Publishing Digital Video [Paperback]

Jan Ozer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 1997

An essential guide to producing video for electronic and Internet distribution, this book takes the first volume, Video Compression for Multimedia, a step further and provides detailed production procedures that help even beginners efficiently produce top-quality video. The book also discusses the theories behind video production and compression, thoroughly evaluating all of the commercial tools available to facilitate this process. It also delves deeply into recent advances in video capture and delivery techniques, including Indeo video interactive and software MPEG decoding.

Key Features
* Indispendible guide for beginner to advanced video producers in search of the right products and best methods for harnessing video technology
* Evaluates cameras and capture cards to help video producers make the most cost-effective purchasing decisions
* Provides comparative analysis and advanced techniques for optimizing quality to help video producers create the best quality video most effectively
* Includes a thorough, hands-on evaluation of low-end MPEG encoders and decoders, designed to help publishers select an MPEG encoder and optimize compressed MPEG quality
* Enclosed CD-ROM provides all book text in Adobe Acrobat format and all video and audio files cited in the book, showing how to extend the focus to the Internet and evaluating Internet streaming technologies such as RealAudio, StreamWorks, VDOLive, and VivoActive
* Also included on the CD-ROM is VCS Play, a video utility considered "one of the key tools for people who capture their own video" by Ron Wodaski, author of PC Video Madness<$> (suggested retail price for this product is $50)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Publishing Digital Video is an excellent book for Windows users who want to learn to capture, edit, compress, and render digital video. Author Jan Ozer starts out by defining basic concepts, such as compression, bandwidth, streaming video, and streaming audio. He explains the primary codecs for Internet delivery (ClearVideo, VDOLive, VXtreme, and VivoActive) and those for CD-ROM delivery (Cinepak, IVI, Indeo, Power!Video Pro, TrueMotionS, Video1, MPEG-1, and Smacker), rating their performance in high-and low-action movies and at different resolutions and compression rates. You can compare shots of video stills from each test as well. Ozer also teaches you the difference between analog and digital video standards and explains how to shop for and install a video capture board, and how to capture and edit video using Adobe Premiere, Asymetrix's Digital Video Producer, and Ulead's MediaStudio. There's also a lot of hands-on advice for using encoders such as Indeo and Cinepak, using low-end MPEG-1 tools, and learning about the higher end, newer MPEG-2. You can work with practice files and a software program, VCS Play, which are on the CD-ROM that's included. VCS Play lets you play two videos simultaneously to compare codecs, bandwidth, and display rate. The CD-ROM also includes the book itself in Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) format; if you read on-screen, you can click the video stills to watch the test videos in action.

Review

Praise for PUBLISHING DIGITAL VIDEO!
". . .provides video workers with the most practical and readable book on making digital video happen, emphasizing not just the nuts and bolts of tech sheets and techniques, but how to plan and approach the parts of the process with the clear end goal firmly in view."
--EMEDIA PROFESSIONAL
"Jan Ozer's Publishing Digital Video updates his classic video compression book and brings it current on DV, MPEG, and Internet compression. A CD-ROM with examples, techniques, and utilities is indispensible."
--NEW MEDIA
"Most computer books these days include a CD-ROM, often filled with shovelware. This CD-ROM includes the full text and all screenshots and charts in Adobe Acrobat format and, more importantly, sample video clips. All these are beautifully orchestrated."
--INFORMATION TODAY
Praise for the First Edition, Video Compression for Multimedia!
"A hearty cheer for Jan Ozer! His book, Video Compression for Multimedia does something I was beginning to think was plain impossible: Ozer clearly explains the basic concepts behind getting video on CD-ROM, and then he shows you how to apply with tips, tricks, and good old-fashioned attention to detail."
--CD-ROM PROFESSIONAL
"An indispensible, step-by-step guide to video capture and compression."
--Carrie C. Kotcho, Multimedia Specialist, Bell Atlantic
"...the definitive source on video compression technology in the industry. The tools available through Doceo are a must for anyone developing multimedia products."
--E.J. McFaul, President, SIGCAT

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 557 pages
• Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann; 2nd edition (March 31, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0125319428
• ISBN-13: 978-0125319423
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,731,891 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jan produces live and on-demand streaming events for a variety of clients and consults widely on encoding-related topics. He has taught courses in video and streaming production since 1994, most recently at Streaming Media seminars in New York City, Los Angeles and London.

Jan is a contributing editor to Streaming Media Magazine and Online Video.net and blogs for other outlets. He has written or co-authored over 15 books on digital-video-related topics.

In addition to streaming events, Jan shoots, edits and produces DVDs for local performers in southwest Virginia. He blogs at www.streaminglearningcenter.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book, but product reviews already dated., September 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Publishing Digital Video (Paperback)

I picked up this book a couple of years ago, when the second edition first came out. It provides a very complete overview of digital video, from capture, through non-linear editing and compression, to output or streaming video (web-based) applications. The major concepts are well-explained and fully illustrated -- including video clips on the CD that show the various phenomena being discussed. The book falls down in only one category -- it devotes a significant amount of time to specific product descriptions and evaluations. However, given the lead time for production of a book, these product descriptions were out-of-date when the book first appeared. They are even more out-of-date now. If you read the book in order to familiarize yourself with desirable features of products and how you might use them, it is excellent. If you use it to select a specific product, you will probably be making a mistake.