Apple Compressor problem

Compression Techniques

Apple Compressor problem

Posted by Stefan Mandersloot on June 15, 2011 at 6:41 pm

Hi there,

I’ve been reading all kinds of different posts on this very helpful community, now it’s time for me to add a post. I’ve been searching for days for a solution, but I can’t figure it out.

I’ve got a problem with Apple Compressor 3.5. It has worked perfectly for ages, but since a few weeks I’m getting weird renders.

I’m shooting with a Canon 5D MKII, 1080p 25fps. Imported with ‘Log and Transfer’ and the Canon E-1 plugin.

Here is a still from the original Prores file:

Here is a still from the by compressor outputted edit (prores 422) at that shot:

A still from the by compressor outputted edit on H.264 at that shot:

And a still from the ‘export’ function from Final Cut Pro on 720p Prores:

There isn’t much to say about the output from Compressor on Prores, it’s just eh.. green.
The H.264 output does show the edit, but is very pixely. To me it looks like some kind of interlacing problem, but I’ve checked al settings and everything is set to progressive/field dominance none.
The Final Cut exported version has the same pixelated problem (and a colorwash.. but that’s another story).

Has anyone experienced the same? I’ve already reinstalled the complete Final Cut Studio with FCS Remover from Digital Rebellion, but that didn’t work. Since the problem just came out of nothing, one day it worked fine the other day it was giving me these renders, I thought that may work. My last hope is reïnstalling Mac OS to get everything back to normal, but maybe it’s a user error after all if reïnstalling FCS didn’t work?

Thank you for reading! I hope someone can help me with this. I would be very thankful.
Stefan

Eric Strand replied 14 years, 10 months ago 3 Members · 5 Replies
5 Replies

Jason Brown
June 15, 2011 at 7:25 pm

So what is ur delivery? What are u trying to do? How are u getting it from fcp to compressor? Are u trying to compress an edited sequence to a flattened prores?
Stefan Mandersloot
June 15, 2011 at 8:38 pm

Thanks for your reply. To answer your questions:

I’m trying to make a Prores ‘master’ of the edit for archiving and a 720p H264 webversion. I’m sending the sequence from FCP to Compressor using ‘Send to > Compressor’.
I’m indeed compressing an editted sequence to a flattened Prores.

Stefan
Jason Brown
June 15, 2011 at 8:57 pm

This is the appropriate workflow for making h264, but no need to use compressor to make prores version…just flat export from fcp.
Stefan Mandersloot
June 15, 2011 at 9:39 pm

Thanks for the tip, but the flat export from Final Cut doesn’t work as it should either. The only way I get a nice and crisp output from Final Cut Pro is when I bring in my 1080p Prores footage, edit it in a 1080p timeline and export it with ‘Current settings’.
When I bring in my 1080p Prores footage into a 720p timeline or try to export a 1080p timeline as a 720p Prores (or any other format) it gets pixelated as in the sample stills above.

Very often I use 1080p footage in a 720p timeline to be able to ‘zoom in’ on footage for example. Never had any problems untill now.
Eric Strand
June 16, 2011 at 9:15 pm

If I’m not mistaken, I believe that is what Jason means when he says a flat export, exporting with current settings, so you’re all set with that.

In order to make your 720p file, take the exported movie and drag it into Compressor, don’t use send to compressor. Apply the 1280×720 YouTube preset to it, that should work fine.

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