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About video formats that work best in Transana

Transana works best with two video formats:

• MPEG-1
• MPEG-2

Transana was designed to use MPEG videos because they have many advantages:

• Non-proprietary cross-platform standard
• Good compression rates
• Hardware available for real-time analog video capture/compression
• Lots of third-party compatible software, including open source software

But you might wonder which format, MPEG-1 or MPEG-2, is the best format for your work. MPEG-1 usually has a smaller file size (about 650 MB) with reduced resolution. MPEG-2 has a larger file size (about 1300 MB or more) and about four times the resolution of an MPEG-1. Consider the following to choose the best format for you:

MPEG-1 works best with

• Close-up shots of subjects
• Smaller number of subjects
• Less movement of subjects/camera
• Less emphasis on analysis of visual data

MPEG-2 works best with

• Wide-angle shots
• Larger number of subjects
• More subject movement
• More emphasis on analysis of visual detail (e.g.m eye gaz, legibility of writing, etc.)