-
Frustrating change in encode quality.
About a month ago, I upgraded to Final Cut Studio 3 (FCP 7.0 and Compressor 3.5)
Obviously enjoying the new features. My work is in mixing HDV and AVCHD footage in a sequence and my desired output is a dual-layer DVD and a Bluray. Given that we are mixing devices that record in 1080i and 1080p among a couple other reasons, a colleague of recommended switching to progressive frames on my DVD encodes to avoid seeing scanlines on our HDTVs.
I went into compressor and unlocked the field dominance in the setting I usually use for mpeg2 output headed towards dvd. I changed that to progressive and went into the filter list and selected the deinterlacing filter.
The resulting files were of disappointing quality across a few projects. Objects like still images and text are all blurry and highly degraded and of course the video is of lower quality than expected.
As could be expected, I tried to revert to the settings I have used with success for years. I unchecked the deinterlacing filter and return the field dominance to Top first. This yielded no help, so I changed to another copy of the settings that was created before the switch and the Field Dominance was still set to Automatic.
I had a period of time where I wanted to stack sequences to encode, so I left a queue of about 4 sequences. When I returned, I found that the first sequence finished encoding in approximately half the time of the subsequent 3 and the first one had images/text/video that all looked sharp and what I am trying to achieve while the other three all reverted to the blurry pixelated mess I am trying to avoid. All four sequences were encoded with the same setting out of compressor.
This is by far one of the strangest things I have ever experienced and I am pretty much clueless as to how I might be able to fix this.
Could this be an issue with the change to the newer FCS, I could have just messed up my compressor somehow, I just am at about the extent of my knowledge.
Has anyone ever seen / experienced anything like this? Are there any suggestions on how I may try and revert somehow?
-
7 Replies
-
The problem is selecting the deinterlace filter. It makes images softer. Just choose the progressive option in Compressor and you should be fine. I use it all the time and it works great. I have never used the deinterlace filter.
Apple Certified Master Pro FCS 2
Sony EX-3
MacBook Pro -
This seems like you are probably right, this is what is causing the problem and I had suspicion this was the case. The problem then becomes why am I still seeing it being applied to my sequences when using a setting that does not have it selected?
Does it have something to do with the fact that the sequence has already been encoded using the deinterlacing filter?
-
Yes, that would most likely be it. Try removing the filter and re-rendering the sequence. I think you will find it takes care of the problem. Good luck!
Apple Certified Master Pro FCS 2
Sony EX-3
MacBook Pro -
To be clear, I have not used the Deinterlace filter inside of FCP, this problem is pretty much contained in compressor where i found the deinterlacing filter in one of the settings.
The sequences are in HDV1080i. It just seems as if compressor is applying the deinterlacing filter anytime the target is a SD DVD and I can’t seem to get it to stop.
I will continue to try some of these ideas, thanks for your help
-
[John Riggs] “The resulting files were of disappointing quality across a few projects. Objects like still images and text are all blurry and highly degraded and of course the video is of lower quality than expected”
What do you expect when you de-interlace Progressive stuff?
You degrade it.
Edit in FC in a Progressive sequence and de-interlace only the stuff that needs to be de-interlaced.
rafael -
Thanks for the condescension. I am but a novice.
I tried to output more HDV last night and the deinterlacing filter seems to be being applied to anything I output from compressor now.
I just reinstalled FCS and am encoding something right now.
Has anyone ever seen anything like this?
-
You need to send a Progressive sequence, already the -interlaced in FC.
The in Compressor Inspector, in Video Format> Field order, set Progressive.
In Compressor’s Frame Control, set “Field order: Same than source”.
It won’t de-interlace.
rafael
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up