mpeg4 encoding for windows and mac

[thommyfilm]

hello
i want to encode a videofile that can easyly viewed on different plaforms. does anybody know if there is a way to encode a mpeg4 file that plays in an unmodified windows media player and also other mpeg4 compliant players like quicktime player???
cu t.

[audyovydeo]

hello
i want to encode a videofile that can easyly viewed on different plaforms. does anybody know if there is a way to encode a mpeg4 file that plays in an unmodified windows media player and also other mpeg4 compliant players like quicktime player???
cu t.

WMP11, in and by itself, does not support AVC playback.
However, playback options for the Window platform abound.
AVC playback on Windows with QuickTime is fine only if you stick to the quality used by Apple Trailers (ie not High Profile, but I forget which Profile/Level combination they use).

QuickTime playback on Mac has been reported to support High Profile streams very well.

Best thing is to target the AVC quality used by Apple Trailers, but you'd still require your Windows users to install / upgrade to QT 7

cheers
audyovydeo

[Dark Shikari]

WMP11 is a DirectShow player; it only plays what people have installed DirectShow filters for.

[cacepi]

AVC playback on Windows with QuickTime is fine only if you stick to the quality used by Apple Trailers (ie not High Profile, but I forget which Profile/Level combination they use).
Apple Trailers are encoded Main@3.1, but there really is no reason to limit yourself to that for your own encodes. Apple has to maintain compatiblity with the Apple TV, and Main@3.1 is the highest profile it supports.

As long as you stick to Main profile, recent versions of QuickTime (i.e. 7.4 and up) can play pretty much everything you throw at it, including b-pyramid.