Tech: Sending videos by email

Subject: Tech: Sending videos by email
From: Emma B
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 04:46 PM

OK for starters technology is not my "strong suit"

I bought a "beginners" camcorder recently (Canon MD 120 model) which uses a mini DV casette.
Using Windows Movie Maker I've managed to edit simply but sucessfully and back up onto CD.
I've tried to send using the "send by email" facility but the picture quality received appears to be awful in comparison to the original.

I'm a great believer in "If at first you don't succeed" you're probably - well in my case almost certainly - doing something wrong.

Any suggestions, preferably in words of one syllable and "jargon" free, gratefully received

Subject: RE: Tech: Sending videos by email
From: PoppaGator
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 05:15 PM

Do you know how to make an "attachment" to an email message? That would be likely to work better than a one-step "send by email" routine that you run from your video application.

Start composing an email to your recipient. Your email interface should include some kind of "attach files" button ~ click it, and then look for a "Browse" button, and click that.

I assume your movie resides on your computer somewhere, at the place from which you backed it up onto that CD. Find that location while "browsing," and click on the clip's filename to attach it to your email. Return to the message, finish writing your note (or just sign your name), and send ~ Voila!

If the clip does not have a permanent residence on your computer, put the CD in your computer's CD drive, and browse to the CD in order to make your attachment.

Subject: RE: Tech: Sending videos by email
From: Emma B
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 05:16 PM

the "Send by email" actually creates an "attachment" but thanks for the thought - I'm going to try "messenger" later tonight......

Subject: RE: Tech: Sending videos by email
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 05:21 PM

I had a video sent to me using an attachment and the quality was very good.

Mind you that doesn't help does it?

Subject: RE: Tech: Sending videos by email
From: bfdk
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 05:27 PM

Your camcorder may have a facility that compresses the file in order to obtain a smaller and more "sendable" file size - but the quality suffers in the process. Try Poppagator's suggestion, that way the file is not compressed.

Subject: RE: Tech: Sending videos by email
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 05:51 PM

depending on the size, it 'might' even be better to 'upload' it to some storage site, and tell the recepient where to download it. There are now a number of such sites.

http://www.xdrive.com/ is one...5 gigs free. http://box.net/ is another...1 gig free.

Here is a discussion and listing

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2098943,00.asp

Subject: RE: Tech: Sending videos by email
From: Emma B
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 05:57 PM

Thanks Bill - I'll look into that. I could always just send the concert performance on CD of course but it seemed so "simple" (famous last words!) I've sent hundreds of attachments of photos with no problems before.

I've deliberately edited a concert into "bite size" chunks so that's not the problem...... but a friend is looking to add it to her myspace page so I need good quality.

Subject: RE: Tech: Sending videos by email
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 06:12 PM

quality/size...pick one...*wry grin*

If the original, as played on your machine, is ok, you should be able to send it anywhere....but I don't know whether sites like MySpace do some sort of automatic size/quality constraints to meet limits.

Subject: RE: Tech: Sending videos by email
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 06:25 PM

When sharing still photos these days I never send them as attachments, I put them up on Flickr (with a choice of private/fruends/family/public), and then Incan send a link to the picture in the email instead.

For videos you can do more or less the same, but using YouTube instead of Flickr. They've also got a "private" option you can use which stops the rest of the world seeing the videos if you don't want them to.

This way there's no worry about cluttering people's disks up without permission (and they can always download the vid if they want - there are free programs out there that enable you to do that with YouTube.) clips.

Subject: RE: Tech: Sending videos by email
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 06:30 PM

General observation:

Almost any program that has a "... for email" process you can click is going to compress whatever it's applied to. The same for "... for web" processes. Sometimes the compression is done fairly well, but sometimes it's just a brute-force "make it littler."

If you save the video/photo as a file on your computer and attach it to an email message, you should be able to avoid the compression - usually.

Be aware though that some "email servers" use additional compression that they don't like to mention, and sometimes if you use one of these services you may have to change some settings to "not compress" or even your attachments can get mangled. Sorry, but I haven't kept track of which ones draw the most complaints. I believe that AOL is one, but don't hang them without a trial. An email service that makes you install their own browser and/or email program would be most suspect.

This "extra compressing" may be more common with "Messenger" exchanges than with conventional email, since they're intended to be closer to "real-time" exchanges; although I haven't seen enough complaints to be sure how extensive any such special treatment is.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Sending videos by email
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 09:18 PM

E-Mail has too many restrictions on size, spam, etc.

Use a file server (YouTube, Photobucket, Flicker, MyTube) there are dozens on dozens if you look outside the English speaking confines.

Make your file unique (numbers and letters) - LOCK IT.

Send your friend - in an e-mail - the unique KEY to unlock the file.

Change the password after acknowledgment. (Give them 2 hours after the automatic Open-Responce) .... if they did not download ... they would rather watch Television.

Sincerely,
Gargaoyle