Download How To Produce Great Quicktime

Rendering High-Quality Masters
After you have finished your editing and effects, we recommend that you render a master of the file to a high-quality,
self-contained format. We generally recommend using the Animation codec at 100% quality for totally lossless files,
and JPEG, M-JPEG or your hardware codec (Media 100, Avid, etc.) at a very-high-quality setting (90 - 100%) for smaller
files with minimal loss.
If you use one of the “generic” QuickTime codecs, such as Animation, JPEG, or M-JPEG, you can process and
compress your files on any computer that has QuickTime installed. If you use your hardware codec, you will need
to install this specific codec in computers on which you wish to process the movie. Also, some of the hardware
codecs aren't as reliable on systems which don't have the codec's capture hardware installed.
IMPORTANT: Do not save your master file to a distribution codec, such as Sorenson Video or Cinepak. You should
only compress your video once – for the best results, this final compression should be done with Media Cleaner Pro.
The compression of your video is discussed in detail in the “Preparing Content” section of this document, starting on
page 24..
Save your file at full screen, full frame rate, and full audio quality. Unless hard drive space is a problem, do not scale
your video down to the final size with your editing program – saving the full screen source will give your more options
during the compression phase.
Archive Your Project!
We strongly recommend that you archive your high-quality master file, as well as your original sources and project files.
Preserving the master will allow you to easily repurpose your content in the future by simply recompressing the
master. Given how fast delivery technology and Internet bandwidth is changing, there is a good chance you may want
to create a different version of your project in the near future.
Preserving your raw source files and project will allow you to re-edit or alter the project if needed with minimal hassle.
Also, having the original sources on hand is very convenient if you need to use the same material in a different project.
Tape drives often work well for archiving because they provide large amounts of inexpensive storage. CD-ROM drives
are good options for small projects but often aren't big enough for long video sources. DVD-ROM burners should be
an excellent option for archiving large source files once they become affordable.
How to Produce High-Quality QuickTime
Copyright © 1999, Terran Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.terran.com
Page 23