Re: podcast resolution question

I would recommend encoding to one version that is compatible on both the iPod AND the AppleTV. Since you're material is 16:9, then I would encode to a file that is 640x360. If you use QuickTime to do this, then the Export to iPod setting should be just right. iPods are capable of playing back 640w video. It will simply letterbox your file automatically on the iPod's 4:3 screen. Did you shoot everything in HD? If so, then you can go to a higher resolution for the AppleTV, but you would need to use a seperate feed for that since it wouldn't be iPod compatible as you mentioned. However, you will grow an audience more quickly if you have only one feed (and it's less work). In the future, if (I mean, WHEN) the demand is there then you can add an AppleTV only feed. But not now. You'll be surprised how many people prefer to watch video on their iPod. Most of my audience seems to even though I now push full-resolution video.

37MB for 3 minutes isn't bad...especially since you have so much motion in your video. However, the video you have posted seems to be encoded poorly. It looks like you used regular MPEG-4 instead of the more efficient h.264 codec. At around 800kbps h.264 shouldn't look quite as broken up as your video looks.

Keep in mind that podcasting makes it more feasable to use larger files since the video will download in the background and be watched at a later time. Actually, it doesn't matter since LibSyn is so fast, the video plays right away for me on my Comcast cable high speed internet connection anyway.

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Jon



TreeLine Productions
Fort Collins, CO USA

Currently producing these popular podcasts: