Custom Publishing (Retail Version only)
Choosing the Custom Size/Custom Quality option on the third page of the Publisher Wizard gives you options to
make advanced changes to the way your video is published. The options that are available depend upon the format
that you're publishing to: Flash, Windows Media, or RealMedia:
Flash Compression Options
Video
Bit Rate (Kilobits per second): The higher the value, the higher the quality but the larger the file.
The range goes from 20 to 900. For the best balance of size and quality, we recommend working within the
250-500 Kbps range.
- Video Size (pixels): This defines the size of the video. The larger the size, the higher the
resolution but the larger the file. The maximum resolution for video captured by Vlog It! is 320x240,
so for vlogs containing such video you should not set the video size any higher than that limit. The video size
should correspond to the aspect ratio of the show's video and still graphics or else your images will be distorted.
- Frame Rate (frames per second): The higher the value, the smoother motion will appear but
the larger the file will be. The standard range is 15-30 frames per second.
- Audio Format: This setting incorporates three values:
- Data rate (Kilobits per second): The higher the value, the higher the quality but the larger the file.
- Frequency range (kilohertz): The higher the value, the fuller the sound but the larger the file.
- Channels (Mono/Stereo):
.WMV Compression Options
The contents and options in this dialog will vary depending on version of Windows Media Encoder that
you have installed. This section will focus on interactions between custom options and other settings
in Vlog It!. For a detailed orientation to the options available to you, please consult the
help system for Windows Media Encoder.
Constant vs. Variable Bit Rate, and the relationship to 2 Pass Encoding: You have
a choice between publishing at a constant bit rate (CBR) or a variable bit rate (VBR).
- CBR encoding is optimized for streaming video. As the name indicates, the data
rate remains relatively constant throughout the video. To achieve this, the degree of compression
has to vary from segment to segment depending on the complexity of the data. The result is that
the quality fluctuates, with more heavily compressed segments having more artifacts. With Windows
Media Encoder, selecting CBR automatically enables the 2
Pass Encoding option.
- VBR encoding is designed for videos where motion or scene complexity varies
from segment to segment. Because the bit rate fluctuates, this encoding option is not well-adapted
to streaming video, but this is the method to choose if you will be distributing the video by CD
or if viewers will be downloading it to play locally. There are different varieties of VBR encoding:
- Quality-Based VBR yields the most consistent quality. The downside is that the size
of the resulting file is unpredictable. To set the quality level, first select "Quality
VBR" as the Media Type Mode and then switch to the Quality-Based tab. The chief
setting is the Video Quality, which is on a 1-100 scale.
If Quality-Based VBR is selected, then 2 Pass Encoding will be disabled.
- Bit Rate-Based VBR maintains the bit rate at an average that you specify while allowing
the rate to fluctuate around that value. This provides the highest quality possible while remaining
within an predictable bandwidth. To set the bit rate, select "Bit Rate VBR" as the
Media Type Mode and then switch to the second tab. The main setting is the Video Bit Rate,
which is in kilobytes per second
When Bit Rate-Based VBR is selected, 2 Pass Encoding is enabled because it takes one pass to
evaluate the data stream and a second pass to compress it.
- Peak Bit Rate-Based VBR allows you to set a peak level as well as an average. This
option is specifically designed for distribution modes such as compact discs that have a limited
reading speed. This option automatically enables 2 Pass Encoding.
NOTE: If you select the custom option for Windows Media
Encoder 9 without it installed on your PC, you will be given the option to download the free upgrade.
If you choose not to do so, you will be directed to the Windows Media Encoder 8 options panel.

.RM Compression Options
The custom options available for RealMedia are nearly identical as those for Windows Media. One difference
of note is that the various Constant and Variable Bit Rate options do not lock you into 1 Pass or 2
Pass Encoding. However, as a rule you will want to observe the same relationships specified in the previous
section.
