image quality after export

Cees Mutsaers

Cees Mutsaers

Veteran
If I export any project from FCpro (shot with an HPX300 by lack of better equipment, AVC-I-100, timeline ProRes 422 HQ) to h242 (20 mbs) or MPEG4 (20 mbs) the image is never fluently meaning when there are (slow and even extremeslow) pans, zooms, people moving across the frame they are always blurry untill the pan, zoom or movement across the frame stops. When playing back on the timeline in FCP it is much better (but still not perfect). I never see this when I look at footage on TV or footage made by other people even with cheap HDV handy cams (of a few hunderd dollar). Is there something I am doing wrong (settings in FCP are always put on "best"). I have had this problem since I started using FCS 2 years ago and at some moment i thought it is normal but I still can not really live with it. Any suggestions how to improve it ???????
 
.mp4 and H.264 are highly compressed delivery codecs. Those codecs are meant for web delivery. They'll look fine on the internet but you shouldn't use that as a master. If I were you, I would export the sequence in the native sequence setting you set and then use whatever compression app(Compressor, Media Encoder, Episode or Sorenson) you have and create multiple formats from that. When I started with FCP years back, I use to use those codecs are my masters and soon realized that it rarely was as good as the original I edited.
 
Hi, My timeline is ProRES 422 HQ. If I export it like this the project is about 61 GB !!!! I think this is no exeptable to deliver to a client or am I wrong??? The only way to deliver such big file is on a HDD. Since there wil be made about 100 copies they all have to get a HDD ?????? So normaly I compress it to MPEG4 or H264 in a mov container and this causes ofcoures loss of quality. But what is the alternative ????? I have compressor but I can only find the same compress flavours in compressor as in FCp. Can you give me some pointers how to deliver the project in as good as possible quality with acceptable file size. It will be played on consumer HD LCD-TV.


Also I have another problem when i export the timeline (using FCp) to a .mp4 file the export always fails after about 60% conversion (there is an error message and the export stopped). The advantage of having a .mp4 file over an .mov file is that a lot of LCD TV's can handle a .mp4 file directly from an USB stick plugged in to the TV. This is not possible with an .mov file. So is there a reason why the export fails ?


mmka1985 said:
.mp4 and H.264 are highly compressed delivery codecs. Those codecs are meant for web delivery. They'll look fine on the internet but you shouldn't use that as a master. If I were you, I would export the sequence in the native sequence setting you set and then use whatever compression app(Compressor, Media Encoder, Episode or Sorenson) you have and create multiple formats from that. When I started with FCP years back, I use to use those codecs are my masters and soon realized that it rarely was as good as the original I edited.
Click to expand...
 
I'd spend some time learning Compressor or investing in an app like Squeeze- http://www.sorensonmedia.com/. There's a real art to compressing video and always a tradeoff between size and quality. Not an overnight easy fix. Personally I'd also look into client delivery via a service like Vimeo PRO which does this far more efficiently and easily.

-Noah
 
Inhave Compressor but it is just a skin for the export options which are also present in FCp. Uploading a 64 GB file to Vimeo for compression is not possible moreover because the client want to make the recording available via USB stick. I will have a look at sorensonmedia.com site you recommend.


NoahK said:
I'd spend some time learning Compressor or investing in an app like Squeeze- http://www.sorensonmedia.com/. There's a real art to compressing video and always a tradeoff between size and quality. Not an overnight easy fix. Personally I'd also look into client delivery via a service like Vimeo PRO which does this far more efficiently and easily.

-Noah
Click to expand...
 
The real question is, do you have a bad quality export as well? Meaning, when you export the timeline Natively... how does the quality look?
I never export into a compression method straight from FCP. I Export full quality, then throw it into Compressor. If your having exporting issues and failed attempts, then maybe your video timeline has some issues.... frankly, could be too many to problem solve with this limited information available.
Maybe look into trouble shooting utilites to help solve issues.
Pro Media Tools
FCP Manager
Final Cut Assistant
etc...

Yes, video compression is an artform, but the presets Compressor has are a very good starting point. After that you can go in and customizes the settings. I always adjust "Frame Controls" and would look into exporting progressive / interlaced settings.
Another great tool is MPEG Streamclip, which has tons of options to customize video. And a no brainer application for great looking compression is Handbrake.
 
First, you are correct in assuming that you do not need to accept the poor quality results you are describing -- you should be able to achieve results that are excellent using FCP and Compressor.

Second, you may in future want to consider using ProRes LT -- the file size will be much smaller, and the quality, given your source, will be the same.

Third, as a habit I prefer to export from the timeline a 'master file' that is full quality, i.e. in the sequence codec. This means you will create (given your HQ choice) a very large file -- but this is your file, your master, and you will use it as the source for future exports. This file should display pefectly, and have none of the artifacts you are describing. If it has problems, obviously every product derived from this will also have problems ...

Fourth, use the large export described above as the source in Compressor, and using one or a couple of the presets make disribution files. Typically I make mp4 files for clients today -- the higher bit rate ones are better than the lower, and it is of course critical to match frame rates and frame sizes for good results, but a little experimentation here will lead to success.

YOUR MASTER EXPORT SHOULD LOOK PERFECT. If it doesn't, look to what is wrong with your sequence or project settings.

Cheers,
GB
 
Define "export timeline natively" ??

At the moment I am exporting a timeline (uncompressed 10 bit 422) to a .mov container (uncompressed 10 bit 422) to make a "master" to ensure as less as possible quality loss. Previously I had a time line of ProRes 422 HQ (the uncompressed 10 bit 422 time line does not play smootly anymore at all in FCp, the proress 422 HQ was better but far from perfect and this was compressed to MP4 or H264 in a mov container. MP4 containers don't work for some reason because the compression gives an error message after 70% compression of the file). After making the uncompressed master (which will be a huge file since it is a project of 1.5 hours) what is the best way to compress it for the client so he can play it on a regular HD LCD-TV ?????


daihard said:
The real question is, do you have a bad quality export as well? Meaning, when you export the timeline Natively... how does the quality look?
I never export into a compression method straight from FCP. I Export full quality, then throw it into Compressor. If your having exporting issues and failed attempts, then maybe your video timeline has some issues.... frankly, could be too many to problem solve with this limited information available.
Maybe look into trouble shooting utilites to help solve issues.
Pro Media Tools
FCP Manager
Final Cut Assistant
etc...

Yes, video compression is an artform, but the presets Compressor has are a very good starting point. After that you can go in and customizes the settings. I always adjust "Frame Controls" and would look into exporting progressive / interlaced settings.
Another great tool is MPEG Streamclip, which has tons of options to customize video. And a no brainer application for great looking compression is Handbrake.
Click to expand...
 
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