Exporting With Compressor

RobertHimler

RobertHimler

Member
Hey guys, I am new here but, I have Final Cut Studio and a mac pro which is like the dream system, I know, but, I am having a lot of problems exporting with Compressor.

Do you export to H.264 or w/e?

Please give me the setting you use, I really need help with this!

Thank you so much.:dankk2:
 
Where will the resulting file be shown? ... web, DVD?

What is the aspect ratio of your file? Frame rate?
 
For H.264 you don't have to use Compressor. I don't. Use the Export with QuickTime Conversions. Make it a QuickTime Movie. Then in the Options, you can choose H.264, which also happens to be QTPro's default QuickTime format when you bring it up.

A trick I found usefull is to save the FCP project out as a Self-Contained QT file. Then open it in QTPro Player. Resize the video to the custom size you want it at, then Export to a H.264 file. In the Size settings, choose "Current Size". That's something you can't do as easily in FCP.

I've had great success with the H.264 codec. I found you can set it for medium to slightly below medium quality settings and still get great video. It also has a quality preset for CD/DVD that's pretty on target.

If you really want to master this, get this book, it's only $23 or so, and has GREAT info in it!
"Apple Pro Training Series; Compressor Quick-Reference Guide"
It details all the settings in the H.264 set up. Compressor happens to open the QTPro settings window when you use it to do H.264, which is why I go straight to QuickTime Conversion.

There's also a similar book coming out in about a month on QuickTime Pro that will be another must have for any FCP editor.
 
Thank you, I have been using the quicktime conversion and the H.264 there but I want high quality and the huge filesizes aren't cutting it!!

These are going to be for the web. But could you please give me good DVD settings too?

I just hear Compressor can do the same as QT conversion but with a much small frame rate.

Ratio = 4:3 (letterbox)
 
Compressor uses the QTPro engine, so you get the same results from both, with the exception. That being if you export from your timeline, FCP feeds Compressor the raw video frame by frame to render in a very slightly better quality. Worth the extra time to some, not to others.

I use H.264 and don't get "huge" file sizes. I'd recommend getting the book I mentioned and learning what all the H.264 controls actually do, and what the recommendations for them are. It's very valuable stuff to know. Can't wait for the QTPro version of this book to come out next month.
 
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