GH3 What exactly is the MOV format.

[funkytwig]

Hi, I am trying to work out what exactly the MOV format is (i.e. what is in the MOV container). From what I can gather it isQuicktime MOV H.264 and there is a standard 50mbps and a all intra 75 mbps setting. Is this correct?

The reason I ask is that I brought some of the 50mbps footage into Resolve on my PC and it really struggled to play it smoothly, my setup cam play prores HQ just fine. I am assuming this is because H.264 is a long GOP format so I should transcode into prores or DNxHD, does this make sence?

Ben

 

[TheDingo]

.MOV file format is an empty data container just like the .AVI file format is an empty data container. You can store video using different compression CODECs inside these data containers.

Some NLEs will struggle with the GH3 .MOV 50 Mbps files because this format uses complex IBP compression just like the AVCHD format does.

I edit with Sony Vegas Pro which doesn't have a problem with AVCHD or the .MOV files my GH3 creates, but I still prefer to export my footage using the Cineform 10-bit 4:2:2 CODEC to work from less compressed footage and I don't want to work directly from my original files. ( I archive card images in case I ever need to go back to the original camera footage )

 

[funkytwig]

.MOV file format is an empty data container just like the .AVI file format is an empty data container. You can store video using different compression CODECs inside these data containers.

Some NLEs will struggle with the GH3 .MOV 50 Mbps files because this format uses complex IBP compression just like the AVCHD format does.

I edit with Sony Vegas Pro which doesn't have a problem with AVCHD or the .MOV files my GH3 creates, but I still prefer to export my footage using the Cineform 10-bit 4:2:2 CODEC to work from less compressed footage and I don't want to work directly from my original files. ( I archive card images in case I ever need to go back to the original camera footage )

This I know. As I was on a Pan GH format I neglected to be specific. I am asking about the MOV format that the GH3 uses.

The fact that Resolve has a problem playing it makes me think it is long GOP (I dont use all-i as I dont think 75mbps is nearly enough bandwidth (GH2 hack used 200).

Ben

Ben

 

[TheDingo]

I am asking about the MOV format that the GH3 uses

It's H.264 IBP in a QT MOV wrapper. Same sort of IBP compression that AVCHD format uses. This is the main format that I use when I shoot with my GH3.

I also think that 70 Mbps is too low for All I-Frame format, and hope that a GH3 hack allows us to double this data-rate.

 

[funkytwig]

It's H.264 IBP in a QT MOV wrapper. Same sort of IBP compression that AVCHD format uses. This is the main format that I use when I shoot with my GH3.

So is similar from a GOP POW to AVCHD, which is a good thing as you get a lot of bang for your byte but does need I probably need to encode to DNxHD/prores to grade.

Is the main advantage of MOV over AVCHD on GH3 data-rate (or an advantage for AVCHD if you are short of card space).

Ben

 

[TheDingo]

Is the main advantage of MOV over AVCHD on GH3 data-rate (or an advantage for AVCHD if you are short of card space)

The AVCHD format is co-owned by Panasonic and Sony with the specifications for the AVCHD format cast in stone. ( I am sure it is all tied up in lots of patent licensing to other 3rd party companies )

So to get around the bit-rate restrictions currently placed on the AVCHD format, Panasonic used the H.264 CODEC in a QT MOV container. There may be advantages to using the AVCHD format at a higher bit-rate compared to H.264, but I'm not seeing them. ( when the GH3 camera gets hacked, we might be able to record high bit-rate AVCHD videos like the hacked GH2 camera does, and then we'll be able to see if we can find a difference )

 

[Thomas Smet]

Some of the main advantages of the mov format for me are:

Not in a silly AVCHD folder structure.
Can be double clicked and played just about anywhere.
OSX Mountain Lion doesn't hide the files in its odd interpretation of how to handle a AVCHD folder.
Some people just like having a mov file instead of rewrapping the AVCHD files into a mov format. Saves a few steps.
Do not need to keep AVCHD folder structure in order to import material into some NLEs. Movs can be archived just about anyway you want and still be able to import just about into anything including iMovie.
Somewhat more human viewable file names. Plus if you use multiple cards the file names will continue with the next number in the sequence when you start a new card. No more having five copies of clip001 in a project if I use five SD cards.

 

[JackBayer]

Hi, I am trying to work out what exactly the MOV format is (i.e. what is in the MOV container). From what I can gather it isQuicktime MOV H.264 and there is a standard 50mbps and a all intra 75 mbps setting. Is this correct?

The reason I ask is that I brought some of the 50mbps footage into Resolve on my PC and it really struggled to play it smoothly, my setup cam play prores HQ just fine. I am assuming this is because H.264 is a long GOP format so I should transcode into prores or DNxHD, does this make sence?

Ben

Hi,

I had playback issues aswell, in my case when importing the MOVs into Premiere Pro CS5.5. Then I read on the Adobe Forums about renaming them to *.mpg.
Premiere Pro sends MOV files through Quicktime, which is very slow compared to Premiere's own renderer. So I tried renaming them, making Premiere use its own renderer and now its all fluent playback and no more transcoding.

Maybe you could try that with resolve...