Video and Audio Codecs: How Morae Uses Them

Video and Audio Codecs: How Morae Uses Them

Codec is an acronym that stands for "compressor/decompressor." A codec is an algorithm – a specialized computer program – that compresses data when you are making a recording and producing a video, and then decompresses the data when the video is being viewed. In practical terms, the codecs you use when recording (in Recorder) and producing your video (in Manager) will affect both the quality and the size of both the recording file and the final highlight video (AVI). Your codec choices may also affect your CPU performance during recording and production.

This TechNote will give you general information about video and audio codecs, as well as familiarize you with Morae’s use of codecs during recording and highlight video production. Note: Audio and video codecs used for recording and producing a video with Morae must also

be located on the Manager machine and any machine on which the final video will be viewed.

Video Codecs

Lossless vs. Lossy Quality

Video codecs can be divided into two categories of quality: lossless and lossy. A lossless codec maintains image quality through the compression process, while a lossy codec will sacrifice image quality in order to decrease the file size. A still image JPG file is an example of lossy compression. The image file size is much smaller than the original, but the image quality is degraded.

If you start out with a video produced using a lossy audio or video codec, the quality will degrade each time you reproduce the video. It is like making a copy of videotape and then making a copy from that copy. The degradation of video quality is compounded each time the video is copied. Note: Once media are compressed with a particular codec, there is no way to gain greater

quality than that allowed by the original codec.

How Screen Content Affects Video Codec Choice

Over the years, a variety of video codecs have been developed. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses. For example, some codecs, such as Microsoft’s MPEG-4 v2 and Microsoft Video 1, compress videos that contain photographic images with lots of colors and color gradients in a way that produces small file sizes.

Other codecs, such as TechSmith’s Screen Capture Codec (TSCC), are optimized to compress screen video capture of typical office-style applications that contain large blocks of the same color and do not contain gradient fills, photographic images, or dithered surfaces.

How Morae Uses Video Codecs

During recording, Morae Recorder uses two different codecs: one to compress screen video, and one to compress real-world camera video (if you are using a peripheral Web camera). Then, during the production of your highlight video (AVI), Morae Manager uses one video codec to compress both the camera and screen video. At either of these stages, you can choose the best codec(s) for your needs based on the type of recording you are going to make and the way you intend to display and distribute the resulting information.

Default Video Codecs for Recording

Screen Video Codecs. The TSCC video codec is an excellent codec for recording typical office-style application content. It has very fast compression performance and provides 100% lossless compression at all color depths. This is Morae’s default screen video codec, both in Recorder and Manager.

Camera Video Codecs. Although TSCC always compresses with lossless quality, the

compression ratio and compression speed may be reduced with full-motion video because of the large data stream being saved to the disk. We recommend Microsoft Video 1 for camera video in most situations. This is the default codec used for camera video in Recorder.

Default Video Codec for Highlight Video Production

The highlight video production process uses only one video codec to compress both the camera and screen video. TSCC is recommended (and is the default codec) for highlight video production in Morae. If you are including a PIP (picture-in-picture) Clip throughout the highlight video, the resulting file size will be larger.

If using the TSCC codec for highlight video production results in file sizes that are too large for your purposes, we recommend using the Microsoft MPEG-4 v2 codec, which provides excellent quality (although it is lossy) and smaller file sizes.

Note: When a video is compressed with a particular codec, the video must be decompressed with the same codec in order to be viewed. Therefore, the codec must be installed on the computer being used to view the video. For more information, see Editing and

Distributing the Highlight Video (AVI) File. Video Codec Recommendations

If the default video codecs are not ideal for your desired outcome, see the guidelines in the following table, which recommends codecs for various recording and production conditions.

Desired Outcome Type of Content Recommended

Codec(s) Comments

During Recording (Recorder)

Best quality and smallest file size

Screen content is low motion, low complexity, office-style

Desired Outcome Type of Content Recommended

Codec(s) Comments

applications _{Camera: Microsoft Video} 1 or Microsoft MPEG-4 v2

Microsoft Video 1 offers good quality for camera video and is available on all systems. Microsoft MPEG-4 v2 may provide higher quality and/or smaller file sizes than Microsoft Video 1.

Screen: Microsoft

MPEG-4 v2 or Microsoft Video 1

Microsoft MPEG-4 v2 provides high quality with smaller file sizes than TSCC for high complexity screen content.

Best quality and

smallest file size Screen content is full motion, complex, real-world video or photos Camera: Microsoft Video 1 or Microsoft MPEG-4 v2

Microsoft Video 1 offers good quality for camera video and is available on all systems. Microsoft MPEG-4 v2 may provide higher quality and/or smaller file sizes than Microsoft Video 1.

During Highlight Video Production (Manager)

Low complexity screen content and little or no PIP.

TSCC TSCC is lossless and provides the highest quality and smallest file size for low complexity video content, but must be distributed with the AVI. For options, see

Editing and Distributing the Highlight Video

(AVI) File. Share the AVI

directly after production High complexity screen content or lots of PIP. Microsoft MPEG-4 v2 or

Microsoft Video 1 Both codecs are available on most systems and provide good compression and quality for complex video.

Low complexity screen content and little or no PIP

TSCC TSCC is lossless and provides the highest quality source video content for further editing/conversion. However, TSCC must be on the system used to edit the AVI. For options, see Editing and Distributing the

Highlight Video (AVI) File.

Edit the AVI and/or convert it to another file format

High complexity screen content or lots of PIP.

Microsoft MPEG-4 v2 or

Microsoft Video 1 Both codecs are available on most systems and provide good compression and quality for complex video.

Audio Codecs

Default Audio Codecs in Morae

An audio codec is required both by Recorder to compress the audio portion of the recording file, and by Manager to produce the final AVI highlight video. During both processes, Morae’s default audio codec is GSM 6.10 codec.

The GSM 6.10 audio codec is a good, low bitrate voice codec that is guaranteed to be on all Windows systems. It compresses voice content as well as or better than MPEG Layer-3 does at low bitrates. And although the GSM 6.10 is a mono format, voice recording generally does not require stereo, which will increase the size of the audio portion of the file.

Audio Codec Recommendations

If the default audio codec is not ideal for your desired outcome, use the guidelines in the following table to select codecs for various recording and production conditions.

Desired Outcome Recommended Codec

Typical Attributes

Comments During Recording (Recorder)

Small recording file size

(lower quality audio) GSM 6.10 22 kHz, 4 kb/sec Good quality audio compression, results in small file sizes. Higher quality audio

(large file size)

PCM

Uncompressed

22 kHz, 16-bit Highest quality, but file sizes may become too large, depending on the length of the

recording.

During Highlight Video Production (Manager)

Share the AVI directly after

production GSM 6.10 _{MPEG Layer 3} 22 kHz, 4 kb/sec _{11.025 kHz, 18} kb/sec

Available on all systems with Windows. Better compression at higher quality, but not as readily available on all systems.

Edit the AVI and/or convert

it to another file format PCM Uncompressed 22kHz, 16-bit Provides high quality source audio for editing/conversion, but will result in larger file sizes.

Editing and Distributing the Highlight Video (AVI) File

AVI highlight videos can be easily imported into other video manipulation programs tools, such as TechSmith’s Camtasia Studio, or video editors like Adobe Premiere, for further editing and annotation, or to convert/publish the video in different formats (e.g., Windows Media,

RealMedia, QuickTime). The AVI files can also be distributed and shared without further editing, if you wish. In either case, the codec you use to compress video during the production process must be installed on the system that will be used to edit the video or to view the video once you’ve distributed it.

Morae Manager, select another more commonly available video codec, such as Microsoft Video 1 or Microsoft MPEG-4 v2.

Again, whichever codec you choose must be installed on the system used to edit or playback the AVI video.

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