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COmpressing and TV
Hi all. Just looking for some feedback.
I usually make videos for not for profits. I shoot SD on a canon A1, edit in FCP export as a self contained file and drop it into DVD Studio (or encode for the web). And to date the results have been fine and dandy.
I’m now doing a new project for myself fundamentally making a TV show online (for the curious: https://www.the411show.tv).
It’s a magazine style show so i do this:
* edit a piece shot in HDV.
* export it is a self contained file using the Quicktime Movie option.
* Drop that file back into my time line so the timeline ends up being a series of self compressed files butted up against AE motion animation stings.
* Export that as my ‘clean’ completed version of the show using Quicktime Movie.
* Drop that back in the timeline and lay our bug over the top.
* Export that then encode for the web.We have had interest from a small cable TV channel, so we’ve been discussing my current workflow.
I have just exported a new short piece using the Quicktime Conversion option with compression setting at None. It took ages to export a 3 minute piece and has come out at 26gigs.
I did this as we thought my initial workflow may simply over compress everything to such a degree that it will impact on quality when screened on TV, that said using this workflow and watching DVDs on TV i haven’t noticed a great drop in quality, but then i hardly notice the difference when i watch a blue ray dvd.
Although i understand the theoretical benefits of exporting uncompressed files and using those until i do one single compressed export, am i wasting my time?
would laying them off onto mini-dv then re-capturing serve just as well but be smaller file sizes.
Can I do what i am doing at the moment but remove one part of the workflow (such as putting the bug on the first time i export?
Sorry if this is a bit obvious and stupid to some but i’m self taught and in 6 years haven’t had to consider TV. the only stuff i had on TV went out on the Commnity Channel and they took it as it was without complaints. I just figure i could pick wise brains on here.
many thanks
Jules
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6 Replies
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Why do you keep exporting and importing? Put the bug and the stings all in the timeline with your show. You want a one pass render/export. With your workflow you were running it through the compression engine twice.
I’ll let others debate the type of compression and output for TV.
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Agreed, upon writing this i realised i was going out and in too much.
Soo, let me simplify my question. Do i save much quality in exporting the single magazine pieces uncompressed versus compressed via Quicktime Movie.
I’m simply going to stop the extra compression for the bug (sometimes it takes taking a step away to realise one’s folly).
But i may need to reconstruct shows using the single magazine pieces later, so would the compressed versions be fine.
Thanks and sorry for this being so convaluted.
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You can do all in one timeline as you have realised and then go straight to Compressor in FCP to make the web file. Making a self contained file is an extra step which some people recomend. Personally I have always just gone to Compressor from the timeline.
H264 is the likely web codec which is slow so consider purchasing the Matrox H264 accelerator card.
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Thanks Michael but i think i’ve not really explained properly. I actually compress to flv using On2Flix and am happy with that.
The reason I need self contained files is because i need to store them in case i need to revisit the full video or put the separate pieces in another order or another video.
SO, would my compressed self contained videos, dropped again in a future timeline then exported once more, be of noticable quality loss than self contained files uncompressed upon export?
The latter are just so much larger and time consuming.
I think that’s all i’m looking for opinion on.
Cheers
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Although it takes drive space, I would recommend using ProRes files as ‘masters’ given your workflow. It is a very good codec for HDV projects and much smaller than uncompressed which needs a fast RAID to play in real time.
Although it is always best to avoid transcoding between codecs, creating a ProRes master will give you a better result in rendering grades and graphics than staying with HDV codec as it is 10 bit. Also it is full raster (1920 x 1080)
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Thanks Michael, that’s what I was looking for.
I have to admit to having ignored finding out what pro Res was (i read it, i blank over 🙂 but if that’s your suggestion and the files are smaller than uncompressed (which i’m having trouble with even moving to external harddrives) then i’ll do my research and give it a go.
I was also consider just laying the pieces off to tape and if i needed to do something in the future recapturing. How does that affect quality (just curious to learn)>
Thanks again, appreciate all the input to date.
Jules
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