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Compressor thru FCP vs. Compressor with QT Ref.
WOW!!! When using compressor thru FCP on a 22 minute program it took a little more than 3 hours to encode for DVD using 2 pass VBR. Taking the same 22 minute program…making a Quicktime Ref. file and encoding that the same way only took 29 minutes! I didn’t relize the time savings. Now the only problem is, if you are using Boris FX as transitions….they don’t like to show up in a QuickTime Ref. file, at least that’s what I remember.
Wondered if anyone else had seen the same speed increase?
Tim
That was on my Dual 2.7 with 3gig. ram.
Tim Langston
Cryin’ Out Loud Productions
Fort Wayne, IN
http://www.colproductions.com -
13 Replies
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There’s a huge time difference, even with one-pass. However, the results specifically gamma and saturation can be markedly different, darker with the quicker method usually.
The way I understand it though, it’s a better encode all around doing it the long way, plus compression markers are made automatically in the direct method, see this article:
https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/compressor_warmouth.html
BTW there are several threads below discussing this and related Compressor issues.
Have a wonderful day.
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The compression markers are made in either option, I tested it (you can view them in the Compressor preview window. The only difference is that all effects in the Send to Compressor option are rendered directly to MPEG2 without rendering to your sequence codec first, as it would in a reference movie. This is why it takes so long, but it should mean at least marginally cleaner encodes.
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If you are going to go directly from FCP to Compressor, make sure first that any 3rd party effects render correctly. For instance, Boris transitions do no render if you export direct from the timeline. You must make a reference movie first, otherwise you will get a cut where there was supposed to be an effect.
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This seems to make sense, thanks John.
Have a wonderful day.
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[Tim Langston] “Wondered if anyone else had seen the same speed increase?”
yep, that’s why I always recommend QT reference files instead of going FCP to Compressor directly. Seems to hog up a lot of processor power just leaving FCP running the background.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.comDirector, “The Rough Cut”
https://www.theroughcutmovie.comNow Posting “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network
“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters
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[Chris Poisson] “There’s a huge time difference, even with one-pass.”
Remember how everyone a year ago was saying to go straight from the timeline b/c you bypass rendering. I guess it depends what codec you’re using, etc.
G5 Dual 2.7 GHz
2 GB RAM
OS 10.4.6
FCP 5.0.4
QT 7.1.1 -
[Tim Langston] “WOW!!! When using compressor thru FCP on a 22 minute program it took a little more than 3 hours to encode for DVD using 2 pass VBR. Taking the same 22 minute program…making a Quicktime Ref. file and encoding that the same way only took 29 minutes! I didn’t relize the time savings. Now the only problem is, if you are using Boris FX as transitions….they don’t like to show up in a QuickTime Ref. file, at least that’s what I remember.”
What codec/sequence settings are you using in your Timeline?
G5 Dual 2.7 GHz
2 GB RAM
OS 10.4.6
FCP 5.0.4
QT 7.1.1 -
Plain old DV 720×480. At least on this machine.
Tim
Tim Langston
Cryin’ Out Loud Productions
Fort Wayne, IN
http://www.colproductions.com -
Tim, so I wonder if you’d notice any quality difference in rendered material (especially after, say, colour correcting your entire show, if you’ve had to do that) from by-passing the rendering in the Timeline by exporting directly from FCP.
Originally, I thought FCP would simply render the material to timeline codec *before* exporting it to MPEG-2, but many people swear that it will by-pass the extra pass of DV25 compression and go straight to MPEG-2. This could, of course, give you better results with effects, graphics, titles, etc.
So I guess now the question is what is more valuable: by-passing the added compression or a faster encode (?)
Because, when you export a reference movie, it’s going to render anything that requires rendering, right, and then reference those render files?
G5 Dual 2.7 GHz
2 GB RAM
OS 10.4.6
FCP 5.0.4
QT 7.1.1 -
reel2,
According to section 4 of this article, the render situation is as you describe. Worth the extra time? Pretty subjective call I’d say…
https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/compressor_warmouth.html
Have a wonderful day.
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