From the book
From the book
From the book
Format overview
Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 can export in a number of formats; let’s run through them quickly to identify when you should use them.
)
-
Audio Interchange File Format: This is an audio-only file format popular on the Mac.
-
Microsoft AVI: This “container format,” available only in the Windows version of Premiere Pro, can store files using multiple compression technologies, or codecs. It’s useful for storing SD files in DV format, but it’s no longer used as a distribution format and is rarely used by HD producers.
-
Windows Bitmap: This is an uncompressed, rarely used still-image format with a .bmp extension. It’s available only on the Windows version of Premiere Pro.
-
DPX: DPX stands for Digital Picture Exchange and is a high-end still-image format for digital intermediate and special-effects work.
-
Animated GIF and GIF: These compressed still-image and animated formats are used primarily on the web. Available only on the Windows version of Premiere Pro.
-
JPEG: This is the most popular compressed still-image format for the Internet and other uses.
-
MP3: This compressed audio format is very popular on the Internet.
-
P2 Movie: This output option is used for rendering sequences back to P2 cards.
-
PNG: This is a lossless but efficient still-image format for Internet use.
-
QuickTime: This container format can store files using multiple codecs. All QuickTime files use the .mov extension and it is the preferred format for use on Macintosh computers.
-
Targa: This is a rarely used uncompressed still-image file format.
-
TIFF: This popular high-quality still-image format offers both lossy and lossless compression options.
-
Uncompressed Microsoft AVI: This is a very high-bit-rate intermediate format that is not widely used and is available only on the Windows version of Premiere Pro.
-
Windows Waveform (.wav files): This uncompressed audio file format is popular on Windows computers.
-
Audio Only: With this option, you can produce files in the Advanced Audio Coding format (the audio codec used with most H.264 encoding).
-
FLV|F4V: This is the only option for producing Flash output to be played back with Flash Player. It includes two options: F4V files that use the H.264 video codec/AAC audio codec and FLV files that use the VP6 video codec/MP3 audio codec.
-
H.264: This is the most flexible and widely used format today, with options for devices such as the iPod/iPhone and Apple TV, TiVo Series3 SD and HD, and services such as YouTube and Vimeo. H.264 files produced via this option can also be transmitted to smartphones, such as Android, Blackberry, and Palm devices, or used as high-quality, high-bit-rate intermediate files for working in other video editors. It’s also popular for encoding files for uploading to online video providers such as Brightcove and other user-generated content sites like Blip.tv. H.264 encoding produces files with the standard .mp4 extension.
-
H.264 Blu-ray: This option produces files for including on Blu-ray Discs.
-
MPEG4: Selecting this codec produces lower-quality H.263 3GP files for distribution to older cell phones.
-
MPEG2: This older file format is primarily used for DVD and Blu-ray Discs. Presets in this group allow you to produce files that can be distributed for playback on your own or other computers, but H.264 generally produces better quality at a smaller file size.
-
MPEG2-DVD and MPEG2 Blu-ray: These formats are to be used when producing files for burning onto an optical disc.
-
Windows Media: This option produces MWV files for playback using the Windows Media Player and on some devices like the Zune (Windows only).
That’s only a brief overview of the formats, but it should provide some useful direction when it’s time to produce your videos.