Best Quicktime encoding for in-world video?

Summary: what is the best approach to convert flash video from Youtube for use in-world, using a Mac?
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I have a project where I am converting flash video from Youtube to use in-world. How to minimize stream starting time in-world?

I notice that http://www.idesktop.tv allows one to save as .mov or .mp4.

What is a good strategy (using a Mac) ... Should I download the .flv, convert with a desktop app, and then have quicktime pro do some sort of hinting for startup?

Oh, and another variable is that the files are being served off of apache.. just straight http.

The flv format used by YouCrude is highly compressed into square pixels, any convertion you apply will not improve the quality only further degrade it.

Hinting a file will only work from a RSTP delivery server (darwin), research Progressive download. The use of mp4, although will reduce the data bit rate, will cause more work for the viewers system when it decodes the stream on the fly. Whilst not so much an issue over the internet using a standard browser, it does add around 50% loading to the viewers system when using the SL client. Watch 2 movies, one using a mp4 codec and one using a lower compression codec, at the same time pressing Ctrl+Shift+2 will bring up a graph showing the loading on the SL Client. The lime green bars being relative to UpDateImage (movies). On average a mp4 will use around 70+% of the resources, a lower codec that is correct will use around 25-40%. What you gain in lower data bit rates with a mp4, you loose in Client resources.

Oh, for sure! But, if it's the only video source.. etc..




Ah, so it sounds like I should stick with .mov (?) Since I am using Dreamhost, and they offer Darwin, I'll give a go of: rtsp://the_streaming_domain.com/movie.mov

Since we began hosting/streaming our media into SL some 18 months ago, we have 'played' about with numerous methods, codec and resolutions, there are approx 1,500+ permutations.

We tried rstp but found it not only wasteful in bandwidth, but not consistant enough, given the fluctuations in connections, to be of any long term use. We use almost exclusively Progressive Download. The 'trick' is to set up the OS on the delivery server and match that with the various settings of the header file.. oh and spend a few bucks on fast servers

The real attribute for rstp, apart from live broadcasting, is security (up to a point), as the data is not held in some cache or HD as its viewed, unlike download and watch or progressive download. It also allows the viewer to go straight to any point in the stream and freeze it, then dynamically browse through without having to wait for the full download... however, as there are no controls within the SL client to do this, there is no point.

Yep, I found that playing with the settings in MPEG Streamclip for fast start worked pretty well. Ended up not using rtsp.