FInal Cut Pro-24fps looks ok on Computer monitor but not HDTV

A

abeas

Well-known member
I just got the Panasonic AG-HMC150. I have shot some footage at both 1080p24 and 720p24. I transcode the files to Pro Res in FCP and they look pretty good, I realize the panning isn't as smooth as 60i. I drag one of the files into the FCP timeline and let it automatically "optimize my settings" for the sequence. I have verified that it is 23.98fps and field dominance is none. I have tried selecting "share" and going straight to AVCHD from FCP, and also taking the original MTS file, and Apple Pro Res and dropping into Toast and trying that way. The footage just looks choppy, jiddery and unsmooth. I have seen enough movies in my life to know that when they pan, or have cars drive by, that movies 24fps looks a million times better. My Sony HDTV even accepts and displays 24fps, and when I press info on the TV remote when watching one of these AVCHD discs it in fact says 1080 (or 720) 24p. It just looks bad. Even taking the HDMI output from the camera and hooking up to the TV and playing from the camera looks lousy.
What am I doing wrong? I know a ton of post work goes into Hollywood movies, but why does their 24fps look nice and smooth and mine looks horrible? Do I need to render with pulldown in FCP or something. I can't figure it out. Any advice, suggestions?
 
If you say that the footage you shot looks jittery, or jumpy when connected directly to your HDTV from the camera's HDMI output, then it is either the shutter rate that you used when shooting the footage, or it is the television.

The best way to check the footage first and foremost, would be with the camera's own LCD. The second best way, would be to use a player that supports native AVCHD and watch a single clip on your computer monitor.

If that all look fine and dandy, then the issue is isolated to the transcoding process, or the settings in FCP. I can't help you much with ProRes, since I try and stay away from any transcoding and edit as much as I can natively.
 
KeithAndrews.TV said:
If you say that the footage you shot looks jittery, or jumpy when connected directly to your HDTV from the camera's HDMI output, then it is either the shutter rate that you used when shooting the footage, or it is the television.

The best way to check the footage first and foremost, would be with the camera's own LCD. The second best way, would be to use a player that supports native AVCHD and watch a single clip on your computer monitor.

If that all look fine and dandy, then the issue is isolated to the transcoding process, or the settings in FCP. I can't help you much with ProRes, since I try and stay away from any transcoding and edit as much as I can natively.
Click to expand...

I had the shutter off, and tried it on two televisions with unpleasant results. The files look much better on my computer monitor. I think it has got to be the way it is exported from FCP and burnt to disc.
 
Are you in any way limiting the data rate that you are burning to disc? My first BD disc looked terrible (jumpy) because I had allowed the burning program to burn a data rate that was too high for the player to play back. Once I fixed the data rate (you can use Compressor for this) then everything played fine.
 
I'm not touching anything. I just export straight as a quicktime movie. The file is Apple Pro Res, 1080 or 720 at 23.98fps. I'm willing to give compressor a try though. Could you share your export settings? Also, remember I am making AVCHD disc, not blu-ray.
 
Yes I am. I have tried straight from FCP (7.0.1....the share option and selecting blu-ray) I have tried from the Apple Pro Res file transcoded in FCP, put in toast 10.0.3, and also straight from the MTS file right off the memory card in toast. All 3 have produced less than stellar results.
 
DVD has even lower data rate limits than Blu-ray - so if you are telling the apps it's going to Blu-ray and then you are actually burning to DVD then you may be asking for trouble.

Blu-ray has a MAX data rate of 36Mbps.
DVD using AVCHD has a max data rate of about 18Mbps.
DVD (SD) has a max data rate of about 8Mbps.

Note that these are MAX data rates and you should be averaging less than that.

Creating a video bit stream to be burned to a disc without being aware of the final target disc type (DVD / BD) is not a good idea. You need to be target aware at all times.
 
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