Wrappers and Codec's Revealed

Feel like you don't know an .mpg2 from a MP4? Confused? You're not alone.



What the heck is a Codec?
Not long ago, terms such as codec meant little outside of an edit suite
but with a rapidly changing industry, even those trying to download the latest Hollywood blockbuster might need a basic understanding of relevant video terms. Basically, 'codec' is geek speak for "Compressor/Decompressor," which relates to technology that makes video and audio files small enough to travel over the internet or fit into specified parameters. MPEG-2, for example, is the standard codec used for authoring DVDs. The latest, greatest codec on the horizon is known as H.264 (or MPEG-4, Part 10). Developed by Apple, this codec has some amazing advances in compression technology and scalability, making it a fast riser in the industry. It's a 'behind the scenes' file that's incorporated into many new, high-quality video products for use in Blu-ray, iPod, Playstation3 and X-Box 360 players.



About Compression
For compression, we use a wide variety of software at Video Labs
like Apple's Compressor, Adobe Suite, Sorenson, and QuickTime Pro. In the compression process, these tools apply complex algorithmic equations to determine which pixels to keep and which to throw out while still maintaining picture quality. Making the right choices in software settings (frame & bit rate, field settings, etc.) ultimately affects how the video will look once it is decompressed in your player.



What's up with Wrappers and Containers?
Wrappers, also called containers, are the structure that holds everything together in one neat file like, well, a container or wrapper. Commonly, they are referred to by the extension - .avi, .flv, .wmv to name a few. Within the container, you'll find video, audio, color space files & other metadata, all of which function together.



So, it gets a little confusing sometimes . . . that's ok, right?
Here's what makes these terms confusing -- in some instances, containers and codec's have the same or similar names and you can only tell by context what is being referred to. QuickTime, for example, can be referred to as a media file, but it's actually an entire system for digital media - .mov is the container format that holds it all together. To make it more complex, QuickTime can also be used within other container formats including mp4 for iPod.



We hope this has helped to sort things out a little and if not, call on the expertise at Video Labs - we're just an email, tweet or phone call away.

Our Membership Rewards Program is Taking Off!
Take Advantage of 20% off through March 20, 2010


To Learn More about Our Multimedia & Broadcast Services:

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Video Labs Introduces Membership Program

The more you spend, the more you earn.

A five minute call to Video Labs will save you money on future
services. We'll deposit 1% in your account which can be
used for free editing, authoring or graphic design services.

Join by March 20, 2010 and Save 20%

"True membership should have value and rewards. Video Labs has always recognized favorable relationships and now offers its clients another opportunity to enhance its collective connection. Our exclusive membership program is designed to provide clients with unique and valuable services that can be used to better serve their businesses." ~ Mike Weiss, CEO, Video Labs

Bronze Program
> * Free graphic design, editing or authoring services equal to 1% of
purchases during your membership period
> (25) duplicated DVDs with color print
> One Blu-ray or DVD master with static menu from your provided
content

Silver Program
> * Free graphic design, editing or authoring services equal to 1%
of purchases during your membership period
> Creation of up to 30 second video marketing demo (from provided content)
> (50) duplicated DVDs with color print
> Inclusion of your article in an upcoming Video Labs newsletter
(writing support provided)

Platinum Program
> * Free graphic design, editing or authoring services equal to 1%
of purchases during your membership period
> Creation of up to a two minute video marketing demo (from provided
content)
> (75) duplicated DVDs with color print
> Inclusion of your article in an upcoming Video Labs newsletter (writing
support provided)

Contact Video Labs today for Membership Rates

(800)800-8240
(301)217-0000
http://www.videolabs.net/

sales@videolabs.net

* Spending $10,000 during the membership period, for example, will entitle you to $100 worth of graphic design, editing or CD/DVD authoring services. Services can be claimed during the 12th month of membership.

Membership is not transferrable without approval from Video Labs.

Membership is for one year period and is renewable. Terms, benefits and fees are subject to change with each membership renewal.

Val's Snow Special; Price Falls With The Snow

Rockville's 12" of snow fall in this latest version of blizzard hell brings you some relief in the form of a 24% (2% per inch) discount on Video Labs creative services (http://tinyurl.com/yejzv6w)(postproduction, authoring, graphic design) through the end of February 2010.



Contact Valerie Yoscak for your discount.



301-217-0000 ext. 115

valerie@videolabs.net

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Use All Forms Of Media To Communicate

Let Your Message Evolve. . .

Communicating Your Message
At Video Labs, we love it when a customer stops by to regale us with nostalgic tales of the good old VHS days. The typical comment is, "Can you believe we used to work with VHS?"

We know, we know. Things were so simple back then. These days the media landscape is a vast frontier with many options for communicating your message - online delivery, webinar, social media, high definition videotape, and, of course, optical discs like Blu-ray, DVD and CD. Planning a marketing strategy in this changing economy can be a challenge. So, how should you spend your valuable marketing dollars to convey your message and effectively hit the target audience? Which screen is the best for your message?

Good News - There are Many Eggs for All the Baskets
The American appetite for consuming media has never been greater - Nielsen reports that the average user logged 140 hours of TV, 27 hours of Internet and 3 hours of mobile screen time per month; 57% of consumers reported watching TV while simultaneously online at least once a month. Industry experts have a name for it - "The Three Screens" - TV, computer and mobile device. Based on that, smart marketing includes a comprehensive approach - one version for each screen. Thus, your strategy to convey an important message would be served best by using
multiple media formats, increasing your chances of reaching the audience.

Industry Update - Discs Get You Noticed!
Not so fast! Slow down ! Don't pull the plug on discs yet! While some might say that online delivery of corporate presentations offers the most cost-effective approach, consider some of these recent industry studies.

> For video, DVD is still an industry standard for quality, accessibility and ease of use. While it's been thrilling to see the increase in quality of web-related video, viewing can still be compromised by slow to intermittent connection speeds. In addition, it's difficult to determine if the viewer has proper software to view your video for optimal quality and functionality.

> Standards of quality for online hosting sites have increased as these sites have started to generate revenue from ad sales. Still, most sites restrict video into a browser window where it may sit side-by-side with plenty of other 'stuff' - all of which distract and detract from your message. For educational and training materials, you'll want to keep your viewer's attention as long as possible.

> Industry research indicates that cross-platform users will opt for the'best screen available' when given a choice, making their selection based on quality of screen experience, convenience and availability. Sales of HD TVs are still strong despite the slow consumer market for electronics.

> High quality packaging for disc media offers you an additional opportunity to enhance your message, providing a tangible look and feel. Social media messaging and emails can be easily lost and overlooked in the onslaught of messages that are received but a hard copy disc, nicely presented, may stay on someone's desk with your message front and center.

Communication Connection
The staff at Video Labs advises clients to consider all factors when communicating messages. Before settling on a particular type of media, consider the audience and what action is being asked of them. Video Labs will work with you to ensure the most effective forms of media are being used to communicate your message.

http://www.videolabs.net/
(800)800-8240
(301)217-0000
sales@videolabs.net
15237 Display Court
Rockville, MD 20850

Happy Holidays from Video Labs

http://www.videolabs.net/video-production/index.htm

Online Video Production

Got a Message? We Can Help!
Video Labs Online Video Production

We all know how quickly an entertaining video can makes its way around the web. Effective online video marketing is fast becoming the premiere advertising vehicle, thanks to high-speed connections, no cost hosting sites like YouTube and the popularity of social networking sites. Smart marketers are taking advantage of these cost effective methods of spreading their message - now you can too!

Check out the latest statistics:
> In effectiveness, online video beat TV ads in both product recall and brand awareness by more than 35%. Experts believe that online viewers are more actively engaged than TV viewers. So, product demos and information pieces tend to have a better response online.

> Compared to other forms of web ads, viewers click video ads twice as often. And, click-through rates are 4-5 times higher than ads with traditional text and images.

> Viewers tend to watch a video two-thirds of the way through - so, keep the message short and keep it up front.

With the right presentation, online videos can entertain, inform and ultimately bring visitors to your website. Whether you've got a product or service to demonstrate, a branded corporate presentation to post or a training seminar for your employees, Video Labs can help you plan, produce and shoot an effective web video. Contact your Video Labs Account Representative today!

(800)800-8240
(301)217-0000
sales@videolabs.net
www.videolabs.net

Captioning for the Web

It's moving fast - very, very fast. Can you imagine the world without the web? It's easily the most important invention of our time. And, it's changed our industry for good. But, for the hearing and vision impaired, web sites present all kinds of new challenges - consider how many times you need to click a mouse, read a monitor or listen to instructions just to navigate. And, according to the US Census, close to 20% of Americans have some form of disability that may require specialized technology for ease of use. Video Labs can help you navigate the world of Captioning and Alternative Media Description so that all users have access to your video and ultimately, your message.

Closed Captioning - One "Size" Does Not Fit All
Most of us who work with the federal government are familiar with the 1973 Rehabilitation Act (Section 508) and the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 that requires accommodation for the hearing and vision impaired (www.section508.gov). With this legislation, the government ruled that all televisions 13" or larger be equipped with devices that capture and decode the closed captioning on Line 21 of the broadcast video signal (www.videolabs.net/multimedia/captioning.htm) and this is still the industry standard for broadcast media.

For web video, it's a whole new ballgame. Government agencies must be compliant for Section 508 for all video posted on the web, but this can get a little tricky. When planning your project, it's best to find out in advance what format best suits the needs and standards of the web site administrator.

Compression Session
Unfortunately, when you digitize and then compress from video tape with captions, the caption signal is not consistently recognized by software used for viewing (like Windows Media Player, for example). So, specific data files are used depending on multimedia programming software being utilized. Someone using Flash to create a website may need a file called .xml in pop-on style, while Windows Media video files can be closed captioned using a data file called .smi. Some prefer English subtitles or open captions that cannot be 'turned off,' ensuring ease of use. For high quality videos with a frame size of 720 x 486, it's possible to preserve standard captions from Line 21 in a Quicktime or Windows Media files for posting on some websites.

For Low Vision and Vision Impaired - Let's "Hear" it for Alternate Audio
We're receiving more requests than ever about Alternate Audio for web site videos - it's a sign of the times. But, how do vision impaired users navigate a computer-based environment where a mouse click is so necessary? Computers are outfitted with specialized screen reader software and refreshable Braille displayers so that the users can find their way. For web programmers, it means allowing for keyboard short cuts for a Braille keyboard user. Alternate audio embedded in the website can help a vision impaired user to navigate through a web site by sound. For more on this subject, Utah State University has provided an excellent website to support and explain these technical standards (www.webaim.org) for compliancy.

For video, Video Labs provides 'media description' services (aka - "alt-audio" or "audio description") so that actions on screen are included as an additional track of audio. For disc media like DVDs or CDs where a menu is used for navigation, our authoring specialists can include extra audio files that, when engaged, instruct the user on how to access the content. Alternatively, a "Read Me" file can be included so that screen reader software installed on a computer can explain needed information. For more information on these enhanced interfaces, check out the article about 'talking menus' pioneered by the Media Access Group at WGBH in Boston. (http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/mag/services/description/).

To view samples of the different types of web videos in this newsletter - http://www.ada.gov/videogallery.htm

Please view our new brochure which depicts Video Labs multitude of media solutions. You may also want to follow us on Twitter as our staff has much to say and you may even find some of it valuable.