Straight out of FCP or Compressor?

J

jerbuds

Active member
Hello peeps...

I recently learned pretty well how to use compressor. I exported my 15 minute SD movie shot on 24p to compressor...I chose "90 minute Best DVD" MPEG 2 2 time over option. I also chose to use IP instead of IPBB. I then sent my copression over to DVDSP4 and burnt a DVD. I STILL GOT PIXELATED DVD LOOK!!! I was told that compression is what everyone uses to make good looking DVD's. I also burnt a QUICK TIME MOVIE from FCP and it looks better than the COMPRESSION version!!! What is going on??? Can someone please help me burn a great looking DVD without going to a professional company?

Thanks a BILLION guys!!!!

Jeremy
 
Depending on what dvd burning software you use, and your project only being 15 minutes, you might opt to just save at full resoultion. You should probably have enough space on your dvd-r. And if not, most software (idvd) will compress the video enough to fit on the disk.
 
(1) Apple Pro Training Series: Compressor Quick Reference Guide
- you might want to consider buying that and going through it completely. Not expensive and covers a lot of good stuff

(2) Buy a DVD-RW and do lots of tests. If you're actually finishing on DVD, versus just making some screeners for crew, then you really ought to do a bunch of tests to make sure you're getting what you want/need. If its a longer project (which this one isn't, but say in the future), you can always just encode small sections for tests instead of the entire thing (you could do that here too, but 15 mins project isn't too time consuming to process, even with multiple tests).

I would use one of the presets, as is, don't change a thing, and look and see what you get. Then determine what the unsatisfactory aspects of it are. Then by reading or by asking in forums like this, figure out what settings are causing such. Then start tinkering. Be methodical, not just pick a few settings here and there to adjust and expect to refine the output perfectly. Also, after creating the .m2v w/ Compressor, perhaps try a different DVD authoring program. Confirm that there isn't something in DVD Studio Pro affecting your results.

(3) Alternatives:

(i) BitVice - around here considered a good option. Apparently offers Compressor like results but with much faster encoding times.

(ii) Flip4Mac Episodes - from what I've been told here at the office its okay, more or less in Compressors league, just has some nice extra options (with WMV and FLV support).

(iii) Sorenson Squeeze - there was a recent new version I believe that is perhaps competitive again. I know the last version or so hasn't quite stood up to other applications as well as might have been expected. I'd Google around for some reviews before committing any money to this.

Good luck.

cheers.
 
Thanks ScareCrow...how do you save at full res??? Just by saving to FCP and exporting to Quicktime Movie???

Thanks...

Jeremy
 
Thanks VaricamLife,

I hear ya about trying a bunch of different things...but does anyone have some stories how they burn DVD that look great!!! And how????
 
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