AICC AGR 008

29 August, 1995

GUIDELINES and
VERSION
c/o The UND Aerospace Foundation, 4201 University, Grand Forks, ND 58202
RECOMMENDATIONS 1.0

DIGITAL VIDEO
AICC MEDIA and PERIPHERAL DEVICES COMMITTEE

SCOPE

This document recommends guidelines for the creation, distribution, and use of digital video in CBT courseware.

PURPOSE

The purpose of these guidelines is to facilitate the cost effective use of digital video in CBT.

RECOMMENDATIONS

More detailed rationale and detailed descriptions for the following recommendations can be found in AICC
document MPD-011, Use of Digital Video in Computer Based Training.

R.1 When developing new programs with integrated video elements, use digital video
instead of analog.

RATIONALE:

 Analog video is losing industry support. Video overlay cards and drivers for analog video are getting more
difficult to find.
 Digital video has improved in quality. Virtually all training requirements previously supported by analog
video can now be supported by digital video of one type or another.

Caveats...
Review Cycle The data contained in this document has been collected by the AICC as an informational resource of
Computer Based Training programs. Neither the AICC nor any of its members assumes nor shall any
© 1995 AICC of them have any responsibility for any use by anyone for any purpose of this document or of the data
All Rights Reserved which it contains.
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AGR 008 (Version 1.0) 29 August, 1995

R.2 When acquiring new hardware to be used for the delivery of video enhanced
training, acquire a platform in compliance with AGR 002.

RATIONALE:

 Color: Use of 256 color video (which is less than the recommended minimum) results in a perceptible
degradation of visual quality. Loss of detail in scenes with low contrast is particularly noticeable.
 CPU: The recommended computers enable smoother playback of videos than slower computers. Playback
on less powerful computers could be marginal because of dropped frames and the resulting jerky appearance.

R.3 If digital video is to be played directly from a CD-ROM drive, acquire a 4X (quad-
speed) or faster drive.

RATIONALE:

Large frames (320x240 and larger) of full motion (24 frames per second or greater) video requires a massive flow
of data (very high bandwidth). The 4X drive enables 600K bytes per second data transfer.

R.4 Prefer a software CODEC (COmpression/DECompression algorithm). If it is

absolutely necessary, because the training requirement forces the use of large
screen high quality video, use MPEG I or MPEG II CODECs. Recognize that
hardware add-ons to playback-computers will probably be required.

RATIONALE:

 With software CODECs most computers do not require add-in cards. Therefore, there is no hardware cost
penalty to the user of the courseware.
 By using software CODECs, the developer has the option of using different compression techniques in the
same lesson -- optimizing the characteristics appropriate for each different teaching scenario.
 As they evolve, software CODECs such as Indeo and Cinepak approach playback parity with MPEG even
though their file size continues to be larger.
 Most laptop computers cannot accept MPEG hardware add-ons for playback.
 The MPEG encoding process is subject to inconsistencies in quality. Different MPEG boards can generate
files which are incompatible.
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AGR 008 (Version 1.0) 29 August, 1995

R.5 Use the best software CODEC for the training requirements of the video and the
limitations of the delivery environment. Familiarize yourself with the strengths and
weaknesses of the latest version of each CODEC. Select the CODEC whose
strengths best match your training requirements.

RATIONALE:

Some CODECs may handle rapid motion sequences better than others. Other CODECs may handle subtle color
differences better than others.

R.6 When creating video enhanced courseware, use video utilizing either Microsoft
Video for Windows or Apple Quicktime for Windows architecture (file formats).

RATIONALE:

 These are the current defacto industry standards for video storage and playback with audio synchronization.
 These video architectures should be free to the users.