Can someone tell me which render settings to use that allows good quality video that takes up the least amount of space for web viewing? I will be useing Vegas to render.
I am also looking for an answer to this. I know that Sorensen 3 is supposedly the best, but AT WHAT SETTINGS? Get down and dirty with details... PLEASE!
Really MP4 compression is an awesome way to compress for the internet. I don't use Vegas so I cannot answer the best way to render and output a video in Vegas. I use Final Cut Pro and I will come back and post some information in a little while about the best compression ways...Sorensen 3 is a good codec for a larger resolution file. Takes up some space though..The way you compress your footage or film for the internet is somewhat based on your individual project as well
There is a pretty good article in the latest Xtreme Video Magazine about compressing for web. The author uses sorenson mpeg-4 with a data rate of 400, frame rate of 1:1, keyframe every 100 frames, sorenson 2 pass vbr, and 320x240 and for audio he uses AAC, data rate of 64, sample rate 44.100khz, mono. I have been using these settings and they come out great. Pretty crisp audio and the image looks great and streams fast.
Keep in mind that for web if you want your filesize cut in half, compress at 15fps (if your original is 30)... Most viewers on the web will accept this since it's on the web, and it really doesn't look bad.
I do this type of work all the time. Sonsoren 3 is most common at a 45% quality. Most people don't like to use 15fps unless it's not importent (i.e. the news etc). MPEG-4 is decent as well. If you really want to squeez the video down in file size, then limit the data rate to 128kbps. Going lower will degrade the video quality even more, but good for dial-up users.
For audio, if you have any mp3 codecs installed, use them. Or if that is not an option, try uLaw 2:1. If there is very little diolog and mostly music, use QDesignMusic. Make sure MONO is check as this will cut your audio track size in half. Take the sample rate down to 22khz and bit rate to 56kbps. If the audio is sounding still crappy, then up the sample rate to 44.1khz.