Where can I find explanations for all the export options?

Question

[ Re-posting this from the iPhoto & iDVD branches ]
When I export a slideshow in iPhoto 9, choose 'Custom export' and then hit the 'Options' button, a dialog pops up with Video & Sounds options that can further be explored. In the Video section, I can click on the 'Settings' button, amongst others, to reveal lots of things that can be tweaked (Compressor Type, Motion, Data Rate & Compressor).
Where can I find help and explanations of what all these settings do, when to change them, why they should be changed, to what values and what effects these all have on the overall output?
Apple has a user manual for FCE4 on their web-site and I recognise some of these iPhoto slideshow export settings from similar dialog boxes from within FCE4. Does a user manual for iPhoto 9 exist also? I can't find it on Apple's web-site.
It has been suggested to me that these are all standard QT settings/options - hence the re-post to this forum.
- CDM

Answer 1

It's always been up to each user to find all of the "hidden gems" in any OS software. Most of us experiment, test, try, fail and try again with all the options. Along the way we learn what works, what doesn't. I've played, poked and prodded QuickTime Pro for the last ten years and even wrote a "book" about it. I have over 200 bookmarks to resources and links that help me sort things out.
Onto some answers:
1. on your list is actually a three part question. Since you probably can't burn a true "HD" DVD we'll leave that part out.
You can easily "share" your iPhoto files with iDVD and burn in SD 16:9 format. You need to learn nothing about the compression options as iDVD will do all of the work. The Web based file formats (from the same source file) are an easy "trick" in QuickTime Pro.
QuickTime Pro includes an export option "Export for Web" that will make up to 4 "versions" of your source file and even write the html code for you to copy/paste into your Web pages. It creates up to 4 versions (iPhone, iPod, Desktop and cell phone) with just one export and writes html page code that can "read" your connected visitors "speed" to serve up just the right file for the device.
Your number 2 question is answered by your SD DVD media device. Can't make a sow's ear into a silk purse. But you could use QuickTime Pro export options to create a "true" HD file and display it on your HD TV. If your HD TV includes HDMI connections (and all should) you could either connect your camera directly to the TV (via cables) to display the "raw" video captures or use iTunes (free) application to export HD video to an appliance like Apple TV.
My "book" (a downloadable PDF) does include an explanation about nearly all of the QuickTime available codecs but it's probably not needed for your particular workflow. The built-in preset exports are all you probably need to use.
Compression type = file format (AVI, MP3, MOV, etc.).
Motion = frame rate allows you to change the source frame rate to meet the restrictions of your delivery media (nearly always adjusted to reduce file size for Web delivery). E.G source is 30 fps and delivery is 15 fps (reduces file size).
Key frames = "special" frames of the video that either "predict" or "optimize" for the delivery media format. The Export for Web feature of QuickTime Pro defaults should be all you need.
Quality slider = is "optional" but usually defaults to "medium". In most cases this is best left at the default setting.
Dimensions = file size dimensions. Well crafted, H.264 video codec QuickTime files will look very good when displayed at up to twice the file export dimension. This means you can display a Web based 640X480 file at "Full Screen" size (display resolution) without much degradation of video quality. Older codecs will not look as good when doubled in size.
Preserve Aspect ratio = just what it says. Widescreen source = widescreen display.
De-interlace source = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinterlacing
Hope this helps you sort things out.
Data rate = the amount of compression (data limit)