-
Low video quality
Hi everyone!
I’m using Final Cut Pro for the first time, trying to make a video consisting only of pictures and some credits at the end, with cross dissolve transitions accross all of them. I’m using version 7.
My problem is simply not knowing how to get the image quality as I can see it in my monitor into the final video. The photos are very good quality, the individual image size 3872×2592 and approximate file size of each 1.5mb. Now I know I couldn’t make a video with the same resolution, but even if I convert these pictures to a lower resolution they still look very well. And when I export to a .mov and open on quicktime on a small window the image looks like the original but as soon as I go into full screen the image is a lot lower quality.
This is exactly what I do:
– I have the Easy setup at DV-NTSC, though I tried the Uncompressed 8-bit option and got the same results.
– I import all the images I want into the bin, put them in the timeline and add the transitions.
– I export ‘using Quicktime conversion’ and choose quicktime movie.
– Under settings I choose H.264 codec, Best compressor and enconding quality, under filesize I’ve had to choose 768 x 576 SD because it is the only one that keeps the aspect ratio as it is, which is another problem I don’t quite understand… If i choose ‘Preserve aspect ratio’ it actually changes it, so I’m a little confused with this. In the preview while editing the aspect looks perfect, but after exporting nothing kept it the same until I chose 768 x 576 SD.
– Then I export.The first thing I thought was that the resolution was too low so I tried higher ones, maintaing the same 4:3 relation, like 1536 x 1152 but the image looked the same. It opens a big screen, bigger than my monitor, but when I go into full screen mode it looks the same as the other one, nowhere near the look of the original photo. I even as a test tried to export one photo on Lightroom in this exact same size (1536 x 1152), then importing this picture into the timeline and making the video, but same thing happens.
So basically I’m asking if anyone knows how to make the video look more like the original source.
Thank you so much!
David -
5 Replies
-
Edit using a different pre-set – you could try 10 bit uncompressed – it renders your photos in a higher quality.
Once you’ve set that up – go into your timeline options and choose ‘none’ for the field dominance.
If you choose NTSC as your quality FCP will interpret them as NTSC when it exports out (and converting them to H264 on the way)
-
Hi Fiona! Thanks for the prompt reply.
I’ve tried the uncompressed 10 bit (NTSC) setup but I can’t find anywhere the Field Dominance, not even in Timeline Options…
You say ‘if you choose NTSC’ but there doesn’t seem to be much more than PAL or NTSC as choices, there isn’t an ‘Uncompressed 10 bit only’ option. Maybe what I’m saying sounds silly, I don’t know much about these things…
Thanks again,
David. -
No problem,
What is the final output for web or TV? This usually helps when choosing a format – it’s probably easiest just to choose 10 bit uncompressed NTSC.
Then click on your timeline, go to the sequence’ menu and choose settings – there you can choose none.
Good luck!
-
Hi Fiona, thanks again! The final output is to put on youtube as a picture slideshow/music video. I want it to be the highest possible quality, especially when viewing full screen.
I tried everything you told me, I set it at 10 bit uncompressed NTSC, set the field dominance to None, even did it on a completely new project just to make sure the previous settings wouldn’t interfere, but the end result is still exactly the same. Definition on the image is blurry compared to the original, it’s not terrible, but definitely lacks the quality a good slideshow should have. Is there a chance that Final Cut is somehow reducing the quality of the images upon importing?
Thank you!
David. -
Just this very second I figured out what was wrong: It was the ‘frame size’ under Sequence > Settings > General. It is at low resolution by default and whatever final resolution I chose for the exporting it was always managing my photographs under that other lower quality. So what I did was make it larger (closer to HD, in my case 1620×1080, to keep the 3:2 aspect ratio of the original pictures) and this immediately made the final video top quality.
As for the aspect ratio changing after exporting all I had to do was select ‘Square’ in Sequence > Settings > General > Pixel Aspect Ratio and then reemport every single photo into the timeline and rendering them all. Now the final video is of great quality and aspect ratio, choosing the H264 codec, .mov format, and export size at Current.
I hope this helps someone caught in the same situation! 🙂
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up