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Output to file
Pinnacle VideoSpin can create movie files in all of these formats:
· AVI
· DivX
· iPod compatible
· MPEG-1
· MPEG-2
· MPEG-4
· Real Media
· Sony PSP compatible
· Windows Media
Please note: Not all of the codecs listed above (and below) may be immediately available in Pinnacle VideoSpin. Use the Get More button to purchase additional codecs.
Choose whichever format matches the needs of your audience and the details of their viewing hardware.
The size of the output file depends on both the file format and the compression parameters set within the format. Although compression settings can easily be adjusted to produce small files, heavy compression comes at the expense of quality.
The detailed settings for most formats can be adjusted by choosing the Custom preset and clicking the Settings button. Other presets load settings designed for typical situations.
When your output options are in place, click the Create file button. A file browser opens to let you specify a name and location for the video file you are creating.
As a convenience, the Output Browser also provides buttons for launching any desired media file in Windows Media Player or Real Player, so you can view your output file in an external player as soon as you have created it.
Although the AVI file type for digital video is itself widely supported, the actual coding and decoding of video and audio data in an AVI file is performed by separate codec software.
Pinnacle VideoSpin supplies a DV and an MJPEG codec. If you wish to output your movie as an AVI in some other format, you can use any DirectShow-compatible codec installed on your PC, as long as that codec is also installed on the PC that will play your movie.
This file format, based on MPEG-4 video compression technology, is popular for video files disseminated over the Internet. It is also supported by a range of DivX-compatible hardware devices, from DVD players to portable and handheld units.
Like DivX, this file format is based on MPEG-4 video compression technology. The combination of powerful compression with a small 320x240 frame size produces very small output files relative to the more expansive formats.
MPEG-1 is the original MPEG file format. MPEG-1 video compression is used on VideoCDs, but in other contexts it has given way to newer standards.
MPEG-2 is the successor format to MPEG-1. Whereas the MPEG-1 file format is supported on all Windows 95 and later PCs, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 files can only be played on PCs with appropriate decoder software installed.
MPEG-4 is another member of the MPEG family. It offers image quality similar to MPEG-2 but with even greater compression. It is particularly suitable for Internet use. Two of the MPEG-4 presets (QCIF and QSIF) create “quarter-frame” video sized for cellphones; two others (CIF and SIF) create “full-frame” video suitable for handheld viewers.
Real Media movie files are designed for playback on the Internet. Real Media movies can be played back by anyone around the world who has the RealNetworks® RealPlayer® software, which is a free download from www.real.com.
This is another file format based on MPEG-4 video compression technology. As with the iPod-compatible type, the combination of powerful compression with a small 320x240 frame size produces very small output files relative to the more expansive formats. The generated files are compatible with the popular Sony PlayStation Portable devices, and may work with some other devices types as well.
The Windows Media file format is also designed for streaming Internet playback. The files can be played on any computer where the Windows Media player – a free program from Microsoft – is installed.
