FAQs about the movie clips
What is the background to these video clips?
What software do I need to view the clips?
Why are the clips jerky? How can I view the video clips?
Low resolution version - Why does it stop after 15 seconds?
What is the background to these video clips?
As one of the entry criteria for the 2009 Building Awards Competition Library Authorities had to submit video clips of the libraries they wanted to enter for the awards. The video clips were often very large in terms of file size - some over 240mb - which meant they would not be viewable over the internet.
For the 10 short listed libraries the videos were recoded for presentation on the web from the original video clips submitted to the Building Awards competition. The content of the video in the recoded version is the same as in the original clip submitted. The video clips vary in length of time to watch them from between 1 to 4 minutes. Some have sound, some do not.
They are all 256 pixels wide, the height being dependant on the aspect ratio of the original video clip submitted.
There are two versions of each clip:
a. A low resolution version at 512kb per second encoded with MPEG1 (mpg).
b. A higher resolution version at 1024kb per second encoded with Windows Media Video (wmv).
The lower resolution version may be more suitable for those with a slower internet connection or one shared with other users.
What software do I need to view the clips?
The video files should be viewable with any recent version of ‘windows media player’.
Why are the clips jerky? How can I view the video clips?
The files can be viewed in either of two ways, if network usage/availability allows, the clips can be downloaded and displayed at the same time. However if the available network bandwidth drops below 512Kb (low resolution version) or 1024kb (high resolution version) then the video picture or sound may become jerky and disjointed.
If this method fails or is too ‘jerky’ then the files can be downloaded to the hard drive on your PC and viewed separately. To do this right click on the link to the video clip and select ‘Save target As’ and save the clip to a folder on your PC. It can then be played once the download is complete by ‘double clicking’ on the file on your hard drive. This second method can be used if you only have access to a ‘narrow band’ or dial-up connection, however the files will take a considerable time to download.
Low resolution version - Why does it stop after 15 seconds?
Sometimes the low resolution versions stop playing after 15 seconds. At the moment the cause of this is unknown. The clips usually work after the third attempt. An alterative is to use the 'Save target as' option detailed in the answer above.