What is the best format for distributing video on disc to be played on the recipient’s computer?

Soon I will be reproducing an 8 minute video onto 500 CDs for distribution to city government offices. I have done this in the past for distribution to corporations and have had great success using Video for Windows. The only problem seems to be that some corporate computers have no speakers so one person could not here the audio.

Here is what I am thinking, please correct me if I’m wrong:

1. VHS tape is still the standard for broad based distribution. It does not work well in this case because my clients want the recipient to be able to view it immediately on their PC without going home to watch it.
2. I use Video for Windows because all windows operating systems come with a windows media player. Correct?

Is there a reason I should also include a QuickTime or other formats on the disc?

Could it be that the client will find out (after distribution) that the computer networks in many government offices don’t have speakers?

Your input will be appreciated; there is nothing worse than putting a job in the can and finding out later the can leaks!

Steve

PS DVD is not an option. We need the widest possible player acceptance rate.

I was in a similar distribution situation that involved Linux, IRIX (Silicon Graphics), MacOS and Windows. I went with MPEG1 files
for compatibility and received no failure notices. Many government installations don't allow users to install software on their own computers.

I hear you about people with no sound output. Many of those with sound cards won't have bothered to get headphones. Conversations will be lost without subtitles. I work at nVidia, a computer graphics card manufacturer. I've emailed my video clips and MP3 files to my coworkers. Quite a few have been unable to do anything with sound. And, we're talking about high tech workers.

Gints,

Thanks for the suggestion on MPEG 1 – I had not considered that one. I'll check it out.

I’m laughing at your comment on audio speakers (and scared about how common it might be). Just 5 years ago I knew of an audiovisual company who specified all of there corporate computers could not have a CD drive (floppy only). Why? Because they were afraid there employees would play games on them. How stupid is that?

Steve

You can put an autorun.ini file onto the CD so that it'll automatically play when the CD is put into a windows computer.