[tkmd]

I really like the possibilities of h264 so I'm backing up DVDs and other videos I have at home on this format. Using QT pro, I've come to a problem. When I'm given the option of exporting - If I save as a quick-time movie the extension (container?) is .mp4 and sometimes its.mov which one is better and what gives?

[Uncle Skeleton]

short answer: no difference

long answer: way back when (1986 or so?) when QuickTime was invented, it was the best thing since sliced bread. It had a programming API, a player, and a native file format (.mov). The file format is better than anything else for more ways than I can count, but the most relevant are things like unlimited numbers of tracks, including audio, video, text, flash, sprite (an interactive feature only now finding it's way into other file formats), chapters and more types you need not concern yourself with. Basically it's more than you'll ever need. The only weakness of QT is that the windows version of the app (remember that 1 of the 3 things QT is) was pretty weak. So then QT got a bad name around town, and when it came time to design the Next Big Thing (mp4), they powers that be wanted the strengths of QT without the stigma. So mp4 is kind of like the basics of mov, but they removed such extra-cool-but-maybe-not-so-useful features like the sprites and the chapters, and they also changed it just enough internally so it wouldn't be confused with QT mov. Anyway, since you wouldn't be using the extra-cool features of mov anyway (what with not even knowing about them), the difference to you between the two formats is nil. If you plan to publish your movies later on, using mp4 will have the social value of the Next Big Thing (though it might not if we're talking too far in the future), and mov will have the (wholely inaccurate) social stigma of QuickTime. However, transferring the acutal data between these containers is a lossless and painless process, so it really doesn't matter one lick which on you choose. Oh, except if you want to open them later and make changes to the files (without writing new ones to replace them), mov would be better for that.

[bmedina]

If it doesn't matter between the two, I'd go with mov.

[k_munic]

Hi tkmd,

to add what the Uncle said:
.mov (or .avi inthe PC world) is just a container/wrapper… meaning, like a box of chocolate, it contains ANY kind of media. inside a .mov you'll find stills, comressed as tiff, pic etc, music compressed as .aiff, mp3 etc, virtual movies as QTVR (another forgotten media/file format), and of course all kind of video compressors, mpeg1/2/4, divx, sorenson, h.264, Apple Intermediate…

h.264 is a "flavor" of the mpeg4 technology, highly effecient, hgihly scalable (you can watch a h264 movie on a HD Plasma and on a mobile's display)…but needs WEEKS for encoding…

you don't have files named as mymovie.h264, but as mymovie.mp4 (compressed with h.264)
and you can put that compressed file into a .mov container… it doesn't change the quality or content, the .mov extension just tells the Mac to use QT for playback…
in case, you get a dvd-standalone able to playback mp4 files, you need .mp4 as ending. but beware: no standalone on the market for h.264 yet!!! most of them expect divx (which is another mp4 flavor)

so, the wrapper is a decision, where you want to go with your files later… mp4 is a little more universal, mov is a little more convenient (on a Mac)

[tkmd]

Thanks for the informative answers, apparently the learning curve is kinda steep with all these options. But as a side question that I posed here http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?t=262235 do you think that changing the container from .mp4 to .mov will get me sound in h264?

[k_munic]

Hi tkmd,

problem is, you start with mpeg2… this is meant for playback only, conversion into h.264 needs some "inbetween" steps…
no, QTpro cannot export mpeg2 WITH audio/convert into any other format WITH audio

I don't know, why Streamclip crashes while using h.264 as an export format…
probably you need an intermediate format… and hey! in case you're using iLife5 or QT7 there's indeed a new codec called "Apple Intermediate"… workflow: mpeg2>Streamclip>AI>QTpro>h264

normally, Streamclip is used for exporting into dv (more lossy then AI)… maybe that's why it crashes…??
of course, you could go mpeg2>dv>h264 using QTpro+Streamclip…
btw: you won the "mpeg2 playback plugin" for QT? otherwise, SC doesn't work…

[tkmd]

btw: you won the "mpeg2 playback plugin" for QT? otherwise, SC doesn't work…

No I bought the plug in for QT mpeg 2 decoder from the apple store in hopes of being able to avoid this problem. What do you mean by SC?

K munic please tell me where I can get this AI codec (I found 1.0.1 version at VT, MU and apple sute , but it does not seem to want to allow me to install it saying I dont have the original version to upgrade to 1.0.1) Also are you saying that with this codec I would be able to ecode straight to h264?


Thanks

[k_munic]

Originally Posted by tkmd

… What do you mean by SC?

Streamclip, the app mentioned above… SC converts DVDs (=mpeg2) into dv, it is free, but needs for working the Apple plug-in…; it also converts mpeg1 into dv…

Originally Posted by tkmd

… K munic please tell me where I can get this AI codec (I found 1.0.1 version at VT, MU and apple sute , but it does not seem to want to allow me to install it saying I dont have the original version to upgrade to 1.0.1)

Apple Intermediate is delivered with the "HD" apps, as iMovie HD or FCEHD… and with QTpro7… this codec is mainly intended for editing mpeg2 streams coming from socalled HD-camcorders… as mentioned above, mpeg2 is not meant for editing purposes; example: in mpeg2 it is technical very complicated to go one single frame backwards… so, for usage the material, iMHD imports the mpeg2 stream, it then gets converted into AI, you edit it, the playback into camcorder needs a conversion into mpeg2… So, AI is a workaround for the probs with "HD"material coded in mpeg2

in some other forums, the AI codec is recommended for "high quality with low file size"

Originally Posted by tkmd

… Also are you saying that with this codec I would be able to ecode straight to h264?

no. mpeg2 needs - to my knowledge - ALLWAYS a conversion, to be precise a demuxxing. maybe some codewizzard has something in the pipeline, as long as HD/DVD recorders get more and more popular…

and: the encoding of h.264 is from my p.o.v. something beta-ish… even high-perform dual Macs need hours… there are hardware-encoders, but beyond 10k$