Be careful when using latest technology

Randall Gregg, the Broadcast Operations Director for RTP-TV (Research Triangle Park Television) in North Carolina passes on this tip:

Many producers create online videos using the newest version of Windows Media 9 codec, which works fine if the audience member has a Windows XP machine. However, according to our viewer statistics (which span almost 3 years with viewers in over 60 countries), fully one third or more of our audience members have older Windows operating systems such as Windows 98, 2000, or Me. What does this mean?

It means to watch Media 9 videos, those viewers will have to download and upgrade to Media Player 9, which is a long process at best for those with dial ups and may potentially cause problems on their computer at worst. Plus, a good number of those users will probably just not watch the video at all, choosing to go elsewhere.

The solution is pretty simple. Producers can encode videos using the Windows Media 8 codec, which can be viewed both by older and newer computers. It is not as compressed as Windows Media 9 videos, but the difference is minimal.

A good reminder to keep your audience in mind before deciding to upgrade to the latest technology.

Oct 12, 2004 | E-MAIL | SAVE | PRINT | PERMALINK | DISCUSS(0)

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