What to say when asked if you want a MPEG or DVD..

Every video deposition we take we ask the client what format they want their video in. There is two standards in the industry; MPEG1 and DVD, each are completely different from each other.

MPEG1 – This is the format of choice for all the trial presentation software packages.

PROS:
- Can fit 2 hours on a CD
- Practically any computer can play this file type
- Easy to edit

CONS:
- Degraded video quality
- Will not play in a CD/DVD deck (like the one in your living room)
- Can not convert to DVD and have DVD quality

DVD – This is just what it sounds like, a disk no different from one you’d rent from Blockbuster.

PROS:
- “DVD” quality
- Will play in any DVD player
- Can convert to mpeg1

CONS:
- Not compatible with trial presentation software
- Difficult to edit

So which should you ask for? Well that depends on what you’re going to be using it for. If you know that you’re going to use Sanction, Trial Director, etc. you will save some fees by ordering a mpeg1. If you are planning on playing back video clips on a TV you should ask for DVD. MPEG1 does not look good on televisions as the quality is pretty low.

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