Zip files--compression amounts

[Guest]

How much compression should the "zip" function in XP provide? For example, a file created via a firewire from my digital camcorder has a size of about 33,000M. Compressing it only reduces it to approximately 31,000M. Is there any way to reduce it further to a size that will allow emailing the file?

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, lb117.

Compressibility varies greatly depending on the content of the file being
compressed. Simple text files can be scrunched down pretty small. Simple
graphics with long strings of dots of a single color (especially black or
blank) compress well. Complex files - such as graphics with lots of
rapidly-changing color pictures, I would guess - don't compress much at all.

I'm only guessing. I don't really know much about this. I'll let someone
who does know fill in the details.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

How much compression should the "zip" function in XP provide? For

example, a file created via a firewire from my digital camcorder has a size
of about 33,000M. Compressing it only reduces it to approximately 31,000M.
Is there any way to reduce it further to a size that will allow emailing the
file?

 

[Guest]

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Best program, mp3, game, and emulator software
http://www.bestdownload.com/view.php?detail=29

 

[Alex Johnson]

How much compression should the "zip" function in XP provide? For example, a file created via a firewire from my digital camcorder has a size of about 33,000M. Compressing it only reduces it to approximately 31,000M. Is there any way to reduce it further to a size that will allow emailing the file?

You will never be able to email that video.

If the data you saved was not compressed (video type RAW instead of
MPEG2 or DIVX), then you should re-encode it as MPEG2, DIVX, or MPEG4.
That will give you about a 20:1 compression, making that 33GB file only
1.6GB (still too much to email). Heavily compressed TV-resolution video
is anywhere from 1/2 to 2 GIGABYTES per hour. Uncompressed, it would be
huge. Using Real or Microsoft compression to make stamp-sized movies
will get you much more compression, but the picture and sound will be
worse than off-the-air programming in 1954.

Alex

 

[Ken Blake]

In

How much compression should the "zip" function in XP provide?

There's no answer to that question. How much compression you get
depends on the file type as well as its content. You have a range
from text files, which typically can compress alot, to jpg files,
which are already compressed and don't compress at all.

And even with a particular file type, you can get ranges of
compression. For example, a text file consisting of nothing but
multiple repetitions of a single letter will compress to almost
nothing, but a typical text document will compress much less.

For
example, a file created via a firewire from my digital camcorder has
a size of about 33,000M. Compressing it only reduces it to
approximately 31,000M. Is there any way to reduce it further to a
size that will allow emailing the file?

Most ISPs put restrictions of how large an E-mail message can be.
You're not going to be able to compress the file in question
enough to meet an ISPs maximum. You'll need to divide it into
multiple pieces and mail them separately.