filmismymedium
Well-known member
I have always editied, exported to quicktime movie, and then let DVDSP tun it into MPEG-2 using the Build and Format option. Is there an advantage to going to MPEG-2 from FCP then into DVDSP. Faster maybe??
Full Size MOV or MPEG-2 into DVDSP??
- Thread starter filmismymedium
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filmismymedium
Well-known member
bumpy bump
VaricamLife
Well-known member
Quality and controls. If you let DVDSP do your MOV to MPEG-2 encoding, you don't have much control over the process. DVDSP will basically do it as best it can with the built in tools it has. For some stuff that might work out okay, but for me, in most cases DVDSP's internal encoder just doesn't cut the job.
So what do to use then? Use a software or hardware MPEG-2 encoder. If you have FCP and DVDSP then you have Compressor as well. That's the easiest one for you likely. Just use the Export > Using Compressor option right in Final Cut Pro. Compressor gives you a respectable amount of control in settings for your MPEG-2 authoring. Additionally it gives decent presets if you'd rather do more auto-pilot then getting your hands dirty. The only caveat with Compressor is its speed. It can be pretty painfully slow at times. But if you're okay with letting it work overnight or such, then its not a bad choice (and you've already paid for it so).
If you need speed, then the one often recommended around here is BitVice. I haven't personally used it, but BenB has often discussed his success with it. It will apparently give comparable results to Compressor, but much faster. Only deal with this is that it is a third party option that you will have to pay for. But if you're doing this professionally, its really not that expensive, all things considered.
Your final choice, and will give you the best quality, is to go with a hardware encoder. I can't spew out any names off the top of my head since its been so long since I thought about using one myself (I tend to just go to a DVD authoring facility if I want the quality of hardware encoding). Biggest catch with this option though is that it won't be cheap. Whether you buy the stuff yourself or have a post house do it for you, you're gonna pay $$$.
anyway, my .02 on the topic.
cheers.
So what do to use then? Use a software or hardware MPEG-2 encoder. If you have FCP and DVDSP then you have Compressor as well. That's the easiest one for you likely. Just use the Export > Using Compressor option right in Final Cut Pro. Compressor gives you a respectable amount of control in settings for your MPEG-2 authoring. Additionally it gives decent presets if you'd rather do more auto-pilot then getting your hands dirty. The only caveat with Compressor is its speed. It can be pretty painfully slow at times. But if you're okay with letting it work overnight or such, then its not a bad choice (and you've already paid for it so).
If you need speed, then the one often recommended around here is BitVice. I haven't personally used it, but BenB has often discussed his success with it. It will apparently give comparable results to Compressor, but much faster. Only deal with this is that it is a third party option that you will have to pay for. But if you're doing this professionally, its really not that expensive, all things considered.
Your final choice, and will give you the best quality, is to go with a hardware encoder. I can't spew out any names off the top of my head since its been so long since I thought about using one myself (I tend to just go to a DVD authoring facility if I want the quality of hardware encoding). Biggest catch with this option though is that it won't be cheap. Whether you buy the stuff yourself or have a post house do it for you, you're gonna pay $$$.
anyway, my .02 on the topic.
cheers.
filmismymedium
Well-known member
thanks a bunch man. I actually use compressor quite a bit. For compressing for web and such. I've played around with the MPEG-2 settings in compressor and it does seem much more finely tuned.