-
.mp4 using ffmpegx
Curious to know which export format could I use in FCP for web use. I have been exporting using the h264 export using quicktime conversion from FCP. However the file size is still a bit to large so I have been converting that same exported file to h.264mencoder using the software ffmpegx. The results are pretty remarkable considering it cuts the file size down almost triple the size and the quality is not at all that much different from the originally exported file from FCP. The down part is the time it’s taking me to export from FCP then a 2run pass through ffmpegx. My question is how can I get the same results as far as file size and quality strait from FCP without the need to run it through ffmpegx? Thanks in advance.
-
6 Replies
-
What you are looking for is Compressor. You can export a .mov (refferenced or self-contained) or you can send the movie from the FC time-line. Another interesting application to do the same is MPGStreamclip, free from the web.
However if you are getting different file size with the same codec is not because you are ussing ffmpgx but because you are setting a different bitrate when exporting the h.264 but this can compromisse the quality of the film.
Salud,
rafael -
Thanks Rafael. I have MPGStreamclip it never crossed my mind to use it for compression. So your saying the decreased file size is due to a different bitrate. What is the ideal bitrate to use when exporting NTSC 30fps 662.7k/sec for the web. Thanks again for your replay Rafael.
-
Actually I would not recommend MPEG Streamclip.
While it’s an awesome tool for conversion between formats I would use a tool like Techspansion’s “Visual Hub” (which is built around the same codecs as FFMPEGX but actually has a usable interface) for compressing into web video formats.
It costs $23.32 and is available at https://www.techspansion.com/visualhub/.If you want to get the last bit of quality out of your compressed movie I would recommend a professional encoding application like Episode from Flip4Mac. https://www.flip4mac.com/episode.htm
While it costs from $399 up it handles almost any codec format on earth.The problem with exporting via FCP’s QuickTime export, exporting via Compressor or exporting via MPEGStramclip is that all of these solutions use QuickTime’s own MPEG-4 or H.264 codecs. Which, compared to the other alternatives, are slower (to compress), lower quality and don’t offer the same amount of parameter customization.
VisualHub reads QuickTime reference movies. So you only need to export your FCP timeline into this format without the need to render a your sequence into a self-contained QuickTime movie.
A formula for calculating the data rate:
datarate (in kbits/sec) = (target) width * (target) height * (target) framerate * q-factor / 1024
A good starting point for the q-factor would be:
MPEG-4: 0.23
H.264: 0.15Please also keep in mind that most web delivery codecs (incl. MPEG-4) compress best when the width and height are dividable by 16, e.g. 320×240 etc.
Best regards, Oliver
-
Oliver thank you for all the great advice. I never knew that the width and height should be dividable by 16. I also have another software called Sorenson squeeze, what are your thought on that one. Thanks again Oliver.
-
Thanks for the info Oliver, you’r really updated.
Salud,
Rafael -
Nothing to thank for 🙂
Sorenson Squeeze will do just fine.
This would have been the other pro compression tool I would recommend.
Seems they recently added some serious speed improvements to the latest update.Btw. if you’re edititing interlaced footage, remember to deinterlace your movie. Most tools, incl. Squeeze, Episode, VisualHub etc. have deinterlacing filters/functions built in. Otherwise you would see interlace artifacts in the exported video, especially in scenes with fast movement.
My 2 (Euro)cents 🙂
Oliver
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up