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Test Drive: Telestream Episode Pro, Part 2

Mar 23, 2009 12:00 PM, By Jan Ozer

VP6

Though VP6 has lost the spotlight to H.264, it’s still the most widely used codec in the world, and Episode Pro produces quality on par with the leaders with similar controls. For example, you get both VP6-E and S support, Alpha channel support and 2-pass VBR.

In terms of quality, none of the encoding tools really stands out; all tools produce video about the same quality as On2 Technologies' own Flix Pro encoding tool, the gold standard. This makes encoding speed the primary distinction between the VP6 encoding programs, and it’s a surprising point of excellence for Episode Pro.

Performance

I say surprising because in trials I ran last December, Episode Pro was the absolute slowest in VP6 encoding on the Mac. In Windows trials, it was the fastest, producing a 1-minute DV file to VP6 format in 3:26 (min:sec) on a dual-processor, quad-core, 2.83GHz HP xw6600 workstation. The next closest was Adobe Media Encoder CS4 at 6:42.

However, when encoding multiple files, single-file encoding time becomes less important than the ability to multitask and encode more than one file at a time, which Episode can't do (neither can Adobe Media Encoder). In contrast, when encoding multiple files, you can open multiple instances of Squeeze, which brought the five-file VP6 encoding time down to 10:28, compared to 17:10 for Episode Pro. ProCoder can internally encode more than one file at a time, so its five-file encoding speed is also well below that of Episode Pro.

Table 1 shows similar results for Windows Media and H.264 encoding. In all instances, Episode Pro was the slowest at encoding five files, and total time to encode 15 files was about twice as long as that of Squeeze, its closest competitor. In most environments, however, multiple-file encoding speed is less important than quality and configurability, where Episode Pro excels—Windows Media excluded, of course. To avoid getting (yet another) reminder from Telestream PR, I’ll note that Episode does have a higher-end product that does simultaneous multiple file encoding (Episode Engine) though it’s Mac only and starts at around $3,000.

Overall, Episode’s biggest weakness is ease of use. Even if you’re experienced with other programs—heck, especially if you’re experienced with other programs—you’ll be confused by the new terms and concepts that Telestream throws at you. Again, if you don’t mind researching a bit to find the best parameters, or watching Nate Caplin’s Complete Training for Episode and Episode Pro DVD, you’ll find yourself appreciating the extra parameters. On the other hand, if you’re looking for an encoder with an “Easy Button,” Episode Pro isn’t it.

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