Go Small: Internet and iPod Movies

First things first: the Internet isn't the best medium for sharing digital video. The huge size of digital video files means that anything but a very short movie will take a long time to transfer, particularly over a modem line.

But if you have made a very short movieor you have a fast Internet connection and expect that your viewers will, tooyou can use iMovie HD to prepare your work for cyberspace.

With the Share command, you can email a movie, send it to iWeb for viewing on your Web site, or prepare it for a video-capable iPod. iMovie HD compresses the movie heavily to make its file size smaller. In the process, you get an introduction to The Three Musketeers of Internet video: jerky, grainy, and chunky.

A movie compressed for the Internet contains fewer frames per second, so motion may appear jerky. The movie's dimensions are also much smalleras small as 160 by 120 pixels, or roughly the size of a matchbook. And depending on the options you choose, the sound quality may not be as good as the original.

The best way to watch a movie is on a big screen. But if you're willing to trade some quality for the portability of an iPod or the immediacy of email or the worldwide reach of the World Wide Web, iMovie HD is ready.

To Email a Movie

Step 1.

Choose Email from the Share menu. Specify the settings shown below, then click Share.

Step 2.

iMovie HD compresses the movie and attaches it to a new email message. Compose and address the message, then send it on its way. Tips If your movie is short and your connection is fast, you might want to email a larger version of the movie than iMovie HD creates. Click QuickTime in the Share dialog box, then choose the Web option from the pop-up menu (see page 270). Export the movie, then attach it to an email message. Many Internet providers restrict the size of attachmentsoften to 4MB or thereabouts. If your compressed movie is that large, it's better to share it via iWeb.

To Share to iWeb

In iLife '06, iWeb is the vehicle for publishing your movies to the Web.

After iMovie HD compresses the movie, it switches to iWeb, where you complete the publishing process (see page 382).

To Share to an iPod

Step 1.
Step 2.	After iMovie HD compresses the movie, it copies the movie to your iTunes library. Use iTunes to copy the movie to your iPod. For details on viewing video on the iPod, see page 96. Note 16:9 movies don't cleanly fit the proportions of the iPod's screen; the movie will be letterboxed with borders above and below the image.