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Quality Issues with Final Cut 6
Ok, I’m not totally a newbie, but this has been burning in my brain since my last project.
I have a 16×9 SD project that I have been working with in Motion and FCP6. When I output to DVD it looks pixelated.
I searched around and couldn’t find much of an answer cause it isn’t just the text, it’s everything in the project. And it is within FCP, in fact it looks worse in FCP than on the final DVD (although the DVD is not perfect.)
It looks like vertical jagged lines across the whole image, and they exist regardless of the type of compression that I use. I originated the graphics in Motion and exported them as Quicktimes using animation compression. I am using animation compression in the project as well, but I have switched to every type there is and nothing seems to help. I also have played with the field dominance and it made no difference.
I am exporting using Compressor with a CBR of 7.0. My font sizes are pretty big too.
Any ideas? Is there a ‘preview’ setting in Final Cut that I can’t find? Am I exporting incorrectly?
Sorry again if this is already answered somewhere else..
James Godwin
Post Production Guy
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13 Replies
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James, try playing it back on a TV. When I dub out to DVD with Compressor or Sorenson Squeeze it look like poo on my mac…. I think it has to do with the video being SD, and my mac monitors being HD.
I’m in the process of looking into other alternatives for compressing right now. I’m about to build a DVD for three different shows and need the quality to be there.
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What field dominance is your timeline and what field dominance are the Motion QTs rendered?
Was your motion project setup to render anamorphic material?
Is you FCP timeline setup for anamorphic?
DId you compress a 16×9 Mpeg2 in Compressor?
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[gorgonzollas] “I have a 16×9 SD project that I have been working with in Motion and FCP6. When I output to DVD it looks pixelated.”
If this is a DV project the problem is most likely DV compression using the DV codec. The way to prevent that from happening is as follows:
After editing is complete, click on the Sequence tab, then Settings, then look under Quicktime Video Settings and you’ll see Compressor and a dropdown menu box. In that box change the compressor to DVCPRO50-NTSC. Now hit OK and then Re-render the timeline. You will magically find that your text and graphics suddenly export with much greater precision and clarity, because the color depth of the DVCPRO50 codec is 4:2:2 rather than the horrible 4:1:1 of the DV codec.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los AngelesPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY™
A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.
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Actually, that made it look worse. Here is an example of what problems I am having..
This is what it looks like on the DVD:
And this is FCP:
And this is the original in Motion:
James Godwin
Post Production Guy
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What are your render settings in Motion?
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los AngelesPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY™
A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.
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For MPEG-2 compression that looks about right. The fonts and text styling is really not suitable for good video compression, especially not at the size of the Heartland Homes logo.
All the best,
Tom
Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP6,” “Basic Training for FCS2” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Author: “Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials” and “Final Cut Express 3.5 HD Editing Workshop” -
The quality is lacking on normal NTSC TV’s as well as in the preview monitor in FCP…
James Godwin
Post Production Guy
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What field dominance is your timeline and what field dominance are the Motion QTs rendered?
-Lower, but I have tried none and upper as well with the same results
Was your motion project setup to render anamorphic material?
-Yes
Is you FCP timeline setup for anamorphic?
-Yes
DId you compress a 16×9 Mpeg2 in Compressor?
-Yes
James Godwin
Post Production Guy
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The reason i ask is that I am finding that FCP6 totally handles interlacing much differently than it used to. I am not saying I don’t believe you, but I want to be sure. If you would, please double check the file in the timeline by right clicking on the motion quicktime file and choose item properties > format. Then note the field dominance. If your timeline is lower, set it to lower. If your timeline is none, set it to none. Hit okay, then make sure to move the playhead back and forth a few frames to refresh the timeline image.
Jeremy
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Animation Compression
Anamorphic
Lower Field FirstJames Godwin
Post Production Guy
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