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Uncompressed .h264?!?
I have a client I edited a video for. They want it as an “Uncompressed .h264 file”. Isn’t h264 already compressed? Is this even possible? In all my years I’ve never been asked for this.
Thanks.
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9 Replies
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[Greg Ball] “Isn’t h264 already compressed? Is this even possible?”
You are correct. h.264 is compressed. Find out where they intend to use the file.
A h.264 file for the web (YouTube, etc.) looks good at a 4-6 MBs.Steve Eisen
Eisen Video Productions
Vice President
Chicago Creative Pro Users Group -
This is a good opportunity for you to enrich your clients experience with your company by asking questions as to their intended delivery format and then educating them (simply) about compression, acquisition and delivery formats. If done well, you will have gained professional respect and trust from your client, validating your rate and almost guaranteeing repeat business.
“Think of everything in terms of building capacity.”
Kris Merkel
twitter: @kris_merkel
Product Specialist, Flanders Scientific Inc.
http://www.shopfsi.com
Co-Founder, Atlanta Cutters Post Production User Group
http://www.atlantacutters.com2.2Ghz MBP core i7
16Gb RAM
CS 5.5
FCP7 and Studio
Blackmagic Design UltraStudio 3D
AJA IO XT
FSI LM-2340W
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Thanks all. I appreciate your prompt replies.
Kris, excellent advice! I always try to do this. But EVERYONE should follow this strategy with every client.
Regards,
Greg
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No gentlemen.
H264 supports from the most compressed flavors to lossless 14b/444.
Of course QT can’t export the top profiles.
Set Key Frames = 1, or ALL, and data Rate: AUTO and you will get basically an 8b?420 Uncompressed file.
Expect a very big file.
For higher profiles use HandBrake or the QT x264 Component. That makes 8b/422.
For something like 10b/422/444 you will need to spend some good money on Episode Plus or Episode Engine.
rafael -
“Uncompressed h.264” is analogous to “affordable Ferrari,” “fast snail,” and “hyperactive sloth.”
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[Alan Okey] “”Uncompressed h.264” is analogous to “affordable Ferrari,” “fast snail,” and “hyperactive sloth.””
Again: No.
Don’t mistake H264 with YouTube.
rafael -
[Rafael Amador] “Don’t mistake H264 with YouTube.”
Rafael, you misunderstood my comment. I was not making a disparaging comment about the h.264 codec, I was merely pointing out that “uncompressed h.264” is an oxymoron. Since h.264 is a codec, by definition any h.264 material is compressed.
Perhaps in my feeble attempt at humor, my analogies failed.
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In the export settings window if I set the data rate to automatic and the quality is best/2-pass isn’t that the highest quality H264 file possible? H264 by nature is compressed but since I’m not limiting the data rate it could be argued that it isn’t a compressed H264 even though H264 by nature is compressed.
Possibly an H264 paradox?
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[Alan Okey] “Rafael, you misunderstood my comment. I was not making a disparaging comment about the h.264 codec, I was merely pointing out that “uncompressed h.264″ is an oxymoron. Since h.264 is a codec, by definition any h.264 material is compressed.”
Sorry Alan, you are very right.
I was trying to emphasize the difference between “Compressed” and “lossy”.
Codecs like Animation or Sheer are compressed, but lossless.
Reducing files size doesn’t necessary means quality lose.I guess that when Greg has been requested for an “uncompressed h264” the idea was a “lossless H264”.
I know very well that you are aware of those technical issues, but some other doesn’t.
Dave said that “H.264 is typically a final delivery codec”, when can see that is also becoming one of the most wide spread acquisition options (AVCHD, AVC-Intra,..).
rafael
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