View Full Version : What resolution is Windows Media movies?
stuckinthemud
03-28-2005, 08:05 PM
I have been given a couple of movies in WMV recorded to a DVD+R. The files are approximately 180 MB in size. And that is all I know about that.
Can I expect to see HD in this format? 16:9? Is my 42" plasma going to make these look good through my DVD player? Should I play them through my computer, hooked to the HDMI on the plasma?
My video camera puts out WMV format also. It's a Canon ZR65MC if that matters. I know it has the abaility to record in 16:9 mode so I assume I can expect a 16:9 on these movies given to me on DVD+R
Nate
strangersonmyflight
03-28-2005, 08:06 PM
You sure you didn't mean 180 MB, perhaps? Otherwise, dem are some tiny, tiny movies! ;)
AFAIK, I think that's where WMV is headed in the first place- an HD consumer distribution format with native copyright protections. Now this is not to say that all WMV's are HD (far from it, if you've seen a few). That is where they would like to entrench their proprietary format, however.
Will it look good on your HDTV? That's an impossible question to answer, imo. WMV can come in such a wide range of quality for a wide range of display devices. It relies a lot on the data rate the author was targeting and the quality of the perceptual encoding, though.
Oh and, to answer the topic title directly- literally, it can be any resolution. It's an arbritrary setting picked by the person who makes the WMV. It think if you look at it on your computer using WMP, you can look-up the "statistics" on a particular WMV to determine stuff like resolution, fps, etc.
stuckinthemud
03-28-2005, 08:12 PM
You sure you didn't mean 180 MB, perhaps? Otherwise, dem are some tiny, tiny movies! ;)
Good eye, man. I fixed that.
I type faster than my brain can postulate. I type 12 words per minute. :wow:
Nate
stuckinthemud
03-28-2005, 08:37 PM
One of the movies I just looked at is actually 1.3 GB. That's a lot bigger than I originally thought.
I've read some discussions on the topic of Windows Media that I found through the search feature of this site and they all say that WMV is GOING to be capable of HD format. But all those posts were back in 2003. Anyone know? Is it available now? And are there DVD players that can read it? I know my own DVD player choked on the last video I put on a dvd and tried to play (a couple short clips from my vacation to Chichen Itza) but that may have been because I don't know how to transfer from tape to DVD.
Nate
strangersonmyflight
03-28-2005, 08:59 PM
Yah, definitely not 180 KB...otherwise we could just put a few of them on a mere floppy disk, instead of worrying about these fancy-shmancy DVD's. :)
As for what DVD player will read what format?...that's where things can get a bit spotty. A "nicely featured" DVD player will usually be able to read a variety of formats including VCD, SVCD, and sometimes even Divx. It's the Divx that part that leads sort of an incestual relationship with wmv, MPEG4, etc. Often times there's no real way to ensure what will play in what when it comes to Divx, wmv, MPEG4, until you actually try playing it. Then there's the open-source version of MPEG4, known as 3ivx (confused, yet?) Those are all certainly contenders for the digital format of the "next generation" of video distribution. Then you have to weigh in how Blue-ray and HD-DVD will impact the industry wrt formats supported... Then there's the digital-rights-management aspect (not like the studios plan to let you run-off willy-nilly with their "properties" completely unlocked). If I understand correctly, that is what "HD" WMV is- some sort of Divx flavor with retail level DRM to stem anti-piracy.
Ironically, the most sure way to be able to play anything that gets in your hands will be your PC (or Mac, as the case may be). That gives some inkling as to Microsoft's incentive for actuallymaking things easy for you. It would only suit them all too nicely if PC's became the center of your home media living room. Falling short of that, they've still hedged their bets on your living room media center by bringing "HD" WMV along in some sort of consumer device...
Suffice to say, this whole situation is akin to dancing with the "bleeding edge" of technology. It's too early to say what will prevail, so you just make do with what happens to work for you in the meantime.
strangersonmyflight
03-29-2005, 06:53 AM
Hey! I came across this link today:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/content_provider/film/ContentShowcase.aspx
Looking for some HD WMV? Wouldn't it be cool to get a hold of some IMAX material? How about HD-DVD? Here's your cookie... It's even got samples for that elusive 1080p, for you to play around with. (sorry to sound so excited about this Windows stuff- this little find is just as surprising to me as you may find, but I'm certainly not the first one to run to if you want to hear about good things pertaining to Windows ;) ) Got to hand it to them- this is an awfully enticing glimpse of the "future" if you are willing to bow down to Microsoft's wmv solution.
...now if anybody can give me a heads-up on this stuff- if these are videos, why do they come in these .exe files? What happens when you open them on your PC?
mjones73
03-29-2005, 08:28 AM
Open the movie on your PC and check it's properties, it'll give you the resolution.
BadCamper
03-29-2005, 09:58 AM
Hey! I came across this link today:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/content_provider/film/ContentShowcase.aspx
...now if anybody can give me a heads-up on this stuff- if these are videos, why do they come in these .exe files? What happens when you open them on your PC?
They've just slightly compressed the *.WMV files into an executable ZIP file. All you've gotta do is unzip them and they're ready to play.
Do note that they will likely require the latest version of Windows Media Player in order to play.
stuckinthemud
03-29-2005, 01:09 PM
Open the movie on your PC and check it's properties, it'll give you the resolution.
Well...that was way too easy. The movie, according to the properties, is 720 x 404. That's better than DVD quality but not quite HD. Interesting.
Next question...I have S Video on my laptop. I have S Video on my TV. Since my DVD player won't play these...is there a better way to connect something to my TV to watch these. I have no component connections or DVI on the laptop. Should I just build a computer to leave connected to the entertainment system so I can play these things? It would be cheaper than buying a new DVD player that is capable of running these formats. (I have a lab full of parts I can rob from...just need a mobo and video card)
Nate
mikehbkwm
03-29-2005, 03:12 PM
im getting my new computer tonight cant wait to watch my T2 wmv in hd for the first time tonight its going to RULEEEEEEEEEEEEE lol
strangersonmyflight
03-29-2005, 10:39 PM
They've just slightly compressed the *.WMV files into an executable ZIP file. All you've gotta do is unzip them and they're ready to play.
Ok, thanks for loogin-out, money! I guess I finally have a use for my beater PC (to unzip an .exe). ;)
As for the poster that asked what's the best way to connect a laptop to your HDTV- you may get lucky if you can find out the way for you to connect your laptop to a computer monitor. Once you have that, you should be able to find a VGA adapter that can make the final jump to your HDTV (if not, directly connect via VGA).
stuckinthemud
03-29-2005, 11:50 PM
Ok, thanks for loogin-out, money! I guess I finally have a use for my beater PC (to unzip an .exe). ;)
As for the poster that asked what's the best way to connect a laptop to your HDTV- you may get lucky if you can find out the way for you to connect your laptop to a computer monitor. Once you have that, you should be able to find a VGA adapter that can make the final jump to your HDTV (if not, directly connect via VGA).
I do have VGA. VGA delivers HD? I always assumed VGA was analog.
Can I get a VGA to HDMI adapter?
Got more reading to do.
Nate
Matt27
03-30-2005, 12:33 AM
im getting my new computer tonight cant wait to watch my T2 wmv in hd for the first time tonight its going to RULEEEEEEEEEEEEE lol
That's awesome mike:) The Dolby 2.0 sounds pretty sweet too on the computer using a pair of sattelites and a subwoofer.
By the way do you also have the ultimated edition of T2, because that's the one to have for sound quality, The DTS is agressive and in your face. :hyper:
strangersonmyflight
03-30-2005, 01:30 AM
You might find some useful info for this here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/mce/getstarted/connecttv.mspx
Heh-heh, there's really nothing "inherently digital" about the essence of being HDTV. ;) It's just an expectation of a certain amount of resolution on the very end. Given that computer monitors have relied on VGA for a good long time, at some pretty hairy resolution settings, and real program material that makes use of that last drop of resolution, that should be "good enough" for HDTV. ;) Just don't go nutzo on the cable length- ideally, as short as you can get away with. Being that it is analog, coveting your signal will ensure the best results. Naturally, the digital cable methods (DVI, HDMI, whatever...) make analog signal degradation a nonissue. The caveat is that you still end up needing "high quality" cables for long cable runs, or it won't work at all. That said, yes, you can always explore any number of VGA-to-DVI/HDMI solutions.
I guess the proper term I should have used is RGB connector (which most refer to as VGA, informally). If you got one of those on your laptop, and you have one of those on the back of your HDTV, you are pretty much all set (assuming you have the VGA cable, of course). Where you may hit a snag is what is the highest resolution the videocard in your laptop will support (as long as it meets or exceeds your target HDTV resolution). It shouldn't be a big deal, if your laptop is fairly recent (butcha never know until you check, right?). I've never done this myself, so maybe there are more "snags" than I've alluded to. 1280x720 shouldn't be unlikely. 1920x1080- that might be a problem coming from a laptop. ;) Just gotta check...
kevinw
03-30-2005, 10:27 AM
I do have VGA. VGA delivers HD? I always assumed VGA was analog.
Can I get a VGA to HDMI adapter?
Got more reading to do.
Nate
http://www.goyona.com/CP-253.pdf
stuckinthemud
03-30-2005, 01:30 PM
OK...Let me throw one more question out before I move over to the cables forum.
My laptop spits out XGA from the ATI mobile radeon 9000/9100 IGP. Highest screen resolution I have is 1280X800. That's better than most of the content I get thorugh the HD cable box.
My Motorola STB has a USB port in the front and two more in the back. Is it feasible to connect thorugh that? I see absolutely no mention of the use for the USB port in the manula for the STB. I can connect my BenQ projector to the USB on my laptop so I assume video can be sent across the USB.
But what are the limitaitons of USB?
My wife is pulling her hair out trying to get my attention. I'm obsesesed with this thing. The movie I am trying to display was picked out for her...but she does not know this yet. If I can solve this by Saturday morning I may get a nice reward in the sack!
Nate
You can not use the USB port on the Motorola to feed video into the STB.
strangersonmyflight
03-30-2005, 07:32 PM
USB seems to be popping up in all sorts of unusual places, these days. Sometimes they never find use, at all. Sometimes you smack your forehead in discovery, "they can do that with USB now? Wow!"
If it's USB 1, likely you will never find it of any use for HDTV transmission. The bandwidth is just too limited (about 1 MB/s). The presence of one on your laptop may just be there so you could plug in a mouse or keyboard. If it is USB 2, then the potential exists as a digital video output, similar to the way firewire is used. That said, I'd still say it is an unlikely scenario. I've never heard of USB 2 being used to stream HDTV, but who knows? I could be wrong. Beats me why there would be one on a HDTV (or a stb, as the case may be).
How can you tell which is which? USB 1 and 2 will have the same plug. So you got to got into Device Manager in Windows to see what info it offers on your external USB port. Usually it would identify USB 1 or USB 2 capability there. ...but all that is beside the fact that the intent of the USB on your laptop and the USB on your TV may not have any resemblence in purpose, whatsoever. I don't want to sound too negative on that. I just didn't want you to get your hopes up out of expectation.
stuckinthemud
03-30-2005, 07:46 PM
The USB on my laptop is USB 2. The USB on the Motorola STB is USB 1. The USB on my BenQ is USB1. I'll have to check next time I use the projector to see if I am streeaming HD. I never paid much attention to HD until I bought this new TV.
Maybe I should quite looking for short cuts and just buy the VGA to DVI adapter/converter.
Nate
strangersonmyflight
03-30-2005, 07:56 PM
Yes, I would say using the USB1 inputs on your STB or HDTV to stream digital video would be a considerable long shot. ;)
Ratman
03-30-2005, 09:27 PM
http://www.beyondlogic.org/usbnutshell/usb1.htm
stuckinthemud
03-30-2005, 10:34 PM
Interesting site on USB. A LOT of interesting info.
I found a way to build a VGA to RCA adapter using 75 ohm coax, 15 pin connector, three male RCA plugs and a soldering iron. It requires two registry edits. I might give this a try.
But more importantly I have found a bunch of info on building a quality Entertainment PC with wireless adapters that sounds like a lot more fun. MyHD pc card and a good quality Radeon and PowerStrip is really all I need (about 600 bucks)
You guys are going to get me in trouble, you know that dontcha?
Nate
