Going for clarity

Scott Danziger · Post by **Scott Danziger** » Wed Mar 15, 2000 4:16 am

Please let me know how this works.

It's a 56k version but shrunk and set for clarity. If it's not good enough, will try the 28k version.

If it is good enough - high speed people, let me know if you want to try a larger size.

Clip from Taking Charge

Thanx,
Scott

------------------
The Uechi-Ryu.Com Hotlist
Taking Charge - Cable TV & Video Martial Arts Show
Martial Arts Of Long Island

Allen M. · Post by **Allen M.** » Wed Mar 15, 2000 7:58 am

Looks good here too, Scott.

------------------
Allen, New website http://www.ury2k.com/pulse/index.htm mirror: http://home.ici.net/~uechi/

Post by **gmattson** » Wed Mar 15, 2000 12:09 pm

Worked fine with DSL, Scott. Captured the action pretty well also. Wondering how it looked with 28 - 56k modems though.

------------------
GEM

Scott Danziger · Post by **Scott Danziger** » Fri Mar 17, 2000 2:25 am

I'm using a 56k myself. The picture looks way better than the other versions. But it buffers every so often. I believe 7 times for this clip. I also believe a lot depends on what apps may be running at the same time and the memory of the machine (for those using dial up modems). The buffer wait though wasn't bad at all and when compared to the picture quality of the other clips. This may be a good enough alternative. I could make a larger (in size) version for you speedsters and maintain or actually improve the picture quality. We can always go with 2-3 versions.

Any other dialups (28-56k modem users) out there? We could use the feedback.

Scott

Lori · Post by **Lori** » Fri Mar 17, 2000 4:48 am

Hi Scott - looks good from a 56K - clarity is not bad - though there is a sort of "underwater" effect around the edges - I could make out the moves with little problem though.

I had 2 browser windows and one mail program running at the time and had NO buffering stops - loaded quick and ran straight through.

Looks like you are making some real progress! Nice work!

-Lori

Scott Danziger · Post by **Scott Danziger** » Fri Mar 17, 2000 11:31 am

Hi Lori,

Thanx! I think I am finally getting it, if not "got it!" I'm glad you didn't get any buffering problems. You must have better lines down in Florida. The underwater effect must be due to the massive commpression it went through. Also the original tape wasn't the most clear and the subsequent avi wasn't either. After I captured it to video the uncompressed format was 108 megs. Then I compressed it to 35 megs. The compression to make it into an .asf streaming video brought it to abut 546kb. So you can see why there would be some loss. But so much better than we had before. Not bad for an almost 2 minute clip

.

I think we are ready to go foward now.

Scott

maurice richard libby · Fri Mar 17, 2000 10:36 pm

56 k--9 buffering stops, but it's 5:34, my ISP is very slow and gridlocked at this time of day, but it's much better than the previous ones. The clip is nice and clear.

Lookin' good!

maurice

------------------
maurice richard libby
toronto/moose jaw
ICQ9474685
Ronin at large

Scott Danziger · Post by **Scott Danziger** » Sat Mar 18, 2000 8:08 am

Tony,

Since the streamers don't run off the ftp, we'll need to use the http. (email me the address.) I can put the avi/mpg equivalants on the ftp if people want them.

We can do a few things I suppose. An easy one would be to have the clips accesseble by a web page if it's ok. I don't mind making one for the public clips. Lord knows I write a bunch, and quickly too. Then you or George can link it from the main page. We'll put the video clip page on the http too of course.

I also have an idea for organizing them into categories. Also, if other users want to upload you or me clips for asf proccessing we can do that too and set it up.

Another thing I can do is either convert the video stuff now in the video ftp to asf so users with slow access will be able to see them without downloading them all or group some of them together by size and subject and make turn 50 clips to maybe 10 or so. Maybe add some titling and nice transitions.

The rest we can discuss via email. One thing I still have to conquer with this asf stuff is the ability to fast foward n line. I can do it off the hard drive. One site that uses asf's has this capability but when I examined their asx file, it was linking to a mms:// server which I believe to be a media microsoft. But what we have for now I think will do. That picture quality thing was my main task. As of now (O'dark thirty), I was still researching streaming video. I just downloaded another mdeia tool app I want to check out but it will have to wait. I gotta crash.

BTW: To you lurkers and admirers/detracters of our work, we are still accepting feedback to these clips. The more feedback we get the better we can evaluate what needs to be done. It's time to get this ball rolling/

A very tired,
Scott

Scott Danziger · Post by **Scott Danziger** » Sat Mar 18, 2000 8:34 pm

Tony,

No problem with the downloading. Still, which http am I going to put the streamers on? I'm running out of Earthlink and AOL space.

I also found some info on server types for playing streamers. Seems http's will work ok but mms's will work better. Here's what I found:

Windows Media Player (mms://) - Using a windows media server guarantees that all users see your movies in real time, regardless of their connection speed (though quality will suffer over slower connections). The server also supports intelligence streaming, which optimizes a movie for a range of connection speeds.

Web Server (http://) - You may simply wish to store your ASF files on a regular HTTP web server. Movies served this way must be optimized for a single connection speed, and users with slower connections will experience pauses and buffering.

Another thing I've noticed from these tests and experiments: For maximum clarity as I am doing as of now, I need to reduce the orignial size of the avi for the smaller asf's and the opposite for you speeders. That means keeping the original size. Also, the faster the motion of the clip the choppier it will be if you want clarity. The more you smooth it out the funkier it looks. Or as Lori put it best, the "Underwater" look. Seems you speeders don't have to worry about that. I'll make your asf's as best as it will allow.

Now the Chuck Merriman clip was pretty good because he performed Tensho nice and slow. Here is a quick sample clip of a guy I know who recently won with this Bo Kata at a tourney I was at. (Remember though, I also taped this with an 11 year old VHS camcorder)

I had to smooth it out a bit because there is a lot of fast motion and it was really choppy. This is a 56k version.

Click Here for Sample Clip Of Fast Action - 56K

Scott

[This message has been edited by Scott Danziger (edited March 18, 2000).]

Scott Danziger · Post by **Scott Danziger** » Sat Mar 18, 2000 11:38 pm

Which files? Did you make that new directory from the fp?

Post by **gmattson** » Sun Mar 19, 2000 4:08 pm

I was able to view the clip Scott, although the bo wasn't visible! (DSL)

Scott Danziger · Post by **Scott Danziger** » Sun Mar 19, 2000 4:35 pm

George,
I see (or don't) what you mean. Seems if the motion is fast you lose some. I'll make a dsl version and lets see if it's better.

The 56k I made for smoothness was like looking underwater with no mask. Really terrible.

Also keep in mind the original was shot with an old vhs camcorder, not a hi-8 or digital 8 like todays camera. But I believe you will see the Bo in this shot.

Hi speed guys.. Which one below is better?

This has the asx and asf on AOL:
Bo Kata at 80 kps AOL Server

This version has the asx & asf on xpres:
Bo Kata at 80 kps Xpres server

This one has the asx file on earthlink with the asf on xpres.net:
Bo Kata at 80 kps AOL Server

Scott

It appears ASX files won't work from xpres but if I put the asx on earthlink it will access the clip (asf) from xpres.net.

For now, no biggy. ASX files are less than 1k. But good Lord... Now lets hope the clips run the same or better from xpres. Then we will start rolling.

[This message has been edited by Scott Danziger (edited March 19, 2000).]

Post by **gmattson** » Sun Mar 19, 2000 10:44 pm

I sent this thread to Harry. Hopefully he will be able to fix the situation.

BTW, on DSL, the first and third clips ran fine. The Bo action was still a bit fast for clear viewing, but sure beats anything we have been experimenting with so far.

Keep up the good work guys!

------------------
GEM

Scott Danziger · Post by **Scott Danziger** » Sun Mar 19, 2000 11:37 pm

Good, then the files seem to be playing off the different servers the same way. They are the same clips just in different places.

For now I have no problem putting .asx files on earthlink to ref the clips. I find it weird that it has to be set up. I guess it's like associated files like on windows.

Now I will start trying to clear up the other clips and ready myself for the future clips. I'll also put together a page to call the public files up.

Scott