Apparently there’s this thing called podcasting. I’ve got a hot tip that says it’s going to be big in the living room. Big as fireplaces, even. But the iTunes Podcasting Team has some tips for podcast producers who want to make their content as accessible as possible.
1. If you’re encoding your video podcast at 320x240, please increase the resolution to either 640x480 or 640x360 (depending on the aspect ratio of your source files). Why? Because video podcasts at this resolution look great on Apple TV and still port to video iPods. Lower resolution podcasts might also work on both platforms, but they don’t look nearly as good on a widescreen TV. As always, make sure to test any encoding changes you make to ensure device compatibility. QuickTime 7.1’s “Export to iPod” function will ensure that a video file is encoded at a width of 640 and is iPod-compatible.But be prepared to wait until the heat-death of the universe for your file to actually get converted in QuickTime. Or, if you have other things you actually want to accomplish some day, use iSquint.
2. It’s best not to create two different podcast feeds for different resolutions. By doing so, you dilute the popularity of your podcast and reduce exposure in our charts. It’s better to have one feed high in the charts than two that are lower.A little Orwellian, but okay. One feed good, two feeds bad. Check.
3. If your source files are 16:9, stick with that aspect ratio. Don’t add letterboxing to make them 4:3. By doing so, you prevent the video from expanding to fill a 16:9 widescreen TV and instead end up with black space on all four sides. Also, your original source files should be at least 640 pixels wide.But letterboxing is just so classy. I want my podcast to look like Lawrence of Arabia.
Of course these are just recommendations. We understand that there are good reasons for 320x240 (bandwidth bills) and 720p (looks fantastic). Do whatever makes the most sense for your show.Thanks iTunes Podcasting Team; you guys are so sweet! If you’re looking for more info on video formatting, you can always hit up Apple’s Podcaster Tech Specs.
