Videogram Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated June 26, 1997.

Q. What is a Videogram?

A Videogram is a file containing highly compressed video and audio content. A Videogram typically will include the player so that any Windows PC user can play the file back on their computer. With Videogram technology, you can fit over 60 seconds of video and audio on a single 3.5 inch floppy, so for the first time, you can deliver high quality video on a floppy, through email, or over the Internet.

Q. What are the system requirements to make a Videogram using QuickVideo Transport or DVC1?

System Requirements:

Q. Will I have to pay any royalties for distributing the Videogram Player? How about for Videograms that I have created with the QuickVideo Transport or DVC1?

No. Alaris will not charge any royalties for users to re-distribute the Videogram Player as long as it is part of a Videogram or any Videogram created with the QuickVideo Transport or DVC1. Alaris will also post the latest standalone Videogram Player on its web site (www.alaris.com) for users to download for free. To distribute the Videogram Player alone, you will need to have prior written consent from Alaris.

Q. What kind of PC do I need to play back a Videogram?

Videograms were designed to run on any 486 DX4 or Pentium that is Windows PC based. No special hardware or software is required. Users with Windows 3.1x or Windows 95 or Windows NT (even OS/2) will be able to play back a Videogram. All you need is a sound card to listen to the audio. Users with higher performance computers will get better quality during playback through less dropped frames and smoother playback.

Q. What are the minimum system requirements to create Videograms with the QuickVideo Transport?

You will need a minimum of a Pentium 100 Windows 95 PC or notebook. You must have an ECP or bi-directional parallel port to connect the Transport. On your notebook, you will need to have a PS/2 mouse or keyboard port/or standard AT keyboard connector to power the QuickVideo Transport. Even though Videogram Creator is supplied in both a floppy and CD-ROM format, all other application bundles are available only on CD-ROM, a CD-ROM drive. To record and play back sound, you need to have a sound card or sound recording capability.

Q. Do I need a Pentium computer to play a Videogram?

No. Videograms will play back even on 486 machines.

Q. Will a Videogram play on my Macintosh?

Not currently.

Q. How do I make a Videogram?

You can make a Videogram using the Alaris QuickVideo Transport and Videogram Creator Software (bundled with the product), or the Alaris DVC1 Camera.

Q. What is a VGM file?

A file with a ".VGM" extension is a Videogram without the embedded Videogram Player. These files are created for distribution to those who already have a Videogram Player. The current embedded Videogram Player requires around 100KB of storage, creating a Videogram without the player will save this storage. In order to play a .VGM file, the user will need to download the approximately 400KB Videogram Player (or it can be attached in an e-mail). A .VGM file can be created using the QuickVideo Transport or DVC1 product by choosing not to include the Player when creating a Videogram.

Q. What types of cameras does QuickVideo Transport support?

QuickVideo will support any camera with a composite NTSC or S-VHS (S-video or Y-C) video output. Most consumer video cameras and camcorders have a NTSC output via a RCA jack on the camera or through an adapter cable that is supplied with the camera. Please note, QuickVideo Transport supports analog video (cameras and VCR’s) and provide the digital interface to the PC for these devices.

Q. Can I make a Videogram that will run at 30 frames per second? Do I need 30 fps?

You can capture video using the QuickVideo Transport or DVC1 at 320x240 resolution and 30 frames per second. However, these high-resolution, high frame-rate videos become very large files. Due to the size of larger format files, a standard of 160x120 at 15 frames per second has been adopted by most distributors of video on the World Wide Web. Compared to a video at 320x240 and 30 fps, the lower resolution file contains 8 times less data in its uncompressed form.

Although 30 frames per second (and 60 interlaced fields) is the standard for broadcast NTSC video and television, other frame rates have been successfully used in other mediums. For example, movies shot on film record at 24 frames per second, and in Europe, the PAL and SECAM standards specify 25 frames per second (and 50 fields). The usual compromise between accurate display of full motion video and file size is 15 frames per second.

Q. How long does it take to compress a file into a Videogram?

Most of the work in creating a Videogram is performed by the host processor. So the time required to create a Videogram will depend on the system CPU speed and the amount of memory (RAM). In some cases, the hard disk performance will also have an impact. Typically, it will take between 3 and 5 times the duration of the actual video clip to create a Videogram on a Pentium system running at 90 MHz. The exact time will depend on how much activity is contained in the video clip and the audio and video codec chosen for the compression.

Q. Will a faster system shorten the time required to make a Videogram?

Yes. See above.

Q. Will a faster system improve video capture quality?

If the QuickVideo Transport or DVC1 is used with a Pentium 100 system, you should be able to capture video without problems up to 320x240 resolution. When using a slower machine there is the possibility that your system will drop frames during video capture (if the system is not fast enough to transfer the captured data to your hard disk, frames will be dropped from the video stream). The components in the system that will affect whether frames are dropped are CPU/system bus speed, amount of system memory, and hard disk performance.

We recommend a 100-MHz Pentium with at least 16 MB of memory and the fastest hard disk drive you can afford. Hard disk drive performance is measured by data transfer rate and seek time. A larger data cache in the hard disk will not help with a large stream of video data. In general, SCSI hard disks will perform better due to the faster data transfer rates of the SCSI interface. SCSI drives are typically faster in seek times as well. For our own video capture systems, we use 1 GB or larger drives with data transfer rates of at least 11 MB/second (ATA Mode 3) and seek times of 14 ms or less.

In general, we recommend that you have a display with at least 256 colors and preferably 64K colors minimum. Videogram Creator will work on systems even with 16 colors but the quality will be very poor since the original data was compressed from 16 million colors. Videograms created on systems displaying less than 64K colors will appear to have more compression artifacts due to the compression of colors necessary to reduce 16 million colors down to 64,000.

Q. Does the recipient of a Videogram need to have a multimedia kit, or a sound card and speakers, to play it back?

Yes, in order to hear the audio portion of the Videogram. Without a sound card and speakers, the audio cannot be played back. The video, however, will run normally.

In general, we recommend that a recipient have at least a display with 256 colors and preferably 64K colors minimum. The Videogram will play on systems even with 16 colors but the quality will be very poor since the original data was compressed from 16 million colors. In systems with 256 colors or less, additional work must be done to map the colors to the limited set. This will slow down playback and cause more frames to be dropped.

Q. What are the parameters you can adjust when creating a Videogram?

You can adjust the resolution of the Videogram, the audio and video codecs used for compression and the quality level of the compression. You can trim the beginning and ending points of the video clip, and you can also specify the title (appears in the title bar during playback) of the Videogram.

Q. What is the real difference between 15 and 30 frames per second? Are there certain applications where 30 fps would be required?

The difference between 15 frames per second (fps) and 30 fps is how much motion will be captured and conveyed when the video is played back (this affects the apparent smoothness of motion). The file size will also be affected since there will be twice as much data at 30 fps. Most video providers over the web have standardized on 15 fps (some use video captured at even lower frame rates - 8, 10 or 12 fps) recognizing that 15 fps gives a very good representation of motion (as can be seen in the Videograms we have posted on our web site).

We have found that for most applications, 15 fps is sufficient but we recognize that there will be certain situations where 30 fps is required. This may include situations where smooth continuous motion is absolutely needed. That is why the QuickVideo Transport and DVC1 support 30 fps capture and the Videogram Creator and Player support 30 fps playback. Users should recognize that file sizes will be much larger, and without an extremely fast computer, performance will be most likely degraded during playback. This degradation during playback can result in dropped frames and even a loss of synchronization (sync) between audio and video. This is often seen as more disturbing to the viewer than a lower frame rate.

Q. How do I make a Videogram from a video clip on a video tape?

Connect the video out signal from your camcorder or VCR (where you will be playing the video) to the video input of the QuickVideo product using the supplied cable. You must also connect the audio output from the camcorder or VCR to your sound card to capture audio. After making the connections, just use the Videogram Creator (QuickVideo Transport) to preview and scan through the video tape to the beginning of the desired video clip. Follow the instructions in the User Manual to capture video.

Q. Can I capture using an editing program, such as Adobe Premiere? How do I do this?

Yes. You can capture video directly from Adobe Premiere. You can also capture video using Videogram Creator and save it to an AVI file using the Save Captured Video to File command in the File Menu. Adobe Premiere can then read the AVI file.

Q. In what formats can I save video clips captured with a QuickVideo Transport or DVC1?

QuickVideo Transport and DVC1 capture video in a standard AVI format. Only after the captured video has been compressed into a Videogram is the file saved as an '.EXE' or '.VGM'. The captured video can also be saved as an AVI file.

Q. Can I use a QuickVideo product to capture a still frame or audio?

Both the QuickVideo Transport and DVC1 support the still frame capture. Audio can be recorded to be inserted as the audio track associated with the still frame or to replace existing audio track in a video clip.

Q. How does Videogram compression compare to QuickTime?

QuickTime is a file format standard for video and audio first used on the Macintosh. QuickTime movies typically have an extension of MOV on a PC and are similar to Video for Windows files (which have an AVI extension). Both file formats support different video and audio codecs including Indeo and Cinepak. When comparing compression ratios, users should compare the Alaris VG codec to Indeo, Cinepak, MPEG, Microsoft Video, or any others. In general the Alaris' codecs are 2 to 3 times more efficient in both audio and video compression.

Please send any additional questions to support@alaris.com.