RichBros Virtual Training

Having purchased a Kodak Zi8 video camera a few months ago, I tried using the bundled video editor called ArcSoft MediaImpressions.

It’s a pretty basic video editor but it will do the job in a pinch. I really prefer a commercial video editor like Adobe Premiere Elements or Sony Vegas Movie Studio, but Media Impressions can do basic video editing and get you started.

You can save your edited video to your computer or upload it directly to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo or Twitter.

I created a tutorial video for RBVT Video Members that shows the basics of installing and using ArcSoft’s editor. Also, how to manually import video from your Kodak Zi8 if you want to use a different video editor

ArcSoft MediaImpressions Tutorial Video
(RBVT Video or Audio&Video Members Only)

Enjoy!.
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As explained in a previous post (Google Chrome Chooses Sides In HTML5 Video) the battle over Internet video formats has Apple and Microsoft choosing .mp4 with the H.265/AAC codec and Mozilla and Google (Firefox and Chrome browsers) choosing Ogg, with Google also pushing its own WebM (VP8 codec) which it claims is patent-free.

The idea behind Mozilla and Google’s refusal to use the H.264 codec is because of the patents that control it. Those patents are owned by a consortium called MPEG LA.

Well, MPEG LA has fired the first shot across the bow of Google by forming a patent pool, requesting submission of patent claims from companies who believe the VP8 infringes on their patents.

MPEG LA essentially claims that ANY codec developed lately HAS to have some type of patent infringement due to the nature of compressing video for Internet streaming.

Since this patent pool is just forming, there’s no telling how long this process will take.

As usual, you and I are stuck in the middle of another standards war, like the ferryman in “The Outlaw Josie Wales” who has to sing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “Dixie” with ‘equal enthusiasm’.

Further Reading:

First legal shots fired at Google’s VP8 codec.
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Came across this on YouTube. It’s hilarious!

1. Average looking star – or an animal of any kind

2. Use a catchy title – like “Boob Sex”

3. Look into the camera

4. Originality is for losers!

5. Use an eye-catching still shot

6. Use lots of jump cuts

7. Use extra-amateurish music

8. Keep it short – “Anything over 2 minutes is basically considered a feature length film”

9. Add some random nonsense

10. Wrap it up – and end abruptly.
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Google has just picked a side in the fight over the supposed “standardization” of the HTML5 video tag. In case you aren’t familiar with it, it’s supposed to eliminate the browser plug-ins required to play video at the present time.

As I mentioned in a previous post (HTML5 – Easy On Them, Tough On You), browser companies are fighting over supported video formats that they will use as their standard.

For HTML5, Apple Safari and Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 will support the H.264 codec in MP4 video while Mozilla Firefox and now Google Chrome opt for Ogg Theora, with Google Chrome also supporting it’s own preference, WebM (VP8).

According to Google

Specifically, we are supporting the WebM (VP8) and Theora video codecs, and will consider adding support for other high-quality open codecs in the future. Though H.264 plays an important role in video, as our goal is to enable open innovation, support for the codec will be removed and our resources directed towards completely open codec technologies.

These changes will occur in the next couple months but we are announcing them now to give content publishers and developers using HTML <video> an opportunity to make any necessary changes to their sites.

Make any necessary changes? And Google still hasn’t said if they will be supporting plug-ins that allow H.264 to play in their browser, since it’s not what Google and Mozilla consider “open codecs”. Plug-ins? I thought HTML5 was supposed to cure that.

All this infighting is placing a huge burden on webmasters all over the world! Now, instead of the old way of streaming video (a Flash player/container with either an FLV or MP4 video in it) we now have to create TWO videos, PLUS code that figures out which browser your visitor is using so it can stream the proper video, PLUS fallback code and/or video for those with older browsers PLUS maybe code for smartphones and THEIR OWN specially sized video. Sheesh!

I’m still looking for a web video player that will reliably do all that.

In the meantime I recommend publishing your videos to YouTube and, if you want, embedding them into your site. EVERY browser will play YouTube videos or face the wrath of web surfers.

For those of you, like me, with videos inside membership sites that can’t use YouTube, all I can say is I’ll keep you posted.

Further reading:
Google Chrome to drop H.264 support; roadblock to HTML5?
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/google-prepares-to-ruin-chrome-browser/10920

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How would you like to be able to create your own animated cartoons and publish them online? Using a new site, it’s easy!

All you have to do is create the dialog and xtranormal.com provides  a few free characters and settings. They charge a small fee for other more advanced characters and settings.

Once you’ve selected those you add your own dialog and can jazz up your cartoon with sound effects, camera angles, character motions, etc.

There are two versions you can work with after setting up an account – do it all on their server or download their free software (called State) to your desktop.

When you’re done creating your animation you can download it, post it on your website or upload it to YouTube.

I’m sure you’ve seen these around, but I’ve embedded an xtranormal video at HomeOfficeSmallBusiness.com if you want to see one in action.

For RBVT subscribers to the Video course, I’ve created a video on using the server based solution and am working on one using the downloadable version..
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