• Compression Techniques

  Final Cut to DVD (using compressor and toast), ideas, workflow etc.

  Posted by Adam Chesbrough on December 21, 2011 at 4:12 pm

  My current process is as follows:
  edit timeline in FCP
  render
  export as “contained” quicktime file (to save time in compressor vs “send to” compressor
  encode to H264 .mov in compressor (so that I can post on vimeo as well as burn)
  drag to toast and have toast encode and then burn DVD

  This is not as efficient as I would like. Ideally I would like to encode just once and burn without toast having to encode again. I read that I should use the “DVD: Best quality 90 minutes” preset (“MPEG-2 6.2Mbps 2 pass”) but when I encode using this I get NO audio. I am burning multiple versions of the same video and therefore don’t want to spend time sitting at the computer encoding each one

  All help or workflow suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

  macbook pro 17″ i7, 8GB RAM
  2 RAID 0 esata external HD 7200RPM

  Craig Seeman replied 14 years, 8 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
• 1 Reply

• 

  Craig Seeman

  December 21, 2011 at 4:24 pm

  What you send to Vimeo and what you burn to DVD should be different.
  Vimeo must have a source they can re-encode. A high data rate H.264 encode is a typical recommended source for Vimeo.

  Encoding for DVD involves creating a separate video (MPEGs) and audio (AC3) file. You need to check to see what Toast will accept without re-encoding.

  Alternately you could use your timeline codec or Apple ProRes and let Toast do the encoding if you’re happy with the results of a Toast encode.

  I would avoid using an H.264 encode as a source for DVD. Encoding a file with a lossy codec and then encoding again with another lossy codec is going to be an unnecessary quality hit.

  You’ll have to decide whether quality or convenience is important to you. Generally my clients want quality and doing two encodes is not inconvenient at all. You can set up both in Compressor as a batch and unless there’s a specific feature or design you’re doing in Toast, you can burn to DVD in Compressor as well.

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