Alk is correct in that 68k Macs cannot decode MPEG-1 video in real-time without a hardware decoder. There is a software decoder that allows conversion from MPEG-1 to Quicktime. It is called Sparkle. It also comes with an MPEG splitter and an MPEG-2 decoder.
> http://www.umich.edu/~archive/mac/graphics/graphicsutil/sparkle2.45.sit.hqx
The conversion won't be fast on an LC, but it should work. MPEG decoding is very processor intensive, and so is Cinepak encoding.
If the video is in color, then leave Cinepak's settings at Millions of Colors (24-bit). Cinepak will not be any more efficient at 8-bit than at 24-bit, and it will dither on playback without a hitch.
You may want to consider decoding MPEG to PhotoJPEG at highest quality. (PhotoJPEG is a great intermediate codec, and it beats havine to decode MPEG for every new conversion.) Then using Movie Player to encode different versions (or samples) with different settings. Apple's Video codec performs well on older Macs, although it is not as efficient as Cinepak.
> http://www.umich.edu/~archive/mac/graphics/graphicsutil/sparkle2.45.sit.hqx
The conversion won't be fast on an LC, but it should work. MPEG decoding is very processor intensive, and so is Cinepak encoding.
If the video is in color, then leave Cinepak's settings at Millions of Colors (24-bit). Cinepak will not be any more efficient at 8-bit than at 24-bit, and it will dither on playback without a hitch.
You may want to consider decoding MPEG to PhotoJPEG at highest quality. (PhotoJPEG is a great intermediate codec, and it beats havine to decode MPEG for every new conversion.) Then using Movie Player to encode different versions (or samples) with different settings. Apple's Video codec performs well on older Macs, although it is not as efficient as Cinepak.