379 Major grins
    edited September 8, 2005
    I remember playing WMV 9 on Linux over a year ago, and not having any problems...

    Anyway, if all versions of Windows since 98 can play MPEG4, then I don't see why Smugmug shouldn't use it...and I honestly can't see how less than 10% of all computers support MPEG4 if Windows Media Player supports it ne_nau.gif
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    peestandinguppeestandingup Registered Users Posts: 489 Major grins
    edited September 8, 2005
    DodgeV83 wrote:
    I remember playing WMV 9 on Linux over a year ago, and not having any problems...

    Anyway, if all versions of Windows since 98 can play MPEG4, then I don't see why Smugmug shouldn't use it...and I honestly can't see how less than 10% of all computers support MPEG4 if Windows Media Player supports it ne_nau.gif
    I have never used it on Linux, but anyone who has used the Mac version knows that it is pretty terrible. Like I said, MS hasnt updated it for Mac in almost 2 years, so its pretty dead in the water. Check this out & you will see what I mean. http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/13112

    I know that Quicktime plays mpeg4 right outta the box, but im not 100% sure that WMP does, although I know that it can. You may have to download a codec to get it to play. Does anyone know for sure?

    Yeah, im not sure how they came up with that less than 10% figure. I would think it would be much higher than that.
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