Alcorn Mcbride Digital Video Machine 4, User Manual

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Making Videos 73
Making Videos
What Is An MPG File?
MPG is short for
MPEG, which
stands for Motion
Picture Experts
Group, the
organization that
codified the
audio/video
compression scheme
used in the DVM4. The Digital Video Machine 4 plays MPG files that contain digital
video encoded in high-resolution by an algorithm known as
“MPEG-2”.
Many encoding systems produce MPG files, but not all MPG files may
be played on the DVM4. Many MPG files are designed for playback in
a small window on a PC, or for transfer over the internet. These MPG
files are generally of very low resolution at slow frame rates.
The Digital Video Machine 4 is designed to accept MPG files encoded
at a resolution of 720 x 480 (NTSC) or 720 x 576 (PAL).
The Digital Video Machine 4 can play MPG files encoded at bit rates
up to 10.0 Megabits per second.
How Do I Make an MPG File?
The most important step in creating video for your application is to perform the
highest quality MPEG encoding of your source material.
Encoding professional-quality MPEG material is more of an art than a science.
The person encoding the material must be experienced and the hardware well-
chosen, so users deciding whether or not to encode their material themselves
should put a lot of thought into what would best suit their needs.
The quality of
encoded video
depends upon the
quality of the source
video, the encoding
system used, and the
skill of the operator. Although encoding your own video is very cost effective and surprisingly
straightforward, only an experienced individual can create the highest-quality
MPEG. Video material encoded without regard to bleeding colors and motion
artifacts will include them, so it is important for the user to decide whether these
elements are acceptable. A good alternative to hiring an on-staff MPEG expert
(or becoming one yourself) is to hire an experienced post-production house to
encode and format your video for you. All you have to do is to provide a Digital
Betacam or D-1 master and they do the rest!