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Introduction
DigitalDrum Pro automatically converts your video to FLV format to work on our site. We accept files encoded as AVI, MPG, MPEG, MOV (Quicktime), WMV (Windows Media) and FLV (Flash Video) in a variety of resolutions and bitrates. For the ideal settings, read below.
Uploading your video
Once you've created your video file, simply upload it by logging into the site and by clicking "Upload Video" on the "My DigitalDrum Pro" sidebar to the right of your screen.
Browse for the file on your computer, give it a title and some information to help other users find it, and wait for the file to upload.
Limits and Requirements
All files uploaded to DigitalDrum Pro must be under 100MB. The larger the file, the longer it will take to upload. If you don't have a very fast internet connection, your best bet is to try to upload as small a file as possible.
File Sizes
File sizes are generally decided by three factors: the length of the video, the way the file is compressed, and the video's resolution. Because high-resolution files are resized automatically, uploading a high-res video won't make much of a difference.
After uploading a video, it will not immediately be made available. Instead, you'll have to wait up to 10 minutes for it to be processed. Luckily, it all happens on our server, so you don't have to do anything while you wait -- not even stay on the site.
The exception to this is if you pre-encode your video file as an FLV. If you convert your video to the same format and settings DigitalDrum Pro uses, it won't have to do anything when you upload it. For the best specs, read "Getting the best quality" below.
Speeds
Depending on the speed of your internet connection and the size of your file, your video could take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours to upload.
You may find that your upload and download speed is much lower at certain times of the day. When the internet is in heavy use, it can take much longer to upload files and to load websites.
If your video isn't uploading quickly enough, try a smaller file. For details on file size, read below.
Getting the best quality
While DigitalDrum Pro accepts most common video formats, you'll get the best results if you convert the file to FLV on your own computer before uploading it.
Because the file will already be compressed to the same specifications Digital Drum Pro uses, you won't experience quality loss when it converts your video as you would with a different format.
1. Software
Converting a video to FLV requires a specialized compression program; the most popular one is Adobe's Flash CS3 Video Encoder, part of the Adobe Creative Suite.
For more information or a free trial, check out Adobe's site:
- http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/articles/video_guide_03.html#encoding
- http://www.adobe.com/products/flash/
A variety of low-cost options also exist:
Windows
- ImTOO FLV Converter (http://www.imtoo.com/flv-converter.html)
- Moyea Web Player (http://www.flash-video-mx.com/)
Macintosh
- VisualHub (http://www.techspansion.com/visualhub/)
- FFmpegX (http://www.ffmpegx.com/)
If you're feeling adventurous, there is also a free option, the command-line program FFmpeg. If you're not used to typing in commands, it can be pretty daunting. Luckily, there are a few graphical front-ends for FFmpeg that make things a little easier.
Windows:
- ffe (http://corz.org/windows/software/ffe/)
- MediaCoder (http://mediacoder.sourceforge.net/screenshots.htm)
Macintosh:
The FFmpegX front-end exists, but it isn't free. There is a free demo, though.
- FFmpegX (http://www.ffmpegx.com/)
However, if you really want to try the command-line tools on their own without a polished interface, try this guide.
- "Installing and using FFmpeg on Mac OS X" (http://stephenjungels.com/jungels.net/articles/ffmpeg-howto.html)
Any of the above options will do, so let's talk about settings:
2. Settings
Once you've got your FLV encoding software running, open your movie and export it with the following settings:
FLV format
450x337 pixels (4:3 aspect ratio)
1500 kbps
15 frames per second (FPS)
MP3 audio, 22050 Hz at 64kbps
3. Alternatives to FLV
If you can't produce an FLV file on your computer, your best bet is to output your video in the following format:
AVI (MP4 codec) or QuickTime™ (H.264 codec)
640x480 pixels (4:3 aspect ratio)
15 frames per second (FPS)
MP3 audio, 22050 Hz at 64kbps.
Widescreen Videos
Because the DigitalDrum Pro player uses a 4:3 aspect ratio, widescreen (16:9 or 16:10) videos may become distorted when they are converted. To avoid this, make sure you initially export your film as 4:3 before uploading.