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Log and Transfer Quality?
I currently record my footage with a Sony HDR-XR550V camera in 1920×1080 at the highest settings.
I then use Log and Transfer to import the files into FCP. This converts the files to .mov files.
I have an issue when there is fast movement that there are lines/slices around the edge of things that are moving.
This is present immediately after I use Log and Transfer and have tried deinterlacing my source footage when I render in FCP but the same issue is present when I play the file after rendering. The settings are the same 1920×1080, 29.97 fps, Apple Intermediate Codec, and Upper(Odd) for Field Dominance.
Can anyone suggest a way to fix this or change my import process to remove these slices?
Thanks,
Tim
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9 Replies
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What’s your ultimate destination with your footage? What type of monitor are you viewing on? You do realize that the viewer in FCP does NOT accurately display your footage, right? (It can’t, and besides, that’s not its purpose.)
If you’re producing broadcast material, you need to view your footage on a broadcast monitor connected to a broadcast display card. You can’t see what you’re getting on a computer monitor connected to a computer display card.
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I get the slices in Quicktime as well, not just on FCP.
This footage will be used on DVDs as well as computers. Most likely converted to a WMV to use as sales material.
So it’s not one specific destination.
Thanks,
Tim
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[Tim Cavins] “I then use Log and Transfer to import the files into FCP. This converts the files to .mov files.”
.mov files. That’s like saying “I put them in a can.” What FORMAT did you convert them to? ProRes, ProRes HQ? Apple Intermediate? What?
And you are taking a camera that is consumer level, and shoots to a GOP format. To read up all about this go to wikipedia.com and look up GOP FORMAT. There are only like 3 real frames, and the rest is a bunch of pictures (Group of Pictures) that are used to fill the gaps. Guesswork. So when you have fast movement, the pictures are doing a lot of guessing. Converting to a full individual frame format like ProRes, then the guesswork is recorded onto the format.
Shane
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This camera shoots 1080i. You are likely just seeing interlacing when played back on your computer. Log and Transfer doesn’t do any deinterlacing, and leaves the original content untouched. If you want to deinterlace the video then you would do that generally in Compressor or something upon output/compression.
You could also do it in FC if you wanted to, but IMO I wouldn’t do it that way.
But DVD is a 480i format, so you’d want to leave it interlaced when you author it for DVD.
If you want to distribute it via computers, assuming online via youtube or something, then likely you’d want to deinterlace it to 30p since it will end up as 30p anyway and you want to make sure it’s not just being weaved to 30p because you’ll be left with the artifacts that you’re seeing.
But you would want to do this all at the final output step, not when you import the footage at the beginning.
Regards,
Chris -
Chris,
Thanks for the response.
I’ve taken a look at exporting to Compressor as you recommended but I’m not sure what my target should be. I would like to keep it HD, so I looked under Other Workflows/Advanced Format Conversions/High Definition. There were 22 options there. Obviously, I’d want one of the 1080 options but I’m not sure which one. This part is new to me.
You said it should be 30p but I don’t see an option for 30. I see i50, i60, p24, p50. Then there’s HD Uncompressed and XDCAM HD as well.
Can you point me towards which one I should try?
Thanks,
Tim
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I take that back. One of the XDCAM HD had 1080p30. I’m trying that one now.
Tim
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Depends entirely what you’re trying to do?
What are you compressing this for?
By the way, I prefer exporting a self-contained Quicktime file of the finished sequence, and then compressing that. I don’t have reliable results in sending the sequence directly to Compressor, plus I like to have a finished full-resolution uncompressed/ProRes original.
I would start with one of the generic settings Apple has, and modify it as needed. You didn’t state what you’re compressing this for, so it’s hard to guess what you’re trying to do. For Youtube/Vimeo at 30p for instance, I would do an h.264 variant at say 720p30 or 1080p30. You’ll want to make sure the frame controls are turned on and deinterlacing settings are activated, and do a couple short tests to make sure they’re to your liking, and tweak the bitrates and whatnot as needed. Both Vimeo and Youtube have recommendations you can pull up for these settings, and there’s some good Compressor-specific guidance if you search on Vimeo.
I don’t really remember whether I modified one of their basic settings or just did a fresh one. But if you set up an h.264 setting at 30fps and turn on frame controls and do an output fields as Progressive that should get you where you want to be. I do Motion Adaptive, which is a lot slower than Fast, but yields good results, and again plenty fine for Youtube/Vimeo. And do whatever resolution you want. IMO 1080p is kind of a waste for Youtube really, I just do 720p30 for both Vimeo and Youtube.
Once you get that figured out, I would also suggest wading into downloading x264 as the h.264 encoder Compressor is using is not that fantastic, and slower as well.
Regards,
Chris -
Chris,
Thanks for the advice. I’ve played a little bit with converting it to 720p with one of the existing presets and it appears to be better.
Is there any way to make a wmv through compressor? I’ve exported the Compressor file in QT to wmv but it looks bad after I do that.
I will not always have to convert to wmv, but in this instance I do.
Thanks,
Tim
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I have never needed to do this, but just quickly googling this came up, I’m sure you can find more as well:
https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/encoding_windows_flip4mac_gary.html
As stated, I have no firsthand experience with this at all, but just trying to provide you some resources.
Regards,
Chris
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