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Archive · 11-01-2008, 04:20 PM

Posted By: Ingles, Dave

Ok, so it sounds like it's downscaling that is really affecting you e.g. 10=
24x768 -> 800x600

Are you saying that Camtasia handles 1024x768 -> 800x600 ok as well ? (Obvi=
ously to fit a 1024x768 frame on a 800x600 display you either have to scale=
down or crop to fit.)

One thing that can affect text clarity is the clear type for LCD monitors s=
etting. Camtasia may disable this by default without you knowing. See Ben's=
blog at: http://on10.net/blogs/benwagg/21738/

Another is the CODEC - If I recall correctly Camtasia uses its own special =
screen CODEC whereas I presume you are using the one supplied with WME.

Also, a lot can depend upon whether Windows is set to the native display re=
solution of the monitor in use. Some people will use 1024x768 on a 17" moni=
tor which has a native resolution of 1280x1024, just to increase font size =
rather than using the large fonts options which can cause problems with cer=
tain applications. This results in scaling artefacts between the video card=
and the monitor on top of which you are adding scaling artefacts of video =
frame size vs display resolution.

On a side note, I don' think this is related, but I've noticed some strange=
things with streaming video with respect to perceived display quality when=
it comes to LCD monitors. Ok, there's the speed of the monitor to consider=
, however I've found that certain CODEC's appear to work better on certain =
monitors than others whereas others will appear to work about the same on a=
ll monitors.

Dave

From: Mark O'Brien
Sent: Fri 31/10/2008 19:26
To: StreamingMedia.com - Newbies
Subject: RE: [newbies] Encoding for Screencams

Dave,
Thanks for the quick reply. I am using the standalone WMV player. I don't=
believe it is a scaling issue, it appears to be related to differences bet=
ween the screen resolution when recording and the resolution on playback. =

I just made a small sample recording here is what happened.
I set my screen resolution to 1024x768, then recorded a few seconds of scre=
en capture. I made sure "fit on resize" was off and video size was 100%. =
I then set my screen resolution to different values and played the video ba=
ck.
At 1024x768 (recorded resolution) it looked ok.
At 1680x1050 (my display's native resolution) it looked great (better than =
1024x768)
At 800x600, it looked horrible. You could not read any of the text.

I sent it to some others in my office, and they got the same playback resul=
ts. It looked good at some screen resolutions and bad at others. I am try=
ing to determine how to get consistently good results with the standalone W=
MV player without knowing what the playback screen resolution is. We also =
noticed that going to full screen mode sometimes made it look better.

I downloaded a demo version of the Camtasia flash based screen recorder (ht=
tp://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp) and that seemed to work fine every tim=
e. One of the differences is that they use an embedded player inside a web=
page. Perhaps using an embedded WMV player would also work consistently, =
but my preference is the standalone player.

I prefer WMV because that is what I know best (and it is free). However, I=
may need to switch to Camtasia if I cannot get this figured out.

Thanks for your suggestions.
Mark

From: Ingles, Dave [mailto:
Sent: Friday, October 31, 2008 11:55 AM
To: StreamingMedia.com - Newbies
Subject: RE: [newbies] Encoding for Screencams

I'm not quite sure that I fully understand what you are trying to say here,=
however any attempt to rescale the video from its actual frame size will g=
enerally result in loss of perceptual quality, especially if there is fine =
detail involved, as is usually the case with screen capture.

If you are playing the video back in the standalone media player, then you =
may need to turn off the 'fit video to player on resize' type option in the=
player and select the video size to 100% so as it displays at its original=
size. If you are playing it in an embedded player you could specify the si=
ze of the embedded player to match the video size (plus the controls) so as=
it maintains the 1024x768 resolution.

The same issue applies with sync'd slide content, as the quality of the sli=
des will vary depending on if they are being scaled up or down from that of=
their actual size.

Dave

From: Mark O'Brien [mailto:]
Sent: 31 October 2008 15:15
To: StreamingMedia.com - Newbies
Subject: [newbies] Encoding for Screencams
Jan Ozzer's recent article in streaming media magazine did an excellent job=
of addressing screen capture encoding. However, I did not see the problem=
that I consistently run into addressed.

I typically use WMV for screen captures, and they work great as long as the=
playback machine has the same screen resolution. However, if I change my =
screen resolution, or go to another machine with a different screen resolut=
ion, the video looks horrible.

Is there any way around this problem? Right now I try to pick a "standard"=
resolution like 1024 x 768 before recording, but there is no way to know w=
hat resolution the end user is actually using. Also, many people have wide=
screens now, which make screen captures look even worse.

I am looking for a way to make screen capture video look good at any playba=
ck screen resolution. The ideal solution would be playback video that main=
tains consistent quality, with only the viewing window getting bigger or sm=
aller depending on the viewer's screen settings. Is there a way to do that=
?

Thanks,
Mark

v:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}

Ok, so it sounds=
like it's downscaling that is really affecting you e.g. 1024x768 -> 800=
x600

Are you saying that Camtasia han=
dles 1024x768 -> 800x600 ok as well ?=
(Obviously to fit a 1024x768 frame on a 800x600 display you either have to=
scale down or crop to fit.)

One thing that can affect text c=
larity is the clear type for LCD monitors setting. Camtasia may disable thi=
s by default without you knowing. See Ben's blog at: http://on10.net/blogs/benwagg/21738/

Another is the CODEC - If I reca=
ll correctly Camtasia uses its own special screen CODEC whereas I pres=
ume you are using the one supplied with WME.

Also, a lot can depend upon whet=
her Windows is set to the native display resolution of the monitor in use. =
Some people will use 1024x768 on a 17" monitor which has a native resolutio=
n of 1280x1024, just to increase font size rather than using the large=
fonts options which can cause problems with certain applications. This res=
ults in scaling artefacts between the video card and the monitor on top of =
which you are adding scaling artefacts of video frame size vs display resol=
ution.

On a side note, I don' think thi=
s is related, but I've noticed some strange things with streaming video&nbs=
p;with respect to perceived display quality when it comes to LCD monitors. =
Ok, there's the speed of the monitor to consider, however I've found t=
hat certain CODEC's appear to work better on certain monitors than oth=
ers whereas others will appear to work about the same on all moni=
tors.

Dave

From: Mark O'BrienSent: Fri =
31/10/2008 19:26To: StreamingMedia.com - NewbiesSubject: RE: [newbies] Encoding for Screencams

Dave,=

Thanks for the quick re=
ply. I am using the standalone WMV player. I don’t believ=
e it is a scaling issue, it appears to be related to differences between th=
e screen resolution when recording and the resolution on playback.

I just made a small sam=
ple recording here is what happened.
I set my screen resolut=
ion to 1024x768, then recorded a few seconds of screen capture. I mad=
e sure “fit on resize” was off and video size was 100%. I=
then set my screen resolution to different values and played the video bac=
k.
At 1024x768 (recorded r=
esolution) it looked ok.
At 1680x1050 (my displa=
y’s native resolution) it looked great (better than 1024x768)
At 800x600, it looked h=
orrible. You could not read any of the text.

I sent it to some other=
s in my office, and they got the same playback results. It looked goo=
d at some screen resolutions and bad at others. I am trying to determ=
ine how to get consistently good results with the standalone WMV player wit=
hout knowing what the playback screen resolution is. We also noticed =
that going to full screen mode sometimes made it look better.

I downloaded a demo ver=
sion of the Camtasia flash based screen recorder (http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.=
asp) and that seemed to work fine every time. One of the differe=
nces is that they use an embedded player inside a web page. Perhaps u=
sing an embedded WMV player would also work consistently, but my preference=
is the standalone player.

I prefer WMV because th=
at is what I know best (and it is free). However, I may need to switc=
h to Camtasia if I cannot get this figured out.

Thanks for your suggest=
ions.
Mark

From: Ingles, Dave [mailto: Sent: Friday, October 31, 2008 11:55 AMTo: StreamingMe=
dia.com - NewbiesSubject: RE: [newbies] Encoding for Screencams

I'm not quite sure that I fully understand what y=
ou are trying to say here, however any attempt to rescale the video fr=
om its actual frame size will generally result in loss of perceptual qualit=
y, especially if there is fine detail involved, as is usually the case with=
screen capture.

If you are playing the video back in the standalo=
ne media player, then you may need to turn off the 'fit video to playe=
r on resize' type option in the player and select the video size to 100% so=
as it displays at its original size. If you are playing it in an embedded =
player you could specify the size of the embedded player to match the video=
size (plus the controls) so as it maintains the 1024x768 re=
solution.

The same issue applies with sync'd slide content,=
as the quality of the slides will vary depending on if they are being scal=
ed up or down from that of their actual size.

Dave

From: Mark O'Brien [mai=
lto:] Sent: 31 October 2008 15:15To=
: StreamingMedia.com - NewbiesSubject: [newbies] Encoding fo=
r Screencams
Jan Ozzer’s recent article in streaming media ma=
gazine did an excellent job of addressing screen capture encoding. Ho=
wever, I did not see the problem that I consistently run into addressed.

I typically use WMV for screen captures, and they work=
great as long as the playback machine has the same screen resolution. =
; However, if I change my screen resolution, or go to another machine with =
a different screen resolution, the video looks horrible.

Is there any way around this problem? Right now =
I try to pick a “standard” resolution like 1024 x 768 before re=
cording, but there is no way to know what resolution the end user is actual=
ly using. Also, many people have wide screens now, which make screen =
captures look even worse.

I am looking for a way to make screen capture video lo=
ok good at any playback screen resolution. The ideal solution would b=
e playback video that maintains consistent quality, with only the viewing w=
indow getting bigger or smaller depending on the viewer’s screen sett=
ings. Is there a way to do that?

Thanks,
Mark

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