File Compatibility

[DarkJedi613]

When uploading files (not HTML or "pages" of any sort, but like downloadable files), what format do you use for different forms of media?

For any type of document I usually use PDF (so people can't edit them easily/more compatible), movies we usually use .mov or .avi and all our photos are.jpg. Anyone have any great break throughts I should know about?

Oh, and for compression I use .zip since not everyone can unzip .rars or .7z

Do you think its worth having different versions (i.e. a .zip and a .tar.gz) of the samething on the website? Or do is one compatible version enough?

Just trying to get some feedback.

[swiatek]

in my honest opinion ->

for windows users, *.zip will do just fine... why use any other method of compression??
if you have linux users prawling through your community then go with the *.tar.gz

For media files, I just use them in whatever files they come in. No need to bother to convert file types. Idealy, .mov would be best because it's WMP format. everyone just loves Microsoft.

Photos-depends. Using PNGs you can squeeze lower file sizes (only on smaller images) than JPGs. Note: IE does not support transparent PNGs. I've never been a fan of GIFs: image quality is never good enough for HQ photos / PNGs typically create smaller file sizes than GIFs when producing small images/icons.

To each his own.

[DarkJedi613]

Originally Posted by swiatek

For media files, I just use them in whatever files they come in. No need to bother to convert file types. Idealy, .mov would be best because it's WMP format. everyone just loves Microsoft.

Photos-depends. Using PNGs you can squeeze lower file sizes (only on smaller images) than JPGs. Note: IE does not support transparent PNGs. I've never been a fan of GIFs: image quality is never good enough for HQ photos / PNGs typically create smaller file sizes than GIFs when producing small images/icons.

I thought .mov format was Apple QuickTime?

Yeah I agree - I like PNGs better, but I'm not sure if they're really fully supported yet or not. The only thing I use .gifs for is layout type images. I should probably make them pngs though...

[Fixen]

GIFs for small and monotonous files that nobody's going to pay attention to: Layout graphics, including buttons, line breaks, dividers, and other little aesthetics.

JPGs for big files that you want people to stare at: Photos, designs.

ZIPs because everybody uses it (except for my school computer, in which I had to ram my head against the wall whenever I had to use one).

In my opinion, AVIs and MPGs work well on most computers. Just make sure that you don't leave any loose ends that forces Windows Media Player to go looking for codecs that the Microsoft library never seems to have. That phenomenon's been an enemy of mine for a while.

[rappo]

For pretty much any image (except the FIRST logo) I use .JPG files. For compressing large folders for download, .ZIP (if somebody is going to be using .RAR files, they'll also be able to extract .ZIPs, so might as well be able to satisfy everybody). We don't put videos on our site, but I think .MPG files are the best choice.