Trying to watch video on the web can be a frustrating experience.
There are many media players and a variety of video file formats. Within a single file format, different types of compression may be used. The result is that a media player or plug-in may not play two video files that appear to be of the same format.
Compression and the H.264 Codec
The method of compression (codec) used to process a video has a significant effect on both file size and quality. The recently released H.264 codec allows for high quality video at reasonable file sizes, and has become a popular tool for video bloggers.
The Gulf Coast Video Blog, produced by Carleton students and faculty, includes videos in MPEG-4 format encoded using H.264.
To view MPEG-4 video encoded using H.264 (sometimes called MPEG-4 AVC files), you need to have a player which can decode H.264, such as QuickTime Player 7 or the VLC Media Player.
QuickTime Player
Macintosh or Windows users can download the free QuickTime 7 player in order to view MPEG-4 AVC videos. In some environments, installing QuickTime 7 may require administrative privileges.
Standalone QuickTime 7 player (Mac OS X / Windows)
VLC Media Player
The free VLC media player is a cross-platform alternative to QuickTime, and does not require administrative privileges to install. The VLC Media Player can play a variety of video files including MPEG-4, and supports the H.264 codec.
If you have difficulty installing an MPEG-4 AVC compatible player, please contact the Web Services group.