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problems with transcoding and efficiency with exporting in FCPX
A litany of problems regarding Final Cut Pro X.
This may be an issue regarding my relative inexperience with Final Cut Pro X and video editing in general, but I am having one hell of a time completing work efficiently with this software. This may be due to somewhat older equipment:
2.4GHz Intel Core Duo MacBook Pro with a 4GB memory computer with Ddr3 running OSX 10.8.4
Using the latest version of Final Cut Pro X, 10.0.9,
I am attempting to import content into my events and transcode them to what has been recommended to me, the Optimized media or their Proxy Media such as Final Cut describes.
The basic structure of my current enterprise involves shooting from a HDV cam straight into iMovie, so that I do not have to deal with tape log and capture, and do not currently have the budget for a Canon 5D or a similar camera.
This footage is then imported as an hdv file into Final Cut.
I then transcode to ProRes422.
The issue arises when I attempt to pull in other videos of other formats and transcode them to the same format. Many times, I cannot create optimized media. This I would attribute to the fact that it has already been created.
My question then, is why does Final Cut Pro X insist on storing your events and projects in your libraries where you are encouraged and in fact required to do all of your management within the program, as meddling with it causes problems, and then only store your transcoded media in the file folders themselves, having you import them later rather than keeping them in your project folders?
Similarly, I must ask the question, then if in fact ProREs is the best codec to use, regardless of what file you export to, when you are compressing to H.264, do the wait times take such a long time?
My exports all say [Transcoding to H.264] for some incalculable reason. I wasn’t aware that an export was necessarily a transcode. This would explain why it takes so long. However, in Final Cut 7, I distinctly remember doing the exact same things and I wouldn’t have to wait, oh say, five hours for a 13 minute video involving a layering of two videos, one already compressed to H.264 and the other an Apple Intermediate codec
Furthermore, if Final Cut automatically transcodes your media when you drag it into the timeline as some sites, such as this one declare, https://fcpx.tv/Pages/optimize.html, why do I only see Apple intermediate codec when I look in the inspector? Shouldn’t I see ProRes or the codec that it was supposedly transcoded to? Perhaps my preferences were not as I thought.
All of this brouhaha has created a large problem for me. I am responsible for shooting, compiling and editing all of the footage for a startup company that will require me to have a much for efficient workflow, so I need to nip this in the bud.
My question is…now that I’ve already had everything ready for export and I’ve had everything apparently not transcoded consistently, do I ahve to go back to square one in order to have efficent export times?
Secondly, if converting to H.264 export, would it make any difference if I were working with H.264 footage and exporting it to H.264, because frankly, that seems to defeat the purpose of the optimized media bit.
I need help ASAP. All of the files work perfectly when in the program, edit workflow is very smooth, I turn of background render when I don’t need it, and then I attempt to export, and I look like a schmuck who can’t deliver because the exports take so long. Ont he front end, transcoding is supposed to be a long and boring process, but that’s supposed to stave off these issues once you’re working it eh right format.
Do you think it might be a combination of my preferences not being wholly consistent, and the codecs not working well with each other, and if so, how do I remedy this without having to re-edit or re-apply my settings?
Brian
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4 Replies
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Brian,
As you are cross-posting this I will post the link to the detailed replies already given on another forum. This way people here can see if they want to add something to what already has been answered, without having to go through every detail once again:
– Ronny
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The techniques forum is also a better place for this question.
My contribution to the question would be not to bother transcoding the HDV material to ProRes at all and capture it in FCPX rather than iMovie.
Steve Connor
There’s nothing we can’t argue about on the FCPX COW Forum
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[Brian Reis] “The basic structure of my current enterprise involves shooting from a HDV cam straight into iMovie, so that I do not have to deal with tape log and capture, and do not currently have the budget for a Canon 5D or a similar camera. “
When capturing with iMovie, the footage is converted to the Apple Intermediate Codec, which is the iMovie native codec for HD.
That’s a crap of codec that will add A LOT of compression to your already very compressed footage.
Is also a very slow to process codec.If you need to capture directly to your computer, don’t do it with iMovie.
You can use the QT Player’s “video recorder”.
You can capture the original HDV stream through FW and avoid the AIC recompression.
You also keep the audio 48Khz (no 32Khz as in iMovie), and get TC on the clips (no in iMovie).
rafael -
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