Help improving flv optimization

Question

Looking for advice (guidelines) on optimizing Flash videos for delivery on the Internet.
Currently I edit in Final Cut Express, export at 320px x 240px, video set to 220-320 kbps, audio set to 80 kbps.
I'm wondering if I can better optimize these settings.
Description of videos:
Multi-camera shoots of classroom lectures.
Audio is collected using wireless lavs.
Post-production includes addition of graphics, titles, converted Powerpoint slides, occasional shots of what's written on a black/white board, transitions (typically dissolves).
Duration of videos can be up to 2 hours long.
Videos are hosted on a standard server, not a streaming server.
Videos are used in distance learning courses.
We require users have a cable Internet connection and a browser with Flash plugin.

Answer 1

You don't specify which coded you are using. Is it H.264. Generally that will be better than On2 VP6, which in turn will be better than Sorenson Spark. And I assume you are using 2 pass VBR?
Codec: On2 VP6. I use Final Cut Express, and I don't see the option of H.264 or multi-pass when I export Flash video. Am I missing something?
I did do some tests recently where I exported QT movies with H.264 and multi-pass and it does look better, as you say.
Unless you need it you should be sure the audio is mono. And in our work we generally use a rate like 64 kbps which seems pretty good for simple voice narration.
Point taken.
The data rate seems pretty high to me. We do a fair amount of short videos in the 640 px x 480 px size and use the same video data rate—and that would be for 4 times as many pixels.
Good news.
In the past, I've had requests for the videos to be larger than 320x240, so I simply made them resizable. I mistakenly thought keeping the exported video dimensions small would help keep the bit rate down. Didn't realize i could use a smaller bit rate for a smaller video.
Couple tests I've just done with the same settings and increased dimensions seems to actually show an improvement in quality, particularly over the quality that results from enlarging the smaller video.
Is there some sort of chart of video sizes and associated bit rates?
I would general advocate for breaking them into short chunks of 10 minutes or so max. It makes it so much easier for loading and finishing this bit/that bit in a busy schedule. But I'm sure all y'all have thought all that through.
Yes, I've had complaints that the longer videos are problematic. Too long for a single sitting. And if a user launches the video at a later date, it's more difficult to find the point where they left off, the longer the video. Anyone use markers for this purpose?
Any lecture longer than 1 hour does have a classroom break, so I've thought about splitting videos in 2 parts. But I never thought about smaller chunks. 10 minutes? Sounds reasonable! Thanks.