Video Formatting Explained In Plain English

If you don't have a super simple camera like the Flip Camera (which we highly suggest and recommend as a 'for web' video camera), then there are three things you need to consider before you even begin to shoot your video.

1. Video Resolution

How tall and wide of a video are you going to want to place on your website? Typically, 320x240 is what the normal resolution is. If you're shooting at 800x600, or 1024x768, (or any other resolution for that matter), and you're squeezing the video down to 320x240, then you're wasting bandwidth and file size (which we'll get to in a moment).

Know what the online dimensions of your video playback is going to be before you begin to shoot.

2. Recording Settings

some cameras these days record in high definition - which is great, if you're going to use full screen playback. If you're shooting a video for a typical webpage video (see above), then shooting in HD is way too much overhead for what you're trying to accomplish. You'll end up costing yourself money in filesize and bandwidth.

Know what the final format of your video is going to be before you begin to shoot.

3. Overall File Size

Some video formats simply create larger files. A lot of background color or activity can also result in an overall larger file size. Keep a neutral background, and look for cameras that encode in AVI or MOV formats for better overall file sizes.

These three simple steps can save you time and money in the online video world.