Flip4Mac - WMV Export Component
by David Baugh on Tuesday 28 December 2004
If you are a Mac user youe often have the problem of sharing your projects with Windows users who refuse to install QuickTime. You have the option of using QuickTime to export to AVI but many people complain of quality loss using this route. Another option is to use Roxio Toastís MPEG 1 export feature, which produces decent results if a little large. If Mac users really want to share easily with Windows users they are forced to use Windows Media Video files. However this is fraught with problems as using Discreetís Cleaner (
http://www4.discreet.com/cleanermac/ ) is very expensive and some of the other shareware options are not very reliable. However using Flip4 Mac to export to Windows Media Video 9 format from Quicktime Pro, iMovie, Final Cut Express and Final Cut Pro might well be the answer some people have been looking for.
You can go to Flip4Macís Web site (
http://www.flip4mac.com/ ) and download the first of their offerings the WMV Export Component. A demo version is available that will export half of the original length of film to a maximum of 15 seconds.
Using Flip4Mac is as easy as using the Export feature of QT Pro or the Expert QT sharing option of iMovie.
You simply choose Movie to Windows Media in the Export dialogue box.
This then gives you access to more Audio and Video options for exporting to WMV :
To Export from FCE of FCP you need to choose the Export with QuickTime Conversion option
The end result after quite a wait for encoding is a .wmv file that can be launched using Windows Media Player 9 or above. But beware, on the Mac you will need to make sure you have the most recent version of the Windows Media Player 9 as I didnít for the first few times I used Flip4Mac and didnít get to see any video on the Mac but did in Windows.
Another oddity I found was that the exported file showed up as a default file icon and not as a wmv file. This was rectified by using Get Info on the file and changing the default ìOpen withî application to Windows Media Player 9.
Flip4Mac comes in two varieties Standard $99 and Pro $179
Standard Export Component Features:
ï Windows Media Video 9
ï single-pass video encoding
ï constant (CBR) and variable (VBR) bit rates
ï Windows Media Audio 9 Standard
ï up to 48 kHz audio sampling rates
Pro/HD Component Features:
ï two-pass video encoding
ï up to HD video resolutions
ï Windows Media Audio Professional and Lossless
ï 5.1 channel audio
ï up to 96 kHz audio sampling rate
This pricing is considerably cheaper than going the Cleaner route but many schools will find the cost too high for occasional use. Flip4Mac have promised continued encoding speed improvements and some educational pricing which we hope will make it a more attractive tool for schools.
Contact :
http://www.flip4mac.com
Rating: 75% (Based on quoted pricing)
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